2005 Scion xB
From SCION-TECH : The Scion Resource : tC, xA, xB, xD
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[edit] 2005 Scion xB
The Scion xB is a box on wheels with strong styling that grabs attention, often from members of the opposite sex. It's a five-passenger wagon that doesn't look like a wagon. Nor does it look like a Toyota, though it's built by Toyota and carries the company's high standards of quality, durability and reliability.
As a result, the Scion xB feels tight. And it's quiet, with little wind noise and no squeaks or rattles. Inside, it's roomy and has a nice interior with controls that are easy to operate. The driver and passengers sit upright in chair-like seats and enjoy excellent visibility. As its looks suggest, the xB offers better cargo capacity than your average compact car.
It's easy to drive with good brakes and a smooth clutch, but it's no hot rod. Shifting into lower gears is needed for quick acceleration.
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Available Colors
The Scion xB color selection is limited to eight colors for the 2005 car.
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Pictures
[edit] Exterior
The styling of the Scion xB is polarizing. Most think it's the hottest machine on the planet or the ugliest thing on four wheels. It drew numerous accolades, looks of approval, and positive hand signals from people in Miami and South Florida.
The Scion xB looks like nothing else on the road. Sheets of flat metal and glass on the sides join at right angles with a flat roof, a flat hood and a flat liftgate. Only the barest hint of a curve softens the front end and windshield. A Honda Element looks curvaceous when parked alongside this exercise in extreme angularity.
The wheels and tires look tiny under the boxy exterior. Aftermarket alloys that fill the wheel wells would likely improve its looks.
Tall doors open wide. Top-hinged outside door handles fit smoothly into the xB's slab-sided styling, but they're less ergonomic and less friendly to fingernails than open, full-round handles like those found on the xB's more traditionally styled sibling, the xA. A bonus in a smallish vehicle like this one is that six-footers can walk beneath the open liftgate without fear of gouging an eye or cracking a skull.
Our xB came in Black Cherry with an Exterior Package ($758) that included a rear spoiler, a big but subtly colored Logo Brown graphic on the side, and appliques on the fuel filler and B-pillar designed to look like carbon-fiber.
[edit] Interior
The design of the seats indicates the xB is not intended to be a sports car. The seats are more like chairs than car seats, raised somewhat above the mostly flat floor. Side bolsters on the seat back and seat bottom cushions are minimal making for easy entry and exit. The floor-mounted shift lever falls readily to hand, as does the hand-operated emergency brake. Pedals are ergonomically placed.
Gauges are centered on the top of the dash instead of being directly in front of the driver. Scion says this makes the instruments easier to see because they're closer to the driver's line of sight through the windshield and focal plane. No doubt this also saves cost in a car built for markets around the world that use both right-hand and left-hand steering. We found the blank landscape between the spokes of the steering wheel takes some acclimation. At night, we kept wondering, "Where are the dash lights?" Once acclimated, the driver finds a large, black-on-white speedometer, a small tachometer and a small fuel gauge.
The broad expanses of glass make outward visibility stellar, good for heavy traffic and tight parking spaces. Big outside mirrors afford a good view rearward.
Interior quality is better than decent, especially given the xB's price point. Fit and finish are up to Toyota standards. The stereo is mounted above the air conditioning controls because they're operated more often. Temperature and ventilation settings are adjusted with basic knobs, buttons and lever. But the stereo plays to people used to directional buttons and PDA cursor pads. We think Scion's interior stylists missed the boat on the dash-mounted vents. Eyeball shaped, these could have been allowed to rotate in all planes, like those on the Toyota Tercel, but they pivot only vertically.
The xB's exterior styling suggests a roomy interior and it delivers on this promise. Compared with the Honda Civic and VW Golf, the xB leads in virtually every passenger compartment measurement, and generally not by small amounts. Remarkably, the xB offers more passenger room than the larger and taller Honda Element. Scion xB delivers about 6 inches more front and rear headroom and 3-5 inches more legroom than Civic and Golf offer. Amazingly, the xB boasts nearly 3 inches more front-seat headroom and 7 inches more rear-seat headroom than the Element, despite the Element being 6 inches taller. The Element does offer a lot more front-seat hip room, however, and slightly more rear-seat legroom.
For hauling booty away from the local flea market and garage sales, the xB offers a smidgen more space than the Civic and the Golf. The Element easily tops the xB, however, offering 74.6 cubic feet of cargo space versus the xB's 43.4 cubic feet.
Ordering the available subwoofer takes up 2 square feet of floor space in the cargo area. Worse, it's mounted right smack in the middle rear of the cargo area and is really in the way when loading or unloading materials. Also, the subwoofer on our car rattled over bumps.
Cubby space is normal for the class. There are the usual map pockets in the doors, cupholders front and rear and so on. There's a nook in the lower half of the dash to the left of the steering column, a cranny to the right of the column and a shelf-like opening above the glove box.
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Overview
Scion xB ($13,680) comes in one body style and is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Buyers choose between two transmissions, a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic ($800).
It comes standard with power windows, mirrors and door locks; tilt steering wheel; tachometer and trip meter; 60/40-split folding and removable rear seat; remote keyless entry. It also comes standard with a six-speaker, AM/FM/CD Pioneer sound system engineered to read MP3 files and wired to accept an XM Satellite Radio receiver; the system has been revised for 2005 for clearer MP3-CD sound and now features a customizable screen.
And it comes well-equipped with active safety features: antilock brakes (ABS) with Brake Assist (which increases braking pressure in emergency situations) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (which apportions braking force to the tires with the best grip); Vehicle Stability Control (which attempts to restrain a vehicle from spinning out of control by adjusting the application of throttle and brakes); and traction control (which reduces front wheel spin under acceleration).
Other than the choice of transmissions, Toyota offers no factory-installed options for the xB. Instead, a buyer selects from some 40 accessories to be installed either by Toyota at the port of entry or by the dealer. These comprise both appearance and functional items. Among the eye-candies are clear tail lamp lenses, rear bumper applique, body side graphics, LED interior lighting, carbon fiber shift knob, sport pedals, and an instrument panel applique. Adding function are a leather-wrapped steering wheel (red or gray), front strut tower brace, fog lamps, cup holder illumination, removable roof rack, 6-CD changer, satellite radio tuner and antenna, cold-air induction system, and an assortment of handling and performance goodies from Toyota Racing Development.
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Performance & Efficiency Specs
- 1,497 cc 1.5 liters in* line 4 front engine with 75 mm bore, 84.6 mm stroke, 10.5 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder 1NZ-FE
- Unleaded fuel 87
- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 35 and EPA city (mpg): 31
- Multi* point injection fuel system
- 11.9 gallon main unleaded fuel tank
- Power: 81 kW , 108 HP SAE @ 6,000 rpm; 105 ft lb , 142 Nm @ 4,200 rpm
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Handling, Ride & Braking Specs
- Four* wheel ABS
- Brake assist system
- Two disc brakes including two ventilated discs
- Electronic brake distribution
- Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management
- Spacesaver steel rim internal spare wheel
- Stability control
- Strut front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs , torsion beam rear suspension rigid with stabilizer bar and coil springs
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Exterior & Aerodynamics Specs
- Body color front and rear bumpers
- Coefficient of drag: 0.35
- Driver and passenger power body color door mirrors
- External dimensions: overall length (inches): 155.3, overall width (inches): 66.5, overall height (inches): 64.6, wheelbase (inches): 98.4, front track (inches): 57.3, rear track (inches): 56.3 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 36.1
- Complex surface lens halogen bulb headlights
- Luxury trim alloy look on doors and alloy look on dashboard
- Pearl paint
- Fixed rear window with defogger and constant
- Front spoiler
- Tinted glass on cabin , privacy tinted glass on rear , privacy tinted glass on side
- Weights: curb weight (lbs) 2,425
- Windshield wipers with fixed intermittent wipe
[edit] 2005 Scion xB Interior Specs
- Air conditioning
- Element antenna
- Front ashtray
- Pioneer audio system with AM/FM and CD player CD player reads MP3
- Cargo area light
- Cargo capacity: all seats in place (cu ft): 21.2
- Front seats cigar lighter
- Clock
- Full dashboard console with covered storage box , partial floor console with open storage box
- Delayed/fade courtesy lights
- Front seats and rear seats cup holders fixed
- Door ajar warning
- Door pockets/bins for driver seat and passenger seat
- Floor covering: carpet in load area
- Driver and passenger front airbag
- Sports driver and passenger seat
- Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pretensioners
- Glove compartment
- Two height adjustable head restraints on front seats , three height adjustable head restraints on rear seats
- Illuminated entry system
- Internal dimensions: front headroom (inches): 46.1, rear headroom (inches): 45.7, front hip room (inches): 50.7, rear hip room (inches): 50.6, front leg room (inches): 45.3, rear leg room (inches): 38, front shoulder room (inches): 48.6, rear shoulder room (inches): 50 and interior volume (cu ft): 90.2
- Low fuel level warning
- Remote power locks includes trunk/hatch
- Power steering
- Front power windows with one one-touch , rear power windows
- 3* point reel rear seat belts on driver side, passenger side and center side
- Three asymmetrical bench front facing removable rear seats with zero adjustments
- Rear view mirror
- Remote fuel filler door release
- Cloth seat upholstery with additional cloth
- Seating: five seats
- Six speaker(s)
- Plastic steering wheel with tilt adjustment
- Tachometer
- Driver and passenger vanity mirror
- Ventilation system with recirculation setting
