It must be an age thing, because I have never truly understood why the younger generation supposedly thinks a box on wheels is cool. Honda gave it a run with the recently discontinued Element. Nissan has the Cube, Kia the Soul and Toyota Canada, with its importation of its youth-oriented Scion brand from the United States, has the xB. (Ford’s Flex crossover could be considered the über box on wheels, but its demographic is far older and more monetarily flush than the others.)
Practical I understand. A box is practical. A box holds stuff. Wagons are boxy. So are sport-utes. Both hold stuff. But wagons and sport-utes can also be stylish and cool — think Cadillac CTS Wagon or Nissan Murano, to name a couple. Boxes on wheels such as the Element, the Cube and — the test subject — Scion xB? Not so much. (I admit the Soul has a certain funky charm to it.)
Now, automotive marketing information company J.D. Power and Associates’ profile of a typical xB buyer states the “urban utility vehicle” (Toyota-speak) has a younger clientele than do most vehicles in its segment. Since I am firmly entrenched in middle age, I asked my daughter — currently saving for wheels — and a member of the Scion’s intended youthful audience, if the xB held appeal. Admittedly, I had a clue to her answer. The first time I brought an Element home, she nailed it to the wall by calling it the “butt-ugly car” and shielded her eyes in mock horror. My guess to her probable opinion of the xB was dead on. “Dad, it’s like driving a moving van.”
What about all the accessories available to personalize the car and give it a more distinct identity? I pressed. “No matter how your wrap it, a box is still a box,” she said.
OK, then, no sale to this university graduate; time to change mindset. From a strictly functional viewpoint, how does the Scion fare? Well, being a box, interior dimensions are most impressive given its overall size. Headroom and legroom are almost excessive when compared with other compact cars. Getting in and out of the cabin, whether through the front doors or the back doors, is a breeze, which has me thinking it would make a practical car for someone with infirmities. Visibility is good for the most part, although the letterbox-shaped front windshield is a little off-putting at first, contributing to a slight claustrophobic feeling that is at odds with the cabin’s roominess. The windshield pillars are also fairly thick. Ditto the rear pillars, which make mirror placement critical for checking blind spots.
THE SPECS
Type of vehicle: Front-wheel-drive compact utility vehicle
Engine: 2.4L DOHC four-cylinder
Power: 158 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 162 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission: Four-speed manumatic (optional)
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires: P205/55R16
Price: base/as tested: $18,270/$19,290
Destination charge: $1,390
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 9.5 city, 7.2 hwy.
Behind the 60/40-split fold-flat back seats, there’s a roomy 21.7 cubic feet of cargo space, with a flat floor to meet the needs of the youth market’s supposedly active lifestyles. Strangely enough, it’s also a convenient place to stash groceries.
Inside, the cabin showcases the xB’s budget-based price of $18,270, albeit with some thoughtful touches to alleviate the abundance of textured plastic. For interior storage the xB offers a driver’s convenience tray, a glove box, a console box and front door storage. Beneath the rear seats a fixed tray provides hidden storage and can accommodate small items such as cameras, laptops, CDs, etc.
The instrument gauge cluster, including the speedometer and deep orange multi-information display, sits centred on the metal tone-accented dash. Frankly, I wish Toyota would stop this practice and place the pod in front of the driver where it belongs. Upon starting the engine, “xB” flashes on the information display and one can toggle through the clock, outside temperature, instantaneous fuel economy, average fuel economy, distance to empty, trip timer or the average speed.
Actually, once past the car’s polarizing looks and debatable marketing quest, the xB is not a bad-driving rig. Sharing the same platform as Toyota’s Matrix, the Scion is powered by a surprisingly smooth 2.4-litre DOHC four-cylinder with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission (a four-speed manumatic is optional). While not overly muscular at 158 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, it doesn’t have to contend with too much bulk — the xB tips the scales at 1,399 kilograms. As such, the box posts acceleration times competitive for small entry-level cars — 9.9 seconds to get from zero to 100 kilometres an hour and 7.9 seconds to pull off an 80-to-120 passing manoeuvre. Fuel economy isn’t that bad, either; I averaged 9.5 litres per 100 km in a mix of highway and suburban commuting.
Although sports car handling isn’t the xB’s forte, it isn’t nearly as tippy as it might appear — the front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension does yeoman work in keeping the car settled. Plus, the brakes — 10.8-inch ventilated discs in the front and 11-inch discs in the rear, with standard ABS — have the Scion coming to a controlled stop from 100 km/h in 43.7 metres.
Credit where it’s due, the xB doesn’t scrimp on the safety front. In addition to the four-wheel anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, a full complement of air bags, vehicle stability control with traction control and a first-aid kit are all standard.
There is genuine value and utility to the xB, both of which underscore the fact it would make a great little runabout for someone with a need to haul stuff and who is looking for an economical first car. But, for me, it’s almost impossible to get beyond this Scion’s anti-style.
Ultimately, the xB reminds me of a line of dialogue from the great sci-fi movie Planet of the Apes. Toward the end, Charlton Heston’s character, Col. Taylor, says to the ape Doctor Zira: “Doctor, I’d like to kiss you goodbye.”
Zira: “Alright, but you’re so damned ugly.”
2:00 pm 
