Mileage Challenge 6.2: The Results

For our most recent mileage challenge we tested four subcompacts to see how they stacked up when the wheels hit the real world. This challenge’s players include the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta SES with an impressive 38 mpg rating to back up, 2010 Honda Fit Sport, 2010 Nissan Cube Krom and 2010 Scion xD — all equipped with automatic transmissions.

As rated by the EPA, the Ford Fiesta gets the best fuel economy of the bunch at 29/38 mpg city/highway. But could it get those numbers in the real world?

Scion xD Release Series 2.0 Priced at $15,920

Scion has a tradition of releasing special editions of its vehicles, and the xD Release Series 2.0 is the latest in that series. It will be the last special edition for 2009.

Along with all the xD’s standard features, like air conditioning and power windows, locks and mirrors, the xD RS 2.0 also features a large 5.8-inch touch-screen navigation system.

The Pioneer navigation system has built-in voice recognition and Bluetooth capabilities. The system also includes satellite radio and a rearview camera, and it’s HD radio-ready. It will even play iPod videos when the vehicle is in Park.

The xD RS 2.0 will be sold exclusively in Electric Wasabi, which is sort of a lime-green color.

When it goes on sale, the xD RS 2.0 will cost $15,920 with a manual transmission and $16,720 with an automatic.

The only factory-installed option for the model is a rear spoiler ($285). Delivery adds another $670.

The xD RS 2.0 goes on sale later this month; only 1,600 will be made.

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.

MPH: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Every automaker wants to boast that a number of its cars are members of the environmentally — as well as politically — correct 30 mpg club. The Toyota Prius hybrid goes one better: It’s a member of the 40 mpg club, with a sticker on its window boasting 48/45 mpg city/highway.

While Congress debates dictating higher fuel economy from all vehicles in the near future, I couldn't help but notice the mileage labels on some of the new cars recently tested at a media event.

The midsize Hyundai Sonata sedan's mileage is rated at 21/30 city/highway, while the subcompact Toyota Scion xD hatchback's mileage was an even more impressive 26/32, meaning both are members of the 30 mpg club.

But those same cars carry another set of numbers that raise a question.

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Scion xD

Oh, the poor Scion xD. I took it for a test because two co-workers (who don't ride bikes) guilt-tripped me by saying it would "totally" hold my athlete stuff and I should "totally" drive it. Sadly, it does not measure up.

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Scion xD

Kelsey Mays turns in an interesting look at this example of “basic transportation” in a not-so-basic shell. There’s no pulling punches on who won’t be buying the car — people with lots of friends and stuff — but there is plenty of insight on what the xD does, right along with a video that shows the car’s numerous features.

2008 Scion xD Expert Review

MyFace Generation Takes on Scion xD

There’s no denying Scion markets its cars toward the younger crowd. You don’t see Lexus making ads that feature little gremlin deviants eating sheep people, do you? Being part of the younger MySpace/Facebook crowd — and scooting around in the car for a weekend — I found the compact xD to be extremely versatile and enjoyable, but I never got used to its funky styling.

The xD could have easily carried all my college gear back and forth from the dorm with its rear seats folded down, although that time is behind me. The average mpg display read 35-plus after a weekend of cruising around suburbia, which surprised me considering its 2008 highway mileage is only rated at 33 mpg. That means a daily commute to work wouldn’t be that costly.

Scion Prices New xD at $14,550

Scion’s xA replacement has a strange ad campaign and an interesting price. Starting at $14,550, not including a $620 destination charge, the xD is more expensive than competitors like the Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent and Toyota Yaris. Adding an automatic transmission brings the price of the xD to $15,350. There is only one trim level.

The funky-looking xD does come with a lot of standard equipment, though, including four-wheel antilock brakes, front-seat-mounted side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags and active headrests for the driver and front passenger. New 2008 EPA fuel economy ratings are 27/33 mpg city/highway for the manual-transmission model and 26/32 for the automatic. The xD goes on sale in August.

Related
First Drive: 2008 Scion xD (KickingTires)
2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Scion xD (KickingTires)

First Drive: 2008 Scion xD

I got a little worried when I learned the new Scion xD shares its platform with the subcompact Toyota Yaris, a car purely about point-to-point transportation that's not the least bit entertaining to drive. After a brief drive in Scion's four-door hatchback, which goes on sale in August, I can safely say the new xD has a much more engaging personality than the Yaris, and it should definitely be on your list if you're shopping for a small car.

2007 Chicago Auto Show: Scion xB and xD Video

Last week, Cars.com Senior Editor Joe Wiesenfelder spent some up-close-and-personal time with the all-new Scion xB and xD subcompacts, and we got it all on film. Well, digital film anyway, and the video is now live on our Chicago Auto Show page. Go check it out and see how much legroom that xB really has.

Related:
Five Axis Dresses the xB and xD
2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xD, Arriving in August
2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xB, Arriving in April