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That would be Yodar . . .scion said:
-> Also note the other posts in those threads. Sometimes people agree with him, sometimes no one does.
My other main car is a 90 Mazda MX-5 Miata, I understand the whole legs out seating position.
The seating position in a gen 2 xB is more like a truck than a sports car. That was my biggest concern when getting it. Yet, it doesn't bother me in the least, oddly.
The handling isn't as crisp as a stock Mini, much less one with the "sports suspension."Yet, it isn't bad at all.
When I shopping, my "criteria" required "fun to drive," rather than ultimate performance. I kept the Miata (as it is way too much fun, worth more to me than anyone else, and has a well-set-up suspension), so it remained my "hard driving car."
Why mention the Miata? Well, the Miata and Mini both handle exceptionally well (almost like a FWD and RWD version of the same car). In fact, the next car I was going to look at was a Mini Clubman (would have gotten black and yellow-> "Yellowjacket").
The xB blew me away, esp. compared to the other "cross-overs," sedans, and "sport wagons" (PT and HHR) that I had looked at.
Remember, the xB doesn't even have a rear sway bar in stock form and the springs are more for "comfort" than superior handling. The TRD springs and rear sway or the Hotchkiss springs and sways (or some of the other brands) significantly improve the handling at a relatively low cost.
The difference between the Mini and xB just didn't seem worth the $4,000 to $5,000 price difference. For that, one can take an xB, add the TRD blower and a great suspension set up to get a similar handling vehicle that has a much larger interior.
