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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Needs more front leg room - 2006 Scion XB
  By TallSFMan - December 18 - 5:43 pm

  Its a great little car. That sums it up.

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  My little white SHOE - 2009 Scion XB
  By Walt Stevens - December 15 - 6:16 am

  Well, I have been looking at the Scion Xb,s for some time. I went from an average of 14.7 ml/gal Truck to 26 ml/gal. Although the Xb is smaller on the road, it has a big roomy interior. Very good pick-up and has the go power when needed, a little bit bumpy ride but is tolerable, a little road noise but again is tolerable. My wife drove the XB for 4 days When I was out of town, she said she had more fun driving it then her new Toyota Avalon. told me that I could drive her car all the time. She loved the XB. . My Wife loves the interior and the extra leg room in the back, and My grand kids, think its a cool car over all. I did test drive other small cars , the Scion Xb won hands down.

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  Mixed Feelings - 2006 Scion TC
  By las_crg - November 27 - 12:56 am

  I have had my tC a little over a year and have had no problems out of it whatsoever. It is still very fun to drive, even after having it a year. It is pretty spacious for a two-door car, but I will stick to four-doors from now on. It is a smooth, comfortable ride with no rattling or shaking. I just calculated my MPG and got about 28 city, 31 hwy, which is good but could be better for a small car. The sound system is great and the pioneer CD player and speakers are very high quality. The road noise is relatively quiet for having low- profile tires. Despite its sporty look, the steering is not very nimble. Overall, I have enjoyed my car, but it could definitely use some improvement.

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  This is a safe car! - 2006 Scion TC
  By Lew - November 26 - 12:13 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter based on Toyota reliability and the price. I special ordered it to get the color and head air bag package. It turned out to be a great call because my daughter walked and passenger walked away from a 70 mph double roll over accident. The car was totaled but I am going to replace it with an identical model. This is a very safe car! The only issue I found during this accident was both sunroofs shattered in a million small pieces of glass. Nobody got even scratched because the head airbags deployed evidently shielding the passengers from the glass

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  Scion xD Good Choice - 2008 Scion XD
  By wendy - November 17 - 6:43 am

  Overall I am completely satisfied with my Scion xD. I purchased a 2008 xD in May 2008 because I commute 140 miles round trip. The xD has all the air bags, ABS and cruise control standard unlike some other small cars I looked at (Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit). My commute is half open freeway and half stop and go freeway. My fuel efficiency averages 35 MPG during the summer with the AC on all the time. I expect it to go up in the fall and winter. The xD is comfortable although the seats could be a little cushier. I think the gauges are well placed. Not having an arm rest doesnt bother me. Main drawback is blocking the sun from the door window. The sun visor doesnt have an extension.

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  Very nice car - 2007 Scion TC
  By joetowntc - November 15 - 7:00 am

  I have had no problems with this car at all. I bought it 2 months ago and already have 4000 miles on it and the only thing that has gone wrong is a clutch cable had to be adjusted because I tried power shifting it a couple of times. It is a great buy for the price. It doesnt jerk out of any gear, you just need to learn how to drive a manual. The clutch is a little touchy but once you get used to it, its awesome. You can put the power to the wheels in an instant.

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  Cheap but reliable. - 2005 Scion XB
  By Sean - November 13 - 11:50 am

  I had this car for two years. The a/c stopped working, and it turned out something in the a/c pipes burst, and sent shards of metal all through the system, and it was going to cost around $800 to fix. My rear trunk panel cracked off, the interior feels cheap and "plastic-y". Its very simple, not much too it. No bells and whistles here. While it isnt extremely powerful or fast, I always had a good time driving it, and it never once broke down on me.

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  Great car - 2006 Scion xA
  By bbp2459 - November 7 - 6:23 am

  This has been a great car. The fuel economy has averaged between 32 and 38 depending on the driving. Storage space is surprisingly good especially when I fold down the back seat. The display in the middle of the console opens up a lot of visual field but takes a bit of getting used to. The ride is rough for long trips but when you consider what you are paying for gas vs what others are paying, the ride is not so bad. I am really surprised that they stopped making this car.

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  get one NOW - 2008 Scion XB
  By biff - November 6 - 2:10 am

  Bought this car to advertise my business, cant miss it! Everything else is a bonus, goes up Vail pass very fast, fuel average has yet to drop below 28.6 mpg- better than advertised. 1st car I have ever owned that does not need snow tires and we get 200+ inches a year here. (traction control that works) hauls kids, adults, groceries, skis, you name it. The instruments in the center are much easier to read than the regular kind.

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  Scion tC - 2006 Scion TC
  By kelsbels - November 5 - 1:53 pm

  The Scion tC has a great ride, but they could have fancied up the inside more. Scion could have made sure the rubber pieces on the outside were snuggly and securely fit as in around the windows ..etc... Having said this, overall this is a good car for the money.