For those already in the know, the Build My Scion project has been rolling along quite nicely. I’m now in the final stages of putting the car together and getting a final price. So far, my 2009 stingray metallic Scion xB comes with automatic transmission, exhaust tip, rear spoiler, remote starter, cargo cover, and sport steering wheel. I’ve also “tricked out” the Scion with the XM Satellite Radio system and have added 16-inch alloy wheels and a sports muffler.
After clicking the “Get It” button, I’m on to the most frightening screen yet: the pricing screen.
The Scion screen tells me that I’ve created my “dream car” and that I’m only one step away from getting it. Pretty sweet, isn’t it? There are options for applying for credit, customizing financing, and reading about somebody named Drew and his story of buying a Scion. For some reason, I’m drawn to Drew and need to find out what his story is. I click the button.
It turns out that I end up in a new flash window that is actually quite hard to navigate. Drew is apparently the guy behind the screen, some guy with glasses that looks kinda like me. His “story” is about his trip to the dealership and understanding the process of leasing or buying a Scion. I thumb through the “book” they provide on the screen, but there’s really nothing of interest here and the page is slightly confusing.
I head back to the “Get It” page and give it another look. The financing section seems geared for me, so I click it and organize some monthly payments of the Scion xB I’ve been working on for the past few days. The first thing it asks me is about my credit rating. Using the FICO system, it asks me to rate my own credit. Of course I select “Excellent.” It loads data from the server and takes so long that I start wondering if the feds are going to be kicking down my door for lying about my credit score.
Finally a new screen arrives and I’m treated to my car’s price: $20,619. A lease payment with no down payment would be $292 a month and a finance payment would be $394 a month. Not bad for a car that is considered to be one of the best small cars on the market.
I close the page, proud of having used the “Build Your Scion” process to its finale and excited about the potential results of actually, you know, getting one for real this time.
