Scion xD road test / car review and details

The largest Scion is a little wagon, with room for five and a little baggage. It hugs the ground, dropping the crossover look, in a bid for better cornering and gas mileage; thanks partly to the low-slung body, the Scion provides that fun, go-kart feel which every small car should have, but which the Toyota Yaris lacks.

scion xD crossover

The xD has better brakes than the old Scion xB, and a more aerodynamic body (dropping the “boxes within boxes” look) that is short and narrow, making parking easy. It has good headroom and feels large inside, thanks to expanses of glass in every direction and a boxy design that doesn't impinge on passenger space. Cargo space is quite small, though, and the xB’s rear stabilizer bar was dropped.

The Scion uses the Corolla’s 1.8 liter engine, boosting power from the xB’s 103 to the Corolla’s 128 horsepower; torque gets a welcome boost from 101 to 125 pound-feet. The additional power is welcome, and now, when you really need power, you get it. That is, if you're in the right gear.

rear - scion xD

At low engine speeds and medium to high loads (that is, over 30 mph or on an incline), the Scion is sluggish until a slow downshift brings the engine into its power band, and then it becomes a little pocket rocket. Those with manual transmissions have more gears to exploit the engine's narrow power band, and can make quicker downshifts. The driver can, thanks to a gated shifter, also make the automatic downshift on demand; it requires a quick knock to the left to go from fourth to third, a quick pull back to go down to second (being careful not to go that next step down to first). The engine is loud and snarly under acceleration.

scion xD engine

Gas mileage has fallen, but is also measured by a different standard; still, a 280-pound weight increase can’t help. The sticker price increased, as one would expect, from around $13,360 to around $16,000.

Gas mileage is fairly good, albeit lower than expected. The Toyota Corolla actually does better, despite its larger interior, with an estimated 27/35 mpg versus the four-speed-automatic Scion’s 27/33. That is probably due to the Corolla's five-speed automatic (which gets the same mileage as the manual-transmission Corolla). We averaged around 30 mpg, pretty good for a modern car with all that safety and audio equipment. You can monitor your gas mileage from the standard trip computer.

xD hatchback

The automatic can feel spongy and indecisive. The gas pedal seems to have a little band in which practically nothing happens, then a sudden step-up, then more relatively unresponsive area. The sudden tip-in might make the Scion seem more powerful in test drives, but it also makes it a little touchy when starting out or parking.

The Scion is frisky in city driving, though, again, if you catch it off guard, you need to wait for (or cause, by flooring the pedal) a downshift; it feels sluggish once under way with the automatic and the engine below 3,500 rpm. In contrast, 0-30 sprints are quick and feel fine.

The Scion has good handling, with tight steering and a good grip on the road. Stability is good at highway speeds. The ride is fairly refined; the suspension is firm but has considerable cushioning built in, so you stay well connected with the road and feel all the bumps and imperfections, but they are all cushioned and moderated. It’s a good compromise between the “no shocks” feel of some performance cars and the floaty-comfort typical-Toyota ride. On the other hand, at highway speeds, every bump is felt — harshly. The xD is much happier as a city car.

scion xD

The xD feels very nimble, and likes to turn sharp corners with nary a care, largely to the low stance, suspension design, and stability control. Standard traction control helps - as do standard four-wheel antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution. Also in the name of safety are prosaic but useful adjustable headrests for each passenger, and standard mirror-mounted turn signals so everyone knows where you're going. Yes, a car without a temperature gauge or a standard gas gauge has mirror-mounted turn signals, a standard stereo USB port, and a standard tachometer. The Scion people know their target market and don’t seem to have any major allegiances to old priorities.

The xD retains rear drum brakes, not really an issue with a car of this weight; the rear suspension is a weight-and-cost saving torsion beam design, hearkening back to the prior decade's auto fashions, but many people prefer this kind of suspension for the “solid feel.” 

