Monday 28 August 2017
A Tale Of Two Scions Scion iA vs Scion iM
I called Scions "acronyms of hell" because even I l "have trouble keeping up with all of them.
iQ, iA, iM, tC, xB, xD. Did I miss one? The xA and ... wait! I forgot the FR-S, but thats only because I rarely see those going through the auction block. Everything else, except the two new models and iA iM, seems to be a perennial pilgrimage big sky unwanted cars for an unfortunate reason.
Scion, historically, can only hit em where customers are not.
in the past two weeks, I managed to hang two new Scion cars. In true fashion TTAC debate, I came to at least three conclusions.
- The new iA is a fantastic car. All fans who plan to spend less than $ 20,000 should go out and test the change stick version of it.
- The new iM is the modern day equivalent of a Toyota Corolla hatchback. It is a mildly entertaining car for the guy or girl next door.
- Scion still needs real names for their cars.
For now, let me introduce you to a Scion that deserves to endure.
The look
Before criticizing this car based on images seen on a cell phone, I want you to do me a small favor : replace the Scion emblem in your mind with that of Mazda, because in the body and in the mind of iA is not bound-for-North-America Mazda2
It .. Its better. If you look at a Mazda lens, iA manages to be contemporary and sporty - if a little bit conservative. This is not a bad thing in todays world where most compacts seem to embrace the insectoid school design.
The only real element that seems out of place on the iA is the lower portion of the front fascia, which is more a matter of personal bias. I am still a victim of classic sporty designs of the early 0s, as the first generation Miata and 300ZX not festooned with a multitude of clips today, dips and divots. Long story short, I generally do not like the modern automotive design, but millions of other people do.
So instead of going down the list of words stubborn mind about outside the iA, I decided to offer a more marketable alternative; an objective measure of taste is, well, a little better for my bottom line as a car dealer.
I call it the "$ 999 down test."
Like all car dealerships, I am an enterprising son of a bitch. since I can not sell cars with strippers and prostitutes as they did in the old movie Used cars, I decided to do the next best thing: I parked a new car that not for me next to a 08 Audi A4 that always seems to attract those who do not have the green for $ 1,000 cash.
(Yes, I really want to sell the damn Audi!)
iA managed to crowdsource six interested customers during the weekend. Pretty damn good. obviously, I could not sell it, but I did give each a free box of pop and a walk around the block here in northwest Georgia. I have also provided a copy of the window sticker that showed an MSRP of $ 16.500 without haggling. Every time I skipped the issue of money before handing it over, everybody took the iA worth several thousand dollars more than the MSRP, and most estimates were in the range $ 20,000-25,000. Even I thought it was a $ 20,000 car when Im sitting in it.
Unfortunately, it rained the following weekend, when I had iM. With this model, what you see is really what you get: a body prior generation Prius-like that coupled with a bird of prey. Strange as it may seem, many people like this combination. Bulbous became the new sports through increased demand for crossovers. However, with this curious coupling design also has much more utility and family use the iA. To put it in terms of pure market segments, the iM trying really hard to do direct battle with low-spec versions of the Honda HR-V.
A surprising element of this decision is apparent push Toyota to keep the body iM down to earth. The iM seems sport to those who are not shopping for an outright sports car, but it takes a common shortcut adding almost Pontiac ground effects levels to achieve a more racy pedigree . I know this is an unpopular idea for TTAC readers, but in the real market where perception trumps functionality of the real world, this tip design allows more space inside by adding a few nervousness in the bulbous design of the Scion.
When you own a dealership, you constantly think about who will be attracted to this type of car. As for who will buy this pact, I can see the i M with a strong emphasis to young couples and single parents aim to have one or two children in the coming years. The shape of the iM family supports this function very well. Maybe these consumers want a hatchback which is good between the sports Mazda3 and the middle-of-road Honda HR-V more. Back in 2014, Toyota Matrix could easily have evolved in such softer Scion. The iM strikes that target poor not too athletic and not too bland if thats what you your neighbor is looking for in their next turn.
The Sit & Drive
If ever there was a case of bipolar disorder in a mark, it would be these two Scions .
The interior of the iM is a coupling of a design edge of the Corolla of the table with space and the length of the EU single Toyota Auris. The car feels great and very, very casual inside. Adjust the seat and wheel management? Has no importance. I always felt that we could call "casual compliance" when I was driving around town. You are there, but still a couple of feet back to where he is.
