The 2.4-liter engine borrowed from the sporty
Scion tC might not move the
xB out of econobox territory, but it certainly powers the xB to the front of the field. Just think, all you owners of 2004-2007 xBs: 50 percent more horsepower.
In terms of fuel economy, our average 26.0 miles per gallon over 420 miles, most of it leadfoot running on the freeway. The 2008 EPA measurements say 22/28 mpg City/Highway for the xB, so we were right on the money. The xB falls under new EPA test procedures, which are closer to reality than the pre-2008 procedures.
Throttle response is excellent, and, unlike the xD, it's steady. You get a lot of smooth acceleration out of just a little bit of pressing down of your foot. The revs climb right up through the numbers on the tach, until the transmission upshifts at 6100 or 6200 rpm (even if it's in manual mode). The engine doesn't feel like it's working hard, it feels like it's loving every chance it gets to leap between 3000 rpm and 6000 rpm.
Just don't forget that the Scion xB is not a sports car. We passed a truck going uphill on a two-lane, and with our foot on the floor we wished for even more quickness. Or maybe it was the five-speed manual transmission we were wishing for. Or a five-speed automatic.
The four-speed automatic kicks down a lot. This might be an annoyance if the xB weren't so eager about wanting to zoom forward. Every time it kicks down to third, it's happy. Give it a bit more gas at 75 mph on the freeway, and it kicks down to third and tries to get you up to 85, even if you hadn't quite intended to go that fast.
Seventy miles per hour in fourth gear is a comfortably low rev range, so there's lots of room for the engine to play, without screaming. The engine makes its peak torque of 162 pound-feet at 4000 rpm, and you can feel the engine come on there.
It's fun and nimble to drive around town. The electric power steering gives good feedback to the steering wheel, and the extra 12 inches of length is not an issue.
The great brakes add to the around-town fun, not because you use them hard in the city, but because they're smooth, tight and responsive, with pedal pressure that's just right. And when you need them, they'll be there. The front and rear rotors are both big for a small car, about 11 inches, and the front rotors are ventilated so they stay cooler under hard use. The rear brakes on the former xB were drums, so four-wheel discs are an upgrade. They're equipped with ABS, of course, and with EBD, which balances the front and rear forces, and Brake Assist, which gives more braking than you asked for. Basically, sensors read your foot and overrule your brain.
If you take the xB out on back roads to play, don't expect the manual mode to be very manual; about half the time it doesn't listen to the driver. Also, if you plan to drive the corners hard, you'll want to invest in TRD suspension components from your Scion dealer. The xB wasn't made for that. The wheels jounce around on bumpy surfaces.
But worse than that, the ride isn't quite up to sharp spots on the freeway. There's a stretch we often drive that has a row of steel expansion strips over some uphill-downhill curves, and at 75 mph the xB had us going "oomph" over the worst of them. These sharp jolts occurred in other places. It wears on you, in short order. next page