A great car for Hawaii realtors facing high gas prices
Today's newspaper says we can expect gas to hit $4 per gallon this summer. The current price is already $3.45 per gallon and people are talking about how they can cut back on their driving. Things could be worse - Maui's gas price is $3.95 per gallon for regular today. Big Island and Kauai gas prices are somewhere in between Oahu's and Maui's.
All that doesn't bother me much. Last year I bought a used Scion XB. This baby gets 30 miles per gallon, about half of the driving is in town and the other half on the highways. Oahu residents know that highway driving may involve bumper-to-bumper traffic just like the surface streets, the mileage would probably be 35 per gallon if it were all highway miles.
My Scion is a 2006 model. I bought it used for $13,500 in January 2007. I paid full asking price from an individual owner, the Scion had just 6,500 miles.
Do customers like it?
Yes! Many people have seen the Scion but never ridden in one. They frequently comment about the the handiness of this vehicle. It has four doors, a spacious interior and the exterior dimensions are small, making it easy to park in small places. And Scions are a hit with the young people. When I bought it, all of a sudden 20-somethings were talking to me about my cool vehicle and can they ride in it?
Another thing I noticed is that people coming from colder climates are sometimes not familiar with the Scion brand. They're used to driving four wheel drive heavy duty trucks and have not seen these lightweight two wheel drive...err - is this a SUV? Or is it a car? I just call it my Scion.
The 2008 Scion XB is different
For 2008, Scion came out with an updated XB. The roofline is lower, the outside and inside dimensions are a bit larger and the engine is larger. I think the engine enlargement was a mistake. Although my XB doesn't have tons of power, it's got enough. Now Scion is appealing to hot rodders and reducing its gas mileage.
Potential downsides to owning a Scion XB
Well, it's not a Jaguar, Mercedes or BMW. That hasn't been a problem, I've looked at homes with everyday people and millionaires, nobody complains about it. Everybody thinks it's a cool looking and handy vehicle.
If I could change anything, I would put some higher quality parts in the interior. Plastic on the dashboard area scratches easily. Also, part of the reason for the excellent gas mileage is because it has a 5-speed. Scion also builds XB's with automatic transmissions. I've been told they're underpowered. Driving around looking for homes with a 5-speed can be complicated at times.
Hawaii gas prices
Some might wonder why the prices vary so much for other islands. Most products imported to Hawaii arrive by ship. The ships come to Oahu and unload, then some of the products are shipped to the Big Island, Maui and Kauai. Extra shipping costs come into the equation when the products go back on the boat to the outer islands.
Take a ride in a Scion XB
If you're looking to buy a home on Oahu, give me a call and we'll go for a ride! Okay if you want to sell your house we can still go for a ride. We'll look for comparable homes in your area. Aloha and happy motoring!
Mike Bates is a Hawaii realtor living in Honolulu.
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