Basically Scions were simply Toyota importing the average car sold in Japan to the USA as a weird niche vehicle here. Small quirky / boxy vehicles are what the Japanese like. They even had a truck version of the XB.
I have a 2004 Xa manual and love it! Got 105k on it. We refer to the storage area with the transparent door as "the easy bake oven" due to how it looks at night when the light is on.
I remember driving a friends xA when we took a long road trip to NYC. I was on the highway and need to pass a semi and I thought we were going to die. Never in my life have I slammed the pedal to the floor of a car to feel nothing… other than that, I enjoyed the car. 😅😅😅
I've heard similar stories, but it must have been an automatic. I've never had trouble passing with the manual version. It'll happily do everything on the speedometer.
The extra weight of passengers and gear ads up fast on these little cars. A couple of large adults and a full tank of gas can increase this thing's weight by a third.
I bought one new in 05 and still have it. I added a Toyota short shifter, tuned exhaust, and a strut tower brace, otherwise it's stock. I've never driven a "fast" car, I guess, but the xA is a lot of fun to chuck around curves.
@@douglasarnoldakers I got my xA with a 5 spd manual for $2500 and it had 178k miles on it. I figured if it lasted a year I'd be happy. 4 years later and at 215k miles it's still going strong. It's a fun little car and sips gas @35mpg. It does burn some oil though.
I have one with manual transmission with over 200,000 miles on it. It's been hit by a school bus (everyone was ok) I'm sure that to the school bus it was like hitting a mosquito. the only thing I have had to do to it is the usual, new starter, new clutch but that's it, and its still going strong. My only gripe is I'm 6 foot 3 inches so when I look to the left to see other cars coming I'm actually looking out the back passenger window lol
I recently bought one of these after previously owning three Xbs. I couldn't agree more with your comments. The engines and transmissions in these never die!
@@tanguerafeliz5096 Phone mounts are tough. I have no good answer for an XA. I use velcro mounts that stick on the back of my phone and on surfaces. They're available in hardware stores.
@@tanguerafeliz5096I have an iottie phone mount. I slapped the suction cup directly in front of the speedo a little towards the passenger side so it's not blocking the gauges. I found that location to be the flattest and the iottie suction has adhesive to keep it in place.
@@zahab210 Thank you. I've tried other auctions before but they all fell off. Nice to have this option. I tried a version in the cup holder but it is too short I am finding. A friend of mine also gave me an option that fits in the CD holder but I have yet to try that.
They never die, but you DO need to keep up on maintenence on them. They go through belts, the manifold gasket needs inspected/changed every 60K miles or the leaking oil will foul up your spark plugs, you have to keep up on radiator flushes or the water pump will die (and it's VERY hard to fix), keep the PVC valve clean, and you'll have to deal with knock and O2 sensors here and there.
I'm still driving one of these in 2021. Fuel economy is amazing and reliability has been as well. I'm glad it doesn't have a rear console that just seems like a waste of space. Right now we can seat five people including the driver and I like that better than a console.
@@Crispychicken4u mine has the auto. These cars are reliable so I would just look for obvious problems. If you have a mechanic that can look it over before you buy that would be a plus
I had a 5 speed manual of this car for about 5 years as a daily. The only thing I didn't care for was how short the gears where. In 5th gear going 30mph engine speed was 2k rpm already. Made driving on the highway a loud experience with how fast the engine had to spin to go 60-70mph. could have gone with a higher 5th gear as there was only like 300rpm difference between 4th and 5th. Other than that it was a fun small car to drive around town.
More...the short gearing makes for (relatively) poor mileage. My larger Corolla with a bigger engine had no trouble reaching 38+ mpg on the highway...maybe even 40 mPG. But it was only spinning 2100 RPM. The Scion seems to settle-in at 3100 RPM, a little over 70 mph....and I am lucky to get 33-35 mpg on the highway. Other than that....fantastic car that doesn't seem to "Age"....mines got 280,000 mile with no issues and drives and looks as new.
