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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Problems with the Scion xa model - 2005 Scion xA
  By T Dutcher - October 8 - 12:00 am

  Problems noted by consumers and reviewers. A/C not cold, Nose dive on hard stops, Wind nosie, Road nosie, No pick up. Now that I own a Scion heres my personal review. I previously drove a 95 toyota trecel with 133000 miles on it. For an economy car the xa has plenty of pick up. I can pass with ease, and get off the red light quick. A+ lots of pep. A/C they fixed that on the 2005 models. Hard stop dive. It is noticable if you slam the brakes down all the way to stop suddenly, but it is controlable and not worrisome. Nosie, wind is minimal even at 75 mph. Road, it could be a little better. Rough road = noise. This car is roomy, peppy, and a best buy in my book. A++ for its class.

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  Great Car - 2008 Scion XB
  By Jay Cutler - October 6 - 5:40 pm

  Car has been great. Roomy and comfortable. Acceleration is good. Sound system is awesome including the iPod connector.

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  A fun, economical, and reliable car. (Stereo rocks too!) - 2012 Scion XD
  By bubba_hotep - October 4 - 5:53 pm

  My wifes 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe recently died (transmission) so we were in the market for a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. We took the Toyota Yaris (VERY small, no cargo room, lacking features) Honda Fit (Lots of cargo space but interior was *meh*, ugly exterior and overpriced) Nissan Versa (JUNK!) and Chevy Sonic (not bad, sporty but $20K was too much) for test drives. A co-worker suggested the xD. I took her 2009 for a spin and loved it. Went to the dealer the next day and bought a 2012 xD base (auto). Paid $15,500 out the door, exactly what I wanted to spend. A month later, this car has 1K miles on it and is sipping gas (avg. 33mpg) and the wife loves it. Handles well in the rain too!

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  A Car Thats Sensitive to Current World Needs... - 2006 Scion xA
  By Alejandro - October 2 - 4:13 pm

  At a time when the our (US) goverment mentioned our dependency-addiction to oil, the Scion xA brings the right mixture for a commuting car that includes excellent gas mileage, confort, looks and a low price with a conventional engine.

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  Impressed - 2004 Scion XB
  By Jim Thomson - October 1 - 2:00 am

  We just picked up our Scion xB last week and I have to say that I was very impressed. The engine feels like it has a lot more power than 108 hp. Everyone that has seen the car has commented very positively on the car looks and interior room. Not too bad for a car that was under $15,000.

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  Fun to Drive + Reliability = Scion - 2008 Scion TC
  By collegedude - September 30 - 10:46 pm

  This is a great car for anybody to drive. The styling inside and out is amazing. Scion is made by Toyota so the car is safe and reliable. Im a college student so it fits me perfectly.

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  Needs an armrest! - 2005 Scion xA
  By kevin - September 30 - 6:06 am

  Have had this car for 8 months. Great gas mileage, average 36, have gotten as high as 39. Im 61 and have had several back surgeries, so seats are important. I find these to be pretty comfortable with good lumbar support. Overall it is a great little car.

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  Awesome Car for Size and Price - 2004 Scion XB
  By laughattack911 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Scions are my new saving grace, low price for a high performing car with sporty styling.

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  Incredible Value - 2005 Scion TC
  By TC Be - September 26 - 10:00 am

  The tC is the total package: fun to drive, gorgeous to look at and the quality and value is amazing. The engine is strong and TRD muffler growls to announce your arrival.

