2008 Scion xB Exterior Review
Based on analysis of 57 xB reviews and test drives.
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Scion xB adds some curves to the earlier model's squared-off styling and slightly increases the car's dimensions. Some reviewers find this to be an improvement while others feel it doesn't make much difference. Edmunds believes that the new xB's "greater track and width combined with its relatively modest height...help give the car some real stance on the road."
The original Scion xB was famous for an exterior style that was almost aggressively unglamorous. It was square, it was plain -- some might even say ugly -- and owners referred to it affectionately as a "toaster." This style was part of the car's no-nonsense econobox appeal and was especially beloved by the Generation Y college students who comprise a large part of the xB's ownership. With the 2008 model, Scion has given the xB a nudge in the direction of the mainstream. "The styling is considerably improved," says New Car Test Drive. "Plastic surgery on the chin has made a huge difference, and the other edges and angles are much softer, making the xB more attractive and less funny looking." The Detroit News feels that the "xB wears its softer edges and bigger size well." Some reviewers, though, fear that by making the xB prettier, Scion may have lost what was distinctive about it in the first place. "The original xB was daring," says the New York Times, "but with this one, Toyota seems to have returned to conservatism. Has it gone back to thinking inside the box?" But other reviewers don't feel that the changes make that much of a difference. "I just can't get behind the debate over the old vs. new Scion xB," says the reviewer for the Los Angeles Times. "Aren't they both ugly?"