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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  Gen Y - 2004 Scion xA
  By catier - December 19 - 10:00 am

  What a car! You sure get loads of options for your money. Originally designed for the Gen Y crowd...Gen G (for geezers like me) will love it, too.

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  Wow! - 2006 Scion xA
  By Scionfan - December 15 - 4:53 am

  I just traded in my Toyota Tacoma for the Scion XA, and what a great little car this is. Its a hoot to drive, and it gets better mileage than the Tacoma ever did. The mpg that Im averaging, though, is a little less than I had hoped for, but my XA has automatic transmission.

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  Twins - 2005 Scion xA
  By NMACY - December 5 - 3:50 am

  I went shopping for a vehicle with my Mom--we saw the Absolutely Red Special Edition Scion aX and fell in love. I told her I would buy this little cutie. The next day she bought it! I found out then there were only so many made and decided not to wait. A month later (the dealership had to find one for me) I bought one too. I love this little car. I added keyless entry and will be adding cruise in the next couple of months.

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  Scion AKA My little Lexus - 2004 Scion xA
  By J P Lewis - December 2 - 10:00 am

  Best bang for your buck. If the standard stereo isnt good enough for you your crazy. More than ample front seat room with the rear great for small children. No haggling here MSRP is the best they can do and it is obvious why.

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  Unbelievable Car - 2006 Scion xA
  By atlanta_gator - November 12 - 2:16 pm

  My last 3 cars have been 2 BMW Z3s and a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster. I sold the last car and and bought this car. My wife and I LOVE it. Its fun, practical, dependable and I dont feel ripped off. I was skeptical at first but I cant get over how much I nejoy this car. Granted its no 2 seater roadster but with gas prices the way they are its smarter to drive one of these.

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  Would Buy It Again - 2006 Scion xA
  By Dee - November 11 - 2:40 am

  I have never regretted buying my 2004 xA and look forward to trading for a new one. I moved down from an SUV to a sub-compact and I drove them all. The xA was the only one that surpassed my expectations for its ride and drive. I never care what gas costs. It has had no problems and its finally ready for new tires at just over 41,000 miles. I dont miss my SUV as the xA has plenty of cargo space. It is a great value for the money.

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  Cost effective excellent performer - 2005 Scion xA
  By Chris Thomas - November 10 - 9:13 pm

  From a commuting standpoint, I find the 2005 Scion xA to be an excellent performer. The basic vehicle comes with many desirable features (AC, CD/MP3 player, etc), and the no-haggle buying is nice. The automatic transmission is very sluggish until the engine warms up, particularly around 30 mph where it tends to stick in a low gear while struggling at high RPMs. This is definitely not a car to haul people around in - adults in the back seat will feel some discomfort; however, there is a lot of room for carrying other things.

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  Its not the car is the owner - 2004 Scion xA
  By Elvis.R - November 9 - 12:46 pm

  Well I have no complaints this car as over 100,000 miles and let me tell you I have only done simple maintenance on my car. This car is really great, stereo is great I even put 18 inch wheels and didnt change any shocks or anything. Its runs like now but will loose a little power after this many miles. Maybe because I push this car a lot I mean a lot.

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  Recommend Highly! - 2004 Scion xA
  By LoveMyScion - November 9 - 12:40 pm

  The Scion xA is agile, fun, safe, and gets fantastic milage. Ive had mine for almost 2 years and I still love it! Its a great car for someone who wants style but affordability.

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  Fun commuter car - 2005 Scion xA
  By Rainier commuter - October 21 - 8:30 am

  The Scion xa makes an excellent commuter car due to its gas milage. I am currently averaging 34mpg. It has adequate power for driving on the highway. I have no problems keeping up the the "big boys". I also enjoy driving it in the city since its compact size makes it very easy to manuver around traffic. Also , I was impressed with the equipment that came standard. The only option I had to buy was the automatic transmission. I would recommend this car to anyone.