xB2's Slow selling..
12-24-2010, 02:38 PM
#141
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stock for stock in the twisties, my buddies TDI Golf IV and my unmodded xB are neck and neck.
12-24-2010, 02:55 PM
#142
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12-24-2010, 05:52 PM
#143
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Not going to read all 8 pages because there is probably 7 posts worth of info rephrased over and over again, then frosted in male Ego waxing.
But I love my xB2. its a great car.
had it cost the same and been called a Toyota Corolla, I still would have bought it. no problem.
I see no reason why they couldn't have left the xB Moniker to the tiny Boxy Arty Cars with the Aerodynamics of a box of kleenex.
But I love my xB2. its a great car.
had it cost the same and been called a Toyota Corolla, I still would have bought it. no problem.
I see no reason why they couldn't have left the xB Moniker to the tiny Boxy Arty Cars with the Aerodynamics of a box of kleenex.
12-24-2010, 07:56 PM
#144
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Not going to read all 8 pages because there is probably 7 posts worth of info rephrased over and over again, then frosted in male Ego waxing.
But I love my xB2. its a great car.
had it cost the same and been called a Toyota Corolla, I still would have bought it. no problem.
I see no reason why they couldn't have left the xB Moniker to the tiny Boxy Arty Cars with the Aerodynamics of a box of kleenex.
But I love my xB2. its a great car.
had it cost the same and been called a Toyota Corolla, I still would have bought it. no problem.
I see no reason why they couldn't have left the xB Moniker to the tiny Boxy Arty Cars with the Aerodynamics of a box of kleenex.
12-25-2010, 09:26 PM
#146
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dunno, Golf IV maybe has a little less power? "shrugs" doesn;t matter to me, I like me xB. I hate having to store it away in this hell called Chicago winter. I miss it air suspension, progress rear sway, rare bodykit and great audio makes for an awesome cruiser
12-26-2010, 11:46 PM
#147
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And hence why you missed the whole point of the thread. None of us think the xB2 is inherently a bad car. It's just not what the market asked for (and most of the large percentage of the Scion community itself). But for some people, the xB2 is a perfect fit, which is of course why they buy it. If they bought it because it was a stupid car, then they would be more stupid than the supposed car. Some owners (not specifically you) take it soooooo personally when the xB2 is criticized. It's not criticized because it's bad, but rather because it's not what THEY (not you) wanted or were hoping for. . . however, sales are down (disproportionately to other models and the market itself) and there are a lot of reasons behind it.
that Irony, I imagine is lost on you.
As for criticizing the xB2, the flat faced rock chips and exploding windshields on mine drive me mad. I can't imagine how bad it is for the xB1 guys. with your flatter everythings.
12-27-2010, 01:57 AM
#148
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I have seem the pics your Xb is very well done...not may folks know you have such as nicely done XB
12-27-2010, 03:34 AM
#149
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The Irony of you missing the point of my post, of assuming my emotional state and then repeating comments I've heard 50 or 60 times before.
that Irony, I imagine is lost on you.
As for criticizing the xB2, the flat faced rock chips and exploding windshields on mine drive me mad. I can't imagine how bad it is for the xB1 guys. with your flatter everythings.
that Irony, I imagine is lost on you.
As for criticizing the xB2, the flat faced rock chips and exploding windshields on mine drive me mad. I can't imagine how bad it is for the xB1 guys. with your flatter everythings.
12-27-2010, 06:42 PM
#150
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And exploding windshields? What's up with yours? I have an 08 and have never had a windshield problem. I have a small chip in mine from a semi that launched a rock at my windshield. I'm going to get it filled this coming summer, but despite the angle of my windshield, I've never had any problems with it, apart from that small chip caused by a semi.
The xB2 is exactly what I was looking for from Scion. The reason this is so is because I did not have an xB1. If I jumped into the cabin of an xB1 and drove it around, I'm sure that I would be disappointed, because it would be a downgrade from space and performance, based on what I'm used to.
Toyota designed a car that met what a lot of people wanted, but it's not selling well because it's not funky enough. It just does not draw as much attention as the original xB's did. I remember how much I hated those cars when they first came out, but then I grew to like them. Now that I'm driving my xB2, I see just how amazing these cars are.
