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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Blue seems to be a problem - 2009 Scion XD
  By Tom R - June 1 - 2:10 pm

  Bought it... had 2 scratches in the paint when I picked it up from the dealer... they wanted to send it to a body shop for repair... I demanded another car... 2nd car comes in and it too is scratched... I dont know yet if I can get my money back (I have had it 2 days) I love driving it, body style is good... I wish I had read the other reviews about the blue on this forum before I bought it... especially since I had the option to get a refund on the 1st car...

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  Great car for a teenager or young adult - 2006 Scion xA
  By stepay - May 29 - 7:27 pm

  Bought this car used for our teenage daughter, and its a blast to drive. Small, so easy to maneuver and park. Gets great gas mileage. Just rough enough for the driver to feel the road (important for new drivers). Hard to beat Toyota reliability, and it even looks cool. The 4 star safety rating across the board was good, but the car we have has all the air bag options, so thats even better. Nice sound system too which is more important to the younger crowd, and ours has the optional iPod input. Great for shorter drivers. You sit up high more like in an SUV, so its easier to see out of this car than my 2005 Honda Accord. Chain instead of timing belt helps keep maintenance to a min.

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  No Problems, XB Is a Great Car - 2005 Scion XB
  By XBGuido - May 29 - 10:46 am

  My XB is now 6 months old. No issues what so ever. Runs great, very good gas mileage and FUN to drive. This car is a daily driver, grocery getter and weekend hauler. Cost was $14,995 although I have added cruise, fog lights, 17" wheels and tires, arm rest and, a few performance options. A couple of items that could use improvement in the next model year: 1. Better Cabin air Filter 2. Automatic door locks 3. Larger rear-view mirror All in all this is the best car I have ever owned considering price to value, performance and fun... I would rather drive this than my C320 Mercedes!

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  Fun to Drive - 2006 Scion XB
  By Bill - May 28 - 7:13 am

  The Scion xB easily fits a normal size person (64"). It has sports car driving, but is so easy to get in and out of. It comes with a great standard feature set! Mature drivers quickly realize that driving can be fun again. Of the five xBs in my really small town, non are driven by kids! It is inexpensive, but it is not cheap. It has shades of the VW Bug from 40 years ago. Make sure to get the arm rest and cruse control.

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  2006 xB - 2006 Scion XB
  By rhagy - May 27 - 1:03 pm

  This car runs great, is fun to drive and is pretty cool! The 18" Alloy wheels look great, but the ride is pretty hard. Next time Ill go for the 15" alloy wheels. All around, I would buy another one tomorrow! The car is a blast! It could use a little more power, but its OK the way it is.

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  Ive never "loved" a car before this XB - 2010 Scion XB
  By tarah2005 - May 22 - 6:56 am

  So much fun to drive. The updated exterior is way better than the first...more girly. I traded in my 2008 4runner while it still had some equity. I commute 60 miles per day so MPG was attractive on the Scion XB because I still wanted extra space. At first I overlooked the car, but after driving it am in love!!! I am not sure how well an automatic would accelerate but the manual is a blast.

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  Buy It! - 2006 Scion TC
  By Michael - May 21 - 11:53 am

  For me, an inner-city person whos travelling is 95% within the city, this is an ideal car. I choose this car due to my priorities which are: fuel efficiency, safety, and fun to drive. The tC is very fast on the acceleration, very manueverable, and quiet. This car is a beauty, the sound system makes gridlock an opportunity to enjoy good music in a good environment. Parking is never a problem due the tCs size and nimble handling. The power to weight ratio seems to be terribly high - so watch out!

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  my scion tC - 2006 Scion TC
  By my scion TC - May 20 - 4:33 pm

  I love my new Scion, the only way I can describe the fun I have with it, is that there is no way to describe how fun it is unless you get your own. Scion cars will be the next Lexus, or the new Mercedes for the years to come, but you wont have to pay an arm and a leg for the car of your dreams. Scion tCs are deffinetly eye catching, and are awesome to drive. I plan on getting another tC soon but the next one will be manual and supercharged. I will show people what this car can do, and what its capability is. Whether it be on a straight away or on the drift course. This car can do it!

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  Great car for the price - 2008 Scion XB
  By mikey - May 14 - 9:53 am

  My wife and I bought a 2008 xB as our family car (we have 1 small child), and so far it has been wonderful. We just recently took a very long trip across the country, and the dual DVD monitors really came in handy keeping our son entertained!! Fuel economy is good, performance is great, love the iPod hookup and folding rear seats!!

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  A lot of Bang for the Buck - 2006 Scion xA
  By Gary - May 13 - 7:13 am

  Its hard to see fault in my car so far. We bought it for its roominess, we regulary drive with 2 adults and 3 teens in the car. So far no complaints from them although our drives have been an hour or less. I wouldnt take it on a several hour drive with the entire family. Another plus was the simple buying process which was in stark contrast to another dealership (Honda) that we purchased from a week before. A total of 2 hours in the Scion dealership versus 4- 5 Hours in Honda and many Tylenol later from repeatedly telling the "finance" guy NO to aftermarkets products.