Man, I just my 05 xA yesterday at 3PM, it's 6AM now, and have driven about 150 miles already! I just wanted to clear up a few things for people who are interested in the xA:

1. I read somewhere that the mirrors on the visors were too small or something like that. . . mine came with pretty damn big mirrors, and covers for em too, which is rare for this price range

2. I think the interior LED kit is well worth the $$. I've blown through many neon kits in my last car, and they never seem to last longer than a year or so. These will practically never die, and even somebody cracks the tube, they will still work since there is no gas inside, just a reflector tube. Cold Cathodes are awesome, but for me they are a bit too bright, and reduce my visibility (high contrast environment).

3. There is a HUGE difference between manual and auto. . . night and day, wow.

4. The Scion security/alarm/keyless entry DOES have a beep confirmation(exactly the same as other Toyota's Lexus) when you lock/unlock. And I was able to set off the alarm by hitting the windows(without breaking). IT IS Scion Security and not aftermarket; it is the Scion remote, Scion security LED warning thing, Scion security stickers on window. . . so maybe they updated it for 05?

5. Similar to the xB, the foglights don't seem to help visibility much. . . not worth the price, better off getting aftermarket.

6. I have no troube engaging 3rd gear whatsover, but downshifting from 5th to 4th is still hard for me. . . probably learning the car still. But 3rd gear engagement is a snap!

7. A/C is cold, not as cold as my old R12 system in my 1990 LS400, but then again it was nearly $300 to recharge. Another thing is that most cars I have ever been in, can't match R12 systems.

8. Cupholder ligthing is such a waste, follow everyone's advice. . . water never glows like the pictures, and unless you got a clear bottle with a semi clear drink, it won't even come close to ALMOST looking cool.

9. The headlights were a PAIN IN THE ___ to change. I have cuts all over my hands from squeezing them in. . . there has to be an easier way. The passenger's side is easy, the driver's side is impossible, unless you enjoy severe pain. But on a good note, the parking lights are very easy to change, contrary to the manual's "see dealer" recommendation because of probable "damage." Very easy.

10. The spacing is ideal for heel/toe downshifts, but I find that the gas pedal is too short and I end up hitting the floor. . . that or I misinterpreted the meaning of what they said. From my understanding a heel/toe shift is when you are braking, down____ing, and rev matching at the same time(yes three pedals at once). If you see pro driver's race you will see them do it. A, mash brake(toe), B, hit clutch(left foot), C, match revs(hit gas with heel), D, shift.

11. The hubcaps, aka "hubcraps" did not come off easily, and take some prying and hard pulling.

 

I just picked up my Xa on June 19, 2004 and I did get the light kit and security system. I spoke with the mechanic prior to installing both and the my security system goes off by me wrapping on the window. My issues:

1. The pedal depth seems to be very short on the brakes and the clutch. This may simply be due to the fact I'm used to driving older vehicles, but they seem to have a lot more travel than the Xa.

2. I see no problem with shifting into any gears, I can't think of any problems I've had when downshifting, so I can't give you much information on that.

3. I'm not too tall (5'10") with my seat in a standard position, but when I go to lay down the seats I have to remove the headrests. Not a real show-stopper but rather an inconvenience.

That's about all I can think of for now, shortly I'll be working on some tinting and additional mods for the Xa, but so far I'm really enjoying the car.

-Chris

 

Polar white representin!!!!!

 

Oh yeah. . . the foglight switch to the left of the dash lights up on my 05

 

i saw all the words and didn't bother reading it.
did the 05's come with passenger side vanity mirrors?

 

Yes, and they have a nice flip style cover

 

oOOo, nice, think i'ma have to head down to my dealership and pick one of them up... gf doesn't stop baggin on the car cause it doesn't have passenger vanity mirror.

 

oh and the horn! I havn't heard to 04 horns, but this horn is pretty damn aggressive! Beats the sound of my stock 1990 Lexus LS400.