If you doubt that the xB2's are not delivering, take a look around and see who else is driving them in your area. Hardly anyone in my city has one, and if they do, they are not modded and are non-target demographic drivers. Scion is doomed unless they can make another quirky, different car.
Maybe they need to think outside the box and focus on an oval. The xO might re-define them. lol
12-28-2010, 03:03 AM
#151
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And exploding windshields? What's up with yours? I have an 08 and have never had a windshield problem. I have a small chip in mine from a semi that launched a rock at my windshield. I'm going to get it filled this coming summer, but despite the angle of my windshield, I've never had any problems with it, apart from that small chip caused by a semi.
but yeah, the windshield thing. I'm on my 3rd aftermarket windshield. with the first one I just thought I was following to closely. but for the last two its just been amazing.
the second one got chipped by a magic rock that had to bounce across 6 lanes of traffic to hit my car, then that same windshield got spiderwebed by a tiny pebble that flew out of the back of a truck that was a good quarter mile away from me. I watched it bounce-bounce-bounce-CRACK into my windshield. and I had no way to avoid it without causing an accident.
the last one just exploded, one winter morning. as the car heated the windshield up rather quickly.
other than those tiny chips and the windshield the cars been great. I really enjoyed it. and I'm ready to let it go.
12-29-2010, 12:31 PM
#152
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And exploding windshields? What's up with yours? I have an 08 and have never had a windshield problem. I have a small chip in mine from a semi that launched a rock at my windshield. I'm going to get it filled this coming summer, but despite the angle of my windshield, I've never had any problems with it, apart from that small chip caused by a semi.
The xB2 is exactly what I was looking for from Scion. The reason this is so is because I did not have an xB1. If I jumped into the cabin of an xB1 and drove it around, I'm sure that I would be disappointed, because it would be a downgrade from space and performance, based on what I'm used to.
i just traded my 08 in for an RS 8 so yes, the xB2 fits the bill for me nicely. i did however find that my 08 did seem to be a rock magnet. windshield replaced twice and 3 chips filled in my 3 years and 113000 miles of driving it. i felt the same way when the xBs came out, i hated them...which seems to be the underlining meaning to this post. they coulda called it something different but they tried to keep the thunder rolling.
12-31-2010, 02:06 AM
#153
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I really like my '11 Xb. I had a 2006 Xb, and I traded it as soon as the 11 was available. It has more legroom, it looks nicer, it has more power, and it is more aerodynamic. Yes, my gas mileage is 4-5mpg worse than my 06, but I don't feel like I am going to die getting on the interstate. The ride is also quieter, especially on the interstate.
Overall, absolutely fantastic car. My only complaint is it is very very hard to find aftermarket parts for it, since apparently few people own them.
Overall, absolutely fantastic car. My only complaint is it is very very hard to find aftermarket parts for it, since apparently few people own them.
01-01-2011, 03:55 AM
#154
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Parts Geek, FastScions, TRDSparks, NoLimitz, ScionPartsPeople, to name a few.
01-05-2011, 02:17 AM
#155
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I agree with everything you say. The xB2 is not quirky anymore and Scion needs something like that. That's why I prayed every night for them to put the Haku into production.
Guess we have to rely on the iQ.... pfffffttt.. a 16k dollar car that doesn't even come with cruise control (I know it's a city car, but damn.. and I know the xB1 didn't have it and that was in my top 5 gripes)
Guess we have to rely on the iQ.... pfffffttt.. a 16k dollar car that doesn't even come with cruise control (I know it's a city car, but damn.. and I know the xB1 didn't have it and that was in my top 5 gripes)
When first introduced, the xB2 was promoted a LOT more heavily than the xB Classic ever was, yet the hoped for massive sales for the xB2 never materialized.
Instead of taking an existing Japanese market car and doing only enough change to make it legal in the US, they developed a car just for the US - and lost a great deal of the unique appeal the original xB Classic had.
Now it appears that Scion corporate and the dealers have all but given up on pushing the Scion xB2 and xD, and have exclusively pinned their hopes on the tC.
I don't see many ads for the tC these days, either, but they sell better than the xB...
Scion has always had the "alternative" and "viral" ads as their main thrust, they haven't placed their ads in the more "normal" car sales venues.
