Long-Term Verdicts

2008 Scion XB

Better, but not as exceptional

WHEN THE Scion xB subcompact made its debut in  (along with Toyota’s Scion brand itself), America got its fi rst real taste of undiluted Japanese eccentricity. A barely altered version of the domestic-market Toyota bB, sold in Japan since , the xB stood out on American roads like a Bentō box in a Texas steakhouse. Tiny, austere, and so unabashedly square it was actually cute, the xB won a loyal following among young (and old) drivers who admired its purity of purpose and uniquely unstylish style. Toyota sold more than , xBs in ; by , that fi gure jumped to more than , annually.

Yet like everything American, or Americanized, the xB wasn’t destined to remain tiny. The second-gen model, unveiled for , grew by  inches in length and roughly  pounds. At the same time, it lost the original’s neo-architectural physique, instead wearing more conventional sheetmetal fashioned like a melting bar of Lifebuoy. It also lost, it seemed to us then, much of the fi rst xB’s charming Japaneseness. The xB had grown up, yes, but in the process it had become a safe, tepid California Roll compared with its predecessor’s serving of deliciously horrifi c sashimi.

Mind you, a good California Roll can be enjoyable, as we quickly learned when a  xB entered our long-term fl eet in October . Starting at $,, our xB included satellite radio and—gads!—a navigation system, among other upgrades. Total sticker: a not-so-compact $,. Yet the accolades piled up fast.

“I owned an original xB,” wrote managing editor Rusty Kurtz in the logbook, “and this new version addresses all the complaints I had about the fi rst one. With more horsepower, it can now keep pace with fast-moving freeway traffi c. Our long-term tester also has cruise control, something I was told wasn’t available even as a dealer-installed option on the fi rst-generation car.”

Obviously, Rusty was pleased to have the new twin-cam, .-liter four under this right foot, its  horsepower easily outgunning the  horses of the original xB. Like the original, our gen-two xB off ered a four-speed as the only automatic. Didn’t seem to be a hindrance, though. “Normally, I’m a disappointed in modern vehicles that use four-speed automatics, but the unit in this xB is quite nice,” wrote Ron Kiino. “It’s responsive and seamless, off ers useful sport and manual modes, and delivers good fuel economy. I like it over the Corolla XRS’s fi ve-speed auto.”

The xB’s biggest draw, though, was its, well, bigness. “The interior is massive, and it has way more amenities than you’d expect at this level,” wrote Allyson Harwood. “Easily passes my hockey-bag check,” agreed Mike Royer. “Plenty of room in the hatch for a lot of things.” I remember driving to lunch one day with Ed Loh in the passenger seat and commenting, “This xB is so smooth and roomy, why would you buy a Civic?” Ed just stared back and replied, “Good question.”

our car

Base price Options $16,270 Navigation system ($1950), automatic transmission, $950, 16-inch alloy wheels ($795), Scion Security ($469), XM Satellite Radio ($449), carpeted fl oormats ($155), wheel locks ($65)

MSRP, as tested Total mileage Avg fuel economy Problem areas

$21,103 18,999 22.9 mpg None

Maintenance cost Normal-wear cost Three-year residual value* $213.25 $0 $12,662

Recalls * Automotive Lease Guide None u

l l”

So if we weren’t ga-ga over the new xB’s sheetmetal, for sure we loved its extra power, its gigantic-interior-in-a-smallish-exterior magic act, and such niceties as an integrated iPod adaptor (though more than a few drivers pointed out that changing the artist or song using the touch screen fi rst required bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. Those damn lawyers again).

Best of all, after the initial investment, the xB required only the smallest of expenditures to keep us rolling right along. The fi rst K service, an oil change and tire rotation, was complimentary. The K, more of the same, cost $.. Only the K cost us some large change, racking up $. for oil, tire rotation, and a new cabin-air fi lter. In-between, the xB cost us… nothing. No issues, no fi xes, no recalls.

Our observed fuel economy for the full test, . mpg, was only fair for the class. It’s worth bearing in mind that, given its amphitheater interior, in usefulness the xB serves as a larger car. We also drove our tester hard, including one occasion where an intern clocked a good thousand miles attempting to keep up with a Corvette ZR, a Porsche GT, and a Nissan GT-R.

As an art piece, xB version . falls far short of the idiosyncratic original. As a small car, though, it won all of us over. It’s even deserving of its own iconic status—it’s just that good. A “safer” xB, then: Unlike its Fugu-fi sh predecessor, you don’t have to brace yourself to drive it. ■

from the logbook

“The xB is no autobahn stormer. For our “War of the Worlds” comparo, I took the saddle of the four-wheeled cube and attempted to keep pace with three thoroughbreds on a drive from Los Angeles to Kingman, Arizona. I was not successful. The four-speed became a liability at speed, either buzzing redline in third or lugging in fourth. During our blast across Arizona, the xB drank three-fourths of a tank while the ZR1 consumed a half tank. A quick calculation, however, showed the xB returned 18.3 mpg. Impressive, considering the payload of testing and photo equipment stuffed into the back.” ■ Carlos Lago