@@TheWilferch interesting did you have an autobox or manual as well, because the best I could get out of it with granny shifting and driving with the lightest foot was about 30 mpg. I hear you about the age thing. The only reason I got a different car is I hit some black ice slowing down for a round about and it lets just say doesn't take much to total a car with over 200k miles on it
In 2009 I bought an 2006 xA with a 5-speed and 25k miles. It was a daily driver to keep miles off a Corvette I had. The xA was more fun than it had a right to be. In some ways it was more fun than the Vette.
Many people purchased these cars as spare cars for occasional use if their primary ride was in the shop. Others purchased these as their primary and relegated these to secondary vehicles when they purchased something "better". You can find these with very low miles at a very reasonable price.
in my car the steering wheel obscures part of the speedometer, no matter how I adjust the tilt; gauge cluster in the middle negates this brilliantly simple vent design.
I couldn't possibly agree more about car manufacturers refusing to make risks these days... Scion was awesome! Every one of their cars had something interesting and cool about their design.
I've heard from several sources that Toyota never reduced the power of their cars in 2006. They switched to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) methods for rating power.
Funfact, at 6:46 , that tiny unused square next to the AUX port, is an iPod port, which was optional, then standard in the 2006.5 Model year. (This also goes with the xB too) I believe you could turn it into a USB port with a upgraded radio, im not sure.
I like the look of the xa . Just wish it had the 1.8 instead of the 1.5 . Be fun in manual form .especially at 2300 pounds .Great video very informative. A great pickup now as gas reaches $5 a gallon
Coming from Yaris, then Echo, and now to here... modify the Echo. If you enjoyed this xA, the Echo will be more fun. What you have here is the exact same wheelbase (xB was longer), shocks, and springs (xB was stiffer)... but an extra 200lbs and a slower steering rack (older xA's were a bit faster, closer to an Echo rack). The xA seats are a direct bolt-in upgrade (they're the sport seats of the Echo/Yaris hatches overseas), as is the stiffer rear beam. Throw on some better wheels and tires, and the Echo will do a lot more than anyone expects. Even the xA headunit as in the video is an upgrade for the Echo (more clarity simply by changing the headunit), but the headunit loses the speed sensitive volume control.
Very decent little $3800 cars. I almost bought a 2013 3 yrs ago for $7700 with 54k mileage, decided to get a 2015 XB manual model under $12000 with only 31k miles. Best all around. More power, space, and more utility (plus safer!)
Coming from a 17 Fiesta ST, I call my 04 xA a toaster, haha. Auto, and doesn't even have cruise control! It's metallic gray with fog lights. If you look really hard, it tries to look like a Lexus.
@@Pinata8888 You are pretty much right, I thought the xD was way longer than an xA which I have a 2006, but it is just an illusion, the xD (154.7) is .6 inches longer than the xA (154.1). I think it is the rear sail panel area on the xD which makes it look larger with that panel being painted body colour. Both are really great cars.
Depends what your looking for . The xa is 300 pounds lighter somehow being almost the same dimensions. Must be engine weight 1.8 vs 1.5 . Both close 0-60..
How did he do that? Im looking to buy one. I have to drive it across 5 states so i want to make sure i dont do anything crazy in it and get stranded somewhere in the dark lol.
I drove an xa before and it felt a bit unstable at higher speeds. It is tall and narrow and short and very light and it feels like you are sitting on top of the car. So if you have high winds it feels unnerving. I never liked the center gauges.
I fucking love my scion xa tried to buy a second one but my wife wouldn't let me so I'm just rebuilding my hole thing from the ground up mines a 5 speed tho bro
@@TheWilferch Lol imaginary? The Xa does weight slightly more and is taller. Just because you have poor perception or drive like an old lady doesn't mean physics are imaginary.
@@MintyFreshTurds ....yeah.... you KNOW me, right...and how I drive? Lotsa courage to say things hidden behind a keyboard. To answer you.....I drive a modified Porsche Carrera 3.2 on the Watkins Glen race track. As to the cars.....the Scion spec height is 60" high....and the Yaris spec height is (depending upon model) 58 to over 60 inches . We're not even talking about spring rates and such. Light roof sheetmetal at this elevation makes NO difference.....unless you tell yourself that. Placebo effect.
