2008 Scion xD Review

Forget the Fountain of Youth. Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, has been a fountain of profits since its launch in 2003. Most of its success has been with the boxy xB, while Scion’s other original model, the xA, was less popular. Now the xB has been redesigned and enlarged, and the xA dropped. But for fans of a small, somewhat boxy look, Scion offers the xD. It looks hip, drives well and sips gasoline. Just the combination to attract even more buyers to feed Toyota’s youthful fountain of profits.

By Bob Beamesderfer Photo credit: Ron Perry

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.