 

lol, my horn is weak... stronger than a corolla's though.. haha... they should bring that gps deal that is in the Ist over here..
http://www.toyota.co.jp/g-book/

 

they musta changed them for 05 then. . . my horn is louder and more aggressive than the IS300 horn

 

I either want those '05 horns or some aftermarkets.... Today, this lady cut me off, then tried to get into the same lane again (skipping people in line for the exit!). She didn't even speed up when she cut me off, so I went into neutral and slowed down while riding her ___ and pulsating my horn like 10 times a second (for a good 5 seconds :twisted: ) "Road rage?" No, more like "GET THE ____ OUT OF MY WAY, _____!"

 

aaaahahahha

 

anyone notice that when you build an xA on the scion site adding exhaust and springs to your options then looking at the image of the xa where it was added on the exhaust is lying on the floor and a spring is way off to the left of the car? glitchy

 

Hello, djct_watt. Thanks for your post. Could you please elaborate on this:

<<3. There is a HUGE difference between manual and auto. . . night and day, wow.>>

Thanks.

 

I find that the auto does not have sufficient pick up, by my standards, of course. I'd say it borders on ____ poor. I find the auto tranny to be unresponsive and slow to downshift. The manual on the other hand is as fast as you can shift, and the reduced taxing on the engine from the reduces unsprung weight, fewer moving parts, higher gearing, and an extra gear add A HUGE performance gain! It's the difference between being a slug in traffic and zipping around and faster than traffic. . . it's about twice the usual gain in performance from a manual over an auto. Anything specific you want me to clarify?

 

No, nothing more specific than this. Thanks so much. I have already decided to buy an xA later this summer, but I have been waffling over which trans to get. I test drove the manual a week ago, but the dealer did not have an auto in stock. I am partial to manuals anyway, but I can’t help wondering what I might be missing in the auto. Sounds like nothing, eh? I have been driving an auto Subaru for two and a half years, and I do like the convenience. But it does take all the fun out of driving, at least for me. Then again, other folks love their autos. Thanks again for your impressions.

 

My impressions are this: if you got traffic to deal with or live in SF (I HATE Franklin st, damnit I HATE IT), go for the auto. Otherwise, I find sooo much more enjoyment out of a manual, and it's cheaper in the short run and long run(so long as you know how to properly use the clutch and don;t abuse it). And with the xA, and probably the xB too, these engines are already small, slapping on an auto tranny is asking too much of the engine IMO. But yeah, with the manual, this thing is suprisingly quick. . . quick enough to EASILY earn you some double point speeding tickets(CA: over 100, reckless, racing, you name it). Keeping in traffic can be done without a sweat, and it more than makes the grade in performance. This thing makes my auto 1.8L 1998 Corolla seem slow(not trying to rip on you Corolla fans). But yeah, I had a 125hp engine and a 1.8L and my manual xA is noticeably faster. . . and that puts the auto in a place I'd rather not be. . .

 

springs aren't even an option for me...

 

yeah me either

the one thing I like about the manual tranny is how the rpms drop a lot more when in neutral. I'm so used to having my grand prix idle at 1.1k, but while sitting at a light test driving the xA manual they were about ~500 which helps preserve mileage big time!

 

I wasn't able to reproduce the problem. . . but speaking of glitches, there was an armrest pictured in an interior shot of the xA in the photo gallery. I don't know if it's still there or not, but it's funny they tease us like that.

It's also cool that they show the TRD features on the "build" function on the Scion site. Did anybody notice the new options? We have an optional "brushed gray" dash. . . kinda ruins the look if you ask me, but it'll probably be harder to scratch the paint on it, and will be less prone to rubbing off from knee contact. We aslo got a cargo liner option added, and door sills too(I'm not sure if they had that for 04 or not. . .). The tail light garnish is updated, and still ugly IMO. . . but to each is own.