I'm a big fan of driving what you want as long as you can afford it. I think the Scions are quite nice. Their seats rock, too! Very comfortable. If you get an xA, enjoy it! A buddy just ordered a tC. I drove the xB, and it was tons of fun, if terribly underpowered. Getting the Scions is very easy. There is no haggling. I am told this is the way Toyota will soon sell its cars. GOOD!

Mechanically, the Scion is a Toyota Echo and the Echo is even more reliable and problem free than the Corolla. The Echo earned virtually perfect reliability scores in Consumer Reports owner survey in every component category even after 4 years of use.

The Echo is great for reliability, so the xa should follow. Checked one out at Fred Anderson Toyota.

No real carrying room in the rear. Have to look to the xb for that.

What turned me off is the power gadgets like windows & locks. This stuff on a car completely crosses it off my list. Guess Toyota feels that their intended market for these cars wants the power stuff as standard equipment.

One good thing is the large number of performance options that can be ordered for port or dealer installation. Those customers who like mods can now do it w/o endangering warranty coverage.

Also interesting is the "no haggle" pricing ala Saturn.

An interesting vehicle and a good marketing move.

bob, what is wrong with power gadgets?

If you're seriously looking at the Scion line then you MUST take a look at the new tC. They're just coming out so your best chance of seeing one right away is on their web site. There are many very interesting items on the new tC and it's styled attractively.

c2105026

These are the things that eat you up in repair cost after the warranty expires.

Power windows run $300-$400 each to fix. Power locks & security systems can be a real pain in the arse.

Just my opinion.

c2105026

These are the things that eat you up in repair cost after the warranty expires.

Power windows run $300-$400 each to fix. Power locks & security systems can be a real pain in the arse.

Just my opinion.

Yeah I have the same mentality...(but that didn't stop me from getting full power on mine haha) It sure is nice to be able to roll up to the electroinc card reader at my Apt's garage and be able to do a one touch on the window button whille i am grabbin my card...and it auto rolls down..aaaah

 

(plus my last car the window was broken...(crank)...so your pretty much screwd either way if stuff goes wrong)

my rolla is 18 months out of warranty and is ay ok.

but my friend has a '95 ford - he has had to replace window rubbers for they swelled with age and jammed the windows shut. but, this would have also happened on manual windows, too.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Scion xA is a good buy, to answer the original poster. Let's face it, the xA is fresh on the market and still an unknown quantity. Preliminary data suggest you should go for it though.

As far as power windows go, I say all power windows should be equipped with a manual crank backup. Getting the glass stuck is a significant problem, IMHO. I read somewhere that a power actuator cost only a few bucks (US$) more than a manual actuator.

A backup for windows would make a whole lot of sense.

Many sunroofs have one. My 64 Vette had a backup in case the electric motors failed to crank out the disappearing headlights.

get a tC, wish I could exchange my Corolla for one now.

When I was looking, I took a good look at the xA (nice car but little power) but was able to wait. Glad I did because I want a tC which is coming out in the next 3-4 weeks. Not sure why Toyota still markets the Corolla S and the upcoming XRS when the "better" tC will be available.

Kevin

everything inside me wants the tC. with its skyview roof, reclining rear seats, great engine, superb transmission, aswesome interior, great sound system, and excellent standard alloys and wheels.

But the other part of me doesn't want to give up 8 miles a gallon.

David- check out the new Scion forum. Just go back to "Corolland Forums," and scroll down til you see it. Somebody there just ordered a tC. Given the trouble you've had with your Corolla, maybe a sacrifice of a few MPGs would be worth it.

My brother has an 06 Scion TC. Pretty fun car, and pretty peppy with the 2.4L and the 5spd. He plans on getting a TRD Supercharger installed, its gonna be crazy. Is the xA the smaller one? Id imagine it would be a pretty nice car, good on gas, reliable, etc. . . since Toyota did make it.

