2012 Scion iQ: Mensa member, or a dumb decision?

There are a great many desirable things that $16,760 can buy.  A Triumph Daytona 675 and a race-season's worth of supplies, for example. Or, if you're not fascinated by going fast, a classic Rolls Royce, perhaps. Hell, if you're a fan of small cars, you can even buy yourself a nicely restored classic Volkswagen or Mini and have enough change left over to drive it down the length of the Pacific Coast Highway and back. Yes indeed, there are a great many things $16,760 can buy you. Whether or not a Scion iQ is amongst those things, well... 

See, my problem with the iQ is this: it, like many of its Scion brethren, is actually old. Having first been shown in 2008 before going on sale in Japan and Europe in 2009, the iQ enters its fourth year of production and its first year of North American consumption with nary an update to be found. To put that in perspective, the North American auto industry has almost gone bankrupt, hit the reset button, and completely rebuilt itself in its entirety since the iQ first rolled into showrooms.

Oh sure, the spritely little Scion looks pretty nifty, with its cubic proportions and tiny overall length (just over six and half feet separate the front wheels from the rears!). And with its surprising width and cartoony details such as the molded-in bumperettes and flared  fenders, it earned a couple thumbs ups from some kids that didn't look to be too far advanced from their Dora the Explorer days. But most glances cast its way were of the singularly raised eyebrow variety, at least as far as onlooking adults were concerned. And when three people clambered out, those eyebrows reached hairline altitudes.

Because as small as it might look, and as small as it actually is, the iQ is actually a pretty solid three-seater. I say three-seater due to the cleverly designed interior that features a deeply sculpted passenger-side dashboard in order to facilitate a forward passenger seat position, which in turn frees up some much much-needed rear-seat legroom behind the passenger's seat. Of course, as with all coupes, ingress and egress from the rear bench may prove a little tricky, but once you're back there it's entirely passable. And although I suppose someone could technically (and legally) be seated behind the driver as well, it's not something I'd recommend unless both your passenger or driver are less than five feet tall. 

And beyond being surprisingly spacious, the iQ is really kind of interesting inside. With a weird sort of spaceship-inspired centre console championed by a distinctly aftermarket-looking Pioneer stereo, and comfortable seats spaced a reasonable distance from one another (kudos to the designers for not emulating the smart fortwo in that regard), it's not a bad place to pass the time while on the move. Sadly, the small interior and forward placement of the dash does away with a lot of storage space, and I found myself really wishing for just one of two proper nooks. After all, it has a USB port right there in the dashboard, but the only place you can really put an iPod or cell phone down is a semi-dished storage spot below that shoots anything you put into it straight onto the floor the moment you turn the wheel. 

Which is something most iQ drivers will probably be doing a lot of. Redefining what it means to have a short wheelbase, and with an absurd amount of steering angle provided by the front end, you can turn an iQ around in just under 13 feet. Handy for pulling u-turns pretty much anywhere as well as parking in ridiculously tight spaces, the iQ is a breeze to maneuver through even the most congested city streets. With a not-too-quick steering ratio still providing great responsiveness due to the wheelbase, the iQ manages to feel nimble and light in the city without completely sacrificing all stability on the highway. Don't get me wrong, you wouldn't want to spend hours on the highway in the thing, but for reasonable jaunts up to roughly 110 kph, it'll prove perfectly capable. And once it's safely back within the confines of the urban setting it's indigenous to, the iQ proves quite capable thanks to its precise steering and  good outward visibility. Sure, I'd feel a bit better with a manual gearbox instead of the somewhat unpredictable and unresponsive CVT, but for what it is, its performance is probably best defined as "peppy" overall. 

Which brings us to the gigantic, $16,760 fly in the ointment. Because it's not like the iQ is a terrible automobile, on the contrary, it's more than capable of fulfilling its role... but with a base MSRP of $16,760, it really should be taking on a bit bigger role than it does. At that price, buying an iQ is like paying a quarterback's salary to a guy that's never made it out of special teams lineup. The reality is, if you've got room for an iQ and a penchant for carrying passengers, something like a Fiesta or Mazda2 will provide a buyer with four real seats, better real-world fuel economy, dramatically improved practicality, and superior on-road manners for less coin. And if it's the tiny size that attracts you, the Mercedes-built smart fortwo offers a more luxurious purchase experience and slightly more character, as well as improved fuel economy, at the expense of what is really just one rear seat. Likewise, and perhaps most pointedly, Fiat's similarly pint-sized and four-seating 500 represents a greater number of available luxuries, a more upscale interior, and a whopping $3,000 back in your wallet. And let's not even mention what Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Suzuki, and even Toyota can build for you at that price point. Will some folks simply fall in love with the iQ's very particular set of characterstics? Yeah, of course, and for those people it'll probably provide years of much appreciated service. But for everyone else, the almost $17,000 Scion iQ might be the least intelligent choice out there.