Overview & Reviews
The Scion brand was created in 2003 by Toyota as a way of connecting to younger buyers with savvy tastes. One of its launch vehicles, the Scion xA, was an inexpensive hatchback marketed through hip promotions that emphasized its unique style. Owners could customize the xA with more than 30 accessories available at Scion dealers. Even with this strong pitch to trendsetting youngsters and auto enthusiasts, the Scion xA soon gained a reputation as a sensible subcompact with premium build quality and standard features.
Most recent Scion xA
Launched as a 2004 model, the Scion xA lasted just one generation, as Scion sought to keep its youthful portfolio fresh. A refresh occurred in its final year of 2006, so older xAs have some visual differences and some slight variations in the interior features, including the Pioneer sound system, steering wheel, speedometer and seat fabric.
The Scion xA came in one body style -- a four-door hatchback. For a subcompact, the xA had a noticeably upscale look and feel. The gauge pod resided in the center of the dash and glowed amber, while the dashboard had a contemporary appearance, with faux aluminum trim tastefully placed down the center console, door panels and steering wheel. The seating position was high, and headroom and legroom were decent in both the front and rear. But you couldn't haul too much cargo, with just 11.7 cubic feet of hatch space behind the rear seat.
The xA was also well-stocked with standard features, including air-conditioning; antilock brakes; power door locks, windows and mirrors; a rear wiper; and rear window defogger. Scion also provided the xA with a premium stereo -- a sound system with a CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary input jack. Among the optional equipment was an 8-inch subwoofer, an iPod adapter, satellite radio and an airbag package with front seat-mounted side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.
Power for the Scion xA came from a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine rated for 103 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission was standard and a four-speed automatic was available as an option. With either transmission, the Scion was pretty frugal, with EPA city estimates of 31-32 mpg and highway ratings of 37-38. For those looking to improve the xA's performance, Toyota Racing Development, Toyota's in-house performance department, offered quite a few parts, including intake and exhaust, shocks and lowering springs, and a performance clutch.
Buyers could also customize their xA's appearance with dealer-installed accessories such as a rear spoiler, 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels and a variety of wheel covers, sport pedals and shift knobs.
In our review of the Scion xA, our editors found it to be quite a competent commuter. On highways, the ride was smooth. The small engine didn't provide much passing power, but around the city, the xA offered plenty of pep. It also maneuvered nicely on surface roads, with a surprisingly tight suspension for an econobox and precise steering. In more extreme cornering situations, the xA felt a bit wobbly, but TRD performance suspension components were available to remedy the condition.
User Reviews:
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123,000 miles later - 2005 Scion xA
By peter - November 29 - 6:26 pmI have 123,000 miles and the only problem I had was both front wheel bearing needed replacing. The interior still looks like new. Car rides too harsh and could be quieter. I am confident it will run past the 200,000 mile mark.
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Scion xA - 2005 Scion xA
By LindseyNichole - November 28 - 10:00 amI am a 19 year old female who bought this car new. Its not expensive and it gets great gas mileage. I love it. I added a lot of options to mine so it ended up being around $21,000 but they start at around $13,000. It just really depends what you want.
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Awesome - 2005 Scion xA
By Scion Xa - November 26 - 10:13 pmThis car is awesome. It could use more house power and built in GPS head unit, but overall solid built car. I get bad gas mileage because I am a teen who loves to drive fast. I mean this car tops off at 118mph, but its still great and I get about 27mpg
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Love the car, heres why... - 2004 Scion xA
By Steven - November 16 - 12:26 pmIve read many reviews, about six months worth, on this car, and I finally got one, so I want to make this review worth your read: Gas Mileage: just clocked it out - miles driven (298.8) divided by gas put in at fill-up (10.1) equals a solid 29.8 miles per gallon (I would say this is in mixed driving, but with a dominate city). Interior Room: Not a problem. Im 64", my brothers are 66" and 68", and a lady friend at 57" could all fit in the car with enough comfort for a 25 mile drive, but not enough for a 400 mile drive. Performance: Get the manual transmission. The car handles very well and hugs the road nicely, but, I can really feel all the freeway bumps, but not a big deal. I love it.
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Scion, yes please - 2004 Scion xA
By scionowner - October 21 - 10:00 amThe scion xa is a great car, made for the younger generation. the look of the car isnt like anything else out there. It looks small from the outside, but really it is a very roomy car. I have had no problems with the xa at all! the best thing about the car is the pricing. this is my first car purchase on my own. the pricing is reasonable and the payments are low even without having any credit history!
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fun, but small - 2004 Scion xA
By Nihao - October 8 - 10:00 amDrive it yourself and you will know what I mean. Good for young couples, but no family. It is designed for narrow roads with lower speed limit in Japan, so do NOT drive it too fast in the US. Always stays at the slow lane for your own safety. The car itself is ok. It is just not powerful and strong enough for the traffic condition here in the States.
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I love this car! - 2004 Scion xA
By Michael I. - October 3 - 9:53 amI am a student who needed a practical, reliable, and economical car to drive. I also wanted something that was fun to drive. Not many cars can encompass all these characteristics effectively. The Scion xA does a great job for being an economy car. It at has been very reliable so far with no major mechanical problems, and I get at least 30 MPG regularly, with the best so far being 35 MPG. It is also very fun to drive, especially witht the five speed. I am a beginner stick shift driver and this car is not only very easy to learn on but also very forgiving. It offers a ton of cargo space if you are willing to fold the rear seats down. Its a Toyota so you cant go wrong with that.
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Nice Little Economy Car for the Money - 2006 Scion xA
By lanae - September 28 - 10:03 pmI traded in my Saturn for this little Scion so I could save on gas for city driving. So far I dont see the excellent fuel savings that I was expecting but, I am assuming it will take some time to break the car in - maybe!?! It is easy to drive. The stick shift is different than the one that is in my Saturn as it was told to me from the sales lady it was a short shifter. It has great steering control. It is nice to have ABS after driving a car for five years without it. The Pioneer stereo system is nice. I feel it will last for a long time. My car has the spoiler and fog lights and I must say that the fog lights help light the road better! I would recommend this car to anyone that has a tight budget that is looking for reliable transportation.
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Great but - 2006 Scion xA
By Motokomise - September 2 - 10:30 pmGreat purchase, fun little car, perfect for urban driving with one major exception: the rear port windows absolutely cause blind spot issues when driving. Its so bad that were not purchasing another Scion or any other small car until we test those next time, and this is a hazardous design flaw that while under the best of situations is annoying, under the worst??
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Great Room - 2006 Scion xA
By sportsfan8443 - September 1 - 6:16 pmIve had no trouble with my Scion xA in the year I have had it. I like the way It sits up high like a little SUV. My son is a tall boy and the Scion gives him plenty of head room. He will be taking it to college in a couple of years and I will buy another one, a tC the next time. I love Scions.