“I fi nd myself liking the xB more and more, and in every way it’s superior to the previous gen (with the possible exception of exterior style). The 2.4-liter is sweet, the car is surprisingly quick, and it’s pretty agile, too. Great brakes, and much less body roll than you’d expect. I’ve seen a couple modded-out with rims and the like, and—I know I may get slammed for this—I think they look cool.” ■ Mike Floyd

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS Drivetrain layout Front engine, FWD Engine type I-4, alum block/head Valvetrain DOHC, 4 valves/cyl Displacement 144.1 cu in/2362 cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Power (SAE net) 158 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque (SAE net) 162 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Redline 6400 rpm Weight to power 19.6 lb/hp Transmission 4-speed automatic Axle/fi nal-drive ratios 2.74:1/2.79:1 Suspension, front; rear Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; torsion beam, coil springs

Steering ratio 16.0:1 Turns lock-to-lock 2.9 Brakes, f;r 10.8-in vented disc; 11.0-in disc, ABS

Wheels 6.5 x 16 in, cast aluminum

Tires 205/55R16 89H, Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02 M+S

DIMENSIONS Wheelbase

102.4 in Track, f/r 60.0/59.8 in Length x width x height 167.3 x 69.3 x 64.7 in Turning circle 34.8 ft Curb weight 3091 lb Weight dist, f/r 63/37% Seating capacity 5 Headroom, f/r 40.0/41.2 in Legroom, f/r 40.7/38.0 in Shoulder room, f/r 55.8/54.7 in Cargo volume behind f/r 69.9/21.7 cu ft TEST DATA Acceleration to mph 0-30 2.8 sec 0-40 4.2 0-50 6.2 0-60 8.5 0-70 11.0 0-80 15.1 0-90 20.0 Passing, 45-65 mph 4.5 sec Quarter mile 16.4 sec @ 82.6 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 126 ft Lateral acceleration 0.78 g (avg) MT fi gure eight 28.5 sec @ 0.57 g (avg) Top-gear revs @ 60 mph 2300 rpm CONSUMER INFO Stability/traction control Yes/yes Airbags Dual front, front side, f/r curtain

Basic warranty 3 yrs/36,000 miles Powertrain warranty 5 yrs/60,000 miles Roadside assistance N/A Fuel capacity 14.0 gal EPA city/hwy econ 22/28 mpg CO2 emissions 0.80 lb/mile MT fuel economy 22.9 mpg Recommended fuel Unleaded regular

2008 Hyundai Veracruz Ltd. AWD

Year-long cruz changes perceptions

MAYBE THEY should’ve called it the Genesis Crossover. The Hyundai Veracruz was one of the fi rst salvos in the Korean automaker’s recent new-product assault on the U.S. market, which has been followed by the intros of the much-hyped Genesis Sedan and Coupe.

The Veracruz has been generally well received since its launch in March  and scored an impressive comparison test victory against the  Lexus RX  in July of that year. But despite the positive vibes, only , Veracruz sport/utes moved off Hyundai dealership lots in  (in case you’re wondering, Toyota sold more than , RXs over the same period). Yes, we know,  was a bad year to be selling SUVs, but… Is it too late to change the name?

So while it hasn’t exactly been shooting up the sales charts like a bullet, the Veracruz, as was the Genesis models that followed it, is also about showing critics that Hyundai can make a $, crossover that’s not only worth the money, but is also competitive with the best the world has to off er.

After a year behind the Veracruz’s poweradjustable, leather-trimmed steering wheel, consider our perceptions changed.

“I almost hate to admit how much I like this Veracruz—so much for my Pennzoil-fed enthusiast’s heart,” opined editor at large Arthur St. Antoine. “It goes down the road expensively. It shifts expensively. It rides expensively.”

Senior editor Edward Loh off ered many the same observations about the Veracruz’s overall ride, calling it “smooth, quiet, refi ned, and willing to get up and boogie when needed.”

Powering the Veracruz is Hyundai’s .-liter, DOHC V-, which is roughly the same engine you’ll fi nd in the V- Genesis Sedan and the Genesis Coupe ., although in the Veracruz it puts out  horsepower and  pound-feet. Mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic with Hyundai’s Shiftronic manual setup, it pushed our tester to  mph in . seconds fl at and onto a quarter mile of . at . mph.

We found the power more than adequate to propel the -pound AWD crossover through just about any situation during our , miles occupying the well-executed and attractive leather-trimmed cockpit.

Take, for instance, photographer Brian Vance’s long-distance jaunt, during which the Hyundai was more loaded than a crew of spring breakers after sucking down a tray of Jell-O shots.

“Perhaps what’s most impressive about the biggest Hyundai sport/ute ever off ered in the U.S. is the smooth and polished transmission,” Vance logged. “This six-speed might be the best automatic in the class, and even at wide-open throttle it transitions up or down to the next gear with almost no noticeable upset to the chassis. Paired with the .L V-, the Veracruz hauled our full load up the steep, long grade north of Bishop, California, at a steady  mph, with plenty of power to spare.”

