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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Best auto move ever - 2008 Scion XD
  By chad Reznicek - September 29 - 10:40 am

  Traded in a 2004 4 runner due to fuel costs. Looked at the matrix but couldnt figure out what we were actually getting for the cost. My wife test drove both and loved the Xd. The test drive combined with all the standard options and the price of the Xd made it a no brainer for us over the matrix. We enjoy driving it, its no sports car but the power to MPG factor is better than expected. At 6 feet tall, I find it just a bit short on leg room but overall very comfortable. The bottom line is that for a great price we have a highly fuel efficient vehicle that looks good, is fun to drive, and loaded with creature comforts. Hated to give up the 4 runner but love what we got in return.

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  scion tc a wonderful car - 2005 Scion TC
  By sciontc05 - September 28 - 10:00 am

  This is by far the greatest car for the money and the best part is that aftermarket companies are really looking at this car for kool things to do to it. great car

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  How can they do this - 2005 Scion TC
  By sstaszak11 - September 28 - 3:16 am

  I still cant figure out how you can get all of this car for around 17,000. It has the look and feel of a luxury car with power everything. The panorama moonroof is a great feature. Ive read some complaints about road noise and/or engine noise at higher speeds, and maybe Im just used to the sounds of my old Saturn, but this car seems extremely quiet to me. I made it a point to drive with the radio off to see if I could pick up any noise. Nothing. I cannot stress how much I recommend this car

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  Big on the Inside - 2005 Scion xA
  By Doug - September 26 - 3:10 pm

  After 13 years of very reliable service my Tercel bit the dust so I went to my Toyota dealer to look at the Corolla. I need something to get me to work and back and pick up two kids with car seats from day care. The salesman recommended that I look at the Scion xA since I had a Tercel. I assumed it would be too small for the car seats but I was wrong. They fit in the back seat easily. The hatchback design makes for enough room in the back to store a fair amount of stuff. The car is very fun to drive. The milage is great. Aside from the few suggested improvements listed below the car is awesome for the price and I am very, very happy I bought a Scion XA.

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  Best small wagon - 2008 Scion XB
  By Almadcity - September 24 - 1:40 pm

  Coming up on 15,000 miles my overall mileage is 30.4. The dealer tells me many other customers report similar so whats with the EPA ratings? Build quality is great but thats to be expected with a car that has a VIN starting with the letter "J" (made in Japan). The interior size and cool styling with 2010 MY safety features at a good price won this old guy over.

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  Not great but a good compromise - 2009 Scion XB
  By Ron - September 20 - 7:03 pm

  I just finished reading a review about the Soul,Cube, and the XB. Scion is head over shoulders over the competition. I love the comfort, unlike Honda’s board covered up with fabric, when you sit on a Scion you feel like you’re on your lazyboy at home not as though you’re in some Chinese torture camp bench. Safety was a must for me, side curtain airbags, dual airbags, ABS, VSC, 4 wheel disk brakes, etc. I also love how everything is included in the pricing, none of this “oh you wanted a steering wheel? Well that’s extra” crap. This thing is loaded. Gas mileage. The 4 speed automatic transmission has got to go and be replaced with a 5 speed. This is key for MPG. As it stands now the gas mileag

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  Needs reliability improvements - 2004 Scion xA
  By cwalker5 - September 20 - 11:46 am

  Bought a leftover in March of 2005. Ive put on 55,000 miles since then. Had to replace both rear wheel bearings. The little Scion requires a whole hub assy. with integral reluctor be purchased, as the unit cannot be disassembled. $350.00 each. Add in some labor and it gets expensive fast. A cracked heater core also came at 44,000 miles. Wheel bearing failures and heater core breakage are not common failure modes on modern cars. The fact that the parts are not simple, reasonably priced or factory covered items makes me say, "Stay away from this car." I dont plan to get another one of these. If Scion recalls these and fixes them I might change my mind. Right now, no way.

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  Fun, Fun, fun - 2005 Scion XB
  By minihummer - September 19 - 5:40 am

  Got the box less than a month ago. Traded the Cadillac for this fun economical vehicle. Gas mileage is great, comfort is surprisingly good. The body style is love or hate-I love it. Took it in the curves and it did remarkably well and had the power ratio to climb the hills. Put on the low profile tires and wheels which made a huge difference in its look. The people at Maita were very accomodating. Had the lights put in under the dash which makes one feel young when driving. I like it more everytime I drive it. I would recommend the car to any age group, not just the young. The more goodies you put on to make it unique-the better.

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  Excellent Car for the Cost. - 2005 Scion TC
  By Josh - September 16 - 4:50 pm

  The Scion TC comes absolutely loaded with features you would have to pay a premium for on other cars: 17" wheels, ABS brakes, power windows/door locks, and panoramic sunroof to name a few. Although all of these features make this car rather heavy, it still has plenty of "get-up-and-go" for cars in this price range. The tC is fun to drive around town and is plenty comfortable on long trips. Build quality is solid. You can buy a tC with confidence, knowing that it is built by Toyota.

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  Youll Love It!!! - 2006 Scion TC
  By J. Webb - September 16 - 6:23 am

  I traded in my 03 Hyundai Tiburon for a black tC and I couldnt be happier. I drive a lot of different late model cars and pickups at my job, but this tC is the perfect balance in my eyes of performance (160 horses is plenty if youre not planning on racing anybody), looks (I get plenty of double-takes at stoplights), and most importantly, VALUE. The features that come for the $18,000 or so you pay are EXCEPTIONAL.