I bought a new car!

My family has always driven used station wagons; my dad would get them at police auctions.




Well, today I bought my first new car! I sort of kept with the station-wagon theme and bought a Scion xB!





The salesman, David, was very helpful.







Scions are made by Toyota. My friend Nate drove me to the dealership and stuck with me for the two hours it took to do the paperwork, including the financing. In hindsight, it was a straightforward process. This is especially true for the Scion, which has a "no-haggle, no-hassle" pricing policy, many standard features, only one trim level, and the ability to add most options after the car has already arrived at the dealership. A guy online said he could've bought his Scion from a vending machine. :-)

The xB's deceptively tiny. It's shorter and thinner than any car that looks like it (e.g., a minivan or SUV). It's even 2" shorter than a Honda Fit!

The xB is classified as a "small wagon." For its size, it's incredible how much head room and leg room there is, both in front and back. There's also a lot of cargo space. A person can easily fit in the trunk area (as tested by my friend Gretchen). Also, the rear seats can fold down *and* the front seats can fold all the way back: I could transport a surfboard or a bass inside!

The more I look at the xB, the cuter I think it is. :-)

Some stats on the xB: 30/34 mpg, built to emissions standards for all 50 states, 4-wheel ABS and electronic stability control standard. MSRP: $14,570.