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The styling of the Scion xB is polarizing. Most think it's the hottest machine on the planet or the ugliest thing on four wheels. It drew numerous accolades, looks of approval, and positive hand signals from people in Miami and South Florida.

The Scion xB looks like nothing else on the road. Sheets of flat metal and glass on the sides join at right angles with a flat roof, a flat hood and a flat liftgate. Only the barest hint of a curve softens the front end and windshield. A Honda Element looks curvaceous when parked alongside this exercise in extreme angularity.

The wheels and tires look tiny under the boxy exterior. Aftermarket alloys that fill the wheel wells would likely improve its looks.

Tall doors open wide. Top-hinged outside door handles fit smoothly into the xB's slab-sided styling, but they're less ergonomic and less friendly to fingernails than open, full-round handles like those found on the xB's more traditionally styled sibling, the Scion xA. A bonus in a smallish vehicle like this one is that six-footers can walk beneath the open liftgate without fear of gouging an eye or cracking a skull.

Our Scion xB came in Black Cherry with an Exterior Package that included a rear spoiler, a big but subtly colored Logo Brown graphic on the side, and appliques on the fuel filler and B-pillar designed to look like carbon-fiber.

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The design of the seats indicates the Scion xB is not intended to be a sports car. The seats are more like chairs than car seats, raised somewhat above the mostly flat floor. Side bolsters on the seatback and seatbottom cushions are minimal making for easy entry and exit. The floor-mounted shift lever falls readily to hand, as does the hand-operated emergency brake. Pedals are ergonomically placed.

Gauges are centered on the top of the dash instead of being directly in front of the driver. Scion says this makes the instruments easier to see because they're closer to the driver's line of sight through the windshield and focal plane. No doubt this also saves cost in a car built for markets around the world that use both right-hand and left-hand steering. We found the blank landscape between the spokes of the steering wheel takes some acclimation. At night, we kept wondering, "Where are the dash lights?" Once acclimated, the driver finds a large, black-on-white speedometer, a small tachometer and a small fuel gauge.

The broad expanses of glass make outward visibility stellar, good for heavy traffic and tight parking spaces. Big outside mirrors afford a good view rearward.

Interior quality is better than decent, especially given the xB's price point. Fit and finish are up to Toyota standards. The stereo is mounted above the air conditioning controls because they're operated more often. Temperature and ventilation settings are adjusted with basic knobs, buttons and lever. But the stereo plays to people used to directional buttons and PDA cursor pads.

The xB's exterior styling suggests a roomy interior and it delivers on this promise. Compared with the Honda Civic and VW Golf, the Scion xB leads in virtually every passenger compartment measurement, and generally not by small amounts. Remarkably, the xB offers more passenger room than the larger and taller Honda Element. Scion xB delivers about 6 inches more front and rear headroom and 3-5 inches more legroom than Civic and Golf offer. Amazingly, the xB boasts nearly 3 inches more front-seat headroom and 7 inches more rear-seat headroom than the Element, despite the Element being 6 inches taller. The Honda Element does offer a lot more front-seat hip room, however, and slightly more rear-seat legroom.

For hauling booty away from the local flea market and garage sales, the Scion xB offers a smidgen more space than the Honda Civic and the VW Golf. The Element easily tops the xB, however, offering 74.6 cubic feet of cargo space versus the xB's 43.4 cubic feet.

Ordering the available subwoofer takes up 2 square feet of floor space in the cargo area. Worse, it's mounted right smack in the middle rear of the cargo area and is really in the way when loading or unloading materials. Also, the subwoofer on our car rattled over bumps.

Cubby space is normal for the class. There are the usual map pockets in the doors, cupholders front and rear and so on. There's a nook in the lower half of the dash to the left of the steering column, a cranny to the right of the column and a shelf-like opening above the glove box.