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  Love this Amazing vehicle! - 2012 Scion XB
  By William McCoy - September 21 - 9:25 am

  Very recently bought a used 2012 Scion xB Wagon, 2.4L I-4, 16-valve, ohc, 5-spd Manual, to replace my hard-driven 97 Toyota Tacoma Xtra Cab with 221,800+ miles. My Tacoma also had an earlier iteration of the same power plant as the xB. Consumer Reports review for the 2012 xB are all full red dots (excellent) except for Trim/Paint, which was half-a-red-dot (very good). The example I found and bought had been a personal lease vehicle, returned to its original dealership, with only around 15, 586 miles on it; very low for a 2012. I consider myself fortunate to have gotten this car. This is a very dependable, long-used Toyota engine design. Build and assembly quality is very solid. I have yet to put 500 miles on this vehicle, but I absolutely love driving it, and its getting better as Im becoming accustomed to the feel and handling. Positives: Handling: Very quick; sports-car like. Small turning circle accentuates this. Front-wheel drive also accentuates this, tending to understeer because the steering wheels are also the driving wheels. Cornering: like being on rails; flat, little tip; the boxy shape is deceptively stable. Very wide stance plus low profile; a box with a wheel on each corner. Center of gravity is pretty low; not as low as a Subaru or Porsche, which have boxer engine configurations that lay flat, but its still great. The I-4 engine is tilted back slightly with the weight approximately centered over the front wheels. Most fun Ive had since I first drove a 64 VW Beetle 4-speed. Clutch: Moderately light; easy to hold; an advantage in LA traffic. A bit grippy in 1st, shift to 2nd quickly and smooths out. Brakes: As much as I have so far experienced, the 4-wheel discs bring it to a stop really fast. Vented discs in front, solid discs in rear. Gearing: Surprisingly, what seems to me to be a little low; at 70 miles per hour, Im running 3,000 rpm in 5th (my 97 Tacoma with same engine but rear-wheel drive, ran 2500 at 70 mph). However, I can see the logic of the design, because theyve tweaked it to be just under its peak torque curve at common highway speeds. You can still accelerate away pretty well in 5th without downshifting. The tach doesnt show redline until 6500 rpm! If gearing were slightly higher, fuel mileage could probably be improved a bit, but it might not be as much fun to drive! Interior: Nice fit and finish. Little cubby bins everywhere, cup/can holders front and rear. Drivers seat could benefit from an infinitely-adjustable electric design. While this model features tilt-telescope steering wheel, and a six-way manually adjustable seat, the slightly odd driving position within the confines of the "box" cry out for more adjustability, particularly with the 5-speed, because of active clutching and braking. Automatic drivers wont care. The manual adjustable seat adjusts seat-cushion angle, seat-back angle, and forward-backward seat position. There is no height adjustment The seat adjustments, plus the steering adjustments mean most drivers can find a combination that is CLOSE to what they want, but they wont be able to make it PERFECT. Many Toyota models without electric seats suffer from this problem. Weakest spot, by far, Scion: INADEQUATE SUN-VISORS. The big windows, which contribute to great visibility for most drivers, ALSO puts ones head at a low angle compared to the top line of the windows, thus allowing indiscriminate BLINDING BY THE LIGHT. A simple fix would be to use sun-visors with those slide-out-the-end panels to extend them the full width of the window, thus keeping our eyes functioning. Dont forget to bring your "shades" when you drive, and wear headgear with a bill or brim. Inadequate cargo area lighting: One little light on the left side of the rearmost cargo area. Low, and manually switched. Better placed above, inside the top of the hatch frame to spread light over the area. Flat floor due to front-wheel drive allows for lower placement of space-saver spare, and a "storage tray" which rests on top of the spare, but under the floor panel. And in my particular car, carpeted/monogrammed mat on top of that. Storage cubbies around the spare under the floor panel, and open storage bins on right and left side of cargo floor. There was room for more storage on inside of rear roof support pillars, if it had been utilized. In the molded paneling, there are depressions as if some designer thought about making a storage bin, but just didnt follow through with it. As I said, I havent had this car very long, but I anticipate driving it for a WHILE, and enjoying every minute of it. So far, have seen very few things to criticize. My biggest disappointment was reading in someone elses review that Scion will not be making the xB after 2016—is that right? Thats a shame, because its a great car. Of course, the up side is, that itll make mine worth more down the road, because itll still be desirable!!