2004 Scion xA
sale price don't delay call today
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Toyota's new Scion xA is a car that attracts attention, not only from
the Gen X crowd it was designed to appeal to, but from older fogies such
as myself who are interested in any new metal connected to four wheels.
The xA is one of two Scion models that hit the US this year. The xA is
more conservatively styled, as well. It is a front-wheel drive, five-door
hatchback with styling cues that resemble the Mini from the rear, bit
with its own front profile. It definitely is its own car, though. The side
profile is cute, the 3/4 view is cute. All about the xA is cute.
While the xA is small, there is excellent front seat leg-, head- and
shoulder room. With the rear seat pushed all the way back, though, rear
seat legroom is tight. I might have been able to drive with the seat more
forward, but it seemed more comfortable with the seat all the way back.
Certainly, if we were carrying passengers in the back, I would have moved
it forward.
Adding to the uniqueness is a center-mounted instrument panel. It's
placed right up there at the base of the windshield where you can get
information quickly (once you remember it's there). The instruments were a
speedometer, tachometer and fuel level gauge. I liked the design of the
speedometer, with black numbers on a white background, but the tach didn't
match. In front of the driver is a huge slanted panel. You could probably
tack post-its there for some serious multi-tasking, or even put a photo of
your favorite wife or pet.
In the center of the dash, in their normal locations, are the sound
system and HVAC controls. Both worked well, although the vents in the dash
were different and required a learning curve to get them to point where
you wanted or even to shut them off.
Continuing with the dash, there are cubby holes under the large glove
box and at the base of the dash. There's a lighted, covered cubby in the
center of the dash as well. The light goes on when you enter the car,
giving some light to find your way around the xA at night.
The 1.5-liter DOHC four that's under the hood was noisy, especially on
acceleration. It's rated at 108 horsepower, which is fine for the
2,380-pound xA. Power reached the front
wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox
sometime shad to search for the right gear and was often in a lower gear
than I would have chosen with a manual gearbox.
This is the same engine as the Toyota Echo, and the Scion xA is built
on the same 93.3-inch wheelbase as the Echo. The xA is shorter, though.
Cargo capacity is listed at 11.7 cubic feet with the rear seat up and
32.8 cubic feet with it down. However, there's a "Bazooka Tube Subwoofer"
bolted to the cargo area floor that was nine inches in diameter and 18
inches long. It took up half the cargo area with the seats up and made
lowering the left seat worthless. I know the Gen Xers Toyota is trying to
attract to the Scion will love the deep resonant bass sounds this
subwoofer delivers, but they might discover one day that they want to
carry cargo and regret the $774 they spent on this thing. As someone who
is definitely not part of the demographic, I thought it was a detriment.
There's a shade over the cargo area, but it's really not necessary.
Handling was very good on a variety of roads. The front suspension is
fairly conventional with MacPherson struts and coil springs, while the
rear uses torsion bars. The brakes (discs front, drums rear) were good,
but this is a light car, so stopping isn't all that hard.
Our tester had a bottom line of $15,783, which makes it a good value.
The base price for the automatic was $13,280, with $120 added for carpeted
floor mats, $665 for alloy wheels, $459 for a security system and $774 for
the Bazooka sound package. Delivery, processing and handling added another
$485.
My first impression of the Scion xA was favorable. The car had goo
dbuild quality, but it is a Toyota after all. I question the value of that
huge Bazooka in the rear, but then again, I'm not part of the demographic.
For my music, the standard sound system did a good job.
By JOHN HEILIG |
 Scion
xA |
2004 |
Blue |
$12,988 |
18,079 M |
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| Scion xA:
xA 4dr Sedan Base |
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Miniature Scion xA:
Engines
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108-hp, 1.5-liter I-4 |
Standard |
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Toyota Scion xA:
Transmissions
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5-speed manual w/OD |
Standard |
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4-speed automatic w/OD |
Optional |
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Scion xA body kit:
Available Body Colors
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Silver Streak Mica |
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Polar White |
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Phantom Gray Pearl |
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Indigo Ink Pearl |
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Black Sand Pearl |
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Black Cherry Pearl |
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2006 Scion xA: Available
Interior Colors
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Dark Charcoal |
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Scion xA review:
Powertrain
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Low emission vehicle |
Standard |
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Single stainless steel exhaust |
Standard |
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Chrome tailpipe |
Standard |
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2005 Scion xA: 5-spd
manual w/OD
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Overdrive |
Standard |
Scion xA part: 4-spd
automatic w/OD
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Overdrive |
Optional |
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Transmission electronic control
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Optional |
2006 review Scion xA:
Powertrain
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Axle ratio |
4.31 |
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Axle ratio : 4.15 |
Optional |
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Front-wheel drive |
Standard |
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Scion xA accessory:
Suspension/Handling
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Independent front strut suspension
w/anti-roll bar |
Standard |
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Front coil springs |
Standard |
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Gas-pressurized front shocks |
Standard |
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Semi-independent rear torsion beam
suspension w/anti-roll bar |
Standard |
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Rear coil springs |
Standard |
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Hydraulic power-assist rack-pinion
steering |
Standard |
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Full wheel wheel covers |
Standard |
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P185/60SR15.0 BSW AS tires |
Standard |
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Steel spare wheel |
Standard |
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15" wheels |
Standard |
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Scion x: Body Exterior
Features
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4 doors |
Standard |
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Liftgate rear cargo door |
Standard |
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Power remote folding side-view door
mirrors |
Standard |
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Body-colored door handles |
Standard |
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Body-colored front and rear bumpers
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Standard |
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Fully galvanized steel body material
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Standard |
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Rocker panel extensions |
Standard |
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Body-colored grille |
Standard |
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Chrome tip exhaust |
Standard |
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cap hub Scion xA:
Convenience Features
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Manual air conditioning |
Standard |
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Mechanical fuel remote release |
Standard |
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Power windows with driver 1-touch down
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Standard |
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Power rearmost windows |
Standard |
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Steering wheel with manual tilting
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Standard |
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Day-night rearview mirror |
Standard |
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Driver-side visor mirror |
Standard |
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Front and rear cupholders |
Standard |
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Partial floor console with box |
