2008 Scion xD Review

What We Drove

Toyota provided us with a pre-production xD, which included some options. Our test vehicle came with carpeted floor mats, sport shift knob, 16-inch alloy wheels, sport steering wheel, chrome exhaust tip and electronic stability control. One problem: on the Scion web site you’ll find all of these items except the 16-inch alloy wheels. There are a couple of 18-inch wheel packages carrying the Toyota Racing Development brand TRD and carrying a nearly $2,000 price tag. The xD is priced at $15,170, including $620 destination fee, for the manual transmission model; and $15,970, including destination, for the automatic.

Performance

The xD’s acceleration isn’t going to set the world on fire, but that’s not the goal. The inline-four engine’s 128 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque are propelling more than 2,600 pounds of car, yet the fuel economy was a respectable 27.7 mpg. Throttle response is better when you shift the four-speed automatic than if it’s just left in Drive. Regardless of your preference for selecting gears, the xD is capable of getting up to speed at a comfortable pace for every day driving. Once you’re at freeway speeds, the selector’s gate allows a quick downshift from Drive to third gear, making it handy for passing. You’ll also want to downshift if you’re climbing a long, steep hill. Just cruising in the city, the engine and transmission do their jobs nicely.

Handling

The xD is nimble at low to moderate speeds, but the electric power steering is a bit vague, and needed input to stay on track through sweeping turns. On the plus side, it didn’t wallow and it mostly went where you expected it. On the negative side, it had plenty of front-wheel drive understeer at freeway speeds. The front disc, rear drum brakes provided good stopping power, and the system was easy to modulate and worked well in panic situations thanks to the anti-lock and electronic brake distribution setup.

Visibility

Despite a smallish greenhouse and rear window and large C-pillars, visibility to the back is good with rear headrests down. With all three up, the view to the rear becomes cluttered. The view is also good out the front and sides. The outside mirrors are large enough and, coupled with good all-around visibility, make the xD an easy car to maneuver in traffic.

Fun to Drive

The xD doesn’t peg the fun meter, but it does move the needle. As economy cars go, this one has enough spirit to not be boring and isn’t a chore to drive. It registered pretty good gas mileage in mixed city, freeway and back roads driving, 27.7 mpg. However, most of the fun with the xD will depend on the destination. It will take the driver and three friends in comfort for short trips, but limited cargo space would make a long trip in the xD more challenging. 

Front Comfort

Head, leg and hip room up front are all pretty good for a car this size. Front seat comfort was mediocre. Seat firmness seems just about right, though lack of thigh support and low seating position made it less than ideal. Lower back pain set in after an hour on the road. The sport steering wheel had a nice heft. The tilt function moves the wheel and the instrument cluster, keeping the view of the gauges unobstructed. It is an easy car to get in and out of, thanks in part to grab handles above both doors.

Rear Comfort

Rear seats are more comfortable than up front because they sit higher.Headroom diminishes in the back because of the stadium seating, but that’s made up for with decent leg room. Even with the front passenger seats far enough back for average adults, there’s room for adults in the rear seat. Foot room is also very good, except for the center position. It’s a little harder to get in and out of the back seats because of the higher position. Rear passengers also have grab handles above both doors.

Interior Noise

Small economy cars aren’t going to compete with big luxury sedans on noise, and the xD is no exception. The xD serves up some wind noise from the mirrors and road noise from the rear, but neither is especially loud. The 1.8- liter engine is a bit noisy on acceleration, about the same as the Toyota Corolla or the xB. Taking it all into account, noise wasn’t so much as to be annoying or really compete with the audio system. That’s a nice plus in a subcompact economy car.

Loading Cargo

With rear seats up, space is limited. The hatch opening and low cargo deck make for easy loading. Rear seats fold into two different positions: nearly flat and flat. The latter leaves a one-foot gap between the flattened seat backs and the cargo floor. Seat bottoms slide forward and backs fold down to make the flat area. The nearly flat position is quick and easy to set up. The hatch is light, easy to open and close, and has a handle on the inside. There are two tie-down hooks, which is a bit odd when four seems the standard.

Build Quality

Our Scion xD test vehicle was a pre-production unit. We did not assess build quality, as it is our rule to praise or critique this aspect of a vehicle only when it is reflective of what consumers will find at the local dealership.

