Product Segment: Small Wagon

Starting Price: $15,650

Why it’s a good choice in a recession: Cheap to buy and to operate, distinctive styling

Marketers say that under stress, consumers default to safe choices such as Toyota, with its reputation for quality. The xB from Scion, Toyota’s youthful sub-brand, shows safe isn’t always boring. Scion is the youngest brand in the industry, with a median-buyer age of 40, according to the Power Information Network. The xB’s biggest single age group is 25 to 30. After that, xB buyers are distributed almost evenly through age 50, according to PIN data. That probably includes some who buy the xB for someone else to drive, said Tom Libby, senior director, industry analysis for PIN.

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