Weekend Athlete: 2008 Scion xD

Now, I hate trashing a car, especially if it’s one someone out there loves, but if you want to buy a Scion, spend the extra $1,000 and buy the xB. Normally I’m all for saving money, but this would be cash well spent to get room to carry your stuff.

It’s not just the xD’s small size that was the problem. To get a flat load floor (which some people have to have), you have to move the rear seat as far forward as it will go, flop the seatback over, lift the cloth mat that covers the rear cargo floor and flip over two flaps to cover a narrow, useless gap. With other cars, I can walk up with my cooler in one hand and — bam, bam, bam, voila — the seats are folded and I’m ready to party.

Once the seats are flat, you really have to plan where you’re going to put stuff, and even then you probably won’t have quite enough room. Both wheels have to come off to get a bike in all by itself. I’ve driven sedans that do better, so a hatchback loses major points for this.

Rating: 3 out of 10

I’d guess this was designed to be an affordable, fun hatchback, good for carrying things other than bikes. On that level, the car is acceptable. But on the Weekend Athlete scale, it’s just not the right tool for the job. If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s this: Never, ever trust anyone who doesn’t ride a bike.