Cargo room is fairly minimal but it is easy to access, and protected by a well-designed cargo net. You can quickly expand the cargo bay by taking advantage of the fold-flat seats, and extra-long objects will fit if the front passenger seat is reclined all the way - which makes that seat relatively (though not completely) flat as well.

scion xD interior

The dashboard is dominatd by a single-dial-plus-idiot-lights instrument panel. The large, round pod is now right in front of the driver; it contains just two analog gauges (speed and tachometer) in a pleasant arrangement, with white backlighting for the speedometer and amber for the tachometer, and two big idiot-light pods. The gas gauge is a nine-element LCD, with amber backlighting, next to the gear indicator; there is no heat gauge, but Toyota provided idiot lights for “cold engine” and “hot engine.” When in reverse, a box blinks around the "R" of the gear indicator.

odometer

The interior continues its clever and efficient round vents, which are easy to shut off, and a stereo system with very good sound, using a Pioneer receiver/CD player. Adjustments must be done with buttons (except volume), and the layout isn't intuitive. The tiny power button has at least been relocated to the top left; lettering is hard to read throughout. (Scions are apparently marketed to people with better than average vision.) It is very easy to adjust the sound processing, which has three modes - none, hear (similar to loudness), and feel (which heavily emphasizes bass response). We actually found feel worked best for most music, but missed a "talk" setting which would minimize bass and raise treble.

glove compartments

New are rear seats that can actually recline by 10 degrees, if pulled forward; and they can be pulled forward a full six inches.

One unusual feature in a car of this price is a standard USB iPod interface, sensibly placed at the bottom of the center stack, next to a power outlet, and right by the cupholders. The Scion comes with a cupholder fill-in which incorporates an iPod holder and coin holder for a limited number of nickels, dimes, and quarters. The cupholder includes a place for a cable to go so you can have your iPod connected by either USB and audio cable.

car seats

We had some problems with the stereo. It took a while to discover that settings have to be changed by holding down the SSP button until hearing a beep; then the big knob can be used (the instructions neglected to include this tidbit). Changing settings was clunky, particularly bass, treble, balance, and fade, which should be the easiest to alter. On the lighter side, people can personalize the startup message (from "Scion") and can adjust the subwoofer, shutting it off entirely or changing its nature; they can also alter the dynamic volume and loudness controls, preferably while parked. We never did get our iPod Classic working with the system, though the manual claimed it was as easy as attaching the USB cable (it’s possible that a special car adapting cable is needed). There is an aux input so we could listen to the iPod, but could not control it — dangerous for anyone not just shuffling songs.

Controls were simple and fairly logical. The climate control had oversized knobs for easy use; the rear defroster and air conditioning both had large buttons centered in the knobs. As with just about any Toyota, the headlights are powerful and well-focused.

Visibility is excellent, with the barest of blind spots, strong, well-focused headlights, and a standard rear wiper/washer with a defroster. The under-windshield material is a matte plastic which avoids reflections in the windshield. Windshield wipers are large and cover a good area, up front at least; the rear window has a short, stubby wiper which covers around a third of the area.

storage

Storage is moderately limited up front, with Big Gulp type cupholders molded into the doors where map pockets would usually be, a pair of normal cupholders under the center stack along with a small space for toll devices or sunglasses (not both), Toyota's usual tiny bin by the steering wheel, and dual glove compartments, one of which comes filled up with documentation and instructions. The upper glove compartment is convenient and has a rubberized, anti-movement/anti-rattle interior. Another slide-out cupholder is hidden underneath the passenger-side air vent, making it easier to permanently use the cupholder-coin slot adapter.

Rear seats are fairly comfortable, with surprisingly good legroom and headroom. There are now cupholders molded into the doors and one in the rear of the center console (which has no other storage). The view is good from every seat thanks to a low beltline and high seats.

The Scion xD comes standard at $16,670 with a four-speed automatic transmission, electronic power steering, front disc brakes with rear drums, a torsion-beam rear suspension, and P195/60R16 all-season radials. Those big tires (for such a small car) really help the grip; not long ago, only big cars and sports cars got sixteen-inch rims and low-profile tires, but wheels have been getting bigger across the board, and tires have been getting lower profile as well. The wheels are steel, and should be more bend-resistant than most alloys.

Safety features include four-wheel ABS with brake force distribution (for straight stops), stability and traction control, side airbags (both curtain and seat mounted) for the front passengers and curtain airbags for the rear, as well as a first aid kit and tire pressure monitors.

