Here’s some solid evidence that Toyota’s Scion brand sure knows it’s market: The 2010 version of the quite popular xB is getting a new and better audio system, and the prices for the car aren’t going up a cent. The 2010 xB which is exactly the same vehicle as the 2009, apart from the all-new, and standard 160-watt Pioneer audio system, and the car’s base price that remains at $15,750 (MSRP) when equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, and $16,700 for the four-speed automatic with sequential shifting.

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By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings

• Unique Styling
• More powerful engine
• Long list of standard features
• Longer list of aftermarket options

Dings

• Unique Styling
• Still fuel efficient, but not like xA
• Snowplow understeer
• Lifeless Toyota handling

Ruling: Regardless of what ridiculous appearance analogy you can muster, the xD offers incredible value and personality for the money.

For automotive journalists, it seems the most exciting part of reviewing a Scion is coming up with an assemblage of knee-slapping analogies as to the car’s appearance. The selection ranges anywhere from Whirlpool on wheels, rollerskate, and UPS truck crossed with a garden shed to a rolling doorstop, midget bullet train, melted stack of pancakes and petrified excrement. Read the rest of this entry »

by Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• More powerful engine
• More cargo space
• More standard features

Dings:

• More mainstream
• More boring
• More hefty

Ruling: More is less, especially in this author’s futile attempt for wordplay.

Some things in life have such endearing characteristics that no matter how much you want to hate it, you can’t help but love it. Take for instance the Pug - a scrawny mutt with no neck and a face that looks like it got bashed flat with an iron skillet. The first time I laid eyes on it I thought, Who could ever find that thing cute? With its bulging eyes, incessant snorting and ungraceful waddle, I found it to be one of the most heinous-looking dogs ever created. But as time went on, my dislike for the animal was replaced by - not love - but an appreciation. Sure it was still ugly, but that’s what made it unique. It stood out from the crowd. It’s uglyness became its greatest asset.

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by Alex Kramer

Introduction

Ten years ago I wouldn’t have considered buying any car that wasn’t small, sleek, and sporty. If you couldn’t throw it around a cloverleaf at 50+ miles an hour with a grin plastered to your face, I wasn’t interested. Nowadays, I look for more mundane, practical features when car shopping, such as cargo space, air bags, fuel economy, etc. But every now and then I wish I could throw practicality out the window and buy a car just because it’s fun. Enter the Scion tC. Can Scion satisfy with this hip and sporty little coupe?

Pros:

• Understated yet attractive styling
• Peppy engine and slick shifter
• Solid suspension and smooth ride
• Toyota build quality
• Great value

Cons:

• All-season tires loose traction way too quickly
• Diminutive rear seat and trunk
• Overall style is bit too conservative

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First Impressions: 2007 Toyota Scion tC

by Scott Mosher

I’ve been driving an SUV for so long; I forgot how much fun a small car can be! I was asked to help give a review of the Toyota Scion tC. It was a bit of a change going from a 4WD Jeep Grand Cherokee with a bike rack on the back to a small, sporty get-you-there-looking-cool kind of car.

Pros:

• Small, very maneuverable with a tight turn radius
• Interior very clean looking
• Exterior has clean lines, looks very “aerodynamic”
• Shifting/transmission is smooth
• Sound from the sound system is well balanced throughout the car
• When the car is unlocked, trunk is unlocked automatically. No “Pop the trunk, please.”

Cons:

• Small cargo space
• Very little headroom in the back seats
• Rear headrests block a good amount of the rear view
• Driving position was either too close to the wheel and knees hitting the steering wheel or too far back to comfortably reach the pedals and steering wheel

Read the rest of this entry »

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by Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• Gutsy 4-cylinder VVTi motor
• 30MPG on the highway
• Nausea-free styling
• Standard features list scrolls longer than Kerouac’s On the Road manuscript
• Aftermarket accessories brochure thicker than War and Peace
• Lexus-like qualities with a sub-Toyota MSRP

Dings:

• Lots of highway noise from tires and engine
• Portly and unsettled in the twisties
• Bulbous shifter
• Rear seat headroom fit for someone with no head
• What’s with the “R” instead of “E” on the gas gauge?

Ruling: For the money, this little Toy…er…Scion is a no-brainer.

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