Standard |
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Glove box |
Standard |
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Driver and passenger door bins |
Standard |
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Covered bin instrument-panel storage
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Standard |
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Driver's footrest |
Standard |
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1 12V DC power outlet |
Standard |
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Ashtray |
Standard |
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Front lighter element(s) location |
Standard |
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Scion xA performance
part: Seats and Trim
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Max. seating capacity of 5 |
Standard |
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Front sports seats |
Standard |
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4-way driver and passenger seat
adjustments |
Standard |
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Manual reclining driver and passenger
seats |
Standard |
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Manual driver and passenger fore/aft
adjustment |
Standard |
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Rear 60-40 bench seat |
Standard |
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Rear seat fold-forward seatback |
Standard |
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Cloth front and rear seat upholstery
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Standard |
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Cloth door panel trim |
Standard |
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Full cloth headliner |
Standard |
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Carpet floor covering |
Standard |
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Metal-look instrument panel insert,
door panel insert, console insert |
Standard |
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Plastic/rubber shift knob |
Standard |
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Carpet cargo space |
Standard |
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Roll-up cargo cover |
Standard |
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Cargo light |
Standard |
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Concealed cargo storage |
Standard |
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Scion xA turbo:
Entertainment Features
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AM/FM stereo with seek-scan, single
in-dash CD player |
Standard |
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MP3 player |
Standard |
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Digital signal processor |
Standard |
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6 speakers |
Standard |
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Integrated roof antenna |
Standard |
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Scion xA performance:
Lighting, Visibility and Instrumentation Features
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Aero-composite halogen headlamps |
Standard |
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Rear window wiper |
Standard |
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Rear window defroster |
Standard |
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Light-tinted windows |
Standard |
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Variable instrument panel lighting
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Standard |
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Analog display |
Standard |
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Tachometer |
Standard |
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Trip odometer |
Standard |
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In-dash clock |
Standard |
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Oil-pressure warning |
Standard |
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Water-temp. warning |
Standard |
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Battery warning |
Standard |
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Low-oil-level warning |
Standard |
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Low-coolant warning |
Standard |
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Lights-on warning |
Standard |
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Key-in-ignition warning |
Standard |
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Low-fuel warning |
Standard |
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Low-washer-fluid warning |
Standard |
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Door-ajar warning |
Standard |
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Scion xA turbo kit:
Safety and Security
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Four-wheel ABS brakes |
Standard |
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3 ABS channels |
Standard |
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Front disc/rear drum brakes |
Standard |
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Front ventilated disc brakes |
Standard |
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Compact spare tire |
Standard |
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Spare tire mounted inside under cargo
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Standard |
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Driver and passenger front-impact
airbags |
Standard |
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Seat-mounted driver and passenger
side-impact airbags |
Optional |
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Curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead
airbag |
Optional |
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Height adjustable front seatbelts |
Standard |
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Front seatbelt pre-tensioners |
Standard |
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3 point rear center seatbelt |
Standard |
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Side-impact bars |
Standard |
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Tailgate/rear door lock included with
power doors |
Standard |
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Rear child safety locks |
Standard |
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Manual adjustable front head
restraints |
Standard |
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3 rear head restraints |
Standard |
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First aid kit |
Standard |
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Scion speedster xA:
Standard Specs and Dimensions
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Engine type |
I-4 |
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Engine displacement |
91 cu.in. |
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Engine horsepower |
108-hp @ 6,000 rpm |
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Engine torque |
105 lbs.-ft. @ 4,200 rpm |
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Valvetrain |
DOHC |
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Valves |
16 |
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Engine bore x stroke |
3.0" x 3.3" |
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Compression ratio |
10.50 to 1 |
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Fuel tank capacity |
12 gal. |
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Fuel economy city |
31 mpg |
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Fuel economy highway |
37 mpg |
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Curb weight |
2,340 lbs. |
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Exterior length |
154.1" |
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Exterior body width |
66.7" |
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Exterior height |
60.2" |
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Wheelbase |
93.3" |
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Front tread |
57.3" |
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Rear tread |
56.3" |
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Turning radius |
17.4' |
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Ground clearance (min.) |
5.7" |
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Front legroom |
41.3" |
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Rear legroom |
37.6" |
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Front headroom |
39.6" |
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Rear headroom |
38.8" |
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Front hiproom |
54.6" |
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Rear hiproom |
53.4" |
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Front shoulder room |
50.9" |
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Rear shoulder room |
50.4" |
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Passenger volume |
86.0 cu.ft. |
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Interior cargo volume |
11.7 cu.ft. |
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Interior cargo volume seats folded
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32.8 cu.ft. |
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Maximum interior cargo volume |
32.8 cu.ft. |
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