2006 Scion xB Reviews

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.

I absolutely love my vehicle! My commute on daily basis is to and from Thornton, co to aurora, co from home and work, and with traffic the last thing I need to be worrying about is my mpg and money wasted on gas. My vehicle gives me on a weave 31. 1 miles per gallon that I have calculated myself. Aside from that my car is just so spacious. I have a baby, and with the car seat in the back my husband can still in the front seat without having his knees touch the dash with him being 6’2. And even though it is so spacious, the car itself is small, I can for and park or anywhere with no issues whatsoever! I highly recommend this car to anyone.

I absolutely love my scion xb. The scion was marketed for younger people, but us "oldsters" are the ones buying it for a lot of reasons, I. E. Ease of getting in and out of it, plenty of legroom, both front and back, ability to let the back seats down and haul "things", plenty of headroom, good gas mileage, the style (it looks like a "vintage foreign" car. It sits up high - however it is small, so it is sometimes hard to find in the parking lot. I use my "alarm" button, on my key when this happens. But then it is also very easy to park, because of it is size. It is almost maintenance free. It is very reliable and comfortable, but sometimes on a rough road, it feels like it does not have any shocks. Also it is a little slow going up a hill, since it is only a 4 cylinder. My granddaughter said she feels like she is driving a golf cart, after the Volvo that she drives. I will never drive another car, so I certainly hope that they continue to make the scion. I am 82 years "young", so I really do not think I'll have to worry about that, since I only have 50, 800 miles on my 2006 scion xb. Blue book states it is value at $5, 500, which is great for a 12 year "young" car. In fact, it looks brand new.

I really love how the scion xb drivers. The scion xb is great on gas too. The scion xb does not have air vents for the backseat, so if you have children that can be a big issue. We use the scion xb as our family vehicle and turn the ac up all the way or ride with all of the windows down and that seems to work. There isn't a lot of storage space if you are driving with your family and cannot put the back seats down. It does not have Bluetooth but it does have an aux cable hook-up area. Overall we love this vehicle and would buy the scion xb again if something happened to the one we have. We would also recommend the scion xb to others.

Love the car but very slow acceleration, cannot turn very tightly at higher speeds, feels like it will tip over due to low wheel base. Breaking is good but sometimes because of small wheels you need extra distance to stop, I have newer tires but in the rain because of the small wheels sometimes it feels like it will slide if you break too fast. Love the amount of room in the interior, and very happy with the overall look and performance, gas mileage is Great!

I absolutely love it! Extremely spacious on the inside. Accelerates very well. Can not beat the gas mileage. I usually have to fill up every 350 miles and then it only costs about $25 to actually fill it up! Love it. Some things I don't love however though. Does not do well in the rain due to how low to the ground it is. Has trouble driving over 75 miles per hour on the highway. Does not have a charging port for my phone. The cup holders do not seem to hold any cup very well. Would have loved to have a middle console to hold things.

My scion xb is very low to the ground making it difficult for me as a taller person to get in and out. The rear hatch back is too low and it hurts my back to lift things in and out. There is also not enough space in the hatchback for my needs. The paint began to chip off indicating the paint job was not high quality. The air conditioner is not working indicating the quality of the manufacturer. The shocks are horrible, it is like you can feel every bump on the road when driving. The engine is very small and as such there is not much power especially when the vehicle is full of passengers and cargo. Traveling up steep inclines the car slows down and moose's momentum. The car stereo is broken and the televisions that came mounted into the backs of the seats do not work anymore.

My car was purchased used, to replace one I bought new. Scion xb is my favorite car that I have owned. I read a review stating that it was the most economical vehicle to own and that was true to my original. Changing oil regularly helps lots and I do it at the dealer so they know what they are looking at. Both cars had the rear handle replaced - original under recall, but the newer one I paid for. When it gets real cold or very wet the check engine lights always come on. Great mileage and awesome on the highways. It is not a luxury car so you feel the road you are on. Very good response on the steering wheel so it is easy to drive and it has anti skid warning. Sitting in the car seems like a van cause the seats seem higher and your legs can bend at the knee plus the windshield seems huge. The seats are cloth and roomy and the newer car has adjustable seat belts so they do not rub the side of your neck. Great radio, CD and great sound. I will never buy anything other than Toyota.