Urban areas are filling up with microcars that are easy to maneuver in an out of city traffic along with being great for fuel consumption even in the cities. The Scion iQ is no exception to this growing trend as it offers the ability for owners to enjoy the easy driving of a small car and a great deal of great Scion features and equipment that make it an attractive choice for those looking for a small car to easily drive around. With enough space to take a friend along or to carry the shopping bags from the store the iQ is a great choice for daily driving and puttering around town.
The iQ has gained a great reputation for owners to take advantage of, low maintenance costs. For those who have to live on a fairly tight budget and don’t have much for vehicle maintenance this can be a huge relief when it’s time for scheduled maintenance. As one of the smallest cars on the road the iQ fits in a class with the smart fortwo and shows off decent fuel mileage for owners to enjoy. Because it’s so limited, the iQ does not allow much to be carried inside making it a choice for only a small crowd of owners. For 2015, the iQ does not offer an significant changes from previous model years.
Driving the iQ can be fun and give the feeling of zipping in and out of traffic with ease and capability. The suspension is able to handle most road defects without much problem and the steering is dynamic enough to get the job done, especially when darting in and out of traffic. As a car that will not be passing much on the freeway, it’s more than capable in town making it one of the most fun cars to drive even in the market it lives.
As expected from a car that is built to perform with agility and not speed the iQ is powered by only one engine. This engine is a 1.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine that offers a meager 94 horsepower and 89 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is actually plenty to power this little car as the overall weight of the vehicle comes in at 2,127 pounds. This little engine is attached to a continuously variable automatic transmission and comes in only front-wheel drive. The fuel efficiency of the iQ shows up at 36 city/37 hwy mpg giving owners plenty to celebrate from this little car.
Even though the iQ offers seating for four, it makes the most sense to only put two in the car and use the rear for some cargo hauling, such as groceries. When the need does arise for four to occupy the iQ, the rear leg room is only truly adequate on the passenger side as a result of the staggered seating arrangement. As for the front seats, they are comfortable and offer plenty of space, making the driver and passenger feel like the car is actually much larger than it really is. The control panel is easy to use and intuitive with only a few readouts from this simply made car that does offer a great deal of enjoyment in the city driving. For a bit of extra storage there is a hidden storage compartment under the passenger seat allowing for a bit more to fill this need.
On the outside the iQ can be described as cute, cartoon-like and bubble shaped. This car slopes sharply from the almost non-existent hood to give a design that move from the front grill to the roof in one sweeping angle. The can be a favorite of a crowd looking for a fun and funky car and offers the availability of some great colors to really show off the personality of the owner. The headlights are large and angular giving an interesting face to the front of the vehicle that is only added to by the slotted grill which makes the expression complete. The doors basically take up the entire sides of the car, giving easy access and large windows to the car in order to allow excellent vision on the road for any driver.
Standard features for the Scion iQ include 16-inch steel wheels, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power accessories, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, a 6.1-inch touch screen Display Audio system with Bluetooth wireless connectivity and HD Radio, eleven airbags, stability control, traction control, emergency braking assistance and free scheduled maintenance for two years or 25,000 miles. The iQ does not offer cruise control as it is expected to be a car that spends more than a majority of its life in and urban environment where cruise control would have no place. With this list of equipment aboard, the iQ is a great choice for those who don’t leave the city for business or personal time.
The iQ does not come in very many trim levels. The base model and the limited Monogram edition are the only two real trim levels. The optional features offered on the iQ include a rear spoiler, fog lights, alloy wheels and Toyota Racing Development upgrades which include lowering springs and a sway-bar set. Other upgrades include a navigation system that can be added to the already present 6.1-inch display audio system. The iQ can be upgraded to be a car that looks like a lot of fun and performs exceptionally well in the city environment.
For a car of this size and with the budget-conscious in mind the starting price of the Scion iQ comes in at a very affordable $16,435. In the microcar class the iQ has won the Kelley Blue Book Five Year Cost to Own Award for having this easy to live with price and a maintenance cost for scheduled maintenance that is lower than almost every other vehicle on the market. For those who don’t make it out of the city much, or need a second car for just that purpose, the Scion iQ makes a great choice with an enjoyable list of features, great fuel efficiency and a price that grabs the attention of anyone who doesn’t want to spend too much on a vehicle just to drive around a city.
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