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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  bad power steering - 2007 Scion TC
  By dim - May 12 - 5:56 am

  The power steering pump went bad after two months of using that car. Now have jumping RPM problem.

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  Save your money and Buy a Honda! - 2008 Scion TC
  By Scion TC - April 27 - 12:26 am

  This is the worst car I have ever purchased. I have already experienced auto window issues. When the weather is cold my trunk door will not stay open hitting me in the head and after only 2 years of owning it I have been left stranded and need to replace the battery. On a still newer car I do not expect to have any of these issues and have never experienced them on any previous cars I have owned. Yes this car is cheap and cheaply made! I will never buy another Toyota product.

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  Dont buy it for the gas mileage!!! - 2005 Scion XB
  By mrchet - April 17 - 10:00 am

  Pros. It turns a lot of heads. It has great interior room especially in the back seats. Hold 4 adults with easy, but not their luggage. Cons. Underpowered, poor mileage. 25mpg low with a high of 28mpg and thats combined. Rougher ride than it needs to be. Softer springs and stiffer sway bars would help. Short wheelbase makes it choppy going over freeway slabs. Steering wheel position is left of center and too low. It really needs a center arm rest. Transmits road noise into the cabin easily. Dynamat in all the doors helped. Bottom Line: I wouldnt buy one again!

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  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - 2007 Scion TC
  By J - February 10 - 7:13 am

  Im a middle aged woman who fell in love w/the tC after an extensive amount of research. For the price, you cant beat it. 36,000 highway miles on mine. I just totaled it--dry roads, moderate speed. Impossible to correct and crumpled like a plastic cup. Hatchback shattered after impact. I was unhurt, but very surprised at how poorly it handled under a diverse situation that could have been corrected easily in my old Nissan. I came out w/compression fx but it could have been worse, especially if it had rolled. Next car will not be a tC.

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  owner - 2005 Scion XB
  By rBell - January 23 - 10:00 am

  Poorly made for a Toyota but thats why they didnt put the Toyota name on it.

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  Its a "Sport-ish" Car - 2011 Scion TC
  By cowa11ski - January 19 - 10:33 pm

  I bought this car used after a leasee returned it to the dealer. My initial impressions of the car were favorable. The seats are supportive and the 6spd is smooth. This achieves exactly what I think Toyota set out to achieve with this car being a "my first sports car" type car. After putting some long highway miles on it there are a number of things that started to creep up on me that wouldnt have been apparent to me in the test drive. The first is the quality of the interior build. The bass from the radio rattles the panels around the window control buttons. Im not sure Ib a big fan of the vinyl sunroof cover either. The exhaust note may or may not be your thing during a long drive.

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  Not all that - 2005 Scion TC
  By kevin - January 5 - 8:03 am

  I was expecting a lot from the Scion tC because everyone told me "best bang for your buck" but to me it didnt deliver. You can tell Toyota really cut corners when building this car, and thats why they offer it for so cheap. The interior would constantly rattle to the point I hated driving it. My radio cover would squeak and the hatch would always rattle. The sunroof covers started to sag after 12,000 miles. Gas mileage is pathetic considering Toyota makes 270 hp V6 with the same MPG. After a year and a half of owning I traded it in.

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  Should have bought a Civic - 2009 Scion TC
  By ihatemytc - December 24 - 7:56 am

  Cheaply put together car after of month of driving, things start to rattle. Very cheaply put together. The sound is awful you cant turn it up with out it crackling the speakers. After breaking the car, in it just feels so cheap. I want out of this thing and back into a Civic, worst mistake of my life is buying this car. I thought Toyota was quality.

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  what happened - 2006 Scion TC
  By bryanjz2 - November 25 - 6:50 pm

  I had this car for six months and all was going well until I came home from work one day. I was in the house for five minutes and my car spontaniously combusted. They told me it was an electrical short. Enjoy!!!!!!!

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  Not for anyone over 5 feet tall - 2004 Scion xA
  By The Science guy - November 20 - 2:00 am

  This car allows me to commute for about the same price as my motorcycle, and about the same level of safety too. I truly love this cars ability to get me from LA to SF for less than fifty bucks. The stereo is great and I can fit a drum set in the back with room to spare. The car is actually quite quick if it has a manual transmission. It can park almost anywhere (i.e. double parking on standard sized driveways).