The four-cylinder engine of 1.8 liters that comes directly from the Corolla does not offer a lot of verve to all and the CVT is software managed with economy in mind. It does lack of power to the point where most consumers scratching their list, but iM seems to be stuck in this time warp Y2K acceleration where 3,000 vehicles books were mated with powertrains that offered just enough do the work - and not much else.
What I enjoy with iM was the feeling of open space for the driver. Thank you to Toyotas decision to enlarge the inside and use a coating kit underneath to melt out in a sportier shell, the iM offers a level of space that rivals most size sedans average and makes the front seats of the interior a pleasant place for all those involuntary hours in traffic.
Pioneer audio system features a 7-inch touch screen display, six speakers that sound quality that rivals the best in this segment, and the right combination of buttons and knobs that are a Toyota strength kind.
There are no overload CUE, SYNC or idiosyncrasies maze of endless buttons requiring operator attention. The front seats offer rump space enough to make even a person of 300 pounds comfortable. And the rear seats fold flat allow you to carry a moderately healthy amount (20.8 cubic feet) of anything. However, the space of rear seat is not quite good for the greatest among us with a lower roofline.
The Scion iM is much good for the pilot rock light who wants a sporty hatchback offers 30+ miles per gallon with Toyota reliability for $ 20,000. It is a classic family car trapped inside the body of a young hatch
The iA can be summarized in three words :. Tense, tight, great. Take a seat and its almost like youre back in the mid 190s in all the right ways. The A-pillar is not intrusive. The design of the dashboard encourages sitting more upright position avoiding inflated proportions out of the modern era, and its six-speed shifter can be easily grasped by closing your eyes and drop your right hand.
This type of driving position is what has contributed to everything from expensive BMW E30 Nissan Sentra sE-R such a joy to drive in the not so distant past. Late 80s Celicas, eldest of the Bush era, civics 0s Neon; Whenever I took the iA for a drive that I could not stop thinking about how much fun you used to be able to have a compact sedan with light equipped with a smooth manual transmission. IA manages to embody that old soul in a modern packaging
The iA is only 2,400 pounds -. 0 pounds lighter than the iM - yet it also records a rare Top Safety Pick + rating by offering everything from a low -speed of the crash protection system that operates at lower speeds (12 mph or less) to a high-strength steel frame with a stamp "good" to the approval of the insurance Institute for Highway safety.
If I harping on safety ratings much earlier than usual on this vehicle, it is for good reason. Too many of us with families scrape automatically compacts like the Scion iA and there really is no intelligent reason to do these days. Other than carrying a little less than iM, iA is this a better world. You can have fun with this car and get over 40 miles per gallon if you decide to have a light foot. A family of four can easily adapt and you get a lot of storage space thanks to a relatively large trunk, which, again, goes back to the way used cars to be .
on the road, the iA offers a balanced ride that may be a better fit for those crossing the smooth roads of the south and west the rugged terrain potholed Far North. The 106 horsepower engine, 1.5 liters may growl when it needs but is surprisingly quiet when it does not.
I had small personal nits, such as tire noise, a wonky looking at the tip of the dashboard on top of the instrument cluster that resembled a deformed laptop, and touch screen 7 inch oversized on top of the dashboard. But these problems can be mostly overcome with a different set of tires, a clear plastic screen cover that would allow you to suck a smartphone where the deadspace of the screen and, finally, not to be such an asshole picky when it comes to t he little things.
The Bottom Line
Do I recommend the Scion iM? No.
In countries with loans of seven years where the cheap gas easily allows for an extra $ 50 per month for cars that cost a few thousand more, Id be much more likely to recommend a Mazda3, Honda HR-V or top Ford focus hatchback range with a stick shift. This Scion iM should just be called a Corolla because essentially what it is. If Toyota Corolla just gifted the name and called it the "Scion Corolla GT-S , ​​while adding a bit more power and suspension adjustment, the market and Toyota would be much better.
on the other side, the iA worth every penny of its $ 16.500 asking price. Yes, you can opt for more expensiv e vehicles that try to discount in the price level of iA - such as the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Kia Forte. But as a driver for all three of these cars, I can not see how they outperform the Scion iA when it comes to fun factor. They would not come close.
The Scion already comes with the best foundations of this combined class with one price trim Scion to provide as many standard features as possible at a low price. That, and the elusive fun factor were major ingredients that made the original Scion tC and xB successful from the get-go. There is no reason why Scion can not succeed squarely aimed at those purest roots. Fun and cheap is always the killer combo
