The xB is a great ride and a lot of bang for the buck. It's no rocket but, has a good balance of performance and economy, comes nicely equipped and is relatively comfortable...plus it has the Toyota name behind it. It's not available in AWD, but does fairly well in snow with the traction control. It should serve you well if you can pry the sixteen year old's fingers away from the steering wheel. Otherwise you may have to buy a beater for the rest of the family.
We didn't take any road trips last year when gas was $4+ a gallon, but have been to Ohio, Maine and North Carolina in the last three months. The xB served us well, but with up to four adults and luggage it was a full load. If the whole family is going to AZ you'll probably need to get an aftermarket (i.e., Perrycraft) roof rack and carrier box for all of your stuff, and the 10 year-old will probably grumble about sitting in the middle.
We didn't take any road trips last year when gas was $4+ a gallon, but have been to Ohio, Maine and North Carolina in the last three months. The xB served us well, but with up to four adults and luggage it was a full load. If the whole family is going to AZ you'll probably need to get an aftermarket (i.e., Perrycraft) roof rack and carrier box for all of your stuff, and the 10 year-old will probably grumble about sitting in the middle.
