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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  Great Affordable Car - 2004 Scion xA
  By sunflower - May 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car because I needed something I could drive and not pay a fortune for gas. I have two kids and its been a great car. My son is now 5 and starting to outgrow the backseat. You definitely dont have enough leg room for a tall person driving and a person in the back seat. Other than that I have had no problems at all with it.

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  I give it a B - 2005 Scion xA
  By ben5150 - March 18 - 5:56 pm

  The shocks in my Scion xA are shot at 19,000 miles and a little wind can make it feel like a boxkite. However, I love the fuel economy and the price was right.

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  My Work Car - 2005 Scion xA
  By slicklizard - March 7 - 11:41 pm

  Im a courier and this is the car provided to me by my boss. Its a nice car to work with, as its nimble, quick and easy to park. Its got about 115K miles on it, mostly highway miles and the only thing thats been done to it is tires, brakes and a new alternator (the old one chewed up the belt). It has a nice stereo, cold a/c and hot heat and the seating position is up high (almost minivan-like). I normally put 300-500 miles on the car per day and, besides a tire blowout, its never let me down. Id buy this car.

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  I love this Car! - 2005 Scion xA
  By sasan - February 16 - 4:06 pm

  This car has the highest value per $ in my perpective. Standard options include 4-wheel ABS, Dual Front airbags, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, I get at least 30-35 mpg in highway! check out scion.com

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  Wonderful Little Commuter Car - 2004 Scion xA
  By a330300 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  My second day of driving the car, and I can conclude that (+) 1) Its amazingly quiet 2) Has a great audio system 3) Has comfortable, distinctive seating 4) Great white- faced display with amber lighting on the other components. 5) Unique design (-) 1)Horsepower - 108 is fine, but more is always better and appreciated. 2)Space - Im 59 and have the seat pretty far back, I would only put a child behind me for long distances, an adult could fit ok but only for a while.. Trunk space is small, but has some space under for small items. There are no pockets behind the front seats, and map pockets are small. 3) Cruise control!

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  Awsome - 2004 Scion xA
  By Rabidsushi - February 2 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car! Great fuel efficiency, big inside, great features. Definate car of the future!

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  Scion....What A CAR!!! - 2005 Scion xA
  By Chris - January 25 - 2:23 pm

  I never thought I would get this car,at first I thought it was ugly, the more I looked...the more I liked. Great car. Great deal. Great reliability. What more could I ask for in my first car that I have to pay for w/o parents help.

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  We love our xA - 2006 Scion xA
  By Ted F - January 23 - 8:00 pm

  Have approximately 2000 miles so far. Primarily used on the highway at 65-75 mph. Vehicle tacs between 3300-3700 rpm at those speeds but still rides quiet and smooth. A 6th gear would be great. Vehicle handles sweet. Very much please with all aspects so far. Highway/city mpg combined average nets us 36-39, just what I wanted. I know on a long road trip (mostly highway) I will exceed 40 mpg. Stereo and standard pw and doorlocks are great. For the price Scion had more options than the 4dr Yaris. Very pleased again with our decision. Had to minimize the gas and oil companies impact on my wallet. It is just transportation to and from work. Time for all to change!

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  Scion xa - 2004 Scion xA
  By tif - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car because my 99 Civic LX was totaled in an accident. In the mean time I had to drive various other rental cars, including the Mazda Protege and Toyota Prius. However, I found that when I was behind the wheel of the xa, it was the most comfort driving I felt after my accident. The car has equivalent amount of power as the Civic and the interior seating is comfortable. Theres not much acceleration speed but thats not my primary consideration for the quality of a vehicle anyway. It is better deal than a Civic LX because it is cheaper and comes with ABS brakes. I can also definitely say that it feels way nicer than a Protege.

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  hELOF A FUN CAR - 2004 Scion xA
  By BEARINJAX - January 15 - 2:00 am

  THE GAS MILEAGE IS GREAT, GET AWESOME LOOKS FROM PEOPLE, ALL AND ALL A GREAT CAR