Mountain States Scion

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Driving Impressions

The Scion brand is supposed to be different by design, but it's still a product of Toyota, and on the road the Scion xD tends to reveal its Toyota roots. By this we mean that the xD travels straight down the middle of the road, in the figurative sense, as Toyota's vehicles often do by design. It's neither a standout nor a slouch in any particular dynamic category, and it's finished to satisfy the broadest possible cross-section of buyers.

Our driving included a wide range of conditions, from hard twisty corners to a crowded, choppy stretch of Los Angeles freeway to casual errand-running through suburbia. The xD's suspension is neither too soft nor too firm and responsive. It's tuned for a balance between decent ride quality and decent response. In typical circumstances the xD handles well, with a crisp, moderately sporty feel, and its driver will quickly develop confidence in how it will react in any situation.

If you really push the xD, however, as we did through some tight switchback corners, its front end presses down toward the pavement and the front tires quickly start to slide. The driver's natural inclination is to lift a little off the gas pedal, and the xD responds by plowing safely through the curve. It's not as responsive or inspiring as a Honda Fit Sport, for example. Toyota Racing Development, however, offers parts specifically to improve handling.

The ride is good, particularly when the road is relatively smooth. The xD is comfortable, without wallowing in a way that makes the driver think the car is floating around underneath. Moderate bumps are no problem either, as there is enough suspension travel to soak up the shock before it travels up into the cabin. But when the bumps come one after another in rapid succession, the xD gets a bit bouncy and unsettled. If those bumps are big, the front wheels can shake at moderate speeds, and the rear-end feels a bit skittish. The xD's torsion-beam rear axle simply can't keep the rear tires planted as firmly as a fully independent rear suspension.

The 1.8-liter engine in the xD makes 128 horsepower and acceleration performance with the five-speed manual transmission is more than adequate. The engine's power is biased toward the high end of its rev range, with peak horsepower at 6000 rpm, so if maximum acceleration is the goal, it's best to keep the four-cylinder spinning at high revs.

That's easy to accomplish with the manual transmission and it's an enjoyable experience to boot. With the manual transmission, the xD can hold its own with the fuel-swilling, big-engined carnivores that populate the urban jungle.

In stop-and-go freeway traffic, the xD's throttle response can be abrupt. It takes a bit of practice to get on the gas smoothly, each time the traffic moves again, without producing a little jerk. But the driver will learn, and smooth things out in reasonably short order.

We found the optional automatic transmission lacking in responsiveness. The xD has a four-speed automatic, where many small cars now offer five-speeds or continuously variable transmissions. We're not getting into a most-gears contest here, because it's a matter of what works. And with its high-revving four-cylinder engine, the xD's automatic doesn't perform that well except at the pokiest pace. In short, the automatic transmission does not offer the spry acceleration of the manual, especially at slower speeds.

Fuel economy for the Scion xD is an EPA-rated 26/32 mpg City/Highway with the automatic, 27/33 mpg with the manual transmission. A Nissan Versa gets 26/31 with a manual, according to the EPA, while a Honda Fit manual matches the xD at 27/33.

We were able to test the xD's brakes fairly well, using them hard in the twisties, and they did a good job. They've got the full complement of electronic assistance, meaning the car's computer will maximize stopping power while allowing the driver to maintain steering control. All the driver has to do is apply the pedal.

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