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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Scion xA - 2006 Scion xA
  By Jon - March 2 - 8:30 pm

  I wanted a car for two things. One, to transport my tools in the back with easy access, and good gas milage! With the Scion xA I got both. The mileage being what I expected at 28 mpg driving like a bank robber to 38 mpg once on the parkway. It is generally around 35 mpg. The three things I wouldnt buy a car without are air conditioning, power windows, and a great radio. The Scion had all three although I opted for the XM. As for the power, they are not charging the money for the car that speed costs so I didnt have any issues with the power. I dont recommend that you pass anyone without a long range of open highway. I would gladly buy this car again. I have just about 20,000 miles on mine after 9 months of ownership.

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  my camo xb - 2005 Scion XB
  By eric - March 1 - 9:26 am

  i look foward to driving. not since my 72 firebird have i had this much fun. the car is pure enjoyment.

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  Good Little Car - 2008 Scion XB
  By Joanne Griffin - February 26 - 5:36 pm

  I had a 2005 Scion XB and loved it but it was a little slower than I liked. So I traded it in for the 2008 Scion with the new body style. Love the car. She has enough power to get out of the way of fast approaching vehicles that dont want to let you merge into traffic.

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  Excellent car but need improvements - 2005 Scion xA
  By erniekim - February 26 - 10:00 am

  Its my first time buying a small gas- efficient car and for the price I paid, this car is definitely worth it. Unique and fun to drive but more improvement is needed such as arm- rest, small head-space because of elevated seating and tiny trunk. Overall, I am more than satisfied.

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  Not exactly a 10 but close enough - 2005 Scion TC
  By jennifer osting - February 24 - 6:06 pm

  I researched this car and others like it for atleast 3 months before i went to the dealership to actually test drive the tc. After researching i search around dealership until i found one similiar to what i wanted to purchase, which was a manual transmission; once i found one, i took a test drive and fell in love.

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  not worth the money - 2007 Scion TC
  By jason vain - February 24 - 9:30 am

  DO NOT BUY A SCION. I have a 2007 scion 3.0 with the third supercharger and let me say it is a piece of junk and dealing with scion themselves is horrible that is why the saying "you get what you pay for" is soooooo tru. I paid $4500 for a s.c.that give you only 40 more h.p. and everything in the car just falls apart and when you tell scion what goes wrong they just point at you and laugh. So word of advice. DO NOT BUY ONE!!!!! TRUST ME>>>

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  New Scion xD Rocks! - 2008 Scion XD
  By joey - February 23 - 10:26 am

  Ive had the 2008 Scion xD automatic for 2 wks and it is a pure pleasure to drive! Fun in the city! It twists a lot of heads! MPG: city 28-30 mpg, on the highway, avgd 36.5 mpg. I just love driving this car. It is roomy for 4 adults. Fantastic stereo sound w/std Pioneer radio.

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  Great Value - 2009 Scion TC
  By Breimann - February 23 - 3:00 am

  9000 miles and not a single problem! I like to tinker and working on the car is very easy. Anyway, car rides great, handling could be a little better (came from a Celica) but it still maintains a fun-to-drive factor. Where else can you get such a long list of features for the money?

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  Danger - 2010 Scion XD
  By tradwnd - February 21 - 8:49 pm

  My son had an accident late in 2012. The accident was bad and the car was destroyed. None of the air bags deployed and injuries were incured. I asked Toyota/Scion to inspect the car to see if there was a problem. After months I finally got a response which basically said that the car performed as designed. I asked for a copy of the report because the answer was suspect. They told me "the bumper, grill and hood and vaious engine components crushed as designed, thereby absorbing and lowering much of the collisions forces." This was the reason the air bags did not deploy. I am not an auto engineer but the car was totaled and first responders at the accident scene were very concerned.

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  Wheeeeeee! - 2006 Scion XB
  By sk8teacher - February 21 - 4:54 am

  Bought my xB a year ago with 28K miles on it. Pure stock with automatic. Driving around the Northern VA/DC area averaging 32-33mpg, max mpg was a trip between NVA and Williamsburg - 38mpg. Ride is OK for a small car, handling fantastic. Keep the RPMs around 3K and your mpg will be great (that will give you 70mph on the highway). I call it my mini-truck. Hauls a LOT of stuff. I plan on running until it dies! Maintenance costs are a bit stiff if you follow the book and go to the dealer, but overall a fantastic little car.