2025 Kia Sportage Road Test and Review
By Brady Holt
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The Scion xB is a compact, 5-door, multi-purpose vehicle designed to provide maximum interior room and utility in a small package. The vehicle in these photos is technically a 2013 model, but the 2014 Scion xB is identical except for its standard stereo. Scion sells the 2014 xB in mono-spec trim, meaning it comes one way from the factory. Dealers can install a wide variety of accessories to personalize “The Box,” pushing the 2014 model’s price tag from $17,725 (including a destination charge of $755) to nearly $29,686 if you add every single upgrade.
Owners don’t affectionately refer to the Scion xB as “The Box” for no good reason. Just look at it. This example is painted Absolutely Red and is equipped with the 7-spoke plastic wheel cover design. Scion offers optional aluminum wheels in 16-inch and 17-inch sizes, or xB buyers can choose between two different 19-inch aluminum wheel designs from the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) catalog.
Inside, the Scion xB is paneled in hard, textured plastic that traps lint. Fabrics look and feel durable, though. The control layout is conventional except for the strip of gauges and displays located just off center at the base of the windshield. This 2013 xB contains the old stereo that Scion used to install in the xB, which was purposely designed to mirror the shoddy ergonomics of aftermarket head units. Late in 2013, Scion replaced it with a more modern touchscreen infotainment system.
The Scion xB offers a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel and a driver’s seat with a manual height adjuster. Unfortunately, the higher the seat rises, the less thigh support it provides. As a result, you can sit up high with a good view out on a flat seat, or you can sit down low with compromised outward visibility while enjoying proper leg support.
Passengers will be comfortable in the Scion xB’s back seat, which sits high off the floor and provides good legroom. Unfortunately, given the younger buyer that Scion targets with the xB, there are no USB ports in the back, and the flimsy cupholders that deploy from the back of the center console are barely adequate for a typical can of soda, let alone a giant energy drink.
Scion claims that the xB offers 11.9 cu.-ft. of cargo behind the rear seat. Fold the 60/40-split rear seatbacks down, and the Scion xB swallows 69.9 cu.-ft. of your worldly belongings, as much as a compact crossover suv.
A 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine is standard equipment for the 2014 Scion xB. A 5-speed manual gearbox is standard. If you’re willing to part with $950, a 4-speed automatic transmission is optional. Neither is particularly sophisticated, and their lack of speeds contributes to mediocre fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Note that Scion provides two years or 25,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance with every xB.
Proven components might not be very exciting, but all the bugs get worked out over time. As a result, the Scion xB’s simplistic components translate into outstanding reliability ratings. The interior materials might be cheap, but there’s no denying that a Scion xB will last for years and years.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Scion xB earns the best rating of “Good” in all crash-test assessments except for the small overlap frontal-impact test. As this photo gallery is published, the IIHS has not subjected the xB to this particular test.
Aside from its standard first-aid kit and Smart Stop Technology designed to prevent unintended acceleration by making it impossible for the xB to accelerate as long as the brake pedal is pressed, this Scion lacks modern safety technologies.
Though the Scion xB starts at less than $18,000, it does come with a lengthy list of standard features. Air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, and cruise control. The power outside mirrors have LED turn signal indicators, the front bumper has LED positioning lights, and dark tinted rear privacy glass keeps the sun out of your kids’ eyes while keeping prying eyes out of your business.
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