2008 Scion xB Safety Review
Based on analysis of 57 xB reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Scion xB does well in insurance industry crash tests. Government crash test ratings are not yet available. The xB comes with an excellent set of standard safety features.
The xB earned the top score ("good") from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in frontal crash tests. It has not been rated in side impact tests.
Accident Avoidance
The 2008 Scion xB has an unusually good set of standard accident avoidance features for its price. These include anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist for panic stops, traction control, and stability control. "Scion continues to set the standard for this category with vehicle stability control," says Edmunds . "Just like panicked rear-seat occupants, it intervenes quickly during aggressive braking or when there's an active amount of hustle on the car, although there's an off switch if you'd rather take your chances." New Car Test Drive adds, "We were also thankful for the halogen high beams during two fast one-hour runs on a dark, winding and lonely freeway. But the flipside was that the projector low beams are treacherously weak. And for some reason there's only one backup light, on the driver's side. Is it a Scion styling thing, like one earring or something?"
Crash Protection
Standard crash protection features on the Scion xB include driver and passenger frontal air bags, side air bags and head air bags.