2008 Scion xB

Associate editor Allyson Harwood is beginning to warm up to our long-term Scion. "When we had the new xB for Car of the Year, I didn't like how much larger the new model was-I thought it had outgrown the charm of the first Scions that came here. But now that I've spent some time in it, the xB has completely won me over. It actually has power (I remember the work it took to get the first xB up to speed on the freeway), so launching from a light or passing on the highway is effortless. Its compact dimensions make it fun to maneuver through traffic, too."

A tough critic, Harwood isn't totally enamored with the xB: "Is it my imagination or is the seat mounted way back in the vehicle? It felt like I was sitting where the back seat normally is."