semi-off topic, but related to music sort of

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Does anybody here drive a Scion xB? To me it looks like a good vehicle for hauling gear to gigs. It's cheaper and more fun to drive than a commercial van, but it has 70 cubic feet of storage with the rear seats folded down!

If anybody here has one, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. Would you buy it again?

Consumer reports gave it a "MUCH BETTER THAN AVERAGE" rating for dependability. Gas mileage is not so hot... but then, pretty much anything that's capable of hauling gear is probably not going to be a gas miser.

(yes, it's that time of year when men in the South start lookin' at "veekles")

Ya gotta warrsh the mud offin' 'um and git the critters runnin' 'fore the grass grows up in the spring and hides 'um

Mostly big green veekles to tote victuals in to the back 40. Correct, by cracky? They spell it "Deere". Zat plural or singular, Pat? Must be plural cuz mah grandpa gots three, teacher!

Victuals??

Ohhhh, you mean VITTLES! Why dincha just say so?

I hope this thread isn't sounding like product endorsement spam... but this little car looks perfect for the workin' musician. Another thing I like is that the boxy shape provides a great surface for a vehicle wrap (those whole car graphics used by lots of businesses these days)

I'm thinking that if I pursue music as a fun business after retirement and drive around a mobile billboard, it will probably speed up the process of establishing a regular clientele.

examples of scions with a vehicle wrap:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...scion+car+wraps

Forget the fact that the car and the graphics will probably cost more than I'll make playing music for the first 15 years of retirement...

Just go for it. Pat, it looks cool!

Make sure you get the full body kit and big alloys though. Street cred on wheels!

ROG.

Bumper sticker seen on one of these: "We don't need no steenkin' aerodynamics!"

Quote:

Bumper sticker seen on one of these: "We don't need no steenkin' aerodynamics!"

heh.. I like that quote enough to recycle it.

it's funny but true. The flat vertical surfaces are probably why the gas mileage is not what a small 4 cylinder would normally have. But I'm looking at it as a more economical alternative to a full-blown van, which is equally non-aerodynamic, a lot heavier and running on a larger engine

A full band would need the van. A solo act can get by with something between a van and a car.

I've got a 2002, 4 cylinder Dodge Caravan EC (bought it new in late 2001) that gives me 22 in town, 30 on the road (I drive it sensibly) has over 160K miles on it and has never burned a quart of oil between 5K changes.

It is rated at 19 and 26 but by accelerating slowly so that it shifts gears at a lower speed and anticipating my braking (when the light ahead turns red, I take my foot of the gas), I get much better than rated mileage. I do one-nighters in my duo, so I'm often driving with a full load.

I get an extra 100 miles per tankful by driving conservatively. I would assume that if you drive the Scion the same way, you could up those numbers.

Insights and incites by Notes

Ah, but the poor thing does indeed exhibit certain aerodynamic characteristics.

It has all the aerodynamics of a brick.

--Mac

Quote:

Ah, but the poor thing does indeed exhibit certain aerodynamic characteristics.

It has all the aerodynamics of a brick.

--Mac

Heh. You sure are right about that, Mac!

1) I like to think of it as "AERO-DUMB-NAMICS" or maybe "SQUARE-O-DYNAMICS"

2) the brick probably gets better gas mileage.

3) Maybe I could accept only the gigs that are downhill from where I live....

having said all that, there's still something about this quirky little vehicle that strikes my fancy

I don't like to recommend non-GM vehicles being still loyal to them - but a friend of mine that was one of my largest friends swears by the xB - though it looks small, it swallows him up quite well and is fairly crashworthy - he knows by personal experience.

Another alternative that you might be able to get used for less is the Chevy HHR. They are actually using them for small panel vans now.

Finally, there is the Ford Transit little delivery vans that you probably would have to get at a commercial dealer. The nice thing about these is that they have a considerably larger load opening than either the xB or HHR. http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transitconnect-commercial/2014/

I looked at the Transit very hard. I like it a lot... but it's overkill for what I need to haul, and the price is almost double what a base xB sells for.

I wasn't aware of the HHB until you mentioned it, but it looks like a good choice too.

Thanks for posting!

I use to use my little Nissan pickup complete with cover and almost as important a roll out bed I made from a sheet of plywood and some 2" rollers. Easy to load and unload and cheep on gas. But of late I have been playing some gigs 100 or so miles away so I moved into my larger F-150 with same configuration for loda in and out. Gas miliage went down but I get where I am going much quicker and of course more comfortable.

If you decide on a truck, large or small, and you like I will send you photos and instructions on how to build the slide out bed.

PS: I rolled the little 4 cyl Nissan into my other business and it is still going strong with 256K miles.

Good Luck,

Just saw this:
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/10-cars-that...6.html?page=all

Danny,

those little Nissan trucks go forever..you hit a home run when you bought that one...
(I still see DATSUNS on the road around here! They must have 500,000 miles on them!)

And I *would* like to see photos of the slide-out bed.

(Didn't you also make a clever roll-around setup for your gigging computer? you should post that photo again too)

Quote:

I've got a 2002, 4 cylinder Dodge Caravan EC (bought it new in late 2001) that gives me 22 in town, 30 on the road (I drive it sensibly) has over 160K miles on it and has never burned a quart of oil between 5K changes.

It is rated at 19 and 26 but by accelerating slowly so that it shifts gears at a lower speed and anticipating my braking (when the light ahead turns red, I take my foot of the gas), I get much better than rated mileage. I do one-nighters in my duo, so I'm often driving with a full load.

I get an extra 100 miles per tankful by driving conservatively. I would assume that if you drive the Scion the same way, you could up those numbers.

Insights and incites by Notes

Notes,
thanks for your input. I always like to hear what you're doing because you seem to value the same things I do. Therefore your approach to life and decision-making seems totally logical and well-considered to me.