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Basically Scions were simply Toyota importing the average car sold in Japan to the USA as a weird niche vehicle here. Small quirky / boxy vehicles are what the Japanese like. They even had a truck version of the XB.
Yes, this (the xA) was called the Toyota Ist in Japan.
I just bought this car! It only has 100k miles on it. I am in love with this car! I got a really good deal!
I have a 2004 Xa manual and love it! Got 105k on it.
We refer to the storage area with the transparent door as "the easy bake oven" due to how it looks at night when the light is on.
I remember driving a friends xA when we took a long road trip to NYC. I was on the highway and need to pass a semi and I thought we were going to die. Never in my life have I slammed the pedal to the floor of a car to feel nothing… other than that, I enjoyed the car. 😅😅😅
That's nice
I've heard similar stories, but it must have been an automatic. I've never had trouble passing with the manual version. It'll happily do everything on the speedometer.
The extra weight of passengers and gear ads up fast on these little cars. A couple of large adults and a full tank of gas can increase this thing's weight by a third.
😂😂😂
Still have one,out of all my cars,this is one of my favorite.Trust me it’s more fun to go fast with a slow car than it is to go slow with a fast car..
I bought one new in 05 and still have it. I added a Toyota short shifter, tuned exhaust, and a strut tower brace, otherwise it's stock. I've never driven a "fast" car, I guess, but the xA is a lot of fun to chuck around curves.
I have a 2004 xA that is closing in on 300K miles and it’s still holding up. Out of all the cars I’ve owned I think this is my favorite.
WOW
I have a 2006 Xa with about 145,000 miles. Ive had a lot of cars over the years. Easily one of my favorite cars. Mine is a manual 5 speed.
@@douglasarnoldakers I got my xA with a 5 spd manual for $2500 and it had 178k miles on it. I figured if it lasted a year I'd be happy. 4 years later and at 215k miles it's still going strong. It's a fun little car and sips gas @35mpg. It does burn some oil though.
I have an 04 with 180k miles. It's a quirky car
I have one with manual transmission with over 200,000 miles on it. It's been hit by a school bus (everyone was ok) I'm sure that to the school bus it was like hitting a mosquito. the only thing I have had to do to it is the usual, new starter, new clutch but that's it, and its still going strong. My only gripe is I'm 6 foot 3 inches so when I look to the left to see other cars coming I'm actually looking out the back passenger window lol
I recently bought one of these after previously owning three Xbs. I couldn't agree more with your comments. The engines and transmissions in these never die!
Hey, what do you for a phone mount? Nothing sticks to this slanted round jetson dashboard design. Trying not to die...:)
@@tanguerafeliz5096 Phone mounts are tough. I have no good answer for an XA. I use velcro mounts that stick on the back of my phone and on surfaces. They're available in hardware stores.
@@tanguerafeliz5096I have an iottie phone mount. I slapped the suction cup directly in front of the speedo a little towards the passenger side so it's not blocking the gauges. I found that location to be the flattest and the iottie suction has adhesive to keep it in place.
@@zahab210 Thank you. I've tried other auctions before but they all fell off. Nice to have this option. I tried a version in the cup holder but it is too short I am finding. A friend of mine also gave me an option that fits in the CD holder but I have yet to try that.
They never die, but you DO need to keep up on maintenence on them. They go through belts, the manifold gasket needs inspected/changed every 60K miles or the leaking oil will foul up your spark plugs, you have to keep up on radiator flushes or the water pump will die (and it's VERY hard to fix), keep the PVC valve clean, and you'll have to deal with knock and O2 sensors here and there.
I'm still driving one of these in 2021.
Fuel economy is amazing and reliability has been as well.
I'm glad it doesn't have a rear console that just seems like a waste of space. Right now we can seat five people including the driver and I like that better than a console.
Glad to hear that. Do you have the auto or the manual. ? Anything to look out for when shopping for one ?
@@Crispychicken4u mine has the auto.
These cars are reliable so I would just look for obvious problems.
If you have a mechanic that can look it over before you buy that would be a plus
@@Crispychicken4umanual is better
2024 and I just bought a 2005 Scion Xa with 200k in excellent condition. Very cool little econobox.
