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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Xb Review - 2005 Scion XB
  By Jim - August 14 - 6:50 pm

  Selected because of its combination of its very short length (needed in my short garage space) and its incredible headroom. I had one of the first xBs in our area, and it got lots of looks and questions. It rides pretty well, and is easy to park, but the manual transmission feels and sounds like there should be an additional gear for smooth highway cruising. Glad I bought the car - its great for milage, shopping hops around town, and taking guests to dinner.

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  Spitfire on Wheels - 2005 Scion TC
  By Peter - August 12 - 4:30 pm

  I owned a 4-door Altima before this car. There is no comparison. First of all, the car looks like a million bucks, inside and out. Secondly, the engine is not only adequate, but also well-laid-out and easy to work on. The handling is responsive and very playful. Did I mention that it looks like a million bucks? BTW, baby blue is definitely the best color for it :)

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  2005 Scion xB - Great Little Car - 2005 Scion XB
  By Wilf - August 11 - 11:13 pm

  The Scion xB gets great gas milage, is inexpensive, looks great, and is a Toyota. With all the features standard it is a great value.

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  Ive been meaning to write something for awhile. - 2006 Scion xA
  By super__scion - August 10 - 2:49 pm

  When I was shopping far my first car in 2008, I had relied a lot on edmunds.com reviews. I was fortunate enough to see a scion xA for sale near me and immediately looked into it. Ive been meaning to put my 2 cents on here about this car: I LOVE IT. If you are on the fence about going with a scion xA, hop the fence, and go get that car. Its extremely efficient, fits everywhere, fun to drive, impressively roomy for such a small design, and just a really great vehicle. Im so glad I went with it, great first car, looking forward to keeping it that way for many years to come. Ive had it for four years and Im still always happy to see it in front of my house!

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  I like it very much - 2005 Scion XB
  By XB - August 8 - 12:43 am

  This was my daughters dream car and she only had 900 miles on it when she was murdered. It is now my office on wheels as l work in many places. l have tried to make it a tribute to her, the license plate is her screen name and her name Vanessa, means butterfly; it is covered in butterflies now. l get comments on the butterflies all the time, usually from women, however, even a guy gives a thumbs up now and then as he passes me driving his own xB. l would give the car up in a second along with anything else to have my baby back but feel a bit closer to her driving the car she wanted long before it became available in Florida.

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  Great Car - 2004 Scion xA
  By dave806 - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I went to the dealer looking for an ECHO and came away with a SCION. The SCION is based on the ECHO (which I hear is being discontinued), but is so much better looking. Add to this all the standard options you get that you would have to pay for with the ECHO and the SCION is by far the better deal.

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  Love my Tc - 2005 Scion TC
  By jagon09 - August 1 - 8:23 pm

  I bought my Tc used with only 23k miles. very rare to find an 05 vehicle with such low miles for a three year old car. it is very sporty and has a very good turn radius. love the pioneer system in it i put it on feel and its good to go. handling is very good and it handles curves very well around corners even at speeds of 80mph. not sure bout mpg yet considering im still calculating but it is way better than my old truck. i bought this car as an alternate to a mustang since my mother said i couldnt have one considering im still 17. but i love this car and what else is awesome is that it has the same name as my dad, his name is TC too. lol

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  awesome car! - 2004 Scion xA
  By matt arcuri - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Awesome and fun car to drive. Lokk of it is weird at first, but then it grows on you and you really start to like it. Always get looks from other drivers. car handles beautifuly, with a good amount of power for a 4-cyl. Great gas milage too! Awesome car all-around!

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  Best Review of an xB ever! - 2004 Scion XB
  By cbpubhead - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Let me tell you..I bought an xB in Nov. of 2003 and only having it for about a month now it is the best and most fun car i have driven EVER..this car gets so much attention its ridiculous.. everyone asks "what the heck is that".. It takes a while for the style of the car to grow on them but everyone seems to love it..I cant give a higher recommedation to any car out there right now because i have already have had so much fun in this car..buy one! you wont regret it

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  The Best Little Box - 2004 Scion XB
  By Angie Bear - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I got my Scion in October. This is a great car for any age range. For teenagers theres a great soundsystem that comes standard, and tons of room for friends. For people that like to travel, it has great fuel economy and the rear bench seat is removable for extra space. Taller people have lots of head space, and their long legs are not crammed. Its great to drive, & so quiet. It may not have a big engine, but its got a lot of zip when you need it.