Saturday, September 6, 2008

We Have A New Car!


Di and I took delivery of our new 2009 Scion Xd yesterday. Above is a photo I took today at the beach here, with Di behind the wheel and Katiya, the dog princess, serving as co-pilot.

The Scion is one of Toyota's brands, and frankly we were looking for a new Toyota when stepped onto the lot at Champion Toyota in Corpus Christi last week. But the Scion quickly sold itself when we spotted some on the lot. The Scion brand is aimed at the under-35 age bracket, but I was quickly impressed at the package it offered for the money. It's a four door hatchback, very similar to a Honda Civic hatchback, and has the build quality and finish you associate with Toyota----there are no rattles, everything fits together snugly, the paint is smooth and even, etc. On the road, it has the same "Toyota feel" that I've enjoyed since I got my 4Runner years ago. Steering is nice and tight, the ABS brakes are smooth and act fast, the suspension lets you feel the road without jarring you, it turns in a small radius, etc. Acceleration is surprisingly good for a four cylinder engine. The Xd came with a boatload of standard equipment, including an iPod recharger and input port on the AM/FM/CD audio system; I can play my iPod through the audio system without draining its battery. The only options we have on our Xd are tinted glass and XM satellite radio.

If you're looking for a new car, I suggest you give the Scion Xd serious consideration.