The shopping hooks are great. Usually the trunk is not full so if you only have a bag, it will roll all over, but if you have a hook, no problem.
I had a 5 speed manual of this car for about 5 years as a daily. The only thing I didn't care for was how short the gears where. In 5th gear going 30mph engine speed was 2k rpm already. Made driving on the highway a loud experience with how fast the engine had to spin to go 60-70mph. could have gone with a higher 5th gear as there was only like 300rpm difference between 4th and 5th. Other than that it was a fun small car to drive around town.
More...the short gearing makes for (relatively) poor mileage. My larger Corolla with a bigger engine had no trouble reaching 38+ mpg on the highway...maybe even 40 mPG. But it was only spinning 2100 RPM. The Scion seems to settle-in at 3100 RPM, a little over 70 mph....and I am lucky to get 33-35 mpg on the highway. Other than that....fantastic car that doesn't seem to "Age"....mines got 280,000 mile with no issues and drives and looks as new.
@@TheWilferch interesting did you have an autobox or manual as well, because the best I could get out of it with granny shifting and driving with the lightest foot was about 30 mpg. I hear you about the age thing. The only reason I got a different car is I hit some black ice slowing down for a round about and it lets just say doesn't take much to total a car with over 200k miles on it
@@edison700 .... mine is the 4 spd automatic. Black ice is nasty....no matter how much snow driving experience you have, it can bite you.
@@TheWilferch Yeah, no traction control. Kinda like driving a car from the 70s haha.
@@DougZbikowski ...traction control wouldn't save you on black ice...you're a passenger at this point once you start to slip.....
I live right next to Toyota of Naperville lol funny this is popping up for me especially on Christmas morning 2023
In 2009 I bought an 2006 xA with a 5-speed and 25k miles. It was a daily driver to keep miles off a Corvette I had. The xA was more fun than it had a right to be. In some ways it was more fun than the Vette.
I worked with someone that had one, it had well over 100k and it was a good car for her
Many people purchased these cars as spare cars for occasional use if their primary ride was in the shop. Others purchased these as their primary and relegated these to secondary vehicles when they purchased something "better". You can find these with very low miles at a very reasonable price.
in my car the steering wheel obscures part of the speedometer, no matter how I adjust the tilt; gauge cluster in the middle negates this
brilliantly simple vent design.
I couldn't possibly agree more about car manufacturers refusing to make risks these days... Scion was awesome! Every one of their cars had something interesting and cool about their design.
Loving my 2013 Scion IQ with 80k miles! got it for 9k when it only had 50k from a older couple who didn't drive much
I've heard from several sources that Toyota never reduced the power of their cars in 2006. They switched to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) methods for rating power.
Funfact, at 6:46 , that tiny unused square next to the AUX port, is an iPod port, which was optional, then standard in the 2006.5 Model year. (This also goes with the xB too)
I believe you could turn it into a USB port with a upgraded radio, im not sure.
I put Yokohoma Avid S Touring tires on my Xa. Best tires I ever put on it. Ride really smoothed out and handling is great.
I thank God i still have my 2006 scion xa
Scion xb and xa best car ever made .. make to last forever..❤
I like the look of the xa . Just wish it had the 1.8 instead of the 1.5 . Be fun in manual form .especially at 2300 pounds .Great video very informative. A great pickup now as gas reaches $5 a gallon
The Scion XD had the 1.8, and it isn't much bigger than the XA.
Coming from Yaris, then Echo, and now to here... modify the Echo. If you enjoyed this xA, the Echo will be more fun. What you have here is the exact same wheelbase (xB was longer), shocks, and springs (xB was stiffer)... but an extra 200lbs and a slower steering rack (older xA's were a bit faster, closer to an Echo rack).
The xA seats are a direct bolt-in upgrade (they're the sport seats of the Echo/Yaris hatches overseas), as is the stiffer rear beam. Throw on some better wheels and tires, and the Echo will do a lot more than anyone expects. Even the xA headunit as in the video is an upgrade for the Echo (more clarity simply by changing the headunit), but the headunit loses the speed sensitive volume control.
