So far so good!

After totaling my beloved Toyota Corolla I had to find a new vehicle. After MUCH research I decided on a new Scion XD.

Why?
1- LOW INTEREST RATES. Interest rates on new cars are LOWER than used cars. I could get this car for the same monthly payment as some used cars.

2- RELIABILITY. Though Scion is a new name, it is built by Toyota (They created a new line in an to attempt to capture younger market.) It is built on the Corolla frame, with the same engine and electrics.

3- SAFETY - same safety ratings as the Corolla with the new addition of curtain-side airbags. Also it has 16" wheels where the Corolla only has 13". This means more rubber on the road! A safer set of tires and it grips a lot better in the curves. The front end is a little short which worries me in a front end collision, but it got good ratings in crash tests. Hopefully I won’t have to find that out first hand.

4- HEIGHT - driving on some bad gravel roads I needed something with some clearance under the car. This car sits higher than most other hatchbacks. Up to three inches higher than the Toyota Matrix and the new Honda Fit. So, on the road you sit higher than most sedans yet lower than SUVs so you don’t have to worry about it being too top heavy.

5- POWER - It is a 4cylinder (inline) 1.8Liter engine with 128 horsepower. While this is the same as my old Corolla it seems to have a faster get up and go. A lot more punch. Why this is... I am not sure.

6- GAS MILAGE- While I would have preferred a Toyota Prius, it is much to pricy for me. But the nice new gauge will show an average MPG rate. Mine fluctuates between 27MPG and 35MPG. Keep in mind I have been driving up and down a long messy gravel road.

7- FEATURES- While it doesn’t have much trunk space the back seats scoot forward to create more while still allowing for back seat passengers. If you scoot the seat all the way forward and lay them down, the back floor becomes flush so you can carry something the size of a wardrobe.

Buy now. As a marketing ploy they are selling these at a fixed rate. No room to bargain. Apparently if the dealer gives you a deal on a new car they will loose their license to sell Toyota. Once they stop this fixed rate, new cars will be marked in some cases up to 27%.

I have been driving mine for a month now. And love it. Don't forget.. don't be too hard on the acceleration until you past the 1kmile mark.