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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  My gocart with an A/C - 2011 Scion XB
  By bilbowill - November 23 - 10:00 am

  Just that, it preforms like a 158 hp go cart, , I chose the White color with Gray/black interior, , the center dash does take some getting used to, but I got over that as soon as I plugged my iPod, , and my iphone in, I even use my iphone as the iPod and can get calls, the cargo area is large enough to slid my 3 wheel bike in I get 30.2 mpg in the city, , thats great, , went from a murano, with only 64 cubic feet of storage to this, , 70 cf, its great

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  What fun! - 2008 Scion XD
  By kstroup - November 18 - 1:00 pm

  This is a great, funky car. Because of the driver position I feel like Im driving an SUV, but it handles like a sporty little car! Plenty of room for passengers. Has great pickup when you need to accelerate fast. Good gas mileage for a non-hybrid vehicle (averaging 33 MPG and I drive mostly city).

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Scion XB
  By Kathy - November 17 - 3:03 am

  I traded in my luxury van for better mileage. At first I thought I had made a mistake because I have had vans for 14 years so this was a big jump backwards at first thought. Ive driven it for a few days now and I actually like it, the mileage is great and its fun to drive. Thought this was only for the younger crowd but everyone I see driving it is my age (almost 40) or older. Glad I made the decision to buy a Scion xB I think Ill be real happy when I finally need gas!

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  Dont Let the "Toaster" Deceive You - 2008 Scion XB
  By cmoriarty7 - November 16 - 9:38 am

  As someone who is 64", Im astounded by having 4 inches of clearance over my head when I sit in the car. At the same time, I loved having plenty of leg room in the rear even with the front seats all the way back.The trunk has held up to 4 sets of golf clubs as well. You cant go wrong with the city MPG constantly between 25-27 and the highway between 28-30. The Toyota turning radius and engine is a joy and the engine has enough pep that sub-160 HP feel like a lot more. The acceleration capability is hard to comprehend with the thought of it being a box. I never had a vital part come close to failing after 60K miles. The car also handled in a way that tire wear was incredibly slow.

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  xB = Fun - 2006 Scion XB
  By RLC - November 16 - 5:23 am

  The xB is fun to drive in the way that my VW van was fun to drive. It has lots of room inside and it is cheap to run. Load it up and go to the beach, or river or whereever.

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  A Love Affair to Remember.... - 2007 Scion TC
  By The Burds Nest - November 15 - 7:03 am

  I first saw this car in 2005 when they first came out. I have researched it for over two years and bought it FINALLY last night! This car handles like nothing else I have ever driven! The steering is nice and tight and it has no skips in acceleration when you hit the gas. I would recommend this car to anyone who wants a sporty ride with out the huge price tag that comes along with so many other cars in this class. Even though Im a new owner, the car has far exceeded any and all expectations I had, from the way it handles to the cars interior layout and ease of use with the controls! I am having a love affair and my husband is sooooo jealous!

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  Love my xB - 2004 Scion XB
  By memphissnow - November 14 - 10:00 am

  I went from a 2001 Honda Civic to the xB. Even though the Scion has less horsepower than the Civic, there is no noticable power difference. I Scion drives better than the Civic ever did. I love that I got a roomy car for a very reasonable price- and it turns out that I am expecting in November (Plenty of baby room!!). One thing that is for certain- the xB will get you attention- good or bad. (I am the first person in my West Tennessee area to be driving a Scion.) Overall- I love my Scion!!

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  Greatest Car I ever owned - 2004 Scion XB
  By NemoBronsky - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Only have 800 miles so far, but its by far the most fun car Ive ever driven. This car is a cruiser so speed isnt its strong point, but the standard options and suprisingly effective factory sound system more than make up for a lack of horsepower. A must own for first time new car buyers and the young at heart.

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  Reliability and gas mileage - 2010 Scion XB
  By Jim - November 11 - 8:23 am

  I just bought the 10 xB and couldnt be happier. We already have put almost 4K miles on it and it is a pleasure to drive. The gas mileage we found on the highway could get up to 30 mpg. All in all I would highly recommend this car.

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  realy cool - 2005 Scion TC
  By timothy - November 10 - 4:10 pm

  good all around car handles nice realy holds the road good accerlartion pretty good gas milege