Ride quality? Toyota Echo vs. Toyota Scion Xa

Consumer Reports said that the Toyota Echo had good ride quality but
that the Scion Xa, based on the same chassis, rode rough. I test drove
both on the freeway and found this to be true.

I don't need an absolutely smooth ride, but the Scion seemed like it
would be awful on a long trip. Is Toyota going to change the ride
quality, or can I improve it with different struts & shocks (if so,
which?)?

The reason I don't want the Echo is because it's not available as a
hatchback in the U.S.

I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only and get
about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....

Sherm

"Dbu,''" > wrote in message
...
> In article .com>,
> "larry moe 'n curly" > wrote:
>
>> Consumer Reports said that the Toyota Echo had good ride quality but
>> that the Scion Xa, based on the same chassis, rode rough. I test drove
>> both on the freeway and found this to be true.
>>
>> I don't need an absolutely smooth ride, but the Scion seemed like it
>> would be awful on a long trip. Is Toyota going to change the ride
>> quality, or can I improve it with different struts & shocks (if so,
>> which?)?
>>
>> The reason I don't want the Echo is because it's not available as a
>> hatchback in the U.S.
>
> While at my Toyota dealer yesterday getting the Sienna oil changed I had
> a chance to take a peak at the Scion, the model that looks like a box.
> Anyway it looks very roomy inside and with the back seats folded down
> you can get a lot of stuff back there. The gas milage was up at around
> 30 mpg in city and 38 on trips. I had the same question in mind
> regarding the ride quality. I don't like a ride that gives me every
> crack in the road feedback. I can see where you have a short wheelbase
> and get a chop, but feeling every crack is something that could be
> smoothed out using isolation between the frameworks and the body.
> --
>

"larry moe 'n curly" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Consumer Reports said that the Toyota Echo had good ride quality but
> that the Scion Xa, based on the same chassis, rode rough. I test drove
> both on the freeway and found this to be true.

I didn't notice any difference at all, but you didn't say whether you had an
automatic or manual (My hubby doesn't drive stick, so we always get
automatic)
>
> I don't need an absolutely smooth ride, but the Scion seemed like it
> would be awful on a long trip. Is Toyota going to change the ride
> quality, or can I improve it with different struts & shocks (if so,
> which?)?
>
Probably will change it, but again, I didn't notice any difference. BTW, I'm
gonna go buy our Scion today! :-) It'll be primarily my husband's car, and
he likes how it rides. But then for the last 10 years or so, he's driven the
Corolla FX 16 (Which also has a decent ride, despite being 18 years old)

> The reason I don't want the Echo is because it's not available as a
> hatchback in the U.S.
>
I thought the new ones had a hatch? At any rate, I don't like the new
Echoes - they look just like several other cars on the road. I bought my
Echo because it looked *different* The early Echoes had **** paint jobs, so
I'm getting mine painted soon.

Natalie, who loves her pregnant roller skate

"Sherman Kaplan" > wrote in message
...
>I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only and get
>about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....
>
> Sherm
>
What's an MB?

Natalie

"Eric Dreher" ét> wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 10 May 2005 10:30:57 -0400, "Wickeddoll®"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Sherman Kaplan" > wrote in message
...
>>>I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only and
>>>get
>>>about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....
>>>
>>> Sherm
>>>
>>What's an MB?
>
> An auto manufacturer which garnered far more respect before their
> disastrous, quality-degrading, merger with Chrysler.
>

Oh my - what do you suppose they were smoking?

Natalie

"Wickeddoll®" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Sherman Kaplan" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only and
>>get about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....
>>
>> Sherm
>>
> What's an MB?
>
> Natalie
MB = Mercedes Benz

--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

"Wickeddoll®" > wrote in
:

>
> "Eric Dreher" ét> wrote in message
> ...
>> On Tue, 10 May 2005 10:30:57 -0400, "Wickeddoll®"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Sherman Kaplan" > wrote in message
...
>>>>I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only
>>>>and get
>>>>about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....
>>>>
>>>> Sherm
>>>>
>>>What's an MB?
>>
>> An auto manufacturer which garnered far more respect before their
>> disastrous, quality-degrading, merger with Chrysler.
>>
>
> Oh my - what do you suppose they were smoking?
>



Whatever it was, I don't want any. It obviously wasn't very good.


--
TeGGeR®

"Eric Dreher" ét> wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 10 May 2005 10:44:56 -0400, "Wickeddoll®"
> > wrote:
>
> >>>What's an MB?
> >>
> >> An auto manufacturer which garnered far more respect before their
> >> disastrous, quality-degrading, merger with Chrysler.
> >>
> >
> >Oh my - what do you suppose they were smoking?
>
> That merger was always a mystery to me. Why Daimler would lower
> itself to be associated with Chrysler boggles the mind. Pearls
> before the swine.
>
> Chrysler is the winner here as their post-merger quality has
> increased, while MB has gone down.


Recent revelations show that it wasn't likely a merger at all. It was an
acquisition.
They (Mercedes) are taking some heat about lack of honesty now, but not know
whether
they actually broke any laws.

MB, IMHO, tends to be overengineered and can be expensive to maintain.

"Ray O" > wrote in message
ervers.com...
>
> "Wickeddoll®" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Sherman Kaplan" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only and
>>>get about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....
>>>
>>> Sherm
>>>
>> What's an MB?
>>
>> Natalie
> MB = Mercedes Benz
>
> --
> Ray O

Got it - thanks anyway, though

Natalie

"Wickeddoll®" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Ray O" > wrote in message
> ervers.com...
>>
>> "Wickeddoll®" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> "Sherman Kaplan" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>I have the scion x/a and love it. I bought it for city driving, only and
>>>>get about 33 mph. It is not a touring car. For that, I drive my MB....
>>>>
>>>> Sherm
>>>>
>>> What's an MB?
>>>
>>> Natalie
>> MB = Mercedes Benz
>>
>> --
>> Ray O
>
> Got it - thanks anyway, though
>
> Natalie
Enjoy the new xA!
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply