Ironically, the Scion fares better against the 5-door Yaris. Its price falls halfway between the two available versions, the LE and RS. The Yaris RS, which boasts as much standard equipment, has a base asking price $2,000 above that of the xD.
Funny, seeing as how the Scion shares the same platform as the Yaris. It is, however, powered by a Corolla/Matrix engine, a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder mill producing 128 hp. Its ever-so-slightly more potent than the Fiesta’s 1.6-litre number, to compensate for the Scion’s extra weight.
The engine drives the front wheels by way of a 5-speed, manual transmission. The autobox offered by Scion, for a $900 premium, only features four gears. It really doesn’t stand this so-called trendy car well, especially compared to the Fit and Fiesta, whose automatic transmissions use 5 and 6 gears, respectively.
This autobox surely won’t be much of an asset where performance is concerned. Our tester, which happened to feature it, needed 9.8 seconds to make the 0-100 km/h dash, and at the end of our trial period had consumed 9.5 litres per 100 km on average.
Ok, ok. Maybe Pets on Prozac was a little “too” motivating… That number could well have hovered around 8 L / 100 km with a little effort on my part. Which would make more sense, as the automaker touts an official average of 6.8 L / 100 km (as tested in a lab…).
Cute little runabout
Now, don’t go thinking I’m biased against the xD. On the contrary, I think it has a cute little face. For a young couple living in the city, it’s attractive both in terms of size and design.
Inside, we’re treated to extremely form-fitting bucket seats that create an excellent driving position. In back, head-, leg- and footroom is suitable for children or small adults. The 60/40 split rear seats are even mounted on rails, making for an eminently adaptable cargo area.
After all, it does boast the smallest loading capacity of its class. With the rear seats folded down, the xD offers all of 691 litres of space. That’s 5% less than the Yaris, 28% less than the Fiesta and 57% less than the Fit!
Be that as it may, when you compare the xD to a small car, like a 4-door Yaris, its cargo area has an infinitely practical quality that is cruelly lacking in every subcompact sedan out there.
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| This Scion shares its engine with the Toyota Corolla and Matrix. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |
Funny, seeing as how the Scion shares the same platform as the Yaris. It is, however, powered by a Corolla/Matrix engine, a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder mill producing 128 hp. Its ever-so-slightly more potent than the Fiesta’s 1.6-litre number, to compensate for the Scion’s extra weight.
The engine drives the front wheels by way of a 5-speed, manual transmission. The autobox offered by Scion, for a $900 premium, only features four gears. It really doesn’t stand this so-called trendy car well, especially compared to the Fit and Fiesta, whose automatic transmissions use 5 and 6 gears, respectively.
This autobox surely won’t be much of an asset where performance is concerned. Our tester, which happened to feature it, needed 9.8 seconds to make the 0-100 km/h dash, and at the end of our trial period had consumed 9.5 litres per 100 km on average.
Ok, ok. Maybe Pets on Prozac was a little “too” motivating… That number could well have hovered around 8 L / 100 km with a little effort on my part. Which would make more sense, as the automaker touts an official average of 6.8 L / 100 km (as tested in a lab…).
Cute little runabout
Now, don’t go thinking I’m biased against the xD. On the contrary, I think it has a cute little face. For a young couple living in the city, it’s attractive both in terms of size and design.
Inside, we’re treated to extremely form-fitting bucket seats that create an excellent driving position. In back, head-, leg- and footroom is suitable for children or small adults. The 60/40 split rear seats are even mounted on rails, making for an eminently adaptable cargo area.
After all, it does boast the smallest loading capacity of its class. With the rear seats folded down, the xD offers all of 691 litres of space. That’s 5% less than the Yaris, 28% less than the Fiesta and 57% less than the Fit!
Be that as it may, when you compare the xD to a small car, like a 4-door Yaris, its cargo area has an infinitely practical quality that is cruelly lacking in every subcompact sedan out there.
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| The trunk has a limited capacity compared to similar subcompact models. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |