Unsung Hero of Fuel Efficiency: Scion xB

The Scion xB is possibly one of the most attention grabbing vehicles on the road. You cannot miss its distinctive shape. What you may not automatically associate with it, is fuel efficiency. We will get into that in just a bit.

I stopped by Checkered Flag Toyota/Scion the other day to get a closer look at this very hip car. Sales associate Ryan Allen (who is always a big help in answering all my Toyota/Scion questions) showed me the xB (starting at $16,370). He even took me around for a short drive around the boulevard in one. First thing that caught my attention about the xB was of course its boxy form. But I was also impressed its generous amount of interior space. Ryan who stands around 6-feet tall sat cozy in both driver and back passenger seats. With the 60/40 split rear seats that fold flat, there is plenty of cargo space. The xB is also equipped with a standard Pioneer AM/FM/CD audio system and has iPod compatibility or auxiliary port. Conveniently, the xB also has steering wheel mounted audio controls.

During our drive, I was surprised by how smooth and quiet the xB rides. Under its hood the xB has a 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine. It is the same engine found in the Scion tC and the Toyota Camry. The Scion Drive Monitor is also a great feature. Sitting at the top of the dash, the monitor displays your driving time, range, fuel consumption, outside temperature, and even average speed. All of which are very important when it comes to fuel efficiency. So how does the xB measure up with miles per gallon? Quite good. It gets 28 miles on the highway, and 22 city. With its 14 gallon tank, you have your hands on around 400 highway miles.

The xB has a bevy of safety features including: driver and front passenger airbags; front and rear side curtain airbags; direct tire pressure monitor system; Vehicle Stability Control (VSC); Anti-lock Brakes (ABS); First Aid Kit; and more.

Scion also offers plenty of accessory options ranging from a navigation system to DVD headrest monitors. The very long list of options can be found here. Also check out Optimize (Scion accessories and apparel program). There you will find an enormous selection of accessories to customize the xB.

Like always, I suggest seeing the xB in person. Visit Ryan and the sales team at Checkered Flag Toyota/Scion, 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach or call (757)-490-1111 for more information.