It's probably very similar to a Corolla, just looks a little different. Thats my take on it.

I'd keep the Corolla until it died (or was too expensive to keep on the road) and save up for something better than an xA. Scions are geared towards teens and people looking for basic transportation; nothing wrong with that but you already have a Corolla.

I think you should get the car that you would be happy with. It may cost you more for gas, but you would feel better driving the car of your choice.

P.S. I have seen the Scion and am not overly fond of the style - but that's just me.

If you really want a scion, I'd wait a little. I just saw a moter trend show and the new Xb will come with a chopped roof and the corolla 1.8 or the camery 2.4. I nice upgrade from the 1.5.

I never really shopped hard for a scion, but I did look at more then one at a one dealer and the sticker prices were more then laughable. Maybe it was just the dealer, but the prices were getting in to the Scubi WRX range.

I haven't been able to find modest loaded scions with realistic prices. So far, I have been a little turned off by them because of what the dealers are doing with the Scion brand name.

The way I see it, they are selling a image more then a car. Too bad cause it's still toyota, but the prices are just way too high. I hope other dealers are not ordering loaded ones or adding a laundry list of options to drive the price sky high.

If you really want a scion, I'd wait a little. I just saw a moter trend show and the new Xb will come with a chopped roof and the corolla 1.8 or the camery 2.4. I nice upgrade from the 1.5.

I never really shopped hard for a scion, but I did look at more then one at a one dealer and the sticker prices were more then laughable. Maybe it was just the dealer, but the prices were getting in to the Scubi WRX range.

I haven't been able to find modest loaded scions with realistic prices. So far, I have been a little turned off by them because of what the dealers are doing with the Scion brand name.

The way I see it, they are selling a image more then a car. Too bad cause it's still toyota, but the prices are just way too high. I hope other dealers are not ordering loaded ones or adding a laundry list of options to drive the price sky high.

There are only 4 or 5 options on the tC. It isn't the options that make Scions expensive, it is the dealer add ons. The Scion dealer closest to me orders Scions. They then leave them 100% stock. If the new owner wants add ons, they negociate the price for the add ons they want and they are added on before the new owner takes delivery. That way, someone ho doesn't wan add ons can get the car they want, and the dealer isn't stuck trying to sell cars that they've modded that no one may like.

To me, that is how all Scions should be sold. They need to adopt the Wendy's methodology, not the McDonald's methodology.

They might be dealer add ons, but when I looked at them, the dealer already installed the add ons and the cost made it to the price sheet. For my point of view, I don't care if they are factory options, or dealer add ons. The price was still way too high for the car.

It's nice to know that not all dealers do that.

I'd hardly call the tC a car for someone who wants basic transportation. It comes standard with keyelss entry, 17" alloy wheels, ABS, a panoramic sunroof, power windows, locks, mirrors. It also has steering wheel audio controls, a premium stereo, cruise, tilt, AC and automatic lights.

The Xa and Xb are kind of basic transportation, but even they come with more standard features than the Corolla.

Scions may be geared towards teens and twenty somethings, but I've yet to see a Scion piloted by anyone less than 35, most of the Scions I see on the road are being driven by 50 year olds. Toyota really missed the youth market with those cars.

I'm a twenty something, and I wouldn't drive a Scion unless you gave it to me. They aren't any cooler than a Corolla and quite honestly, there lack of a dealer network isn't something I'm wild about. While I could get a Scion worked on at my local Toyota dealer, I like to buy my cars and get them worked on at the same dealer and since my local Toyota dealer doesn't sell Scions, that would not be able to happen.

Around here, xBs tend to be driven by high school kids that imediately put some kind of graphics and chrome rims on them while the xAs are driven by 'grown-ups'. The tC really is replacing the Celica as i only see either high shcool girls or college kids driving them (not a put-down, just an observation). the Scions also don't appeal to me since I see through Toyota's BS marketing and look at the cars for what they really are.