Overview & Reviews

Scion is one of the youngest brands on the market -- which seems appropriate given that it's targeted at a very youthful demographic. Scion has quickly found a home in the hearts of buyers seeking its winning blend of value and style. The frosting on this cake is that Scion is part of the Toyota family, offering all the quality and reliability you'd expect from a marque with its parentage.

When Toyota realized early in the 21st century that it was losing market share in the younger demographic due to a stodgy image, the company took a chance and decided to spin off a new brand called Scion (its name means "descendant" or "heir to"). The first Scions, the xA and xB models, were introduced for the 2004 model year. These edgy little cruisers were first available only in the California market; after a staggered rollout, Scion vehicles became available nationwide.

Both the xA and xB were immediate hits, snapped up by young (or young at heart) buyers looking for high-quality, fun and affordable wheels. The boxy yet funky styling of the Scions provided a lot of passenger and cargo room for the cars' small footprints, making them ideal choices for campus and urban residents alike. They also coddled the youth market with flashy sound systems; Scion's stereos are among the best in the economy-car segment.

The following year, the Scion brood grew to include the tC. This compact but sporty coupe offered more performance relative to its older siblings, thanks largely to a more powerful engine. The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor. By 2012, Scion had introduced the tiny iQ city car and the sporty FR-S sport coupe.

In the interest of keeping things simple for buyers, Scions typically come in only one trim level. However, buyers have the option of customizing their rides with a host of dealership-provided accessories, such as a subwoofer, body kits and custom exhausts. Scion also offers no-haggle pricing wherein buyers pay the list (window sticker) price, thus streamlining the negotiation process.

So far, a simple and well-equipped model lineup, no-haggle pricing and a variety of dealer-added options have combined to make the Scion brand popular with American consumers. The economy car segment isn't typically the first place you'd look for stylish, fun-to-drive vehicles, but Scion has changed all that by offering cars rich with a seductive exuberance that belies their modest pricing.

User Reviews:

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  very bumpy and cheap car. - 2012 Scion XD
  By derek7d - November 23 - 9:54 pm

  It looks really nice inside and out. Ive been driving it for 2 years now. The engine became much noisier, it wasnt ever quiet. Very bumpy. You can feel and hear anything on the road. The fuel economy is also poor. I am getting 25 MPG driving highway and city. Ive noticed additional noise coming from front wheels. I went to dealership. They dont hear anything of course, the want to fix it after the warranty expires, so they can charge for it big money. I would not recommend it to any of my friends or family member. I dont predict it to last long without costly repairs.

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  tC = terrible choice - 2011 Scion TC
  By subytrojan - September 2 - 1:59 am

  The new Scion tC seems to be the same car in a new wrapper. The 2.5L inline-4 doesnt provide enough power to make this car feel sporty. The huge C-pillars present the driver with large blind spots. The large rear quarter panels also make the car look longer and heavier than it needs to be.

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  No longer impress with Toyota - 2004 Scion XB
  By NoLongerImpress - January 5 - 10:00 am

  I brought the xB 8 months ago & I am getting rid of it. I am tired of seeing cars on my bumper, out of my rearview mirror, as I enter onto the highway. The engines Toyota put in their smaller cars are weak. I do believe the technology is out were they could get better gas mileage out of a larger (say 2 liter) engines. This car was in the shop 12 of the first 30 days I owned it. All wipers were replaced, the molding around the header was replaced and the back door has open 3 times while driving on the highway. The dealer was helpful (in a dealer way) but did not fix the door because they could not reproduce the problem. This is my first and last Toyota.

• 

  Scion, the new Geo - 2004 Scion XB
  By ScionBuddy - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I had this car/van for 2 months and I already had the clutch go bad, it rattles and the power window died. I thought Toyota was suppost to be a quality car? I had a Saturn for 7 years and never had one problem other than were and tear related. I will probably sell this car right before the warrenty is up.

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  Good car until the last 18 months - 2006 Scion TC
  By katthulhu - May 6 - 5:19 pm

  I bought this car brand-spanking new- I built it on the website and then waited 4 months for my customized tc to be delivered to me straight off the boat. It never got more than about 20 mpg city at best. The trunk/hatchback handle/plate broke off just like everyone elses. The a/c went out at 45k miles. Other than that, this car was reliable & easy to maintain for the first 90k. Ive kept up with all the scheduled maintenance plus have done extras. After 90k, everything went to s***! The clutch and both cylinders went out, one of the motor mounts broke. It only has 97k currently, and I still need to put at least $3k of work into it to get it back to decent operating condition. Buyer beware!

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  Scion TCs rear handle hatch molding broke - 2005 Scion TC
  By sciontc05 - January 24 - 11:56 am

  Our 05 Toyota Scion TCs rear handle hatch molding broke of a few years ago, shortly after the hydraulic shocks went out that hold the hatch (after 3 years/20,000mile). The dealer wanted $800 to replace them but suggested we buy after market, which we did but the after markets aren’t hydraulic so the hatch needs more strength to open/lift. Consequently, the trunk handle broke off and trunk release just hangs there. We keep taping it over and over with packing tape but now we have all this layers of ghetto tape. We have noticed a lot of taped Scion tcs and xbs on the road! We’d like to sell the car but would have to invest over $1500 to make it right. Scion won’t take responsibility for the cheap inferior design and plastic parts. We have spoke to them on the phone many times but they wont help us. We will NEVER buy another Toyota! We found a Facebook PAGE with helpful info and class action suit. [HTML removed]

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  I wish never bought it - 2009 Scion XB
  By Sam lathou - September 2 - 9:56 am

  I’ve had my 09 XB for over 7 months brand new. And since day one at over 40 M/H pulls to the right. Complained to Toyota but no action was taken. I don’t like it at all, sheep car yet I paid over $19500 cash for it. Took it to another shop and was told rear left tire out of alignment but Toyota didn’t provide adjustment for the rear and NO TIE ROD…means the rear has to be shimmed or something ,, big money to do that

• 

  NOISE - 2011 Scion XB
  By UNHAPPY - August 19 - 10:00 am

  Nice car at first then it hits you. Put just the rear windows down and the vortex sucks your eardrums out. Scion say that is normal in all cars. We all know that is not ture. Set the crusie contol on a long flat road and watch it speed up on it own. Scion claims that normal for all cat as well. Brakes have to be pumped to get it stop with out a jerk. Also listen as it down shifts and hear the clunk. Oh ya the windows rattle and the plastic comes lose as well.

• 

  Its okay, if you like weird cars. - 2004 Scion XB
  By Shea babin - March 17 - 4:40 am

  I like the way the Scion xB looks. It is easy to get my kids in and out of. It doesnt get as good gas mileage as I thought it would nor what Scion claimed it would. The interior its very cute.

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  2008 Scion Xb. Engine ceased after 70K - 2008 Scion XB
  By 4pawsup - January 5 - 12:23 pm

  My 2008 Scion Xb engine froze at 70,000K. War 60,000 or 5 years. There was no warning lights. Oil was fine. I would stay away from this car. The automatic only gets 20 MPG. You can do much better with some other car.