The HVAC knobs are fine, but the microscopic audio controls are plainly irritating. Being from the generation that was huge on aftermarket car stereos and expected to be OK with this, I'm not and I can't help but imagine I'm far from being alone on this point. My guess is that this whole un-snazzy interior affair is one of the reasons why the car is not moving as fast as it probably should.
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| The perches are fine for the average humanoid, both front and back. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
To get it moving off dealer lots, Scion has to try and get more people behind the wheel and ask them not to look down... That's because the overall levels of comfort are good, very good actually. The perches are fine for the average humanoid, both front and back, and the trunk is spacious and easy to work with. As you'd expect, the cabin is airy; headroom abounds and if only four occupants board, elbow and legroom are also fairly generous.
Again, on the topic of comfort, the xB's ride is surprisingly compliant. Quite unexpectedly, the Scion is competent and actually pleasant to drive. Yes, I was that flabbergasted. The suspension takes the edge off rough roads without really compromising its underlying sporty posture.
Not so sporty is the xB's electric power-assisted steering. It does the job and in this application, it is as good as it should be: a little on the light side without much feedback. The 4-wheel disc brakes fit the same mold.
The mold, (the living one) can be found on the transmission. As tested, my xB's 4-speed autobox is short on gears and because of that I could not better 10.5L per 100 km as an average. This does not mean, however, that it won't do so for most xB drivers.
Off the line, the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine is plenty torquey thanks to 162 lb-ft which comes in fully at 4,000 rpm. Horsepower is rated at 158 and it peaks at 6,000 rpm. Acceleration is brisk, far from rapid, but once again, will please the average 40-year-old most-likely carrying camera gear or a child or two.
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| Off the line, the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine is plenty torquey thanks to 162 lb-ft which comes in fully at 4,000 rpm. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |