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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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:

• 

  xb scion - 2005 Scion XB
  By big boy - July 22 - 10:00 am

  excellent car with many extras. very fun and turns alot of heads.

• 

  GREAT CAR - 2005 Scion TC
  By E. A. DALY - July 22 - 10:00 am

  A GREAT CAR TO DRIVE AND OWN. THE COLOR SELECTIONS ARE WONDERFUL AND THE STANDARD OPTIONS ARE MORE THAN ON ANY OTHER CAR WE LOOK AT. tHE SCION TC WE BE A GREAT FIRST OWNER CAR FOR A GROWNING FAMILY.

• 

  The Best I Have - 2005 Scion TC
  By RASSPEED - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I Love My Tc it is better than I imagined

• 

  A car I can count on - 2010 Scion XD
  By sheryl - July 22 - 2:40 am

  After a rough economic year, I got rid of my BMW roadster because of a fear of repairs. The Scion xd is just what I needed. We do not want to head out on road trips with our large SUV. The cargo space in the xd is huge after driving a roadster, and despite reviews regarding power - the xd engine is snappy enough. The GM models I drove sounded like screaming chipmunks on the freeway. I have economy, dependability, and piece of mind that it is a Toyota product. Oh...and my dog gets to go everywhere with me now, too.

• 

  My herbie loaded - 2008 Scion XD
  By Stephanie - July 21 - 11:30 pm

  I was in the market for a Toyota Prius, but was not going to pay 30,000 as price due to demand. I drove the Prius and found it to awkward and had no extras at this price. My husband use to drive an Scion XA so I looked at the only one left on the lot and found it to be exactly what I wanted, good fuel economy, fun to drive, and lots of extras, and affordable. I would highly recommend this car with todays climbing gas prices. My 12 yr old son claim it to be his when he turns 16, so it must be hip.

• 

  Love My Scion XB - 2009 Scion XB
  By Susan Donatelli - July 21 - 9:00 pm

  Ive only had my Scion XB for a week, but I just love the way it handles making turns, sitting in it is so comfortable, gas mileage is very good. It has so much room. It drives so smooth that I have to watch my speed because I dont realize that Im going that fast. The drivers door arm rest could be a little higher but that isnt a big deal. Definitely would recommend it.

• 

  Scion xD = Toyota Corolla hatchback - 2008 Scion XD
  By Ken - July 19 - 10:33 am

  I bought this car along with my trade in of a 93 Honda Civic. I researched similar cars of this type and budget including the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris and Honda Civic. It was a final contest between the xD and the Civic but I found out that Scion is Toyota and the xD uses the same 2ZR-FE engine as in her more expensive cousin, Toyota Corolla. The fact that my last Civic died on me at a red light in a crime infested neighborhood during after hours tells me much about Hondas true reliability.

• 

  Never thought Id drive this - 2008 Scion XB
  By Terry - July 15 - 3:10 am

  When a friend of mine told me to go look at the xB when I was in the market for a small SUV I called him CRAZY. I swore I was not driving a box. Well, this box is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. It has awesome power and handling. Gas mileage is wonderful since I came from a Nissan Titan. I have all the extras like the Pioneer enhanced radio, rear spoiler, fog lights, overhead console, illuminated door sills, 17" rims, and under dash and cupholder neon lights. All this makes my xB even more unique than it already is. It is a great and fun car for the price, I would recommend it to anyone. Actually a month after I bought mine, my mom bought one too. We are now an xB family.

• 

  tCs Own Civics - 2007 Scion TC
  By XtcFast - July 12 - 10:56 pm

  Im 18 years old and this is my first real car. I had a 1990 Nissan Maxima for a while. This car is everything I wanted and more. It looks nice inside and out, has enough power to have fun, everything is high quality, and its fully loaded bone stock all for under $18,000. This car is best car you can get under $20,000, no other company will have two moonroofs, 17 inch rims, keyless entry, and a MP3 headunit come stock. The car has nice pickup especially 2nd gear and its ride is sooooo smooth. Its like youre gliding. I recommend this car for anyone.

• 

  Love my new Scion xB - 2006 Scion XB
  By Pete - July 11 - 6:23 pm

  When I first viewed this car (Scion XB) it seemed to be designed for the 20 something crowd. It was aimed at the same demographic as the Honda Element. However,it seemed to me that there were many more 30, 40, 50, and 60 somethings driving the Elements that I saw. So I decided to test drive an Element and fell in love with it. It was a short romance, because then I decided to test drive a Scion xB. That was it. This car was $5,000 cheaper than a comparably equipped Element, got 10 miles per gallon better mileage, and was more fun to drive. Im not in Toyotas planned demographic for an xB either. Im a 71 year old retired college professor.