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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Cant beat that - 2008 Scion TC
  By sportex - October 13 - 4:13 pm

  After pitching in a few extra bucks for the TRD parts. Id say its worth the extra money to upgrade. Acceleration is proportional to the weight of the car. Enough to get up and go but not so much that you cant control the vehicle. This car looks like a $28k vehicle and gets plenty of looks around town. The sound system is very nice for a factory system. You cant beat the reliability on this vehicle. Having said that, the manual transmission seems to feel like it should have one more gear. The fuel economy seems to suffer when driving in traffic. But overall I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a sports car without the outrageous MSRP and insurance costs.

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  My little toaster - 2008 Scion XD
  By matt from ct - October 11 - 8:36 pm

  Just got the car almost a month ago, and so far so good. Gas mileage is amazing, although I find interior space and legroom a little small. But its not bad considering Im a big fella. I understand that I had to give up some of the spaciousness of my prior car (98 jeep g.c) to enjoy the superb mileage. Handling seems a little mushy around corners on the highway, and I think eventually Ill add the TRD rear sway bar, which is supposed to improve handling tremendously. The car is very versatile with the folding/reclining rear seats, and is perfect for a car seat. Easy to get the kids in and out. A fit driver told me he wishes he got the xd, since the Fit can barely get out of its own way.

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  Lovin my xA - 2005 Scion xA
  By Chrissy - October 11 - 6:36 pm

  I just bought my xA this weekend and I havent had it even a week and I just cant believe how much I got for such little money. This car had everything I was looking for. I wanted something with great gas mileage, I wanted 4 doors, reliability, something I could take my Rottie in, and something with a decent stereo. The xA wasnt even on my list to consider. I thought they were cute but for some reason I over looked it. When I went to the dealership there were 2 on the lot a silver one that had been owned by a obvious previous smoker. Then there was my blue one that had much higher miles then what I was looking for but with a 3 year bumper to bumper not an issue anymore.

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  Love it but whats up with the brakes? - 2006 Scion xA
  By San Antonio - October 10 - 1:33 am

  I bought the car brand new and have had it for over 2 years. I love the car, but am wondering whether anyone has had problems with their brakes. At 20,000 I had all the pads replaced. Now at 45,000 I had to have the rotors replaced. Im not a braking type of driver. Also, I used to get over 35 mpg now Im down to about 26 mpg. What could be the problem? Other than that, the car has been wonderful.

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  Supercharged - 2006 Scion TC
  By Brian - October 8 - 6:00 pm

  3 and half years and 41,000 miles later the car still runs like the day I drove it off the lot. Since I just recently paid it off, I decided to buy and install the TRD Supercharger to renew my overall interest in the car. This upgrade brings my performance rating from a 7.0 to a 9.5 (rounded to 10). The charger is smooth and quiet and makes 2nd through 5th gear a blast. The manual gearbox is fun once you become acquainted with the clutch. The car just looks gorgeous with ground effects and spoiler. I loved my tC before the forced induction but now were on a whole new level.

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  The car of your dreams - 2005 Scion TC
  By Rashed - October 8 - 10:00 am

  The car is cheap. The interior is cheap and the there isnt alot of room in the car. The backseats dont have much room. At a stoplite when I am in front, the car next to always beats me.

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  Years of Homework Pay Off - 2006 Scion TC
  By Steve C - October 6 - 12:26 am

  When looking for a new car, I had a little list of things that I was looking for 1) Looks 2) Reliability 3) Good gas mileage 4) Fun to drive. The car that always seemed to stand out was the Scion tC. What put the tC over the top for me was the Release Series 2.0. The color is awesome and the alcantara seats are just as great. Mechanically, the car is solid. Its definitely not a sports car, but drives extremely smoothly and quiet. Its handling is OK, but accurate. There is a lot more room on the inside than it looks. The back seats have tons of leg and hip room, but the head room is a little lacking. This is a great daily driver that gives you what you need and some stuff you want without costing a ton. If you see many tCs on the road, its for a reason.

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  More to follow! - 2006 Scion XB
  By Pkr Bkr - October 2 - 6:23 pm

  We purchased this car as a B-day gift for my Wifes brother, and kept it garaged for 2 months. Before we gave it to him, but after only driving it 30 + miles my Wife was ready to get herself one. Which has not happened since we bought her 1979 Rabbit Diesel, but will happen as soon as the Diesel dies, its cylinder head is finally going after + 200,000 miles.

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  Defects - 2007 Scion TC
  By lynn - October 2 - 8:46 am

  The drivers seat within a year of owning my car, when pushing forward to clean and get into the backseat, the seat will not stay in the forward position, it will roll back on you. But the other seat will stay forward. Has anyone else had this problem with the seat ?

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  still fun after 2 years - 2008 Scion XB
  By charlieplex - October 2 - 3:00 am

  Ive had this car over 2 years and have racked up over 55,000 miles. I still find the xB very enjoyable to drive. The only problem Ive had is with the rubber strips that run along the roof. I had 2 blow off shortly after running it through a car wash. They were both replaced under warranty. It runs like a champ and easily cruises down the highway at 80+ mph. The kids prefer it to our other cars because they have so much room in the back seat. Im 61 and there is plenty of room in there. I average 27- 28 mpg and Id classify myself as a pretty aggressive driver. Ive driven conservatively a few times and have gotten 400 miles on a single tank of gas.