2006 Scion xB Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

I have a 2006 with only 20,000 . Although I have seven automobiles, the XB arguably the best all around. It is as reliable as a sunrise, fun to drive, has a enormous storage capacity and requires almost nothing other than routine maintenance. I have had no issues mechanically or cosmetically with the automobile, and I drive it extremely hard smiling the whole time. As a former Ferrari/Alfa technician, I find it’s simplicity and ease of repair to be unbelievably good.

The Scion xB never caught my eye in the beginning. It was not that I saw the car and hated it or loved it. Like a young love head over heels in love with someone who doesn’t even know they exists, that’s the way it was with me. I had inherited my mother’s 1994 Toyota Corolla which was at that time 10-12 years old. I can’t remember what drew me to the xB but I began researching. I heard a lot of interesting things about the car that had sparked my curiosity. The boxy nature gave the occupants more room from head to toe especially in the rear seats as well as cargo space. The fuel consumption was pretty good. The “all glass surrounds” gave an unimpeded view and I went to the dealers and had picked up 2006 brochures. I really liked the xB: Unpretentious, useful, efficient and fun to drive. Some said unattractive, I thought differently. I always thought it looked like the car was smiling. It has personality, character, charm. Then I read an article that it was being redesigned. Hmmm, redesigned? My curiosity was peaked once more. I was curious to see what they would do with the very unusual, spunky box, but when it was revealed, I did not like it. The personality and character was gone. The smile had been turned into a scowl. The cockpit was dark due to the eliminations of the rear side windows and the lower “slammed “roof line. The “slammed” look never appealed to me. It looked like bat mobile animated series. Heavier with a boost in engine power, the fuel consumption went down; it was wider and longer with more trunk/cargo space. It had extra safety features that the first generation lacks. I hung on to the Corolla for another 11 years. The 24 year old Corolla still drove pretty well. The odometer had flipped back to 000,000 but was having a lot of issues (mainly electrical) and maintenance costs were increasing with each oil change. Not wanting a car payment, I started searching for the last production year of the 1st gens. In 2017, I purchased a 5 speed manual 2006 xB. I’ve had it for over 2 years and love it. It has been very useful in so many ways. With the passing of my in-laws, hauling their belongings to Goodwill and other establishments has been so easy. The wide hatch opening made loading large furniture pieces easy. A prime example, my brother in law wanted his parent’s wingback chairs and could not fit one in his partners Prius. With the rear seats down, I fit both (in a 69 position) in the cavernous back and was able to close the hatch completely. At times I have lower back issues which made getting in and out of the Corolla was a challenge gingerly balancing maneuverable ability and pain. I’m not tall but have misjudged getting in the Corolla and have hit the right side of my head a few times. The xB’s high roof line, lower chassis and wide doors (even the back doors) makes getting in and out not a problem and I have yet to bang my head. The xB is pretty good on the highway but at high speeds, the rpm’s are over 3000 and the engine sounds hi revved. If it had a 6th speed, it would take the rpm’s to a comfortable highway cruising speed/sound. If I could give Toyota some advice, re-issue a new model of the 1st gen xB and like the Mini Cooper and the VW Beetle, update the interior, update the body design with bold trim, side impact air curtains, hybrid/battery/electric/gas, 6th speed manual for high cruising speed, a little larger trunk/cargo space, sun/moon /panoramic roof, self-braking/lane drifting sensors, rear view back up camera. I would definitely purchase a modernized xB.