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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  my scion - 2008 Scion XD
  By bluedolphinn - September 13 - 9:13 am

  Its a good first time buys. Mileage is great if on highway when using cruise control i could get to about 35-40 mpg depending on my chosen speed. I have no family so the back room is just enough for me and for girls weekend. I helped my friend move and the folding chairs were adequate. The pick up speed going on a highway is a bit slow, I dont like to press the pedal so fast.

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  i cant believe it - 2005 Scion TC
  By kritta21 - September 11 - 11:40 pm

  The quality and the handling of this car for $16,100. Im 29, drive 35 mi a day and cant WAIT to get into that car any chance i get! I volunteer to drive everwhere now!

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  Favorite Car - 2006 Scion XB
  By faye - September 11 - 12:53 am

  I have had my Scion xB for six months and I still have a smile when I get in and drive!

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  Owned for a 18 months - 2008 Scion XD
  By kenct - September 9 - 10:56 pm

  The first time I saw this Barcelona Red Scion I loved it and it has proven to be a good purchase. I needed a reliable car to bomb about town and for short range (<500 miles) highway trips, although took did a 2000 mile trip and car preformed great. I also needed good cargo capacity and excellent gas mileage. It has proven itself on all counts. The red color is very easy to spot among all the silver cars in big parking lots. I also keep the rear seat down for hauling cargo; mostly golf clubs and groceries.

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  2005 Scion xB automatic - 2005 Scion XB
  By Kelly - September 9 - 4:10 am

  I love my Scion xB. I am a mom and this vehicle gets me where we need to go safely. It is great on gas which is especially nice with the cost these days.

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  Right Product, Right Place, Right Time - 2005 Scion XB
  By mark - September 8 - 5:13 am

  The High Price of Gas, made us look at this vehicle, and due to the lack of availablitiy of this vehicle. We were not the only 30 y.o. + looking at this XB. Solar Yellow, will take some getting used to. Though high finishing quality, fun to drive factor and low gas mileage makes this car a great car. Detroit, Stuttgart time to catch up. Oh and by the way can hold an Irish Wolfhound with one seat down with no problem. More HP may be wanted! and Side airbags but apart from that no complaints oh and did I say all this for 16K. Ha!

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  I Love This Car - 2004 Scion XB
  By kurt joyce - September 6 - 2:00 am

  The cars Styling was what first caught my attention because it was different. So upon further investigation I came to realize that it wasnt just a neet look it was in fact a Toyota. The vehicle meets many needs there is room for my children, dog (in back) and even if you are 65" you can sit comfortably in the back seat. The milage is 35 highway, the list of standard options is unbeliavable for 14,500.00. Bravo Toyota, Bravo Indeed !!!

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  Best Small Car Bargain - 2006 Scion TC
  By steve - September 5 - 9:33 pm

  This car has shined and l dont mean just the paint. This is the best car l have owned since and l have owned 2 American cars and trucks, a German car, and an Audi A4. It reminds me a lot of that car but for thousands of dollars less.

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  Love my car - 2009 Scion XD
  By daychele - September 4 - 6:13 pm

  I love my Scion. I drove a Jeep Wrangler before. I still have it but the gas mileage was killing me. I drive a lot. Got in April, has 17,500 on it. It is responsive, handles very well. It has plenty of room for my family of 4. The stereo(base) it great. The gas mileage is much better than advertised. I get 34 on a bad day. Some days 39-40. Curb height is good. It is fun to drive. Routinely drive 75 on the interstate. Not at all squirrely. It goes were you put it. Corners well, stops great. The dealer is also responsive and great to deal with.

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  Better than the minivan for gas! - 2006 Scion xA
  By Bob - September 3 - 6:16 pm

  The great thing about this car was that it had a lot of features for the small price. I read in this review how many are able to get great gas mileage but unfortunately I am not really able to come close to many of these. For example, just city driving alone I get 25-26 mpg. When I make 1 freeway trip at least once a week, that will jump to 29-30 mpg, so I know the potential is there for greater mpg. Now, even with its "low" mpg, its still a great car. I am almost 200 lbs, plus the local street I take to work, you really cant "take it easy" with the gas otherwise you could get a lot of people mad at you. So it is with semi- to aggressive driving that I get this mpg.