Introduction

Scion xD – 2008 Review: Forget the Fountain of Youth. Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, has been a fountain of profits since its launch in 2003. Most of its success has been with the boxy xB, while Scion’s other original model, the xA, was less popular. Now the xB has been redesigned and enlarged, and the xA dropped. But for fans of a small, somewhat boxy look, Scion offers the xD. It looks hip, drives well and sips gasoline. Just the combination to attract even more buyers to feed Toyota’s youthful fountain of profits.

What We Drove
Toyota provided us with a pre-production xD, which included some options. Our test vehicle came with carpeted floor mats, sport shift knob, 16-inch alloy wheels, sport steering wheel, chrome exhaust tip and electronic stability control. One problem: on the Scion web site you’ll find all of these items except the 16-inch alloy wheels. There are a couple of 18-inch wheel packages carrying the Toyota Racing Development brand TRD and carrying a nearly $2,000 price tag. The xD is priced at $15,170, including $620 destination fee, for the manual transmission model; and $15,970, including destination, for the automatic.

Performance
The xD’s acceleration isn’t going to set the world on fire, but that’s not the goal. The inline-four engine’s 128 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque are propelling more than 2,600 pounds of car, yet the fuel economy was a respectable 27.7 mpg. Throttle response is better when you shift the four-speed automatic than if it’s just left in Drive. Regardless of your preference for selecting gears, the xD is capable of getting up to speed at a comfortable pace for every day driving. Once you’re at freeway speeds, the selector’s gate allows a quick downshift from Drive to third gear, making it handy for passing. You’ll also want to downshift if you’re climbing a long, steep hill. Just cruising in the city, the engine and transmission do their jobs nicely.