“Hey, this thing looks vaguely familiar, Scotty G. Are you sure this isn’t a Scion xB?!” Yes, sir/ma’am, I’m sure. Although good eye! This is a Japanese market 2000 Toyota bB with AWD (I know!) and the seller, The Import Guys, has it posted here on craigslist in Ferndale, Washington. They’re asking $12,900, here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
This two-boxer (as in, a two-box design, not as in only checking two boxes) Toyota bB is, what, a car? A van? An SUV? All of the above? I’m not sure what’s going on with the grille, some sort of aftermarket insert, like the chrome fender flare trim and chrome mirror caps. If those can all come off without ruining the paint, they would be off in the first hour. Toyota offered the bB in two generations from early 2000 until mid-2016, and this Black Cherry example looks like new, aside from the Pep Boys chrome accents. “Yellow Hat” may be the Japanese market equivalent of the big-box auto parts chain store.
Remember Scion? We got the Scion xB here in the U.S. from 2003 for the 2004 model year until the end of 2015. The first-gen models, similar to this cool, boxy little number, would be made for the 2004 through 2006 model years. Sadly, Toyota made the second-generation models much better, but they lost the cool, edgy look of the first-gen xB model. This Toyota bB is very similar, other than having right-hand drive, but it was never sold in North America. If they had 4WD/AWD on the Scion xB here, I would 100% have gotten one.
Isn’t that a fun little shape? I wanted what Scion called the xB RS (release) 1: a Hot Lava Orange model with a rear spoiler and other go-fast goodies. Without AWD, however, it probably wouldn’t have been a good vehicle for the upper-Midwest with five months of snow and ice. Also, as weird as this sounds, it wasn’t orange enough for me. In person, it’s more of a burnt orange, and that isn’t orange in my world. It looked more like a leisure suit burnt orange color than a cool vehicle orange color, as I had hoped it would.
The hard part about this bB is that it’s a right-hand drive vehicle. I know, once you get used to them, etc… Plus, this one has an automatic transmission rather than a manual. That automatic probably makes it a bit easier to drive, but not as much fun. These were built on Toyota’s “New Basic Car” (NBC) platform, which could be had with either front-wheel drive or AWD. The ability to have AWD (although it’s badged as 4WD) in a small, versatile, reliable, fuel-efficient vehicle like this would be handy.
The interior looks basically like new, which it should on a vehicle with just 17,274 miles (27,801 km). The seats are flat, but that’s what they make $50 foam driving seat pads for. I have one and would never be without it for the amount of seat time I spend behind the wheel. Sadly, we don’t get to see the small rear cargo area; the seller doesn’t pop the hatchback for us. There are also no underside photos, and I’d want to see those on a Japanese market vehicle.
But they do show an engine photo! Nice. This is Toyota’s 1NZ-FE VVT-i (that’s a yapper full), which is their transverse-mounted 1.5-liter DOHC inline-four with variable valve timing (VVT) and around 100 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque when new. The unique AWD system uses what Toyota called a V-Flex II system, giving torque-on-command with a viscous coupling, and it’s as seamless as you’d expect. Backed by a four-speed automatic, power is sent to all four wheels as needed in this unique little package. Have any of you heard of a Toyota bB?
I really liked the xB. It was a cute and practical design, and felt like a normal passenger car with a fair amount of extra load space. Useful and friendly. Knew about the Toyota badging for other markets, but only ever saw/drove Scions. Always wanted to hop one up a bit, for which the AWD would have been a benefit….
Sadly, almost all the xBs I’ve seen were treated like disposable cars, and I haven’t found one in decent shape. I’d be tempted if I did.
However, I was more attracted to the Nissan Cube, which in JDM form — I spent a few weeks with one, before the U.S. version arrived — had a stronger Weirdness Factor. It was in RHD form, and easily adapted to. I expect the bB would be no more difficult.
As a side note: anyone remember “WiLL”? That was Toyota’s pre-Scion entry in the small-and-strange category. I remember the company debuting it at an auto show, but pulling the plug very soon thereafter.