It takes a certain kind of style to make ugly an asset, a style generally limited to small dogs and Subarus. Toyota's (supposedly) youth-targeted brand Scion has been making some impressive gains in the field of desirable ugliness, particularly with its boxy xB line. I drove the original xB and right now I have the redesigned version sitting in my driveway like an overgrown Sluggo, ugly as all get out yet still possessed of charm.
The funny thing is that the new xB is actually far less ugly than its more angular predecessor, even as Toyota/Scion has launched an ad campaign built around the car's love-it-or-hate-it design. Hard edges have been smoothed over -- the hood now rolls easily downward into a plastic grille marked by playful circle cut-outs. The more extreme headlights provide a lot more character than the previous rectangular ones. But looked at from a distance, it's clear that xB is as slab-like as a side of beef.
That oddly boring yet compelling profile is the direct result of the xB's primary asset -- you can haul around a lot of crap in it. For years people have rationalized the purchase of giganto SUVs by focusing on their roomy cargo areas. Really, in an urban area and with rising gas prices, you're likely going to be better off with an $18K Scion that gets 28 mpg highway (22 city). Anyway, I suspect 75 percent or more of the Land Rovers, et al, cruising around the Beltway have never seen anything heavier or larger than a load from Whole Foods or a shopping spree at Tysons. Both of which the xB handles well.
The Scion showed up the day that I was catering a wedding for about 45 people, so I decided to test that hauling capacity. I got everything in, from crates of platters to coolers of food, to bags of tools and uniforms. The only thing that had to go separately was the four-feet-tall foliage arrangements -- the xB has a lot of width and depth, but with the back seats folded down to increase space, it lacks a little bit in height. But it's not anything different than what you might find in a Subaru Outback or Forrester.
The driving experience for the xB has improved with the redesign -- it feels far more solid now. The excellent iPod integration is a plus for Mac fanboys such as myself, though with Bluetooth now a more common addition to cars even on the lower price end, it would be nice to have that included as well. As it is, I'll be sorry to see the charmingly ugly little bastard leave on Friday. He does tend to grow on you.
Comments