Materials Quality

While plastic predominates, as expected in an economy car, the materials have a stylish texture on the dash and door panels. The ceiling is mouse fuzz on a flexible panel without much sound deadening, which is pretty typical for vehicles at this price. The xD center stack has a dark gray metal flake finish to complement the lighter gray dash. Seats are covered in durable cloth, which is the same pattern and color as the slightly padded armrests. Overall, the xD has good quality, stylish materials that compliment the design.

Styling

It works like this: If the styling of the xD is too loud, you’re too old. With its urban America meets Tokyo design, the xD is very much in keeping with Scion’s x styling DNA, which is clearly aimed at twenty-somethings. It’s more box like on the outside than the xA. Inside, the styling is modern and functional. The largish dash top is contoured to emphasize the shapes of connecting elements. The center stack also has some contouring instead of just a flat front. The xD stands out in a good way from other cars in this segment.

Storage

Scion put a clever twin glove box in the xD, with a map section above a deeper main compartment. Two cupholders and a small bin are in front of the gearshift. Another cupholder pops out from the passenger’s side vent. The driver gets a small tilt-out bin left of the steering wheel. The front doors have a storage bin with bottle holder. Things get a bit more spartan in the back: only one cupholder at the back of the center console. There is a bottle holder in the rear doors, but four cupholders in a five-passenger car seems odd.

Infotainment Controls

Our test vehicle came with the standard Pioneer entertainment system, which drives six speakers and is also satellite-radio ready. The unit features familiar rotary volume and tuning knobs, buttons for presets that also double up with disc player functions, and buttons for the various modes. All of these were well marked and logical to use. The xD’s standard radio includes iPod connectivity, allowing control of Apple’s device through the audio unit’s controls. Also included is an auxiliary jack, allowing other media players to be plugged in.

Climate Controls

Despite the stylish interior the xD doesn’t stray at all from standard Toyota climate controls. Three large, round knobs control airflow, fan speed and temperature. Those knobs also have air-conditioning on/off, fresh/recirculate and rear-window defroster push-buttons in the center. The controls are below the audio system, close to hand and easy to use by feel. The knobs are stepped, which makes it easy to know how far you’re turning them.

Secondary Controls

Once again, it’s Toyota standard switch-gear, including power window and door lock buttons on the driver’s armrest. The front passenger has the usual window switch and a central door lock button. Power mirror switches are the on left of dash. The tire-pressure monitoring reset switch is very low on the left side of dash, almost hidden. Stability control on/off switch is in the center console under the parking brake lever. Audio controls on steering wheel include volume, mode and station or track. Two stalks, one either side of wheel, handle lights, signals, washer and wipers. A third stalk on the steering wheel handles cruise control. Apart from the odd locations for tire pressure reset and stability control switches, everything is logically placed and easy to operate.

Competition

Starting at under $16,000 puts the xD in with some familiar company: Chevy Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Fit, Mazda Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla and VW Rabbit. There are also offerings from Hyundai, Kia and Suzuki. Based on Scion’s consumer Web site, an xD equipped similarly to our test vehicle but with 16-inch steel wheels would total out at $17,128, including $620 destination. That’s puts a lot of weight on the desirability of the styling. There are capable, fun to drive compacts on the market that don’t cost quite as much, but are burdened with a design as dull as dishwater.

2^nd Opinion – Heywood

Scion’s current marketing campaign features an ad where deviants are crawling out of the woodwork and attacking the sheeple—people who’ve become so boring and bland they have been herded into looking and acting like sheep. It’s a nice analogy to help Scion’s cars stand out from the crowd, but you don’t have to be a deviant to like one, this is a great first car for anyone.

Punching the front wheel drive Scion xD around a corner sets the tires squealing and the rear end leaning and the well bolstered seats grabbing to hold you in place.

Vernon Heywood
MyRide.com Associate Editor

2^nd Opinion – Chee

Where have you gone, Toyota Echo?

Wherever it is, stay there. Please. For as the 2008 Scion xD demonstrates, Toyota is once again good at building small, cheap cars that are fun to drive, roomy enough for most people and cost, well, okay, maybe we should just not bring that up…The drive certainly doesn’t feel cheap. There’s enough room inside the cabin to breathe, and while it’s a world of low rent, black plastic, it has a nice finish on it, feels pretty nice and…well…you do get what you pay for.

Brian Chee
MyRide.com Managing Editor