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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  Excellent car - 2005 Scion xA
  By Michael Davis - August 27 - 10:33 am

  Bought the car to replace the Subaru Legacy my son totalled. Initially bought it for the price found out that the car is a blast to drive. Very low maintenance so far with a super sound ssytem standard and fun to drive quotient of 100% make me extremely happy I bought this car

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  JJS RIDE - 2005 Scion xA
  By JJINVEGAS - August 20 - 11:06 am

  I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL TOYOTA VEHICLES IN THE LAST 15 YRS. THIS ONE RATES AT THE TOP OF MY LIST. RIDE, ECONOMY AND OVERALL OUALITY ARE EXCELLENT,HOWEVER THERE HAS BEEN ONE BIG DOWNFALL. AFTER A COLLISION, THE PARTS ARE ALMOST NON EXISTANT. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 6 WEEKS AT THIS WRITING AND STILL THE BODY PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

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  Very nice... - 2005 Scion xA
  By roszada - August 20 - 8:46 am

  I put almost 30,000 on my Scion xA and have had no problems whatsoever. It is getting between 32-34 mpg driving in the city on regular gas. The only negative thing is that you need to let the engine warm-up, otherwise it will keep transmission in lower gear untill it reaches "warm" status.

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  Amazing! - 2006 Scion xA
  By Anya - August 2 - 12:06 am

  I love my car!! Its so adorable and fun, everyone says it suits me perfectly. Theres only a handful around town and we all recognize each other and wave. The car is fairly fuel efficient, but not as high as Id been hoping for. Its so roomy inside, especially compared to other cars of its type that ARE bigger, but feel smaller. Comes with some great standard features, I love the stereo. I recommend this car to anyone who wants to stand out a little while still having a functional and fun car.

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  dissatified - 2005 Scion xA
  By C.mormino - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Car rides to hard. fender wells in engine compartment are letting water in to motor area causing excessivw dirt. Body paint was of poor quality not like toyota product I have had in past.

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  perfect - 2005 Scion xA
  By jrday2 - July 22 - 10:00 am

  It is great on gas mileage and has great power

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  Non subjective view - 2004 Scion xA
  By andreika73 - July 8 - 10:00 am

  Great sense of maneuver. Perfect acceleration and aero dynamics. The car is very slayable on the road.

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  Best Value - 2005 Scion xA
  By Dan Remmers - July 2 - 1:33 pm

  This is the best value for a commuter car. Tons of standard features, great gas mileage, really fun to drive, and easy to park.

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  yeeeeehaaaaaaa - 2005 Scion xA
  By lhrem - June 22 - 9:23 am

  Great! The car gets great gas mileage, handles very well and has a fun sound system. The seats are very comfortable and my son who is six four has plenty of head room.

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  My Sophie Scion - 2004 Scion xA
  By Vicki - June 20 - 2:13 pm

  I love this little car. It is fun, zippy, handles well, and is just plain cute. The price is so perfect for everything the car has. The only surprising thing about the car is the cost of tires for such a small one. I know for the price I cannot complain about the fabric quality on the seats. The stereo system is good and the car actually does have quite a bit of room when you need to load the car down. Being an adult and more experienced driver, and living in a big city, I dont mind the highway driving and it is not intimidating. For my youngest driver, I really hesitate to let her drive the interstates. All in all, I do love the car for what I use it for.