Pros
Some may argue that with a naturally aspirated 1.5L engine and sub-100whp numbers in stock form, a first generation Scion xB has no business gracing Import Tuner's Power Pages. Admittedly, the Box does blur the definition of a 2NR car just a little, but with its strong fuel economy and impressive torque output (considering its displacement), the toaster continues to be a choice daily driver among tuners everywhere. And with the amount of bolt-on mods available that claim to increase its power output and fuel economy even more, we thought we'd prove what it's capable of. Besides, don't pretend its numbers don't mirror those of your first Civic back in the day...
Cons
The U.S. variant of the bB, the xB, was debuted here with the '04 model, which employed a number of mechanisms to help its OBD II system meet strict emissions mandates-most of which create major headaches among aftermarket parts designers attempting to juggle power production and street legality.
Notes
Our baseline determined the 1.5l 1nZ-Fe to be good for 98.00 hp at the wheels, or 90 percent of Scion's claimed 108hp flywheel numbers. while we were impressed with the small 10 percent drivetrain loss, even more impressive was 98.97 lb-ft torque output that's normally uncharacteristic of a N/A engine this small-a testament to the advantages of variable valve and ignition timing its VVti feature allows.