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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Fun commuter car - 2005 Scion xA
  By Rainier commuter - October 21 - 8:30 am

  The Scion xa makes an excellent commuter car due to its gas milage. I am currently averaging 34mpg. It has adequate power for driving on the highway. I have no problems keeping up the the "big boys". I also enjoy driving it in the city since its compact size makes it very easy to manuver around traffic. Also , I was impressed with the equipment that came standard. The only option I had to buy was the automatic transmission. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Good Choice - 2006 Scion XB
  By Joe - October 19 - 2:46 pm

  Im a courior and this vehicle meets all my demands. It has great comfort, fuel economy and reliability. It handles road perfectly. I do lots of highway travel and 18 wheelers dont even intimadate me. The xB is a great handler for small vehicle. I am very happy with it.

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  The bomb - 2004 Scion xA
  By markd - October 19 - 2:00 am

  All i can say it is the best car I have ever owned

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  Blue X Box - 2004 Scion XB
  By The Hud - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely love it. However I guess I may have busted Toyotas young culture theroy wide open as I am a 51 year old man. I have the AT version and I dont get all the fuss about nonperformance. The box is fun to drive on winding runs and although not a pocket rocket seems to get to Interstate speed adequately. Seats are more than comfortable and the rest of the standard features are great. BTW my wife loves it too!

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  Whats In Da Box?!?! - 2004 Scion XB
  By verbalaweSITI - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Its a car that has definitely got many people in the Virginia Beach area intrigued thats for sure. People just cant get over the design and roomy interior of "the box." The drive is real smooth with the occasional feel for bumps. The strut bar I got has really made cornering a thing of beauty. All of the lighting options inside the car have caught the attention of many, not to mention the single speedometer display. The sound quality is excellent with 3 sound settings and the "hear" setting is like nothing Ive ever heard. I can hear it thumping on the outside with factory Pioneer speakers. Definitely a crowd pleaser and a good family car as well.

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  Wow! (I say it louder!) - 2009 Scion XB
  By jc - October 18 - 1:43 pm

  Im 64" and this is a perfect car for me. Ive been a big truck person, but I have less need for that size vehicle. I really enjoy this feisty little wagon. I have back problems, but the cars seats fit me perfectly and I can drive hundreds of miles with no pain. It is no sports car, but it is sporty and fun to drive. I have music gear I haul around frequently, so its a great "gigging" car. My two kids dig it as well. I like the automatic, it shifts just when I think it should and compliments the torquey 2.4 L well. The sound system is decent too, supporting 3 digital music formats on CD, plus a cool iPod interface. For the money, its hard to beat. Toyota did good with this car.

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  Best Buy - 2007 Scion TC
  By varsity714 - October 16 - 10:40 pm

  This is the very first car that I have bought on my own. I love all the features for the price that I paid. It was incredibly easy to finance, since Scion provides finance programs for those who are first time buyers and the interest rate isnt outrageous. This is a great car with plenty of room for four passengers. I love it!

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  By far my favorite!!! - 2007 Scion TC
  By Heather - October 16 - 7:50 pm

  This is my favorite purchase ever! I was looking for something smaller and a little sportier and I couldnt be happier. It has just enough cargo room and Im surprised at what Ive been able to fit in the trunk when I put the back seats down. The doors are nice and long which makes it easy for people to get into the back seat. I have to say that Im really happy with the amount of interior storage spaces and cup holders, my friends and I use my car to go everywhere and were always comfortable and we have a lot of fun. The only thing I miss about my previous car is the automatic headlights. When I first bought this car, I kept forgetting to turn the headlights on and off.

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  10,000 Miles, 6 Month Review - 2006 Scion TC
  By Jeff - October 16 - 6:40 am

  I just hit 10,000 miles after six months of driving everyday. The tC is a great car, fun to drive, averaging 27-28 miles per gallon, or 350 miles per tank. Did I mention that it is fun to drive? It offers more room than most two door sport cars. My biggest complaint is that it rattles. First the radio (dealer fixed it) now behind my head in the head liner area. It is going to the shop this week. The iPod radio is great. I have no regrets.

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  2005 Scion Xb - 2005 Scion XB
  By Mark - October 15 - 12:20 am

  With the gas prices on the rise, I quickly got tired of spending so much $$ on gas.. As I was researching used cars with good gas economy, I had found 2 cars that I liked. After doing more research on the Xb and finding out this model was first sold in Japan in 2000, it became a popular car. Saw all the great reviews and finally went for the plunge. The unorthodox design of the car reminds me of the compacts you would normally see in Japan. I test drove both auto and manual and was surprised that this compact had decent power. The manual transmission which has a high gear ratio which helps tremendously for acceleration. I ended up picking up a nice used one from a local Toyota dealer.