When they had quirky "cult" cars like their original lineup that was good. Now that their lineup is nearly indistinguishable from the "average" US market vehicles, the "underground" marketing of Scions doesn't work as well.
Actually Scion's biggest marketing venue has always been "word of mouth" and depended on current Scion owners to talk up their cars. That is a major reason why Scion was so supportive of the Scion community; to keep the owners involved and excited and talking about their Scions.
Now that they have only unexciting cars, and, sadly, matching unexcited owners for the most part, that advertising method seems to have dried up for them, so they have backed away from community support and the fun and thrill that used to be Scion.
The old crew of xB Classic owners were for the most part pretty nuts about their cars. They were (and still are) always doing odd things to them and with them, trying out strange ideas, playing with them. The new Scion xB2 owners are much more reserved, much more "middle of the road" Mr. and Mrs. Suburban America with 2.3 kids and a dog. Not all, just most.
Scion needs something exciting, something to once again set fire to the imaginations of the fringe, the people who don't fit the average, boring, normal center of the market. There is too much competition in the middle of the market: That's where almost everyone aims their products.
Scion needs to play on it's one time strengths and STAY on the edges, in the shadows playing around the night fires, with the rebels and outcasts, those with the imaginations and the drive to...
Oops, sorry, you got me talking like an xB Classic owner again.
(Speaking of ads, I don't recall seeing that many ads for the Toyota Matrix, Avalon, or some of the other models, either, but they still sell.)
Instead of taking an existing Japanese market car and doing only enough change to make it legal in the US, they developed a car just for the US - and lost a great deal of the unique appeal the original xB Classic had.
Now it appears that Scion corporate and the dealers have all but given up on pushing the Scion xB2 and xD, and have exclusively pinned their hopes on the tC.
I don't see many ads for the tC these days, either, but they sell better than the xB...
Scion has always had the "alternative" and "viral" ads as their main thrust, they haven't placed their ads in the more "normal" car sales venues.
When they had quirky "cult" cars like their original lineup that was good. Now that their lineup is nearly indistinguishable from the "average" US market vehicles, the "underground" marketing of Scions doesn't work as well.
Actually Scion's biggest marketing venue has always been "word of mouth" and depended on current Scion owners to talk up their cars. That is a major reason why Scion was so supportive of the Scion community; to keep the owners involved and excited and talking about their Scions.
Now that they have only unexciting cars, and, sadly, matching unexcited owners for the most part, that advertising method seems to have dried up for them, so they have backed away from community support and the fun and thrill that used to be Scion.
The old crew of xB Classic owners were for the most part pretty nuts about their cars. They were (and still are) always doing odd things to them and with them, trying out strange ideas, playing with them. The new Scion xB2 owners are much more reserved, much more "middle of the road" Mr. and Mrs. Suburban America with 2.3 kids and a dog. Not all, just most.
Scion needs something exciting, something to once again set fire to the imaginations of the fringe, the people who don't fit the average, boring, normal center of the market. There is too much competition in the middle of the market: That's where almost everyone aims their products.
Scion needs to play on it's one time strengths and STAY on the edges, in the shadows playing around the night fires, with the rebels and outcasts, those with the imaginations and the drive to...
Oops, sorry, you got me talking like an xB Classic owner again.
(Speaking of ads, I don't recall seeing that many ads for the Toyota Matrix, Avalon, or some of the other models, either, but they still sell.)
01-11-2011, 03:59 PM
#156
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Interesting article. I agree the XB2 does have more of a comformist look to it but I still love it. The way I see it, I got a car that was practical while also giving me the opportunity to modify. I also like that I can get as much cargo into it than some smaller trucks. That paired with the upgraded powerplant, I see an all around great car. Maybe not as original as the XB1 which I also love, but still a great SCION all the same.
01-15-2011, 12:06 AM
#158
I really don't think the "Scion Visionaries" who started peddling Japanese econo-cars to the US youth market were really that hot.
They originally were thinking the xA was going to be the big seller - the car that would be the real icon for Scion.
Instead, young America locked onto the xB.
When those same wizards of marketing were developing the 2nd gen, the asked over and over from those who were unsatisfied with the xB Classic - even those who didn't buy it - what they should change and what they did wrong.
Never did they ask what they did right or try to figure out why it had a cult following.
