Well the Scion xA and xB are coming out and regardless of what people say, I think these cars are kinda cool. Decided to start an enthusiast website since there are none.

http://www.xAxB.com

Any suggestions? My first time making a car website.

 

uhhh...nice layout.

Got nothing else to say

 

Can someone please tell me what is cool about the Scions A and B? I don't get it, but there has to be something about them if so many like them.

 

They're cheap, modern, and Toyota is trying to make them "hip". They are what has been around Japan for years, but now Toyota is taking a risk and trying to market funny "cheerio box" cars in the US. How you see them is totaly up to you. I personally would buy one as a second communter car, but not as my main ride. Anyway, I think the Xa is the closest thing we're gonna get to a Vitz/Yarris (besides the Echo with a lot of imagination) until we can convince Toyota to give us some real cheap fun.

 

Both Scions are cool but the xB is very hip looking in a mod way.
Hoepfully the engine can be modded to make more power & torque. But even if not it makes for anice looking cruiser and mobile boombox.

The xA is cool in its own way too.
I bet they'll be popular with women and folks who want to move up from the Echo.

Good pitch Toyota!

- Janq

 

Lotsa luck on that one. Toyota and Honda have both been trying desperately to make the Matrix & Element "hip" too. The average age of the Matrix buyer is 50 and 41 for the Element. They are being purchased for their practicality.

soobooroo

I like the Mini more than the Scion, bfd.

 

Scion.....why? The small one has a chance. The ice-cream truck looking one is done in a year or so. I'm going to say it now. I hope they go out of business. That's it, game over.

This message is for Toyota.......you suck.
You took away the supra, you took away the turbo awd celica...the only two good cars you ever made.

Now you've made a gaytrix (not a typo), 45,000 types of SuV's that suck (they'll probably start offering dubs for these things like GM did), and a retarded looking celica. You put a fancy 'S' badge on the corolla (that adds at least 75hp by itself) with a wing (can they do 100mph anyway?). I can't go on talking about toyota crap, I'm getting depressed.

However the 4runner is cool, in my town all hot MILF's drive those.....pure eyecandy.

 

Dear Mr. Toyota,

I like the Scion concept and both models are pleasing to my eye.
But unfortunately for you, these too will fail in your subject market. BTW, the 'Scion CD' is good. Its been in my rotation for 5mo. now. My 6mo. old likes "Hammerdance" by 'Omni & Otherwize'.

As for the other Toyota offerings they are bland. I'm not talking ice cube tasteless or vanilla familiar. I'm talking bland like New Balance and Saucony. Good products that have been around for ever, but always a brides maid...and never gets laid. Your products are everywhere and no where. You guys need a 'Carnie Wilson' make over in a big way.

So here's some free advice from a real consumer; 32, virgo, Black, male, married once, 1 child, 1 dog, 28% taxable, white collar, active/sporty in & outdoors, educated, a sensible car nut, meat eater, non-smoker/drinker, currently drive an SUV (Honda) and sedan (Subaru).

Keep the Landcruiser, 4-Runner, RAV4 (make it a hybrid!), Tundra & new Sienna (good show!), re-do the Highlander & axe the wannabe bourgeois Sequia.
Split the Landcruiser into two models. Offer a longer wheelbase upmarket version for the hair plug crowd at Lexus (i.e. 'LX470e' for expansive & expensive) to compete with the Range Rover (nice!) and don't sweat the Cayenne 'Turbo S'...as its already passe & de classe. Not even Brian 'The Birdman' Williams has a Cayenne and he has everything.

Then offer a more rustic Landcruiser for the rest of us. Something equestrians and sailboaters as well as the hunters & bass/power boaters can get behind. Please re-offer the electro locking driver operated rear, center & front diff's that you had in the venerable FJ80. Ok, only 5% of buyers know how to use it properly but so what. The Touareg & Hummer H2 has it and moms are using them to hop curbs at Costco & Target. Bring it, now!
In fact, offer that package across the board on all of your body on frame trucks and watch sales jump.

Also develop an FJ-40 style Cruiser as there is a huge void left by the now defunct LandRover Defender 90 & 110 (Euro) as well as the Jeep Cherokee that the Jeep 'Wrangler' & 'Rubicon' and Hyundai Sorrento just don't quite fill. Base it on the new 4Runner/GX470 which is based on the world famous 'Prado' that every African & Aussie knows is more reliable than a Rangie.
Add in factory winches, optional 4 wheel steer (you've had it on your domestic 'MegaCruiser' for nearly a decade), at least 10" of ground clearance, properly ventilated axles, fully _waterproofed_ door seals, high mount air intake & dust filtration system like on the 'Cyclone' setup from the old FJ80, a 7K lb class III frame integrated receiver, central & _active_ tire pressure monitoring system (its been done with regular rims and minor mods to the hub...see BMW & VW), then price it between $32K base & $57K loaded with a broad list of factory & DIO's. Call it the LandCruiser 'FJ85 - Endurance' and you've got a winner.
I'd buy one, just tell me where to send a check.

