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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Not great but a good compromise - 2009 Scion XB
  By Ron - September 20 - 7:03 pm

  I just finished reading a review about the Soul,Cube, and the XB. Scion is head over shoulders over the competition. I love the comfort, unlike Honda’s board covered up with fabric, when you sit on a Scion you feel like you’re on your lazyboy at home not as though you’re in some Chinese torture camp bench. Safety was a must for me, side curtain airbags, dual airbags, ABS, VSC, 4 wheel disk brakes, etc. I also love how everything is included in the pricing, none of this “oh you wanted a steering wheel? Well that’s extra” crap. This thing is loaded. Gas mileage. The 4 speed automatic transmission has got to go and be replaced with a 5 speed. This is key for MPG. As it stands now the gas mileag

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  Needs reliability improvements - 2004 Scion xA
  By cwalker5 - September 20 - 11:46 am

  Bought a leftover in March of 2005. Ive put on 55,000 miles since then. Had to replace both rear wheel bearings. The little Scion requires a whole hub assy. with integral reluctor be purchased, as the unit cannot be disassembled. $350.00 each. Add in some labor and it gets expensive fast. A cracked heater core also came at 44,000 miles. Wheel bearing failures and heater core breakage are not common failure modes on modern cars. The fact that the parts are not simple, reasonably priced or factory covered items makes me say, "Stay away from this car." I dont plan to get another one of these. If Scion recalls these and fixes them I might change my mind. Right now, no way.

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  Youll Love It!!! - 2006 Scion TC
  By J. Webb - September 16 - 6:23 am

  I traded in my 03 Hyundai Tiburon for a black tC and I couldnt be happier. I drive a lot of different late model cars and pickups at my job, but this tC is the perfect balance in my eyes of performance (160 horses is plenty if youre not planning on racing anybody), looks (I get plenty of double-takes at stoplights), and most importantly, VALUE. The features that come for the $18,000 or so you pay are EXCEPTIONAL.

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  OLD AND NEW - 2005 Scion XB
  By AUTO SALON USA - September 9 - 11:16 pm

  Well in 2006 I decided I was going to break down and buy a small cheap commuter again. Having lived in Japan I remembered small mini trucks and vans people use to modify and drive around town in fact the scion design is a copy of Toyota older Japanese model not available in the usa. So I bought one used and absolutely love it even though a lot of things were changed for the American market it still has the BASIC car coolness to it looks good drives good and reliability and the gas mileage at average 35 mpg no bad. As far as performance I dont think your gonna go to the racetrack anytime soon, at least in a factory version, and the ride for someone who lives in an area like NYC is a bit bumpy...

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  Nice car with a few quirks - 2008 Scion XD
  By Jeff - August 16 - 2:20 am

  This car is overall a great car to have. It gets good fuel economy, and has enough pick-up to get up to speed on the highway. The small design allows this car to be navigated through the tightest of spaces, while the height that you ride at almost makes you feel like you are riding in a SUV or a crossover. You do get looks driving in this car, I had a guy in an Acura looking up and down the side of it trying to figure out what I was driving!

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  Noisy - 2005 Scion TC
  By butterflyjones - August 12 - 4:10 am

  I took a test drive of about 10 miles in a 5-speed Scion tC today and felt it needs a lot more insulation for reduction of wind noise. The engine was fairly quiet at 3,000 rpms at about 70 mph. This cars rear cargo cover is not designed for use on a regular basis. It is very flimsy! Also, severely pulled to the right side when you took your hands off the steering wheel and when braking. I looked for the clutch reserivor and could not find it so a technician said it was included in with the brake reserivor so that eliminates having to put fluid in a seperate one. Changing my oil should be o.k. and the air cleaner is easy to get to. All the fluids were full and are easily accessible.

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  Great vehicle for the money - 2008 Scion XB
  By killonious - August 7 - 3:23 am

  This car is a great car for the money. Has the same engine as the 2007 Camry and Rav4 base models which are ~4k more. Has a lot of extras that a lot of cars in this price range do not have. The back seats have tons of leg room. This is a great car for a small family.

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  Nice little Scion - 2008 Scion XB
  By smokey63090 - August 5 - 4:53 pm

  I bought the vehicle new and have put almost 57k miles to date. Had some issues with dash rattles but dealer fixed under warranty. Reliable vehicle with good mpg but lacks refinement of other Toyota interiors. Very simple interior materials feel cheap. Great value as first car but I miss the luxury feel. Roomy interior with practicality.

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  Affordable and Efficient - 2006 Scion XB
  By wolverines1012 - August 3 - 2:26 am

  Though Ive only had this car for a few months, Ive taken it on five 800 mile trips (13-14 hours each). The car is very comfortable. I only wish I has sprung for the cruise control. It is very fuel efficient (30 mpg), yet less powerful than my 94 Ford Mustang, but for what I save in gas I wouldnt even consider complaining. The back seat is extremely roomy; everyone is surprised by how spacious the entire car is. I wanted a inexpensive and fuel-efficient vehicle that would be able to fit some cargo without any problems, and this is it. I like that this "toaster oven on wheels" looks different. If you are concerned about style, get the wheel upgrade, it really makes the car look nice.

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  Lots of fun and solid value - 2009 Scion TC
  By Devedander - August 1 - 12:50 pm

  After a rather long process I picked up my 09 TC and am very happy with pretty much everything about it. The basic stereo sounds quite decent and the tiny sub actually does a decent job of filling in the lows. Make sure to hold the SSP button for 5 seconds and change the mode from Tc (xB sounded best to me). The car feels plenty strong for normal driving and takes hills happily. Only cons I can think of so far are that the steering wheel sits a bit low (or the seat is high) and sits a bit too far forward so either its a bit far from you or the pedals are too close. The clutch also has unusually long travel which is a bit odd. Overall I am very happy, looks and drives great!