Yesterday I discussed the rather unpleasant hard armrests found in the 2011 Scion tC (Inside Line first drive). Today, I'm in a happier mood and will thus heap praise upon the tC's standard stereo. It's a sophisticated device that easily be an upgrade on other cars in the 20K price range, or not offered at all. Though a tad more complicated than the typical head unit, it has been optimize for the standard iPod interface (another rarity in its class).
Like the ring wheel on your iPod, that big silver knob controls the volume, as well as operating the menu items displayed on the screen by rotating and clicking up/down, left/right. The processing speed is a bit slower than some of the best systems (the screen blacks out if you rotate the knob too quickly), but it's easy to operate and limits your inattention from the road. And yes, you should be paying attention all the time and never do anything at all while driving and hug your mother, but let's be honest here rather than puritanical and admit that people are going to control their iPods while driving so manufacturers might as well make it as safe and efficient as possible.
Sound quality is hampered by the car's ample road noise, and its three sound pre-settings (Hear, Natural and Feel) usually have to be changed depending on the digital music file. In other words, the system could be better, but given this car's low price, I still say it's impressive. Its three-speaker snowman stack on the doors certainly looks impressive.
Stay tuned for additional driving impressions about the 2011 Scion tC, but given the importance of sound systems to Scion's young demographic, perhaps this is the review that shall matter most.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
Categories: Scion, Test Car Notes
There was nothing to report from the Scion stand here at the 2009 LA Auto Show press days as the brand has no cars being introduced. However, the hip, youthful brand of Toyota (Really? Still? Haven't the last 3 xBs I've seen been driven by old women?) decided to showcase some of the aftermarket, pimp your ride opportunities at their stand. As always they had a big scaffold with cars placed inside like a giant Hollywood Squares. I'll take xD to block.
(As a side note, listen to the music playing at the end. Does Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono get paid for that hip-hop group sampling a Beatles song, or does Michael Jackson's kids? I'm just asking).
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
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Categories: Auto Shows, Scion
Plenty of stories circulating last week about Scion's sales "hitting a wall." For the past 16 months sales have been down, despite more dealers and models than during the brand's initial U.S. launch.
Plenty of theories have been proffered to explain the sales slide. Some are suggesting the lag between the original models (xA and xB) and the new models (redesigned xB and all-new xD) are the cause, as the tC was the only Scion available for several months during the switchover. Others are saying the new models simply aren't as compelling -- too big and too American (how a car can be "too American" to succeed in America makes for an interesting argument...). Finally, it's clear the segment is simply more competitive than it was three years ago. The Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Saturn Astra are just three examples of sub-$20,000 cars that didn't exist in the U.S. market when Scion launched.
These are all reasonable suggestions, but there's another factor to consider.
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Categories: Scion
Just took a gander at Automotive News' future product plan for Japanese carmakers. Not too surprisingly, the coming years hold hybrids and crossovers from the Land of the Rising Sun (actually, many of them will come from right here in North America). Each automaker has a few interesting items in the pipeline.
Acura: No official confirmation of a V8 in Acura's future, which I continue to view as the division's greatest failing. The next RL is due in 2011, so they better make up their mind. But we do know a V10 engine will power the NSX replacement. I like that they have a full-tilt exotic in the works, but one vehicle does not a division make (as was proven with the last
NSX).
Honda: Honda will continue to push hybrids, with a smaller-than-Civic model. No more Accord hybrids, but the Odyssey will be Honda's first V6 diesel-powered vehicle in the U.S. in 2010 (also the year CR-V goes diesel with a 4 cyl.). I'm personally looking forward to the Remix, the spiritual successor to the CRX. And between the Pilot and CR-V? Yup, another crossover is coming.
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Categories: Acura, Future Vehicles, Honda, Hybrid Vehicles, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota
We just picked up a 2008 Scion xB for the long-term fleet. We got it in "Hypnotic Teal Mica," and while I wasn't too sure about this color in the photos (including the one I took above) it looks cool in person. Actually that holds true for the entire car. I always kind of liked the first xB because it looked exactly like what it was -- a Japanese market vehicle suddenly punted into the U.S. market. Most cars sold here are engineered to be sold here from day one, but the last xB clearly wasn't. This version clearly is, as it's more powerful (2.4-liter, 158 HP engine), larger and more conventional in its styling (no more super-skinny roof pillars). I was somewhat disappointed by the "sell out" to U.S. tastes when I first read about the 2008 version, but now that I've seen it in person and driven it, I like it!
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Categories: Scion
