Best sport wagon 2009 Subaru Outback *Est. $22295
Best premium station wagon 2009 BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon *Est. $36025
Budget seven-seat wagon 2009 Kia Rondo *Est. $17495
Compact, fuel-sipping wagon 2009 Pontiac Vibe *Est. $16735

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2009 Scion xB

*Est. $15,750 to $16,700

Cheapest wagon you can buy
Top safety scores
Very roomy
Reputation for reliability
Retains value well

Exterior styling
Fuel economy diminished vs. original xB
Thick roof pillars impair visibility
Mixed reviews for performance, handling

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Our Analysis

March 2009. The Scion xB was once critics' favorite small wagon. But that was before a 2008 redesign packed on 636 pounds and rounded the xB's edgy, boxy frame. The xB not only lost its stellar fuel economy -- it "lost its soul," as The Wall Street Journal's Jeff Sabatini puts it.

Experts still recommend the five-passenger Scion xB as an inexpensive, reliable small wagon that is likely to retain its value well. Its main assets are an enormous back seat and a cavernous cargo bay, which -- when you lower the back seat -- offers more cubic footage than most full-size wagons.

The Scion xB also gets excellent safety scores, thanks to a full complement of airbags and standard electronic stability control. Its base engine -- a 158-horsepower, 2.3-liter 4-cylinder -- is the same one used on upper-level trims of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe (*est. $16,735 to $21,510) and 2009 Toyota Matrix (*est. $16,290 to $21,950). Testers say the 2009 Scion xB accelerates adequately, although it's not as sprightly as the old, lighter xB with its smaller, more fuel-efficient engine. The Scion xB comes in one trim, with either a five-speed manual (*est. $15,750) or four-speed automatic transmission (*est. $16,700). Both deliver an EPA-estimated 24 mpg overall (22 mpg city/28 mpg highway), the same as the upper-level Matrix and Vibe. Scion is a Toyota brand, and the xB is covered by the same three-year/36,000-mile warranty as the Matrix (with a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty).

Critics agree that the Scion xB's small windows and thick pillars hurt visibility and make the cabin dark and gloomy. They can't agree on its handling, however. While some reliable experts find the xB agile, others find that its tall, square profile makes for awkward body roll. Or, as William C. Montgomery at The Truth About Cars says, "Scion's rolling brick leans like the Sears tower in a wind storm."

Few auto reviewers missed the chance to critique the newly redesigned 2008 Scion xB wagon, and most still use those tests to rate the largely unchanged 2009 version. ConsumerReports.org lists every new measurement and standard feature alongside its extensive road-test reports, and editors rank the Scion xB against other wagons and hatchbacks. Reviews at ConsumerGuide.com, Car and Driver and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine rate the 2009 xB based on tests, but they are not as extensive as ConsumerReports.org'. Scientific tests by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concentrate on fuel efficiency and safety, respectively. Older reviews at The Truth About Cars, About.com, MotorWeek and The Wall Street Journal address the question of whether the redesign -- which enlarged the Scion xB and slightly smoothed its funky, two-box shape -- erased all of its original charm.

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2009 Scion xB

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

ConsumerReports.org tests the 2008 Scion xB and uses the results to rank it alongside other wagons and hatchbacks. The review includes detailed specifications and measurements, pricing information, a thorough road-test report and ConsumerReports.org's reliability prediction and owner satisfaction survey results. This report is accessible only to subscribers.

Review: Scion xB, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. FuelEconomy.gov

This chart makes it easy to compare the fuel economies of most 2009 small wagons. This website run by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy rates both the manual and automatic-transmission versions of the Scion xB.

Review: 2009 Small Station Wagons, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov

3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

This chart shows how two dozen small cars (including small wagons and hatchbacks) compare in terms of safety. The 2009 Scion xB wagon is named a Top Safety Pick, with good scores in every crash test at this nonprofit agency.

Review: Small Cars, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

4. ConsumerGuide.com

ConsumerGuide.com names the 2009 Scion xB a Best Buy in the compact car class. Testers rate the xB on 11 different measures (such as acceleration and fuel economy) and conclude that it is still a practical-but-edgy alternative to other small cars and SUVs.

Review: 2009 Scion xB: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com

5. The Truth About Cars

This review was written after the Scion xB's 2008 redesign, but the wagon has not changed much since then. Montgomery is one of several critics who lament the restyle; his review does the best job describing why the new xB is such a disappointment.

Review: 2008 Scion xB Take Two, William C. Montgomery, Aug. 11, 2008

6. About.com

Aaron Gold, About.com's guide to cars, names the Scion xB one of his Top 10 Cars for Moms based on its roominess, safety and reliability. A link leads to his extensive test-drive report on the redesigned 2008 xB wagon. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Review: Top 10 Cars for Moms, Aaron Gold

7. Car and Driver Details/Subscribe

Editors here give the 2009 Scion xB six points (out of 10) for consumer appeal, but only two points for enthusiast appeal. Like other critics, they say the 2008 redesign made the xB roomier, but also less fuel-efficient, less "frisky" and less charming.

Review: 2009 Scion xB, Editors of Car and Driver

8. Kiplinger Personal Finance

The 2009 Scion xB wins the Best Resale Value award and is named a Top Safety Pick in its category (Kiplinger's Personal Finance considers the xB an under-$20,000 sedan). The awards are based on road tests, but the short write-ups mostly list features and data about the vehicles.

Review: Kiplinger's 2009 Auto Buying Guide, Mark Solheim and Jessica L. Anderson, Mar. 2009

9. Motor Week

PBS's MotorWeek evaluates the redesign of the 2008 Scion xB: Has too much mainstreaming killed the wagon's quirky charm? Probably not, the review concludes. Although some diehard fans might be put off by its slightly rounder exterior lines and less radical interior, most drivers will prefer the new Scion xB's smoother ride, safer performance and huge jumps in power and roominess, the review predicts.

Review: 2008 Scion xB, Editors of MotorWeek

10. The Wall Street Journal

This review of the restyled 2008 Scion xB was one of the first to conclude that the redesign was a mistake. Sabatini says it killed things -- including the super-boxy design -- that earned the xB its cult following in the first place.

Review: A Hit Makeover -- and a Miss, Jeff Sabatini, July 13, 2007