Test Driving the Scion xD

Praise Jeebus! That was my first thought getting into the Scion xD.  They managed to put the instrument panel in its proper location - in front of the driver!


Scion Canada has been generous enough to offer me a chance to drive the 2011 Scion xD for a few days, following my drive of the xB in December.  Read my review of the xB here.  So I headed out to the corporate offices of Toyota/Scion during the afternoon rush hour - never fun - to pick up this little car.

First thing I noticed were the gorgeous  18" TRD rims.  They really fill out the wheel wells very nicely and provide a nice aggressive stance for the car.  Fortunately they are wearing a set of Continental winter tires, which came in handy last night and this morning.

My first impressions of the car are very positive.  So far it has managed to greatly exceed my expectations.  

A couple of oddities, at least to me.  First, the rear window defroster doesn't shut off automatically, which is foreign to me.  Secondly, it has a tachometer, even though it has an automatic transmission.  This is a nice touch.  Most of all, I am really pleased with the engine they chose to put into this car.  It is the 4 cylinder base Corolla engine, which is a very nice step-up from the power plant in the Yaris, the xD's sibling.  Power is more than adequate for a car of this size.

I'll be posting my thoughts and comments over the next week or so, so please check back again for updates.

Ahhh, a properly located IP.  Thank you Scion.