Test Drive – TRD Accessorized Scion xD
By Stephen Oyoung, Photography by Joey Leh
Here at The Octane Report, we have a thing for power. Tire shredding, burnout inducing, push you back in your seat power. The kind of power that turns a car from simple transport to over-the-top track star. And it’s not just us and our gas vapor-addled brains. There’s a reason why so many people want bolt-on turbochargers, superchargers and engine swap kits.
And yet, there’s something to be said about the formula of low horsepower and low weight. Cars like the Lotus Elise/Exige, Honda S2000 (actually, any Honda for that matter – Ed.) and Mazda Miata are perfect examples of cars that are a complete blast to drive and yet don’t break the lowly 250hp mark.
The Scion xD isn’t quite in the same realm as the aforementioned lightweight roadsters but it does come packing a low curb weight of 2,600lbs. Unfortunately, with only 128hp and 125lb/ft of torque from its 1.8-liter engine, it needs either less weight or more horsepower to be useful at a dragstrip.
It’s also the complete opposite of a Ferrari F430 in the looks department on account of its combination of tiny stature and conservative, upright design.
But Scion didn’t design the $15k xD as a high-performance sports car. It was created to be a customizable, fuel-efficient daily commuter. And this it does quite well. The xD seats five, has rear fold-down seats and is capable of holding as many tires or boxes as a small SUV. It just happens that it’s only 154.7-inches long and 60-inches tall.
With 27mpg city and 33mpg highway ratings, the Scion xD also excels at sipping 87-octane fuel while driving around. This is the positive trade-off you get with the low power output. With little horsepower and a soft suspension, a standard xD is about as rental car as you can get. But if you’re looking to really have some fun with your xD and spice up your drive, Scion offers a line-up of TRD designed aftermarket parts.
TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development, the department within Toyota’s corporate web that has all the real fun. From Tundra superchargers to tC limited-slip differentials, the TRD team creates a host of aftermarket parts that can be purchased at the dealership, with the capability to be lumped in with your factory warranty or loan.
For our tester xD, TRD added a suspension kit, 18-inch wheel and tire package, exhaust and rear spoiler. The rear spoiler is a nice subtle piece that accents the rear hatch a bit, although it offers little functional benefit. The exhaust system as well has a nice deep tone to it, although we had no conceptions at all that it gave the xD any extra horsepower. If this was our xD, we would save the cash instead of buying these two pieces.
The biggest difference when driving the TRD accessorized Scion xD came from the rolling stock and suspension system. The larger 18-inch TRD wheels and sticky Toyo tires are heavier than stock, hurting acceleration a bit. But the wider rubber and grippier compound help a lot during cornering. We think that a set of light 15-inch wheels with these tires would be the best setup for the xD but TRD also had looks in mind as a consideration.
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