Which 2012 Scion xB would you buy?

[Elkins45]

Unless they sell before tomorrow I’m going to buy one of these 2012 Scion xB’s.

96k miles, auto, one owner, no accidents $9500

35k miles, manual, moonroof, two minor accidents but looks good, $11,500

41k miles, auto, one owner, no accidents, $13,500

Maintainance records are good on all of them. I really wanted an auto but there’s a $4k and 55k miles difference between the two. The manual is a bit of a compromise. It has two minor accidents and a potential leak hole in the roof, but it looks fine and has the fewest miles of all.

Any thoughts or advice?

 

[cptbarkey]

The manual shifter is up high and awkward to use. I think that vintage xB however is an excellent choice with lots of utility and really good entry/egress.

 

[fantastic]

Those boxes are reliable from what I've seen out in the wild. I'd opt for the $13.5k version.

 

[fantastic]

Another point is if you're not planning on putting on a lot of miles on it then the 9k version could work out. 98k miles but like mentioned their fairly reliable.

 

[supton]

Wasn't this around the time Toyota had some problems with their 5MT's? Input shaft bearing or some such, IIRC it was on the Corolla but I don't remember all impacted models.

$4k savings, still an 11 year old car. Gotta love this market... Not sure which I'd take, TBH, look at all 3, whichever is best, take that. The one with 96k is that much closer to needing struts and other parts--but is priced with that in mind. I'd take whichever one is in best shape I guess. But in terms of cost per mile, I don't see how they aren't equivalent (accidents aside).

 

[slacktide_bitog]

The manual one with the sunroof

Also, that one is probably a Release Series (special edition), as only the RS versions had a sunroof.

 

[earlyre]

Immaterial but, are any of them Blue?
if so, I would personally go for the Blue one...
being a Doctor Who Nerd, I always Wanted a one of those in Blue, with the personalized plate "BLUEBOX"

nevermind.... those are the second gen models... only wanted the much boxier first gens...
...carry on...

 

[RooflessVW]

Manuel

 

[eljefino]

Number two

 

[Elkins45]

The manual one with the sunroof

Also, that one is probably a Release Series (special edition), as only the RS versions had a sunroof.

I don’t think so. The release series for that year was supposedly hot lava but this one is black.

This is it. They’ve dropped the price several hundred dollars since yesterday.

https://www.performancetoyotastore.com/used-vehicles/?_dFR%5Bmake%5D%5B0%5D=Scion&_dFR%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D=Used&_dFR%5Btype%5D%5B1%5D=Certified%2520Used

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I don’t think so. The release series for that year was supposedly hot lava but this one is black.

This is it. They’ve dropped the price several hundred dollars since yesterday.

https://www.performancetoyotastore.com/used-vehicles/?_dFR%5Bmake%5D%5B0%5D=Scion&_dFR%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D=Used&_dFR%5Btype%5D%5B1%5D=Certified%2520Used

ok, looking at the pictures, it's an aftermarket sunroof, but Webasto did provide the OE sunroofs for Scion.

still seems to be the best choice, given the sunroof and manual transmission

 

[Elkins45]

ok, looking at the pictures, it's an aftermarket sunroof, but Webasto did provide the OE sunroofs for Scion.

still seems to be the best choice, given the sunroof and manual transmission

Aftermarket sunroof? That’s a strike against IMO. I’m leery of the factory ones, much less one where someone sawed thru the roof after the fact.

 

[The Critic]

Which one has had the piston rings replaced? That is the one I would buy.

 

[supton]

Aftermarket sunroof? That’s a strike against IMO. I’m leery of the factory ones, much less one where someone sawed thru the roof after the fact.

I'm with you, on that. That said, maybe play that card to your advantage. Maybe you can drive that price down, go home, buy a tube of silicon caulk, and "fix" that sunroof. [Ok, probably best to first see if it actually is done correctly, and verify that it's problematic, before going nuclear on it.]

 

[DuckRyder]

The car fax list it as a release series.

Sign up on toyota owners and decode the VIN.

 

[RooflessVW]

I forgot how goofy the cockpit is on these

 

[michaelluscher]

Allegedly, the only second Gen xB²s that had a factory sunroof was the

• xB RS 5.0 (2008) in Gold Rush Mica
• xB RS 8.0 (2011) in Voodoo Blue

I'm a sucker for a manual, and a sunroof
And I'm viscerally disappointed that my xB² has neither

Whichever one looks/feels/smells/drives the best to you

However, has your knee improved to the point that you want to pump a clutch again?
If it's gonna hurt and make you resent driving it, I'd stick with the automatic

What are the colors on all 3 cars, it makes a big difference to the looks of the box

 

[Elkins45]

The car fax list it as a release series.

Sign up on toyota owners and decode the VIN.

Good tip. It’s aftermarket, and the car isn’t a Release Series. That might explain why they dropped the price $1200 since I looked at it yesterday.

 

[Elkins45]

Allegedly, the only second Gen xB²s that had a factory sunroof was the

• xB RS 5.0 (2008) in Gold Rush Mica
• xB RS 8.0 (2011) in Voodoo Blue

I'm a sucker for a manual, and a sunroof
And I'm viscerally disappointed that my xB² has neither

Whichever one looks/feels/smells/drives the best to you

However, has your knee improved to the point that you want to pump a clutch again?
If it's gonna hurt and make you resent driving it, I'd stick with the automatic

What are the colors on all 3 cars, it makes a big difference to the looks of the box

My knee is only getting worse, but I love a bargain LOL.

The manual is black, both autos are silver. I don’t care about sunroofs at all, and I think the fact it’s aftermarket has taken it off the list regardless of the low miles.

 

[meep]

If you buy the manual with the aftermarket sunroof, be prepared to get the sunroof closed and cut the power wire one day. We had a used car with a sunroof installed so well that it looked factory. The only thing that offered a clue was that the sunroof switch backlight didn’t match the factory dash backlight. Later realized it was aftermarket when I noticed that the wiring was held in place by duct tape in the A-pillars. Now, the reason the A-pillars came off was at some point it stopped working, the dealer said they wouldn’t work on it, and I was investigating. Finally got it to close, and cut power to it.

not a fan of aftermarket sunroofs. the manual could be fun! But if you prefer the auto, I’d have no problem with 96k miles.

does it have a timing belt? If so, that’s $1000 you’re about to spend on it. Consider that.