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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  a looker for less - 2010 Scion XB
  By jody - March 3 - 12:46 am

  Bought this car as a trade for cash for clunkers. So far, the car has exhibited great handling, so so gas mileage and a good ride if you have less than 2 people in it. Things like programmable wipers, lighted ignition light and auto headlight shutoff are some of the options I miss that were in my clunker, that was in pretty great condition. I know this is the car that was built to be rebuilt, but after adding a couple of options you are spending much as a well equipped Honda accord ex. I truly dont see the great bargain for the new Young generation. I only see a great marketing idea on behalf of Toyota. I think that Toyota should squeeze a bit more value out of there option closet.

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  Family gas saver - 2005 Scion XB
  By redd - February 15 - 7:26 pm

  Im the second owner of my xB, but I feel like the first because the owners kept it like new. I traded in my WRX which got around 15 MPG (with my driving). I have no regrets at all. Although the xB is under powered it makes up for it in gas mileage. I can get around 280 miles per tank and I get 32 mpg on average. The interior is really roomy. Im 6 4" and still have about 3 inches of head room and plenty of leg room. I can even sit in the back seat with the front seats moved all the way back. Once I drove to the zoo and fit 5 full grown adults in my xB. The back seat passengers were a tight fit, but it still worked out.

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  Not bad - 2009 Scion TC
  By Breimann - February 7 - 12:03 am

  Dollar for dollar this is the most car for the money. Where else for 17k can you get a sun roof, ipod integration, alloy wheels and Toyota reliability? Let us not forget it has a Camry engine too! The fold flat rear seats are awesome too. Digital HVAC controls are nice too, most cars this cheap have lousy dials/knobs. If the "suggested improvements" things I listed are addressed it could possibly be a car with no compromise!

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  Wheres the Mileage? - 2006 Scion xA
  By DougK - January 28 - 7:06 pm

  I like most everything about the car, which I purchased for my daughter. I am at 1,000 miles on the break-in and my gas mileage has been astonishingly LOW! My first four tanks have averaged in the low 20 MPG range. I own three other vehicles with two to three times the engine size and all except my Suburban get better mileage. My dealer states that I have to get it broken in and nothings wrong. I have my doubts as to whether a few hundred miles more will do anything for this car. They may be getting this one back.

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  Conquers The Urban Sprawl - 2005 Scion XB
  By Jim - January 27 - 9:16 am

  Ive owned my xB for a little over a year now, and I still love it as much as when I first drove it off the lot. This is a car that truly rewards its occupants with tons of room for people or things. The tuner market has also embraced this car wholeheartedly, and there are plenty of performance and exterior mods available for the xB. I traded in a gas-guzzling Dodge Dakota R/T for this car, and havent looked back since.

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  Good Idea... - 2005 Scion TC
  By SDMCDERM - January 26 - 10:46 pm

  Coming straight out of college, this inexpensive coupe was at the top of my list. The tC has great features and standard options. I love the moonroof, interior finish, etc. It has a great power band, I love the torque. Its 17" wheels with Potenzas, cant beat that for $17,000. Having said this now that Ive driven it for a year and a half, I wish I could sell this thing back to Toyota. Mine sounds like a baby rattle inside. The hatch, dash, and moonroof rattle even on smooth roads. I shouldve waited for the 06 Civic Si. This car was such a great idea, too bad. I will never buy a Lexus thanks to this thing.

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  Worth It - 2005 Scion TC
  By magna145 - January 20 - 6:13 am

  Good value for the money. Reliable, stylish, and good fuel economy.

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  Great Multipurpose vehicle - 2006 Scion XB
  By lindelift394 - January 7 - 1:20 am

  This is a great vehicle for someone who needs a lot of room for a little bit of money. This car is fun to drive, the handling around turns is great, even on wet roads. Im a little over 6 tall and finding a comfortable car is hard for me, but the xB has plenty of foot and head room. Ive been getting about 33-34 mpg with it and thats important to me because I drive quite a bit. My only complaint so far would be that Scion shows as a standard feature the audio controls on the steering wheel and mine did not come with that.

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  My results - 2005 Scion xA
  By Miles Morris - January 2 - 10:16 pm

  I have had my XA for a couple months now, just went over 5000 miles. I have to say i really like this car alot. I tried premium gas for a bit but it really runs better and gets much better milage with the regular.I drive 75 miles a day for work, got 490 miles in the last tank, thats what i had when i chickened out and bout gas after the little gas tank warning thing came on anyway, probably could have gone to 500 miles. Its mostly back road travel at 45 to 50 mph, it seems to love going that speed. Taking the highway at 65 mph was my first test, engine revved way high, was averaging about 35 mpg, less stop and go even, now im around 40 mpg average with more stop and go.

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  Its only getting better - 2008 Scion XD
  By kris - December 28 - 5:03 pm

  I have my XD for only 3 weeks now thatÂ’s not a long time but it took me 6 months to decided on a car and boy was it the right one. ItÂ’s not a car for everyone but you have to judge your needs and figure out whatÂ’s best for you. The XD has everything I needed power on everything but the seat. ipod connection, decent power for the car it is. Looks cool and with the addition of some aftermarket products it will look great.