2009 Scion xB, 2009 Kia Soul, 2009 Nissan Cube

It all started out innocently enough back in 2004, when Toyota brought over its Japanese-market bB and called it the Scion xB. To everyone's surprise (including Toyota), it caught on like wildfire, outselling the more conventional xA by a margin of nearly two-to-one.

Like all truly original, successful ideas, the xB was bound to be imitated. So it comes as no surprise that the recently redesigned Scion must now square off (get it?) against two new stubby competitors, the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul. We had the trio together in the office recently to determine who builds the best box.

We found all three offer more style, comfort, and utility than one would find a typical small car. Don't be fooled though - under their similarly shaped sheet metal, the xB, Soul, and Cube have very different personalities: one is practical, one is value-minded, and the other is just plain cool.