Here's a new line of three subcompacts from Toyota which goes coast-to-coast for 2005 to showcase custom-cool wheels pitched to that 20-something market called Generation Y. Scion xA is a teensy-weensy four-door with big glass up front and the tail squared for a hatchback door, while the xB looks like a box on wheels as contemporary homage to a panel van but in slammed stance. The tC is a stylish two-door coupe with a glass lid and add-on gear allowing buyers to fashion a customized car.

Despite tiny proportions for a boxy four-door with hatchback-style back door, the xA looks progressive, even daring. It stands tall like a cubistic bubble on wheels that seems to tip forward due to the high tail and low nose united by the arching roofline.

Inside, the cabin floor dips low so you can step aboard easily, and the ceiling bows high to fit tall chair-like seats. Power comes from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that reaches 108 hp through a manual five-speed shifter or optional four-speed automatic. Toyota offers multiple components to customize the exterior package - fog lamps, a tail spoiler, a roof rack and sports parts from Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

More fun comes on the inside with a six-speaker audio system by Pioneer with digital sound processing and a CD deck capable of playing MP3 files. Custom goods include a six-disc CD changer with audio display illumination that changes among ten colors, subwoofer by Bazooka Mobile Audio, LED light kit by Luxaura and sport pedals by OBX Racing Sports. Also, the xA Release Series 1.0 special edition, painted in bright Absolutely Red, packs a sports grille, moonroof and vehicle stability control (VSC) with traction control (TRAC).

Built on a platform used for the bB wagon sold strictly in Japan, this low-slung and boxy panel van resembles a cool California surfer's custom-crafted wagon. Like the xA, the xB draws from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine borrowed from Toyota's Echo.

It puts up 108 hp through a manual five-speed or optional automatic four-speed and earns notable fuel economy numbers above 30 mpg. Affordable price points for well-equipped models is the big idea behind the Scion badge, and the xB fits that descriptive with standard equipment like air conditioning; power for windows, door locks and mirrors; anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and VSC; plus an audio kit with CD deck that plays MP3 files. The xB wagon also offers custom gear on the option sheet, as well as side-impact air bags. There's a special edition - the xB Release Series -- coated in vibrant orange paint.

This slick car resembles a slinky coupe although there's a gate on the tail so it brings the versatility of a hatchback. It has a monochromatic face as flanks go flat but fenders emphasize wheel arches with sculptured rims. And that roof -- it's virtually all glass in the form of a panorama-style power moonroof.

The cabin feels airy and spacious, despite dimensions of a subcompact. Driver and a companion sit on contoured buckets separated by a metal-tone console swooping down from the center of the dashboard. Rear seats recline and adjust to ten different positions for comfort or fold down to increase storage space in the back cargo bay. Power for the tC flows from a lively 2.4-liter four-in-line engine with dual cams. The plant produces 160 hp and links to a manual five-speed or electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission.

For enthusiasts, the tC offers a TRD supercharger kit to boost the juice to 200 hp. Other TRD add-on gear ranges from stiffer/shorter springs to a struts/shocks kit, performance clutch and special wide-lip Racing Hart wheels at 19 inches with high-performance Pirelli P Zero tires.