In the beginning, there was the Scion xB. For the American design palette in 2004, this boxy "toaster" was an extreme and contrarian shape, but it unexpectedly became the darling of the West Coast youth market. The car has since won nationwide popularity and is now in its second generation.
Fast-forward several model years later; enter two more cube-shaped contenders, the 2009 Nissan Cube and the 2010 Kia Soul. Each model, squarely targeted at "Millenials," –- the more than 80 million consumers born sometime between 1980 and 1995 -- is priced between $14,000 and $20,000 (depending on options).
In a recently reported boxy car comparison test, Motor Trend magazine found three college students to square-off against their professional road test staff to evaluate the three cars and name their personal favorite.
Like all Motor Trend comparison tests, the article deserves a long, languishing read, but (spoiler alert) in the end, the young crew of college students was quite taken with the new...
Kia Soul, while the older, professionally experienced test editors chose the Scion xB as King of the Cubes.
What made the outcome of this small focus group so interesting is that we hear many automotive marketers who target young people say that most kids today don't really care what's under the hood as much as how good the radio sounds. The Motor Trend editors concur. "With the students, it came down to styling and the radio," said Edward Loh, Motor Trend's senior editor and author of the comparison article.
But what of the super-cute Nissan Cube? Well, let's just say it didn't click with the tech-savvy students. "It was unanimous that our student test drivers could not have been less interested in the Cube from the start," said Loh. "One student said, 'It's just too Japanese for me,'" Loh said.
When the MT experts get involved and test the three cars for objective things like performance, handling, ergonomics, value and interior refinement, the 2009 Scion xB wins first place. Their conclusions:
1ST PLACE: SCION XB
The benchmark maintains its position based on solid execution, performance and value. The formula needs fine-tuning, however, as competitors loom large in the mirror.
2ND PLACE: KIA SOUL SPORT
Solid A for effort. Stunning design makes it the unanimous undergraduate pick. More powertrain refinement and a couple of tweaks will easily put this at the head of the class.
3RD PLACE: NISSAN CUBE 1.8S
Awkward proportions and asymmetric styling prove big barriers that mask the Cube's many strengths-including a lively drive, impressive interior room and attractive details.
This experiment continues the age-old debate that what the targeted mass market wants isn't necessarily the product with the highest quality and refinement. Sometimes newer, cooler and hotter audio does the trick. Kudos to Kia for reaching out and touching a few young souls with the new Soul
Joni Gray
LATimes.com
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