Oh No, Wife want's a Scion

[NHCharger]

Wife's current car is a 02 Trailblazer that gets 13MPG. We discussed getting rid of the TB if gas climbed back over $2.50/gallon. Plus when we bought the TB the dealership was offering a 100k mile bumper to bumper warranty. I have since discovered there is a long list of parts and items that fall outside the bumper to bumper warranty.
We tried out the Scion Xb(wagon/crackerjack box) last weekend. It actually has more legroom than the TB. Based on my wife's yearly mileage we'll save $1,000.00 a year on gas at $2.50/gallon. This car has to be the ugliest car on the road, or maybe second ugliest. I've alway been a buy American type person,but they seem like a pretty decent car for the price. I swear I'm feeling guilty for looking at a foreign car. Is this normal?

[derailed]

IMO I swear by Toyotas and love them. I know others will argue but you have to really ask yourself whats foreign anymore. The scions are silly looking but with gas prices on the rise it seems like a good investment to me. I think youll see gas over $3/gallon this summer and God knows whats gonna happen if all these hurricanes hit that they are predicting for the season. Its suppose to be worse than last year.

[TruckDriver]

        Nuff said!

[adauto]

I can agree w derailed! My wifes been driving Prizm's (corolla's) swcince the early 90's. She likes it, been rael dependable and I don't have to spend alot of time screwing with it... out of 3 cars in 14 years other than routine stuff I only replaced 1 starter! The other side of the coin is she don't tell me what to drive!! trust me when the o'lady's happy life is easyer

[rare69]

just be glad she isnt looking at BMW,s

[bull]

My wife wants a VW Beetle. Which is worse?

[253862656971]

My wife wants a VW Beetle. Which is worse?

The Scion is worse.  You can take the bug down to the Baja 1000 and race it in it's own class.  No such class for a Scion.   

[Silver R/T]

as long as itll save money in long run, go for it

[Daytona R/T SE]

I saw one of those Scions in town the other day, I pointed it out to the old lady and she said something to the effect of: "What a Fu**ing Dork-Mobile" 

I don't care if they were free and ran on air, I just couldn't deal with looking at that ugly little "Dork-Mobile"

[Darkness]

Well one thing I haven't seen mentioned so far in this post is the hit you would take in on trading in TrailBlazer. If you're only saving a $1000 year in gas over currently what you're spending then it would take a long time for the Scion to make up that lost value.  And the insurance thing is something else you'll want to check into because it is a smaller car vs most trucks and SUVs.

[89MOPAR]

 Maybe it gets decent gas milage in town but on the higway [ above 65mph] It can't be great. That thing has  aerodynamics like a tugboat, maybe only a small frontal area helps it.. Maybe look at the Tc coupe .  It at least looks not so horrid.  I say try out the PT Cruiser with the Gt turbo motor. They are pretty roomy for front seat area.
  Chevy to a fugly Toyota - where's the gain ?

[Lowprofile]

I'll say one thing about it. Its definitely Unique!    Nothing wrong with being different. I say go for it and enjoy the savings. Besides, if your wife is happy with it, how do you loose?


Here's a few ideas for your new ride!

[doctorpimp]

I say go for it!
I drive a Honda as a daily driver    The reliability of those oriental cars is amazing (Honda, Hyundai, Toyota) plus you can use the $1000 towards YOUR car, for upgrades or that $3/gal gas 

[The Ghoul]

They are the same toyota drive train that they have been using for ever so they will last 200k+ easily.
They are assembled in the US so you can feel good about supporting the echonomy in some part of the US.
I personally like the looks of the tc my self. but for those that want some room in there car the XB looks like the way to go.

[nh_mopar_fan]

That is one ugly car.

[Old Moparz]

I can't stand the look of the Scion either, but sometimes the practicality is more important. Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if the wife likes it, so what? What do they cost on average to buy? I know I never considered a PT Cruiser, but seeing a few advertised for around $10,500 with A/C, it's somewhat enticing. I also read many articles on how reliable the PT Cruiser has been, & that Consumer Reports also loves it. I'd definitely compare a few more cars first.

I drive a 1995 F-150 daily with a 5.8 L V8 which gets about 13 to 17 MPG. I get gas at work which saves me a bundle, but it's getting older & has almost 130,000 miles on it. I'd hate to start dumping money into it & may consider replacing it with a smaller vehicle in the near future. I had originally bought it to tow with, but had since bought the Dodge Ram & don't need two tow vehicles. The F-150 became my daily driver by default when the V6 Pathfinder started to disintergrate with rust.

[Brock Samson]

well it's got great numbers see the latest mag car and driver put out,.. originally designed as a Japanese Car for the inner city,.. it's actually about ten years old..
Boxy cars are proliferating...
they are all over here,.. family at the bottom of the hill has all three of them Scions,..  Anyhow if my wife was in the market for a newer efficent vehicle i'd show my wife the new Dodge Nitro, I'll take a SRT6.

http://www.dodge.com/autoshow/nitro/gallery.html

i think the interior is far and away the best the Corp. has to offer... (besides the Viper) 



(don't forget to click my new link below)... 

[doctorpimp]

The Nitro looks cool, but I'm starting to hate that BS Dodge Ram grill!!!
Does everyting they make HAVE to look like a truck???
I thought the look was pretty cool whe it came out on the Ram trucks in the '90s, but now it's sickening.
The whole RAM's head symbol is sickening too.  The Ram was on Dodge's trucks in the '70s, not their cars!  Now it's their symbol for ALL.  Bring back the Pentastar, leave the Ram's head for trucks.  Maybe Dodge should stick to trucks (a la GMC) and bring Plymouth back to make cars (even though they'd all be 4 doors).  DCX sucks. 
Buy from the Asians, their cars are made here, are more reliable and they listen to what buyers want when designing.

Sorry, I just got on a rant...

[MichaelRW]

The depreciation hit you will take on both the TB and the Scion will far exceed the $3-4,000 you would save on gas over the next 3 years. If you are thinking of buying a new lower gas mileage car to just save money, it doesn't add up. If you just want a new car, go for it.

[The Ghoul]

http://www.dodge.com/autoshow/nitro/gallery.html

now how did that fly under my gay-dar?
I think what makes it look like a truck is the fact that its a scaled down jeep! Or looks that way to me 

[Lightning]

give the xA a shot, basically the same thing as the xb, just looks less......brick-y.  I actually test drove one, as I was planning to buy one as the daily driver, they're good cars.

[Silver R/T]

You never know when you buy chevy that you're not actually buying chinese car. (engines in new chevies are imported from China) One of new saturns has Honda engine in it, forgot which one

[Charger_Fan]

I'd get a divorce before I let that fugly brick be parked anywhere near my driveway.

If there was ever a poster child in mind for a disposeable car...that's it. A cinderblock with bumpercar bumpers.

[twilt]

It took 7 years of working as a Auto Tech to break down my prejudices against buying a foriegn car. After awhile, you realize that the Japanese cars are usually in the shop for basic maintenance, the big 3`s crap is there much more frequently because its BROKEN.   2.5 years ago i went ahead and bought my wife a used Toyota Camry. Its been a great car unlike the American junk we had been buying. As far as the way the  Scion looks.... it doesnt do much for me, but then again neither does the PT cruiser.   

[is_it_EVER_done?]

I guess you'll be shopping for a new wife!    I have no doubt that the Scion is an excellent vehicle, but its uglier than the new Charger (if that's possible). Just remember that even though it will be your wife's vehicle, there will be times that YOU will be driving it.

I would be pushing hard for something that isn't embarrassing (and emasculating) to be seen in.