With . cubic feet of cargo room when the second and third rows are folded down and . with just the third row down, the Veracruz off ers a solid amount of cargo space, as Vance

our car

Base price Options

MSRP, as tested Total mileage Avg fuel economy Problem areas Maintenance cost Normal-wear cost Three-year residual value* Recalls * Automotive Lease Guide $36,445 Navigation package ($1750: navigation, 605-watt Infi nity Logic 7 Audio), Carpeted fl oormats ($125)

$38,320 22,684 16.1 mpg None $301.43 $40.33 $19,160 Trailer hitch wiring harnesses

th t

found out (the RX, in comparison, off ers . and ., respectively). And that third row can actually fi t adult humans.

The Veracruz also proved trouble-free from a maintenance standpoint, requiring nothing more than two service visits during its stay— a $. oil change, inspection, and tire rotation at  miles and a $. replica service that also included replacement of the cabin air fi lter, at , miles. And for normalwear costs, the Hyundai accrued a balance of only $. for new wiper blades.

There was some picking of nits, most notably with the optional $ navigation system— Hyundai’s fi rst—which could take too long to boot up and be hard to see during the day and too bright at night. The power tailgate was cited as too slow, and the  model didn’t come with a backup camera option—a musthave in the segment.

And while the overall exterior look is clean and nonthreatening, the Veracruz almost blends in too much and falls short of making a design statement.

Gas mileage was nothing to shout about either, with an overall combined fuel economy of . mpg, south of the EPA estimated  mpg combined. For context, our similarly sized longterm Mazda CX- returned  mpg. It’s always important to note, however, that we tend to be leadfoots in our test vehicles to better evaluate them under acceleration.

In the end, though, we found much to like and not so much to carp about during our year-long ride in the Veracruz. And despite it not exactly hitting its sales stride thus far, Hyundai has created an SUV we deemed more than worthy of consideration in the three-rowcrossover segment. Now, about that name… How about Genesis X? ■

from the logbook

“The ’Cruz doesn’t bug you by trying to be “modern” or “techno”; it just does its job well. Not long ago, I put nearly 1000 miles on it while driving—with fi ve Persian girls aboard—to Santa Cruz and back. Everyone enjoyed the ride (I, ahem, most of all).” ■ Arthur St. Antoine

“It took all of 10 minutes to get to Chronic Tacos—and to convince my brother that, Hyundai or no, this Veracruz is a pretty sweet ride. It’s not hard to do, with a qualitylooking interior, rockin’ stereo, ultra-smooth transmission, and enough power to feel impressive. His chief complaint was the styling, insisting the Veracruz looks like “something an old lady would drive.” Can’t win ’em all, I guess.” ■ Rory Jurnecka

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS Drivetrain layout Front engine, AWD Engine type 60-deg V-6, alum block/heads

Valvetrain

DOHC, 4 valves/cyl Displacement 230.6 cu in/3778 cc Compression ratio 10.4:1 Power (SAE net) 260 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque (SAE net) 257 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm Redline 6400 rpm Weight to power 17.8 lb/hp Transmission 6-speed automatic Axle/fi nal-drive ratios 3.20:1/2.20:1 Suspension, front; rear Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Steering ratio 18.9:1 Turns lock-to-lock 3.3 Brakes, f;r 12.6-in vented, disc; 12.8-in disc, ABS

Wheels 7.0 x 18 in, cast aluminum

Tires 245/60R18 104T M+S, Michelin Latitude Tour

DIMENSIONS Wheelbase

110.4 in Track, f/r 65.7/65.7 in Length x width x height 190.6 x 76.6 x 68.9 in Ground clearance 8.1 in Approach/depart angle 24.8/22.7 deg Turning circle 36.7 ft Curb weight 4620 lb Weight dist, f/r 56/44% Towing capacity 3500 lb Seating capacity 7 Headroom, f/m/r 40.3/39.9/36.1 in Legroom, f/m/r 42.6/38.4/31.5 in Shoulder room, f/m/r 60.6/60.2/56.1 in Cargo volume beh f/m/r 86.8/40.0/6.5 cu ft TEST DATA Acceleration to mph 0-30 2.8 sec 0-40 4.2 0-50 6.1 0-60 8.0 0-70 10.8 0-80 14.0 0-90 17.5 Passing, 45-65 mph 4.1 sec Quarter mile 16.3 sec @ 86.5 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 140 ft Lateral acceleration 0.78 g (avg) MT fi gure eight 28.1 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)

Top-gear revs @ 60 mph 1700 rpm CONSUMER INFO Stability/traction control Yes/yes Airbags Dual front, front side, f/r curtain

Basic warranty 5 yrs/60,000 miles Powertrain warranty 10 yrs/100,000 miles Roadside assistance 5 yrs/unlimited miles Fuel capacity 20.6 gal EPA city/hwy econ 15/22 mpg CO2 emissions 1.11 lb/mile Recommended fuel Unleaded regular