Should a buy a Scion xB?

[progressoid]

http://www.scion.com/drive/gallery/drive_xb_gallery.html

I need somthing with a fair amount of room for equipment but decent gas milage. A used Subaru Forester or Outback is also on my list.
Had a Windstar - too big.
Am driving my brother's old Buick now - to boatish.

Any suggestions??

[AlCzervik]

1. It's cute and roomy, i sat in one before i bought my car

the only drawback i can see in terms of you needing to haul stuff is that is only has 108hp, the Honda boxy thing, sorry i don't remember the name has got more hp and more room.

[Magrittes Pipe]

2. Yes.

Why?

1) It's made by Toyota, so it will last forever.
2) It looks like a tiny little toy Astro Van.
3) I love the design, the practicality, and the boxiness.

[AngryAmish]

3. Yes

It is one of the more practical designs out there. Most cabs should be this car.

[Rosco T.]

4. Almost bought one, got a Honda Element instead..

tons of room, good mileage. I swear it's bigger on the inside than on the outside.

[Madrone]

7. woohoo! Second the Element!!!

Got one myself on 12/31, and I am in looooooove. Everyone that sees it (and often after telling me how UGLY my car is) ends up in loooooove with it too. TONS of room, and I believe much better clearance than a Scion.

edited to add pic:


The back seats flip up and to the sides in case you suddenly decide you need a lot more cargo space. Very cool :)

[progressoid]

12. Yeah, I like that too but it's another $3-4K

Daddy's wallet is a little thin lately

[mr_hat]

5. Scions are for squares.

[MissMillie]

6. I whole-heartedly recommend anything made by Toyota

My Corolla has almost 200,000 miles on it--going strong.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Mine went to 230,000, but...

that's pretty much when it started to crap out.

Not entirely the car's fault, though.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Go for it...

it's a lot cheaper and less kitschy than the Honda Element. Both should go to well over 250,000 miles with some care.

Probably cheaper to run, too. And repair. When something goes wrong, Hondas are the most expensive cars to repair outside of the luxury ones. (Toyotas aren't all that cheap to fix either, but not as bad as Hondas)

Ugly as sin, but still just ugly enough to be beautiful after a while.

Plan B would be one of those little used Escort wagons that sell around here for 3 grand or so. They hold an amazing amount of stuff, and, contrary to rumor, Escorts have been very reliable. (At least the ones that last long enough to make it to the used car lots have been.)

The Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe might be a good, cheap, reliable choice, too.

Subarus are great, but if you don't absolutely need the all-wheel drive, they are more expensive to run.

[progressoid]

10. Yep, I drove the life out of an Escort about a decade ago

It wasn't too bad. And that all wheel drive thing with the Subaru is a little overkill. I don't live in the sticks so maybe I can do without.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Back in the early 80's...

I rented an Escort (pissed at first that nothing else was available) and then got caught in a humongous blizzard.

Amazingly, the thing handled the snow better than almost anything else I've ever driven. Got me from Syracuse to Long Island without skipping a beat. Almost bought one last year, but ended up getting something more comfortable. At the time, I talked to a number of people with Escorts, and they were all happy.