They took the Top Ten answers from those who didn't like the original and rolled the results into the 2nd gen. Scion actually did an amazing job of meeting every one of the xB haters needs - and came out with a car that the xB lovers, uh, didn't.
These are the same folks who couldn't understand why the xB outsold the xA...
The xB2 is an excellent value and a good car, but it is not a replacement for the original cult car xB.
They originally were thinking the xA was going to be the big seller - the car that would be the real icon for Scion.
Instead, young America locked onto the xB.
When those same wizards of marketing were developing the 2nd gen, the asked over and over from those who were unsatisfied with the xB Classic - even those who didn't buy it - what they should change and what they did wrong.
Never did they ask what they did right or try to figure out why it had a cult following.
They took the Top Ten answers from those who didn't like the original and rolled the results into the 2nd gen. Scion actually did an amazing job of meeting every one of the xB haters needs - and came out with a car that the xB lovers, uh, didn't.
These are the same folks who couldn't understand why the xB outsold the xA...
The xB2 is an excellent value and a good car, but it is not a replacement for the original cult car xB.
01-15-2011, 12:33 AM
#159
The Year-to-date sales figures above show that the xB2, in it's third year of sales will probably sell about 21,000 units by the end of the year.
As a comparison, here are the figures for the three years the xB Classic was sold:
23,300 First Year
34,500 Second year
88,732 Third year.
While the entire automotive market is down at the moment, third year sales of the xB2 are only a quarter of the third year sales of the xB Classic at a poor economy time when inexpensive, high value cars should be leading the pack.
While xB2 sales may be leading the pack amongst Scions, Scion, as a brand, has fallen farther and harder that the rest of the Toyota family, even with the tremendous recall problems affecting Toyota and Lexus sales (but not Scion).
All I can say about that is it appears Scion had lost it's way, and is losing it's audience by offering the wrong cars for it's demographic.
They are undeniably good, solid, reliable, cars with excellent value for their price, they just aren't attracting buyers as well as their competitors.
Year to date sales (October) for comparison:
Scion xB: 1618
Last month: 1687
Year-to-date: 17,421
Kia Soul: 6137
Last month: 5346
Year-to-date: 55,161
(We can see that the 'Hamstars' are eating Scion's lunch...)
Unless Scion introduces an honest replacement for the xB Classic before I need to by a new vehicle, that new vehicle will not be a Scion - or probably even a Toyota.
As a comparison, here are the figures for the three years the xB Classic was sold:
23,300 First Year
34,500 Second year
88,732 Third year.
While the entire automotive market is down at the moment, third year sales of the xB2 are only a quarter of the third year sales of the xB Classic at a poor economy time when inexpensive, high value cars should be leading the pack.
While xB2 sales may be leading the pack amongst Scions, Scion, as a brand, has fallen farther and harder that the rest of the Toyota family, even with the tremendous recall problems affecting Toyota and Lexus sales (but not Scion).
All I can say about that is it appears Scion had lost it's way, and is losing it's audience by offering the wrong cars for it's demographic.
They are undeniably good, solid, reliable, cars with excellent value for their price, they just aren't attracting buyers as well as their competitors.
Year to date sales (October) for comparison:
Scion xB: 1618
Last month: 1687
Year-to-date: 17,421
Kia Soul: 6137
Last month: 5346
Year-to-date: 55,161
(We can see that the 'Hamstars' are eating Scion's lunch...)
Unless Scion introduces an honest replacement for the xB Classic before I need to by a new vehicle, that new vehicle will not be a Scion - or probably even a Toyota.
01-15-2011, 12:35 AM
#160
In reply I'll simply add that the xB2 was brought into the same healthy competitor free market that the xB left, and quite easily undersold the original, and that Scion marque sales have plummeted faster and farther than Toyota or Lexus...
That the xB2 NOW has competition does not affect it's initial sales as a brand new car, and the fall of Scion sales against Toyota sales does not reflect a difference in money values...
Again, the xB2 is a good car and a fine value for the money, it just didn't tap the zeitgeist in the way that the xB Classic did.
That the xB2 NOW has competition does not affect it's initial sales as a brand new car, and the fall of Scion sales against Toyota sales does not reflect a difference in money values...
Again, the xB2 is a good car and a fine value for the money, it just didn't tap the zeitgeist in the way that the xB Classic did.
