2008 Scion xD: A Lot of Ugly Car for the Money
Whether or not Scion’s xD is a good choice for you depends entirely on your priorities. First things first, this is a relatively inexpensive car, and it gets great gas mileage. If those are the top two things on your list, it’s a fantastic choice — provided that, as one passenger put it, “you don’t mind driving around in an ugly car.”
Aesthetics aside (for now), this is a lot of car for the money. It starts at $14,550 with a bunch of great standard features, including lots of safety gear and an iPod input that allows you to control your player through the stereo — which, by the way, sounded great. Factor in the 32 mpg I averaged in a week of driving in the city and on agonizingly crowded freeways, and the xD is a good bargain-basement choice.
The catch, of course, is that there’s not a lot of space in it.
The rear cargo area was big enough for my needs, but with the driver’s seat in a comfortable position for all 5 feet, 3 inches of me, there was very limited legroom in the second row. The backseat does slide back 6 inches, but if you have a load of people and their stuff you’re going to be very short on space. With the seat moved forward, I could drive and another me-sized person could sit behind me, but add in anyone with a few more inches of height and it’d be a bust.
The seats themselves are highly uncomfortable. Two passengers commented on their stiffness — which bothered me as well — and one called the head restraints “wretchedly painful.” I can’t disagree. Perhaps it’s another height issue, but they seemed to somehow push my head down whenever I leaned back. As nice as Scion’s gauges are, I’d rather look at the road when I’m driving.
I think this car just wasn’t designed for someone my size. The clutch felt exceptionally far off the floor, meaning that every time I drove it without heels on I had to shift into neutral and readjust my foot virtually every other time I came to a stop. The seat sits fairly high, which is great for your view of the road, but somehow the precise mathematics of its height, the placement of the clutch and the length of my legs added up to a Bermuda Triangle of driving ergonomics for me.
Within a week, I’d adjusted everything enough that the car no longer actively annoyed me, as it did at first, but it was never ideal. The tiny rear window left me feeling like I was driving in a tunnel every time I looked out the rearview mirror, and small cars next to me sometimes disappeared below the xD’s short side windows — not what you want when you’re parallel parking.
I hated the lack of a center console, and the car’s quirky looks didn’t grow on me. The nicest observation anyone made about it all week was that it was “ugly in a fun kind of way,” which just barely edged out yet another person’s comment that “at least it isn’t as ugly as the other Scion,” referring of course to the boxy xB.
When that many people hate the way a car looks, there’s a good chance just as many others will love it. If you fall into that category, try the xD on for size. If it fits you better than it did me, you’ll likely find very few strikes against this car.
This is the first in a series of posts in which other voices from the Cars.com staff will share their experiences with new cars we’re given to test. Beth Palmer is a copy editor in Cars.com’s editorial department.
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Nice article. I like that Beth pointed out stuff that real people care about, without a hint of bias one way or another. I look forward to more articles from her and the rest of the staff.
Broq
I test-drove the xD last week and I loved it! People are looking for big cars with good mpg, and that's what you get with the xD. It was the funnest car I've driven in a long time - easy clutch!
Face it, folks, most people buy a car that seats 5, and then 1 person drives it to and from work every day. How often are the back seats really going to be an issue?
I thought it was great. But, I'm looking for a car, not a cushy, luxury, work of art.
I don't find the car "ugly" and I'm sure that a lot of other people don't. I don't think they would have sold over 24,000 xD's and xB's in 4 months if people considered them ugly.
Ziggy,
Actually scion and other manufacturers know people consider them ugly, they want to sell to the group on the other end of the spectrum whol like it. It's a very new way of looking at design and marketing and has paid off in some ways for them. Although the more mainstream looks of the tC seem to work best as it has been the brand's best seller.
with scions, if your shallow, you wont like them, but if you give them a chance there more than worth it. pesonally the xB is my favorite, of the three not the more popular tc
I see the design of the xD, especially the front end, to be very similar to that of other Toyotas. Take look at the Highlander, Corolla or new Matrix. They're all similar with bulging headlights and a sloping nose. That's probably why the Scions seem to sell throughout all demographics. So I don't see them as being at any end of a spectrum.
That car fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Uglier than a bucket of hair...
I would think that big solid panel where the C pillar is would be kind of an annoying blind spot. I personally do not find this really ugly and i am not a fan of Scion's. The original xB was incredibly ugly to me for example.
cody,
I think that Scions are ugly, but I don't hate them. They just use the space wisely. But on the other hand, drag increase and what's with the center gauges?!
