Are you going to miss them?
http://wardsauto.com/management-amp-strategy/scion-killing-xb-xd-favor-all-new-models
I think I’d rather have an FR-S than one of these, but not everyone can afford that. But at sales of 17,000 per year for the xB, Toyota can hardly afford to keep producing it. What do you think?
They really dropped the ball on the xB. The new version was too big for the folks who bought the old one, and there was nothing special/quirky, except the box shape. So who bought them? Older folks (like me) looking for practical transportation (which it was). The ones I see are base, nothing special done to them (plastic hubcaps 99% of the time - how many cars have that?).
My interest came from the HUGE headroom they had, wish more cars had that.
One less ugly car on the road is a good thing 
I thought that original xB was a horrendous car, it was too lightly built, underpowered, and because it had the same aerodynamic properties of a barn door, it’s fuel economy, while respectable wasn’t that good vs. it’s lackluster performance. It was roomy and reliable though. The 2nd gen was a much better all-around vehicle, it was structurally more substantial and had a better balance between reasonable performance and fuel economy. I’ve driven both versions and IMHO the 2nd gen XB was the superior vehicle.
The xD was just unnecessary given that Toyota already offered the Yaris and Corolla.
You’re right, @FoDaddy , the first xB was a tin can. I just think they went to far the other way, it could have been something the size of the old one, but beefed up enough to make it reasonably safe, with, say, a 2.0l engine instead of the 2.4 l. Wonder what they’ll come up with now.
I won’t miss them. But some good cars just never find a market. Perhaps less radical cars with room for passengers and cargo found more buyers, like the Honda Fit.
In our neighborhood, couple of folks replaced their minivans with the xB-the newer generation. I guess that was never the target audience of Scion, but for the folks who bought it, it was roomy and got better gas mileage than a minivan.
One of my friends owned an xB, but traded it for a Jeep when he got a new job where he’d have to drive several miles when snow falls. he seemed to like the xB, just wanted 4wd for his trip.
Maybe the Scion Xb will become the vehicle for the 21st century hippies.
I bought the original xB and kept it for 7 years. Yes, the sheet metal felt hollow at places, but so did other cars at that price range. It was no sports car by any means, but it could pull 4 full size adults uphill at 70+ mph; all it asked for was a drop from 5th to 4th. It could pull some hauling duties without everyday pickup truck mileage. IKEA merchandise did not require any unpacking at the parking lot, unlike people who drove there in midsize sedans. Everyone who rode in it loved it, even a foreman who drove a Ford F250 diesel found it roomy.
It was a roomy, economical car that didn’t drive like any flaccid Toyotas of the era. It was a good car at the time, but only to those who can see it for what it is and compare it to similar offerings.
As I’ve said before, I would have driven it to China from the Unemployment States.
It’s the economy. Varied and specialized makes and models are too plentiful for the recession. Everyone is shrinking product lines…
The xB was exactly what it was intended to be: a very inexpensive entry-level econobox aimed at young kids. It worked. I’m inclined to agree with Texases that “upscaling” the design moved it away from its original target market.
Toyota has gone vanilla. I recall seeing photos of the concept on which the new FR-S was supposed to be based, and it had supercar looks. But final version coming out of production is much more mellow, much more Toyota than supercar. Time will tell how well this Toybaru will hold up.
I’ll have to admit that I was impressed by the Scion XB when it came on the market. I like cars that are designed to be functional. At the time I was looking at the Scion XB back in 2003, we had decided to purchase a Toyota 4Runner and didn’t want to extend the budget by purchasing two cars. The Scion XB might work well for me.
I have always liked vehicles that were designed to be functional. As a kid, I was impressed with the 1949-50 Nash Airflyte design. I learned later that it had much less wind resistance than other cars on the road. Yet, it was a 6 passenger car. The Nash Airflyte 600 got its model designation because it could go 600 miles on a 20 gallon tank of gas. That equals 30 miles to a gallon. The Nash Airflyte didn’t look like any other car on the road.
The original Scion XB had a purpose in mind. It maximized the interior space with a minimum exterior size. There are other vehicles that appeal to me that were built for a specific purpose. These include the Checker sedan, the Honda Element, aand the present minivans.
Personally I think the XB is ugly. Both my son’s LOVE the XB (I write that off as being young and stupid). They are functional and reliable. But not a vehicle I’d buy. There are plenty of functional and reliable vehicles that appeal to my likes to choose from.
For me, function wins out over style. When I graduated from college, my top choices in a car were the VW Beetle and the Studebaker Lark. Both served the function I needed in a simple, easily repaired automobile. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that kind of money, so I wound up with a 1947 Pontiac Streamliner. The fastback was stylish for its day. However, the rear window might as well have been a skylight. The spare tire had to lay vertically in the trunk. Even so, that old Pontiac was more functional at hauling passengers that the entire 1959 GM lineup. These low slung cars were longer, wider and lower than my old Pontiac, but could not hold 6 people as comfortably as the 1947 Pontiac. If I weren’t taking as many people with me to musical rehearsals and performances, I might have purchased a Scion XB over a minivan. I don’t think minivans take any beauty prizes, but they serve the function I need so that is what I drive. Similarly, I don’t think that our 2003 4Runner is “the most beautiful car on wheels” (this was the advertising slogan for the 1949 Pontiac, but it serves the function of getting us through where other vehicles wouldn’t make it.
If I could find a Scion XB, I might buy one for Triedaq. I would put flowers and peace signs on it. Maybe I could convert Triedaq from a geezer to a hippie.
Mrs. Triedaq
Mrs. Triedaq - you should have seen all the hippie/geezer combos at the VW show 2 weeks ago, seem like they go together…
I too test drive and considered the xB back in '05. Unfortunately, the ride was too hard for my aged back. But I liked the idea of pure function at a low price. I thought the car was well done for a really basic econobox.
@the same mountainbike–I don’t mind a hard ride, but I need simple controls. Myback is strong, but my mind is weak.
Thanks for the laugh. Mine too.