2008 Scion xB

If car designs mirror social trends, then Toyota's redesign of the Scion xB is tantamount to an outlaw that's gone straight. Kind of like when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid got jobs as payroll guards—but without the irony and humor.


When the Scion xB first popped out of the Toyota lineup back in 2003, it was a redheaded stepchild. Who would have thought that such a mainstream, politically correct company could create this quirky conveyance? Actually, the model had already been produced overseas, and was altered slightly for sales in the U.S.

Styling

Comparisons of the xB's boxy shape with Maytags and toasters were inevitable, since it actually did look like the box it came in. This deliberately (and literally) edgy styling endeared the car to all those kids looking to make a statement, to stick out from the crowd, and to haul around a bunch of stuff. Indeed, as sales swelled, the median age of Scion buyers dropped from Toyota's 46 to a friskier 30. Despite the fact that the xB's engine was a bit thrashy, buzzing like an angry bee at anything approaching the freeway speed limit, it proved the old lyric that, "It's hip to be square."


Given the xB's success with a younger demographic, where would Toyota take this car? Well, the new model is both better and worse at the same time. Better because it's bigger, smoother, and more powerful, but worse because it's lost that wild-child flavor. Sure, it's still fun and a bit freaky, but less anti-social.


Getting down to specifics, the new xB's wheelbase is four inches longer and 2.8 inches wider, and the overall length has been extended a full foot. The car still feels pretty nimble when tooling around town, but now you probably can't parallel-park in those spots that most other cars wouldn't even give a second look.