Okay okay, after driving various used heaps over the years and vowing NEVER to pay the overinflated prices asked for some of the new cars, I happened to notice a Scion XB parked at my college. Yeah, some pimply faced 18 year old with entirely too much of mommy's money had pimped it out with oversized rims and chrome effects but I was moved by the overall shape. At 41 I'm unimpressed with the cookie cutter cars and like something unique. Fast forward after the XB has been out for a few years and the little toaster never left my mind.

Playing around on the internet one day, I did the custom order form online for the heck of it just to see what one of these little buggers would cost and was quite amazed at the features it came with for the price. Total price came to 15,370. This was all done from the comfort of my living room and their interactive website made it easy. A few days later a local dealer contacted me saying he had the model/color I wanted in stock (the ONLY XB in stock as a matter of fact). I was not aware how limited stock these cars are. Scion attempts to keep a low overhead and most dealers order as needed. The no haggle policy like that of Saturn is a welcome relief. Be prepared to deal with the slicked down gold chain wearing used car manager however when it comes to your trade if you have one. There is nowhere to hide money in the purchase of this car (they supposedly only make 600 bucks per deal) so what they offer you for your tradein is uninflated. I traded a 2004 Chevy Express 2500 12 passenger pigosaurus and with an extra 2500 cash the car was mine. Leasing is not an option due to the low cost of the car.

Fit and finish of the car are good, all controls are conveniently reached. I opted for the ipod Pioneer and it's nice to control your Ipod from the steering wheel controls without risking a collision. Sound system is great, economy excellent and interior room substantial. Some people have remarked on the hard ride but I think it rides pretty smooth compared to some of the tin cans out there. No rattles or shakes or funny noises. Power is adequate and has a zippy pickup. I originally wanted a stick but found the automatic overdrive transmission to be just fine. Others have mentioned the quirky shifting and staying stuck in first gear when the car is cold and my guess is that its a safety feature to keep from damaging the trans. A blue light on the dash lets you know it's cold (even when its 90 degrees outside) but within a 1/2 mile it shifts through all gears smoothly.

I only have 2 complaints about the car. One is that there is insufficient interior lighting and some of the switches aren't illuminated which makes for fumbling in the darkness. Second complaint is the vacuum created when the windows are all closed..thus door don't click shut and require some effort to close completely. Alarm should be standard.

Who knows if the quirkiness of the design will doom the car..bottom line is for the price it can't be beat and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. Skip the accessory crap unless you like a customized car. It is well enough appointed to meet most everyone's needs.