Keep the Camry, Corrola, 4 door Echo, Prius, and MR2 (more power), drop the Matrix (and stop listening to GM!), kill the Solara, and please stop making those Avalon's. Not even Tiger 'Buick' Woods will be seen in that coffin on wheels. When I want to be reminded that death is just around the corner, I just watch the local news. The Avalon is like an anti-dote to Viagra...and I see no great demand for that kind of product. Treat it like you guys do tuna and can it.

With the Celica here is your chance to show off your roots & heirtage just as with the Landcruiser. The Celica should be redone as a 'halo' car, not the car enthusiasts laugh at for looking like something Batman would leave for Robin to drive.

Bring back the Celica 'AWD', offer a 4 & 6cyl. option with varying amounts of turbo boost. Today's enthusiasts want boost, so pull a Subaru/Mitsu/Dodge/Mini move and give it to them. Keep the AWD simple but effective (Mitsu), make it a true 2+2 because drivers want to bring their friends (don't pull a 350Z), keep it light & lean, pass on the baubles like NAV (no OEM does NAV right anyway), plug in a bunch of lights up front because we love a good light show, suspend it on struts to conserve space & weight and allowing tunability, pass on all the stupid wings you like and drop the bizarro world Darth Vader 'Tie Fighter' angular styling...nobody is scared of a guy in need of Primatene Mist.

Stop trying to guess at what the market wants and listen to our buzz. Buyers in the majority want fast or fastish cars, furious or somewhat peeved looking trucks, factory tuning packages & dealer support, affordable reliability, safety, a decent color palette, we don't care about exclusivity, we do want individuality and most of all we're tired your boring products.

Try some NyQuil as it'll clear up the fogginess. Then catch me at the Honda, Subaru or VW booths when you have something interesting to sell.

- Janq

 

Ok, here's my (second) opinion. Honestly, I think the current Scion offerings are unattractive and will not sell very well. Some people will buy them, but it'll be a small niche market. I think if they offered a true Vitz with the Scion badge, for under $12K, it would sell very well in the US. It would be a very sporty vehicle, with good stylings, race capable, and cost the same or less than a Honduh Civic or a Focus (overwieght) ZX3.

 

The Scion will appeal to buyers my age and older, but not to the teens & young 'leaders' Toyota so desperately wants and needs.

I like the box version ('Xb') as it would make for a great mobile sporting equipment storage unit fitting a pair of bikes and/or a kayak well, though it has the go-juice of a TYCO 'Stomper' with weak batteries.

The other problem is the name. Already people don't care to learn the name. it's just either the 'box' truck or the 'funky' car. Word is boxy cars are all the rage in Japan which is good for them. But here in the US of A we aren't too keen on adopting Japanese wackiness. Yeah the 'Tamaguchi' was a wild if brief success and little girls are still running around placing 'Hello Kitty' stickers on everything while little boys are still enjoing 'Tranzor Z' knock-off cartoons. But by and large we just don't think like or get what those guys on the other side of the planet are thinking.
Teens and young drivers here in the States have no appreciation for cubism or avant garde automotive styling. If they did then it would much more diffciult than it is to get a ticket to the MoMA. American 'youth' association with cubic design comes from based on your date of birth Nintendo, Zirconia, Rubik or 'Bizarro' Superman. Now if they had rounded off the corners and called it 'The Dice', then maybe they'd be getting somewhere.
Toyota should have asked partner GM about what happened to their Pontiac Aztek. On the other hand they probably did...

As for the xA which resmembles a melting soft ice cream cone laid on its side, it'll appeal mostly to retirees and people who don't like cars but want people to think they are 'edgy', 'sporty', 'cool', 'green' and typically use flexy quote fingers when speaking. You know those people. They wear Mary Janes, shop Brookstone for Christmas gifts, listen to alot of NPR & the 'Prarie Home Companion' and watch re-reruns of 'Suddenly Susan'.
If you recognize only one or none of the above, then breath easy as you're "safe". Otherwise, jump in your Saturn and schlep on over to your local Scion dealer for free donuts and an injection of processed Toyota hipness.

- Janq