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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Very nice... - 2005 Scion xA
  By roszada - August 20 - 8:46 am

  I put almost 30,000 on my Scion xA and have had no problems whatsoever. It is getting between 32-34 mpg driving in the city on regular gas. The only negative thing is that you need to let the engine warm-up, otherwise it will keep transmission in lower gear untill it reaches "warm" status.

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  Buy an xB - 2008 Scion XB
  By Dave - August 17 - 1:03 pm

  I was looking for a small car with good gas mileage that could seat 2 adults and three small children. I researched and test drove numerous cars in the same category, Honda Fit, Civic, etc. Nothing else even compared. The new xB is great! I thought the first one was interesting but there was no way I was going to drive a go-cart on the freeway. The 2008 is a huge improvement.

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  Try the Scion xB - 2006 Scion XB
  By Dick - August 16 - 2:43 pm

  Having just purchased a Scion xB, I could not beleive the features it has that would normally be options on other vehicles. The car has good zip around town and climbs the hills in NE Georgia without difficulty. It felt really good on the first fill up after getting a solid thirty-one mpg. It handles very much like a sports car.

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  It could be better - 2005 Scion TC
  By RobLewiston - August 14 - 5:03 am

  The storage room in this car is great. I had four 16" wheels and tires from my truck in the back once - no problem! Love the reclining back seat. The front seats have good support, but the leg room in the front is cramped. The stereo sounds best when it is turned up loud. The power is amazing for a car of this type and it is fun to drive.

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  great car for the price - 2006 Scion TC
  By tomed81 - August 13 - 8:30 am

  I would def recommend this car to anyone I have had this car since it was a yr old bought it w 22k on it it now has 68k and have never had one thing ever wrong with it I bought an extended warranty and now am realizing I wont need it I changed the break pads once and thats all it needed very easy to maintain your self and w a few after market parts its even better I put lowering springs cold air intake and trd exhaust and its def quicker def wont beat an si or corolla xrs but is def quicker than other similarly priced cars I have had only hondas and im impressed with my Toyota although if I could have afforded it I prob woulda got the si but none the less this I am happy with the tc

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  New 2011 Scion tC - 2011 Scion TC
  By clb - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Just traded our 2007 tC for the new 2011 tC and so far we are very pleased. Went with Concrete color. Happy with the performance, ride and gas mileage. Love the new interior look. Just a few things they changed that I am not happy with. The headlights do not shut-off automatically as they did before. The windows do not automatically go up and down with just a "flick" of the switch. You have to hold it the whole time you open/close it (safety issue?) Also found odd that there is only one (1) back-up light that works. This is the way it was manufactured - I am having people tell me one of my back-up lights is out now. These changes could not have been that big of "cost-savings"?

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  just love my little car. - 2012 Scion IQ
  By theoldman69 - August 11 - 10:47 pm

  it run great, love the car, first time i seen it, the color is very cool. lot of people ask me about the little car. you will save a lot on gas to.

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  From BMW X5 to Scion xB - 2009 Scion XB
  By Former BMW Owner - August 9 - 5:36 pm

  I went from driving a BMW X5 4.4i to Scion xB and I dont regret the move. The xB is fun to drive and handles great! This purchase made economic sense and I recommend it as it averaging about 27-28 MPG. One of the easiest cars to get in and out of, very roomy inside. Lots of standard feature for the low price. I just cant say enough good things about it. It comes from a company that i feel is very reliable when it comes to maintenance as my second vehicle is a 98 4Runner which has 198,688 and still running with no problem.

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  Toaster Box - 2005 Scion XB
  By Rudy - August 8 - 6:26 am

  I bought this little wagon as a "grocery getter" for my wife. But before a month was over I took it as my daily commuter to work. I am 64" & drive 50+ miles a day. Nothing on the market offers this much space w/ great fuel economy at an affordable price. My kids love this ride, they ask to take the toaster on trips over our Tahoe. At 30,0000 miles I still average 33 MPG w/ auto transm and have had no problems.

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  awsome - 2004 Scion XB
  By yoey - August 8 - 2:00 am

  It was a very very fun/cool car to drive and own.