2010 scion xD

Surprisingly standard features include the LED turn signal indicators built into the outside mirrors, rear wiper/washer, air conditioning, a Pioneer 160 watt stereo with iPod connectivity (including control from the stereo itself), tachometer, power locks, mirrors, and windows, and tilt wheel with audio controls. Some of that was paid for with fewer gauges, a fairly bare-bones interior, a four-speed instead of the now-common five-speed automatic, and fewer indicator lights at night. Oddly, while backlighting is not provided for some controls, Toyota saw fit to put in a light that warns you if your headlights are on — presumably a concession to former NUMMI partner General Motors.

Our test vehicle had carpeted floor and cargo mats, adding $155 to the price; the cargo net was an extra $65, and the rear bumper appliqué with the word Scion cut out was another $69. All told, with destination, our car ended up at $16,559.

The Scion xD gets four-star safety ratings for driver and passenger in frontal crashes, five stars for side crashes, and four stars for rollover.

toyota car

While the Scion xD not huge, it can hold the shopping bags from a moderate trip to the grocery, and the seats fold in for more space; the small size is quite helpful in fitting into garages and parking spaces, as well as providing a nimble feel. In short, the xD isn't just a good alternative to a small car; it's a worthy competitor to "cute-utes," and even mid-sized crossovers that aren't being fully used. After all, most people only need a lot of space on rare occasions; it makes more sense to spend less on a more thrifty, environmentally and oil-dependency-wise more sensible, less expensive, and more fun vehicle, and to rent or borrow something larger when it's needed. The xD, particularly with the stick, is indeed a fun city car, and it's certainly a responsible and economical purchase. It doesn't feel bad on the highway, either, as long as you're willing to knock it down from fourth to third before passing.

Scion xD car specifications

xD Engine

1.8-liter, 4-cylinder, dual overhead cam 16-valve with dual VVT-i (variable valve timing), aluminum alloy block and head.

Specs

3.17 x 3.48 bore x stroke; 1798 cc; 10.0:1 compression

Power

128 hp @ 6,000; 125 lb-ft @ 4,400

Ignition System

Toyota Direct Ignition (TDI)

Fuel

Multi-point electronic fuel injection using 87 octane unleaded

Emissions

LEV

xA and xD POWERTRAIN

Manual
Ratios

1st 3.545
2nd 1.904
3rd 1.310
4th 0.969
5th 0.815
Reverse 3.250
Differential Ratio: xA, 4.312; xD, 3.941

Automatic
Ratios

1st 2.847
2nd 1.552
3rd 1.000
4th 0.700
Reverse 2.343
Differential Ratio: xA, 4.157; xD, 4.130

xA and xD SUSPENSION AND BRAKES

Front

MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar

MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar

Rear

Torsion beam with stabilizer bar

Torsion beam

Stabilizer Bar Diameter (front/rear)

0.98/0.68 inches

0.98 / n/a inches

Brakes

Front ventilated disc, 10”; rear drum, 8”

Front ventilated disc, 10.8”; rear drum, 9”

xA xD

Steering

Power rack-and-pinion,
18.6:1 ratio

14:8 ratio

Steering details

3.07 turns to lock;
36.1 foot turning circle

37.1 foot turning circle

Wheels and tires

15 x 5.5 steel; P185/60;
temporary spare

16 x 6.0 steel; P195/60;
temporary spare

Scion xA and xD dimensions

Wheelbase

93.3

96.9

Overall Length

154.1

154.7

Overall Width

66.7

67.9

Overall Height

60.2

60.0

Tread Width F/R

57.3/ 56.3

58.5 / 58.7

Minimum Ground Clearance

5.7

6.5

Headroom (front/rear)

39.6/38.8

38.9 / 37.6

Legroom (front/rear)

41.3/37.6

40.3 / 33.9

Shoulder Room (front/rear)

50.9/50.4

51.9 / 50.1

Hip Room (front/rear)

54.6/53.4

51.1 / 50.1

EPA Passenger Volume

86.0 cubic feet

84.5 cf

EPA Cargo Volume

11.7 cubic feet

10.5 cf

Cargo Volume (rear seats folded)

32.8 cubic feet

35.7

Seating Capacity

5

5

EPA gas mileage: Manual
Automatic

32/38
32/38

27/33
26/32

Curb Weight: Manual
Automatic

2,340
2,380

2,625
2,665
Drag coefficient   0.32
Pollution level   LEV II

Scion xD standard features not mentioned above

Read our Scion xD car review!

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