I just bought an xD and I love it. I'm 6'3" and fit comfortably. I actually like the fact that the seats are stiff (it adds a racing seat-like quality to them). As far as looks are concerned, I dig the xD. Some people will find it ugly, just because it's different. This is not a car for everybody. However, those who know how to appreciate it will drive away with a bargain, fully loaded with features that would cost thousands more on other cars.
I had a 2005 xb, the real box, and i loved it. It got fantastic MPG was really easy to park, had great visibility and was real quick in the corners. The new XB i dont fit in, the center console is to big and blocks my knees. There is also the fact that the new xb gets poor mpg compaired to the old one, and is harder to park in the city, and also no longer fun to throw into a corner. The XD rides like the corolla, which feels like it was designed for a monkey, (People with longer arms then legs) The steering wheel is far away and the pedals, feel really close, not to mention it looks like a toilet bowl. I traded in my XB for a civic, while i miss the room and the love hate looks i got with my xb, i cherish the 32mpg i get around town on an average, and also like that it didnt cost me much more then the XB did 3 years ago. While i looked at the TC during the new car purchase, the fact that the only redesign is paint, tells me there is going to be a new release soon, and that they didnt want to make a deal also tells me that the TC was just not enough car for what i got the civic for. Much like everything toyota makes today, there is no frills, boring old man cars, even the TC has aged past its prime..
I've had my xD for 3 weeks. I'm terribly glad that I didn't read any reviews of the car before going to a dealership. If I had, I may have talked myself out of test driving one, and I could have made a terrible mistake.
My boyfriend made a terrible mistake in not buying one before I did. He thinks it would be too weird having two of them. I can feel his raging frustration at being stuck in the passenger seat whenever we take my xD out together.
I have been driving an xD for 3 months now. I bought it because of the primary factors mentioned, Price and gas mileage. And boy was I surprised! It is VERY roomy on the inside when you get out and look at how small the car actually is. On top of that I have yet to get less than 37mpg (and usually avg closer to 40) and that is with 0 highway miles. It's all backroad mostly with my average speed (according to the dash) of 40mph. The lack of a center console/arm rest is the biggest complaint I have with the car, but was solved with a $110 purchase from Ebay. As far as the looks go, that is because you got a base model with no upgrades. If you add on some tasteful wheels and throw on the suspension, it looks a whole lot nicer. It has a better stance and of course the hub cubs are just a really bad eye sore. I have not gone back on my decision yet and highly recommend this car to anyone without a fat wallet or care of how much gas they use.
"Ugly"?? Ouch! :-D
Well, eye of the beholder, and all that... I must say, I had an almost visceral reaction to the xB for the first three years they were sprouting up everywhere, but now that I know more about the target demographic, and Scion's marketing approach, and having rode in a few, I must confess that the awkward aesthetics make a world of sense.
After a couple of months wading through the subcompact hatchback market in search of a way to stick it to OPEC, the xD was the only model I found that wasn't ashamed to throw a little 'tude into the mix. This time around, I was specifically looking for a snarky MP3 player with wheels. And if you buy all the marketing hype, the xD is all that and a bag of Flash ROM chips.
I'm 6'2" and I was blown away by how much space they managed to hide inside that peanut shell, and I'm grateful that Toyota/Scion beefed up and rounded out the interior surfaces, giving it a more substantial interior presence (compared to the horribly angular and spare Nissan Versa and Honda Fit, which haven't turned a critical eye to their own cliches in over a decade).
I love my xD. I've seen a lot of fugly cars in my time, but my little car is adorable. It is obviously a matter of taste.
Anyway, I bet it gets better gas mileage than your car!
I just bought an XD two days ago I am a bit bummed at the noise level and rough ride. I also miss not having an arm rest. If you have any suggestions for either I would love to hear them.
I just bought an XD two days ago I am a bit bummed at the noise level and rough ride. I also miss not having an arm rest. If you have any suggestions for either I would love to hear them.
I bought my xD earlier this week. First tank of gas averaged 35+ mpg (closer to 36) straight city with heavy traffic. I love how she looks and drives...plus I have two kids in car seats and a teenager; we all fit, including a week's worth of groceries. Surprisingly roomy, handles like a dream, and you can't beat the price! Test drove a Fiesta first, and this has sooooo much more interior room!! I love my baby!