From time to time, the white Xboxes in my neighborhood like to get together and socialize a little. They mainly talk about wheels, even though they’re round. Since they’re a pretty square bunch, there’s no drinking. But they do exchange presents, in plain little white boxes. And sometimes, they even invite other compact and cubical cars to join them.
Cubeside Outtake: A Curious Congregation Of Compact Cubical Cars
– Posted on September 11, 2013
I have never seen so many XBs in one place. All one-owner or does the owner just happen to have friends that aren’t too original?
I think the red-wheeled one is Paul’s.
Had no clue what the context was. Hope I didn’t offend anyone.
You are banned for life!!
Just kidding.:) I don’t get offended that easily. And when you drive one of these, it helps to have thick skin. Folks either hate them or love them, more often the former. That’s fine with me. I bought it for its utility,mostly.
Well, I can say I dont really love them, as Toyota lost me as a customer in the middish ’80s, but, I can see the utility appeal, kind of like having a bite-size version of a Sprinter van….
I just saw one of these yesterday (I’m in Chicago this week), and I’m shocked at how square they look in the metal. It was white of course, with wheel trims.
Exotic pets or invasive species?
Yes
These are everywhere up here, both generations of ’em. I have a photo of black one, in a line of other cars parked head to tail on the street.
I also got a photo of the blue 2nd gen model as well that very same day.
Yeah, Gen2 is more common.
The styling is more attractive, although it seems to lose functionality as it gains bulk.
To me it doesn’t matter. If I need a small-van-size vehicle in the future and cannot get a pre-2008 ChryCo minivan…I’ll try for a Transit Connect. Why mess around? Get the real thing.
Why am I envisioning three white guys wearing short sleeve white dress shirts with black pants and skinny black ties? Wait – the guy with the red wheel car (who we all know to be a bit of a non-conformist) will be wearing a red bow tie and maybe suspenders.
I love shots like this. As I think about it, how would we really know what they are talking about among themselves – they are probably talking in their native language. If I had to guess, I think that there may be a lively discussion going on about anime.
Amazing to see all the white ones. In the Richmond area, black predominates.
Now, mine is a little different. Instead of the Scion badging, it’s got JDM bB badges everywhere but the steering wheel and wheel hubs. Was this an option on the cars back in ’05? I haven’t seen another marked like this.
That sounds strictly after-market, which was a somewhat common thing to do. I’m assuming you bought it used?
Oh look…they had a baby!
It’s hip to be square
I call foul. This picture is clearly lacking in soul which is bad enough. The cardinal sin is that there is no cube.
If the shoe Fits . . . π
Every car shaped like a white box… the ultimate expression of vanilla!
“…They’re all made out of ticky-tacky,
And they all look just the same…”
+1
I was wondering how much the drivers of these three matching, unusual vehicles have in common. You might assume that they are all practical, non-conformist, and maybe over 50 so perhaps quite a lot. On the other hand the people I see driving the Xb1 are more diverse than you might expect. Probably true of most cars although I’m sure there are some vehicles that draw a very narrow, stereotypcial group of owners.
Anyway, love the Xb1, esp that middle one with the rims, black-out tail lights and spoiler (although the red rims are very cool too). Awesome cars and greatly missed.
My wife’s favorite xB is one running around Gallup with the personalized plate that says “MY XBOX”. π
I saw one last weekend hear in CT with a plate that said XBOX1
The Toyota BB or Daihatsu Materia, i had a look at one roomy little suckers but no diesel they are everywhere here though not in these sort of concentrations.
Id like to have one of these but they simply dont exist here for som reason toyota dosnt seem to bring them east of quebec. I do see the odd one in more populated areas and of course their are two first gens that serve as taxis and are quite beat up. One of them even features a narrowed flex bumper cover. Probably out of nesisity as they dont exist here.
The Xb1 is very common in the San Francisco Bay Area, esp in SF itself. I think it probably has to do with the large and early presence of the Scion brand on the West Coast, the utility of the car as a city vehicle (although the turning radius could be better), and also the need in SF to have your car fit into very narrow garages that are almost custom made for the Xb’s squareness.
A Metro droptop with racing stripes? WTF?
Love that generation of xB but hated its replacement. It’s like Toyota did focus groups with owners of the original and asked them “what would you like changed?” I’m sure more than a few said I wish it was bigger or less noisy.
To put those changes in the 2nd gen was stupid because the people who bought the 1st were not going to want another no matter what it was like. The 2nd gen lost the charm that made the original such a hit to begin with.
As I’ve said before doing something with the FRS platform (a shooting brake or 4-door hatch) is what they should try next. I could also see Scion becoming a “boutique” brand where there is no rhyme or reason they just pick quirky cars from the global line-up that might work here.
Sure worked well for the original RAV and RX300. Those were brought here but not originally intended for the N.A. market.