Cool car, but not for me
Written: Dec 05 '03 (Updated Dec 05 '03)
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Pros: Outstanding fuel efficiency, inexpensive, fully equipped (options get pricy though)
Cons: Noisy at highway speeds, no discounts or rebates
The Bottom Line: Perhaps the ultimate city car. I give it five stars because Toyota reliability outweighs ALL of the minor stuff
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| lawman67's Full Review: 2004 Scion xA |
Two weeks ago I bought a new car, a 2003 Mazda Protege, but before I did, I test-drove most of the competition, did a lot of online and print research, and finally did a whole lot of soul searching to figure out just what the best car for me would be for the next three to five years.
I'll say upfront, that my priorities are probably different than yours when shopping for a car, based on the type of driving that I do and my last new-car experience.
Last new car experience? Well you see, I just bought a brand-new 2002 Mitsubishi Galant in December of 2001, and had constant problems with that car. Having problems is bad enough, but Mitsubishi just claimed that horrendous fuel economy and brake jobs every 7000 miles were "driver error" and not any fault of the car. Were I a 17-year-old who liked drag racing I would agree, but as a 36-year-old family man who mostly drives on the freeway (fully half of my car's mileage was on my monthly 900-mile round trip to SanJose), I disagree. That car, in just 38,700 miles had also loosened up to the point of becomming a rattle-trap, totally unexpected and unacceptable to a guy like me with sensitive hearing and regular long drives.
So in order of importance, here are my requirements in a new car, and the cars I compared in this latest purchase.
First, the cars:
2004 Scion xA, 2004 Toyota Corolla CE, 2004 Nissan Sentra 1.8 (base), 2004 Hyundai Accent 3dr, 2003 Ford Focus ZX3, 2004 Saturn Ion 1, 2003 Mazda Protege DX, and the 2003 Honda Civic DX. I didn't include the Mitsubishi Lancer not because of any shortcomings of the car, but because of my recent experience with the company.
1) Proven reliability from a manufacturer with proven customer service
2) CHEAP! As much closer to $10,000 than $20,000 as possible. I'm not financing this car, and since cars are such horrible investments, I want to spend as little as possible and still get an acceptable ride
3) A very comfortable driver's seat
4) A good-sounding stereo system
5) Enough room for my family of three to take it on weekend trips (my wife's car is getting old, so this will be the trip car)
6) Sporty handling and adequate power (fun to drive)
7) Good fuel economy
8) Quiet and smooth highway ride, but not at the expense of handling
9) Interior and exterior styling, tasteful and not too trendy
10) All the luxury goodies, cruise, power locks and windows, etc.
So how does the xA measure up? Quite well actually. Lets go in order.
1) Proven reliability from a manufacturer with proven customer service
Duh, its not really a new brand, but a Toyota, a Toyota Echo to be precise, and while the Echo isn't on my list (just looks too cheap and weird), it has proven itself to be one of the most reliable cars on the road. There is little reason to expect anything less from the Scion xA and the Toyota warranty and service that come with it. Only the Corolla can match it.
2) CHEAP! As much closer to $10,000 than $20,000 as possible. I'm not financing this car, and since cars are such horrible investments, I want to spend as little as possible and still get an acceptable ride
The trick with cheap cars is that should only remind you of the price when you are actually writing a check, otherwise cheap cars should still look good and perform well.
The xA is a very cool-looking car, inside and out, with high-quality interior plastics like all Toyotas have, excellent ergonomics and control feel, and, well, everything else buyers expect from a Toyota.
The car is also cheap, if you stay away from the options list. My tester was only $14,050 (manual transmission) and at that price it included an excellent Pioneer CD audio system, power everything, AC and even ABS. Of course, every xA has that stuff, as my car was a stripper with nothing added except for a cargo net.
The problem here is that the Scion is new, and so there are no rebates and there is no haggling. Careful shopping can net serious discounts in today's car market. My Protege, for example, started with a sticker price $2000 higher than the xA, but went out the door for $3000 less. Of course, that savings was on a 5-year-old design that is being replaced, rather than the latst, freshest offering.
3) A very comfortable driver's seat
While properly firm and well-bolstered, I felt that lumbar support was a bit weaker than I like. Overall the xA's seat was far better than the norm in an economy car.
The Civic and Protege had the best driver's seats and best driving position. The Corolla also had a more supportive seat, but the driving position just didn't feel right to me. The xA was better than all of the American and Korean cars I drove.
4) A good-sounding stereo system
This is where the xA totally trumps the competition. My tester didn't have the Bazooka subwoofer, but it still sounded terrific, with deep base, crisp treble, and enough volume to ruin my hearing. The head unit looks cool, but it very busy, with small buttons and switches. I could get used to it, but call me old-fashioned, I prefer a simple layout in a car system, with a simple display and big, round dials. Still, the sound quality is impressive.
Despite a simpler-loooking head unit and only four speakers, I prefered the systems in the Corolla, Civic and Protege, which equalled the sound quality of the xA system at low to moderate volume, but had far more intuitive controls. At high volume the xA is king.
5) Enough room for my family of three to take it on weekend trips (my wife's car is getting old, so this will be the trip car)
This car is very small on the outside, but surprisingly roomy on the inside. It would be a bit cramped in back when my daughter gets bigger, but for the next few years it would be a fine trip car. Still, other cars in teh class are roomier.
The Focus and Protege were much roomier in the back, as was the Corolla, though I felt cramped in the front of the Corolla.
6) Sporty handling and adequate power (fun to drive)
In town the car is agile and fun to drive. On the freeway, however, the engine gets a bit noisy and passing at high speed must be planned carefully. There was also more wind noise on my tester than I'm used to these days.
