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

Five Axis Dresses the xB and xD

As fast as you could say “xB and xD,” Scion wheeled out aftermarket versions of its latest crop of compact cars. The automaker gave an xB and xD to California-based Five Axis, the brains behind Scion’s Fuse concept from last year’s New York Auto Show. The cars came back spruced up with enough aftermarket gear to earn them background spots on “4Fast 4Furious: Seoul Food.” (We’re kidding on that, we hope.)

On the xB, there’s enough go to match the show. A supercharger and a cold-air intake system from Toyota’s TRD performance wing boosts power from 158 hp to around 200 hp. A new suspension lowers the car 2 inches, and six-spoke 19-inch wheels wear Yokohama tires. A wraparound body kit is there because, well, every tuner car needs a body kit.

2007 Chicago Auto Show: More on the 2008 Scion xD, Arriving in August

Scion is calling the xD an all-new vehicle, but really it’s a logical replacement for the outgoing xA subcompact hatchback. We’re guessing that because the xA never lived up to expectations, a new name was in order. The xD is based on the same platform as the Toyota Yaris, and it looks like it. We wonder if there are enough customers out there for both. 

Like the new xB, the xD has iPod integration standard, and a customized model was also rolled out. We’ll have more on both custom vehicles a bit later, with their exact modifications. For now, check out another batch of xD photos.

2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Scion xD

We only have a few images of one of the two new Scions that will be introduced tomorrow, but we figured we’d bring you what we have today, along with Kelsey Mays’ full report on the all-new xD — Scion’s replacement for its xA subcompact hatchback.

The xD comes with an improved 128-hp four-cylinder engine that should deliver 30+ mpg in combined driving. It also comes with 16-inch wheels, and six airbags are standard. More to come from the show floor tomorrow.