I had an 05 scion xa !!! Such a great car
Very decent little $3800 cars. I almost bought a 2013 3 yrs ago for $7700 with 54k mileage, decided to get a 2015 XB manual model under $12000 with only 31k miles. Best all around. More power, space, and more utility (plus safer!)
In Tanzania🇹🇿 Africa, we plan to make this a car of the nation and if possible to include it in our national emblem. It is the best selling car
Arnold says bull$hit
Coming from a 17 Fiesta ST, I call my 04 xA a toaster, haha. Auto, and doesn't even have cruise control! It's metallic gray with fog lights. If you look really hard, it tries to look like a Lexus.
I think you need to do a review of the XD. It's kinda like the XA, only bigger.
They’re actually the same height and length the difference is the drive train and the overall appearance
@@Pinata8888 so which ones better?
@@Pinata8888 You are pretty much right, I thought the xD was way longer than an xA which I have a 2006, but it is just an illusion, the xD (154.7) is .6 inches longer than the xA (154.1). I think it is the rear sail panel area on the xD which makes it look larger with that panel being painted body colour. Both are really great cars.
Depends what your looking for . The xa is 300 pounds lighter somehow being almost the same dimensions. Must be engine weight 1.8 vs 1.5 . Both close 0-60..
i have a xa with 2006 with 270k miles great car until you do what my son did and overheated it so now it needs a new engine
How did he do that? Im looking to buy one. I have to drive it across 5 states so i want to make sure i dont do anything crazy in it and get stranded somewhere in the dark lol.
@@clanaoaarmyofallah2557 Just make sure your coolant is fresh before taking a long journey and get the thermostat replaced
The scion xa a.k.a toyota ist for japanese market, asia and africa, the best car toyota ever made
Thank you. I was looking for this information
For the clear front cubby window....just tint it!!
I drove an xa before and it felt a bit unstable at higher speeds. It is tall and narrow and short and very light and it feels like you are sitting on top of the car. So if you have high winds it feels unnerving. I never liked the center gauges.
El mejor canal de autos en todo el mundo
I fucking love my scion xa tried to buy a second one but my wife wouldn't let me so I'm just rebuilding my hole thing from the ground up mines a 5 speed tho bro
04 manual xB here brotha. Love it
Damn that engine is clean..
I own this. I am asking the interweb - what do you do for a phone mount?
They have phone mounts that go in the CD player slot
Damn these are Actually pretty expensive on FB market around NYC
I know . Here too in Chicago area. As gas prices go up so these will hold their value
I still have a xa need it to be sold rn
What is the major issue of this car
Great little commuter.
I have a 2003 toyota ist
Could someone tell me if there are still spare parts for this car and if it's worth it?
Tons of parts are available and they are very cheap. The car is very easy to work on.
Awesome!
How was the seating and room for a big guy?
Eh odd not having an arm rest but you can grab an aftermarket one that sits in the cup holder lol
I live around this area too! You know about any driving roads worth taking???
Bluff road my go-to
In romeoville correct?
If you think that car is fun, you should drive a 1st gen Yaris.
Pretty much the same car....same powertrain and same weight.....why imply a difference?
@@TheWilferch The differance is height. Yaris is going to body roll less.
@@MintyFreshTurds ...drove and had both..... no....imaginary difference as to roll tendency.
@@TheWilferch Lol imaginary? The Xa does weight slightly more and is taller. Just because you have poor perception or drive like an old lady doesn't mean physics are imaginary.
@@MintyFreshTurds ....yeah.... you KNOW me, right...and how I drive? Lotsa courage to say things hidden behind a keyboard. To answer you.....I drive a modified Porsche Carrera 3.2 on the Watkins Glen race track. As to the cars.....the Scion spec height is 60" high....and the Yaris spec height is (depending upon model) 58 to over 60 inches . We're not even talking about spring rates and such. Light roof sheetmetal at this elevation makes NO difference.....unless you tell yourself that. Placebo effect.
I wonder how long before these get cheap enough for 24 hours of lemons.
Does it has cruise control or not ?
Some may, most don't
You can buy it and install it though for ~$400
These things are called toyota IST in africa
in Sud America too
Because in africa and in asia ist is directly imported from japan
Its local japanese name is ist
And these scions are made for america only
1st
You are too big for that car