The automotive fountain of youth

Toyota knows something about automobiles. Actually they know a lot about automobiles, trends and where buyers are going and what they want. That probably explains how Toyota is quietly becoming the best selling brand in the U.S. and worldwide.

Toyota sells all the cars it makes without resorting to gimmicks like “employee pricing for everyone,” or extensive rebates. A demand for luxury cars? Toyota introduced Lexus. High gas prices and a concern for a green earth? Toyota introduces hybrid vehicles like Prius, and hybrid versions of Camry, Highlander and Lexus RX.

But buyers of these vehicles tend to be more mature. The average Toyota buyer is 46 to 48 years old. Further, Camry — the best selling car in America — has an average buyer age of 57 and that’s an automotive problem in the making. At Toyota it’s enough to raise hackles on your arms and neck with flashes of Plymouth and Oldsmobile in your head.

The solution at Toyota is to get hipper and think young. Young as in Gen Y, those born since 1980. Buy 2010 they will be 63 million strong and account for 25 percent of the new car market. Enter Scion, an entirely new brand from Toyota that debuted for 2004 with a single mandate of bringing younger buyers into the family. So far it’s worked, with the average Scion buyer 35 years old.

Like rolling brownouts, Scion was introduced first in California and over the course of the next year or so became available nationally. Initially offered in two versions, the diminutive xA that we drove this week and the boxy xB. A sporty tC was introduced for 2005 and has been far and away the best selling Scion, tripling sales of the xA and a third more than xB.

Unlike the xB and tC, the xA doesn’t break any new styling ground nor does it prompt heads to turn. If you’re familiar with the now defunct Toyota Echo you’ll know something about the xA, which uses the same platform and 103 horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, not to mention the center-dash mounted speedometer.

The xA weighs a scant 2340 lbs, lighter than a Mini Cooper and among the smallest production vehicle sold in the United States. Its size delivers a ride and handling experience that is unremarkable, choppy and at times even harsh. The engine sounds buzzy and at highway speeds the cabin is noisy. It’s amazing how much difference there is in the tC we tested several months ago and were impressed with its driving dynamics.

The tradeoff however is terrific fuel economy, with our test xA returning almost 35 mpg in mixed city-highway driving during the week making it an excellent choice for urban driving.

Outside the xA is much cuter than the Echo. From the rear the xA reminded me of the Mini down to the one-piece lift gate, while the front has a snout-nosed look that begins at the windshield and finishes with a big-lipped front fascia. Wheel arches are pronounced but in a good way. Overall Toyota played it safe with a style that seems too conservative for a brand with a sole mission to conquer the youth.

Inside our xA is less ho-hum and actually has some cool features like the blue lighting that glows from the foot wells thanks to LED light kit and the orange glow from behind a smoked plastic storage door at the bottom of the center stack.

Metallic like accents adorn the interior, there’s dimpled rubber on the door panels and dashboard that add decoration. Climate control knobs on the center stack are large and simple to use. Conversely the standard Pioneer AM/FM/CD audio system uses tiny buttons and knobs and was difficult to tune and adjust.

The two-tone seats were part of the $1035 limited edition Release Series 2.0 limited to 1550 units that included special Spectra Blue Mica exterior paint, sports grille, rear spoiler, fog lights, carpeted floor mats with the Release logo and individually numbered badging plaque on the console. Rear seat legroom is cramped and anyone over 6-foot needs to ride up front.

The xA comes in just one four-door model with a rear lift gate. Standard equipment is surprising length for a vehicle at this price, $13,270 (including delivery): power windows/locks/steering/outside mirrors, air conditioning, remote keyless entry, tilt steering, tachometer and trip odometer, Pioneer stereo that reads MP3 files and is satellite radio-ready, rear wiper and defogger and cargo area cover. Factory options are limited to an automatic transmission $800 and front side and front & rear side curtain airbags $650.

While the xA is wallet-friendly, nearly 50 dealer available accessories that dress up the xA making it cool or add functionality can add thousands to the price moving it well out of the economy-car class. At that price range you could get a Mazda3 or Honda Civic, both a better choice for the money.

Standard safety equipment includes 4-wheel ABS with electronic brake force distribution, dual front airbags, side impact door beams and even a first aid kit. The xA earned a second best four star crash test rating from NHTSA for front, side and roll over tests. The Insurance Institute has not tested it for Highway Safety.

Overall, the xA adequately delivers what it promises and introduces the Toyota brand to what hopefully will become lifetime customers. No one part of the Scion experience is outstanding or best in class, but it starts with an excellent price point, gets excellent mileage and is much easier on the eyes than the Echo. We think most drivers will be well pleased with the xA. For the money, this is a very decent car.