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"XOXO" xB: My Love for the Scion xB

My automotive ADD is well documented; it’s almost like a sugar high, the “thrill of the hunt” when it comes to purchasing a car. As soon as I get one, I’m already thinking about what to get next. This has been the case nearly my entire adult driving life; every year or so, I’m swapping cars. xb_rb_work One car, surprisingly, stayed in my possession almost three years: a 2004 Scion xB. You’d think with a collection ranging from a '93 Toyota MR2 Turbo to an '02 Porsche 996C2, the little box wouldn’t stand a chance - but whenever someone asks which car I’ve honestly loved the most, the xB is the first that comes to mind. scion_xb_garage I first came across the xB back in 2001 at the Import Revolution show, which had a showcase of xBs on display by industry tuners. I loved the signature "box" look, which I felt also provided a good amount of utility for such a small vehicle. Aftermarket options seemed endless, especially since it was already available in the Japanese market for quite some time. One of the xBs at that show even had a go-kart stored inside; talk about maximizing space! scion_sema_xb About a year later, I decided it was time to get something with more than two seats, since I already had a Honda CRX Si and a Porsche 996 C2. I swung over to my local Scion dealer and asked a salesman to call me when a Powder White xB was in stock. He not only had one ready for me a few days later, but he also made sure there were no front license plate holes drilled in. Now I had a reliable and unique daily driver in my hands. A few years later, the xB community finally started to gain some momentum. US tuning companies were making lots of parts for this niche segment despite low horsepower figures and its "love it or hate it" square features. These things didn't bother me; I loved it since I was looking for more utility out of a daily commuter. xb_side Obviously I couldn’t leave the xB stock, as is typical with most car enthusiasts. I was able to get a set of old school Work Equip 01s, which I felt were the perfect fit and offset coming from a clean double-lipped setup. At first I was going to lower it only with Tein springs but eventually opted for a TRD shock/spring setup. Since performance parts were tough to find, I decided to have a little fun by adding dress-up parts, making an already cool little car that much cooler. xb_garage_equip What I really liked was how friendly and helpful the xB community is; there was such a wide variety of ages with people coming from all walks of life. Scion Night at Knotts Berry Farm not only helped to push the Scion brand but for the xB to gain popularity. I drove my xB often, even on weekend cruises with my Porsche friends (although it had a harder time keeping up with them). I no longer had to worry about parking it at the furthest empty spot in the lot, and yet it still put a smile on my face every time I took it for a drive. It's the closest thing to owning a full-scale toy that I can think of. scion_interior I've used my xB to do a fair share of moving, and the folding seats helped to give an amazing amount of room in addition to the high ceiling. Moving houses, hauling wheels/tires or fitting miscellaneous body panels over town, there wasn't much I couldn't fit inside. scion_side My wife even loved it, which is funny because she’s not really into cars - so as cheese as it sounds, this is just another reason why it holds a special place in my heart. When my nephew turned 16, he needed a car so we gave it to my sister who gave it to him. Unfortunately, the car was totaled but the most important thing was that he and his friends walked away, a testament to the safety of the xB. heart_xb Every so often, I’ll run into an xB on the streets and it'll remind me of how much I enjoyed that car. One of my good friends has a fully-built twin/replica, which is included in this article – and I’d like to think that’s the way it is now, in car heaven. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impact; in this case, it was a square box that stood out amongst all the rest. XOXO xB...
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