The car does handle well. It has large, 15" tires and they are more than up to holding the very small and light car through tight turns at speed. Handling isn't as tight as in the Mazda Protege or Ford Focus ZX3, but far better than the Corolla's.
7) Good fuel economy
The xA ties the Civic for the win in this category, and trounces most of the competition, including the Sentra (by 4mpg) and the Progege (by a whopping 9mpg).
8) Quiet and smooth highway ride, but not at the expense of handling
The Corolla owns this category. I put the xA near the bottom here, along with the Protege, which also has a growly engine and more wind noise than is customary today. While the xA has a noisy engine, it is a nice-sounding engine, but it does intrude at highway speed.
It seemed that cars with sporty personalities were the noisiest at cruisers, while the quiet cruisers were too soft to be fun. Given that choice, I prefer a sportier car with a bit more noise. I miss the OLD Civic, which managed to combine quiet with sportiness, but the new one is definitely a quiet cruiser.
9) Interior and exterior styling, tasteful and not too trendy
Well, how can I explain this. I'm 36-years-old, married with a child. I'm not the target audience for this car. The xA was designed for someone at least a decade younger, and while I don't find the styling annoying or in any way ugly (its a very cool-looking car), I just don't think it's looks will hold up over time as well as a more conventional car such as the Civic or Protege. I don't care for the center instrument pod, but it works well enough.
This is strange, as I REALLY LIKE hatchbacks, and have owned many over the years. I think that the similarly styled Volkswagen Golf is one of the best looking cars on the road, especially the four door, but the xA just seems a bit overdone, like it is trying to appeal to the "Fast and the Furious" crowd with its lower body extensions and extra decoration.
I think the Corolla wins this round, with the Protege a close second.
10) All the luxury goodies, cruise, power locks and windows, etc.
The xA is VERY well equipped, but lacks a cruise control (not sure if one is available). Power goodies are very nice and it is easy to get spoiled by them, but in this purchase I wasn't willing to pay any more than a few hundred dollars to get them. With the xA they are standard, with most other cars you have to buy a middle or high trim line. In the Protege, for example, you have to step up to the LX, at $1300 more to get power accessories (including cruise and alloy wheels). Nice to see them standard.
So how does the Scion xA come out of my comparison shopping? Very well, actually. Here is my own list at time of purchase, ranked in order with notes.
1) Mazda Protege DX. Outdated to be sure, but with $3500 in rebates, the price got REALLY low. I consider it the best looking and with the best driving position and the best handling. Cons are noisy and stiff highway ride, lack of ANY luxury equipment (manual mirros and locks are really passe) and the worst fuel economy of the group at 25/30. Purchase price was $11,200 with automatic and air condition (no sticks left in my area), simply amazing.
2) Nissan Sentra 1.8. The Sentra, with its mild restryling for 2004 went from bland to downright ugly. The front end looks as though they took the new Maxima (which I also find ugly from the front) and squashed it onto a smaller frame. Still, the Sentra has a good compromise between ride and handling, very comfortable drivers seat, enough room, and with $2500 in rebates, I could have bought one for $12,000 with a stick shift. The stereo deserves praise not for sounding or working better than the competition, but for the little 1/8" aux jack, which allows you to plug in your MP3 or minidisc player. This feature should be on EVERYONE's car stereo.
3) Scion xA. This car cost more than all except the Ford and Civic, but it also has more. It was the only car I looked at that had ABS and power accessories, and it was fun to drive and tied for the best fuel econbomy. Still, my check would have been $3000 larger, and I just couldn't justify it for a smaller, less substantial, though better equipped car.
4) Toyota Corolla/Honda Civic (tie). Both of these cars were excellent highway cruisers. The Honda was more comfortable to me, but the Toyota just felt better built and was $1000 cheaper.
5) 2004 Hyundai Accent 3 dr. I do like hatchbacks, and the Hyundai Accent is actually a rather nice one. I drove the GL, which is the cheap model. 13" wheels and cheapo tires don't provide any fun on twisty roads, but highway ride is actually quieter than any car here except the Civic and Corolla. The Accent also has what I considered the best driver's seat, with two height adjustments (front and rear of bottom cushion) and an adjustable lumbar support - VERY NICE! The hatch opens to a large trunk, though there is no release from inside the car and the hatch must be locked and unlocked manually. The interior also was made of high-quality plastics and was generally a nice place to spend time. It lost out based on rebates and handling, and would csot $11,800 plus fees.
Finally bringing up the rear was the Focus and the Ion. Both cars were decent, with the Focus tied with the Protege for most fun to drive. Still, the focus at almost $16,000 was expensive and is not known for reliability, while the Ion was just too quirky.
So, while a new xA didn't land in my own driveway, I came away highly impressed, and can recommend this car without hesitation. For those who want a more youthful car, the xA is very hard to beat. It provides enough room for a couple or a family with small kids (but a rear-facing infant seat would be tight), with very fresh and modern styling and a full load of comfort, convenience and high-end audio. It is almost impossible to find a more fuel efficient car without stepping up to the expensive new-technology gas-electric hybrids, and except for passing on two-lane highways, this fuel efficient car, at least with a manual transmission, is never underpowered.
I wouldn't buy the xA for long-distance driving, but it is up to the task if needed. An excellent value on what is, based on its Toyota Echo ancestry, an excellent car.
Highly recommended
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 14000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: 5 speed, no options
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Epinions.com ID:
lawman67
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 in Computer Hardware |
 - Top 200 |
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Member: Andrew F
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 208
Trusted by: 63 members
About Me:
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say.
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