2009 Scion xD Quality Review

Keeping in mind the 2009 Scion xD is a subcompact, cargo space is nothing to write home about, but rear seat room is better than expected. Fit and finish is typical Toyota, which is to say that assembly quality is top-notch and materials are respectable.

The front seats, finds MyRide.com, are "mediocre," and while seat firmness "seems just about right, lack of thigh support and [a] low seating position made it less than ideal." In fact, they continue, "lower back pain set in after an hour on the road." Automobile Magazine also gives the xD's interior a demerit for "limited headroom." Perhaps as a concession for the lack of headroom also found in the back of the xD, the rear seats "slide six inches and recline up to 10 degrees," observes Automobile Magazine. Still, ConsumerGuide is not impressed: "The seat is high set, but entry and exit suffer from fairly narrow door openings. Limited legroom means even smaller passengers will be cramped." Edmunds reports "84.5 cubic feet of passenger volume," and the rear seat is split 60/40. Car and Driver, in a subcompact comparison where the Scion xD placed eighth out of nine, reports that the xD suffers from an "Asian-shop-girl driving position" (whatever that means) and "the driving position is too buslike, the seat cushion feels like a dome."

Edmunds notes "there's slightly more cargo room in the Honda Fit, but the 2009 Scion xD offers enough for most people...Some hidden cubbyhole storage beneath the load floor in back is also available." Kelley Blue Book notes there's actually "slightly less interior and cargo room" in the new xD versus the xA it replaces. However, Car and Driver claims, "With the rear seats folded, the xD's 36 cubic feet of storage bests the xA's by four." Kelley Blue Book appreciates its "storage for odds and ends up front, including an upper and lower glovebox on the passenger's side." MyRide.com details the little things: "The front doors have a storage bin with bottle holder. Things get a bit more spartan in the back: only one cupholder at the back of the center console."

The 2009 Scion xD's fit and finish are generally well-regarded. "The sport steering wheel had a nice heft. The tilt function moves the wheel and the instrument cluster, keeping the view of the gauges unobstructed," asserts MyRide.com. "Its doors close with a reassuring thunk," says Car and Driver, "and bumps don't rattle through the cabin." They add that the interior plastics are "more upscale" than its competitors'. Edmunds remarks, "There isn't a surface on the xD's interior that lacks the feel of nicely textured quality." Automobile Magazine, though, finds fault with the xD's refinement: "all of the xD's square edges don't help with wind noise, which at speed competes with road noise that's translated through relatively wide 195/60HR-16 tires." ConsumerGuide reports similar complaints, claiming "the engine buzzes under acceleration, and there's lots of tire noise on all except smooth asphalt." MyRide.com sums it up nicely: "Small economy cars aren't going to compete with big luxury sedans on noise, and the xD is no exception."