By Jason Lu

11.11.2008

Members of Generation-Y, or the Millennials, are often described as tech-savvy, self-conscious, up-to-date consumers. I do not see anything wrong with the image and I actually take it as another way of saying that we are forward-moving, fast-paced, and diverse. I am part of this Generation-Y demographic. Our possessions say it all. The phones, PSPs, Wiis, and portable music players are part of our everyday lives, and unsurprisingly, Toyota wants to be part of it too. The Scion brand is aimed at imitating these youthful techno-gadgets. Their cars strive to be unique and come ready with little charms like iPod jacks and six-speaker stereo systems. Scions are cute, fuel-efficient, simple to operate and quite funky. In fact, they are marketed as “Portable Boom Boxes.” Some driver’s education programs have taken note of Scion’s perceived appeal to the young population and now use fleets of Scions. But when I was at Swerve Drivers Ed, I hated the xB every second of the twelve hours that I had to endure in it.

The technological gadgets and computer games that the younger population spends money on have life spans of little more than two or three years. Unfortunately, the money that goes along with it is also short-lived. So when it comes to a large purchase such as a car, it needs to last. A driving machine that is going to accompany me for the next five to ten years will need to be extra-appealing and extra-timeless than are the usual throw-away appliances. I need to be able to look at the car long-term and love it with all my heart. So when I first faced the bloated chin of Scion’s flagship vehicle, the 2008 Scion xB, at Swerve Drivers Education, I cringed. The xB caught my eye, but not really in a good way. It seems as if its shape will grab attention for the first few days, then fade away like the techno-gadgets that it emulates. As much as I tried to convince myself that you can somehow improve the car’s appearance with aftermarket add-ons, I still couldn’t get over the blandness and the weirdness. I suddenly felt uncomfortable with Toyota saying that young people like me would be attracted to this car. It’s almost like the company saying that we youngsters don’t have expectations for timeless styling and proper design. I will admit that I tend to be a bit more opinionated and judgmental than most teens, and I don’t speak for the entire young population, but I expected much more from Scion. Continue Reading →