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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Great Buy! - 2004 Scion XB
  By TNTalliere - November 5 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive, not a hot rod but nice for cruising! Very comfortable and a lot of options for the price.

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  neatpackage - 2004 Scion xA
  By j. tarantino - October 16 - 10:00 am

  peppy at start but slow passing pickup on freeways.. neat little package and fun to drive. cool hi tech interior . car is a little on the light side. great toyota quality carried to the scion badge. good work.....

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  This is our 2nd Scion - 2005 Scion XB
  By Michelle - October 9 - 6:06 pm

  We have a 2004 Scion xB, and we just bought our 2nd. I have the solar yellow limited edition 2.0 and it ROCKS. We are in our 40s so were not the target "audience" for the Scion but we love them. So do our kids. Our son seems to think when he turns 16 next year that one of the Scions is his. NOT! We love the reliability, gas mileage, and interior roominess. The car has great pickup for a compact, and the interior has as much as room - and more leg room in the back seat - as the Jeep Grand Cherokee we just traded in for the new yellow one!

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  Love It - 2006 Scion XB
  By Linda - October 6 - 4:33 am

  There is a whole lot of room in this car. I can fit full size adults with room to spare. I love the height and the way it handles, better than expected. My fuel economy is averaging 32 mpg city and highway for an automatic. It is easy to fold the seats down and haul items. this is the first car I havent had to take back to the dealer for "corrections." It gets a lot of looks and it is completely custumizable to each individuals taste. Kind of like my motorcycle, others may have one but no two are alike.

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  Be Careful of the Paint - 2009 Scion XD
  By R. Voss - October 5 - 5:50 pm

  Our 2009 Scion XD has terrible paint. It is Nautical Blue and it is defective and scratches at the rub of your finger. Make sure you look at the paint before you take the car off the lot.

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  2007 Scion - 2007 Scion TC
  By Tayda - September 30 - 1:10 am

  I recently purchased my 2007 Scion tC, and have been pleasantly surprised. It is not as luxurious as the 2007 Civic, however, it is roomier, and gives the sense of being more "open." I loooove the cabin space, and pick up that this car has. It you drive slowly, you actually average 25-26 mpg on the city. For what I paid, I got a VERY good car! I highly recommend it!

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  Too Many Visits to the Service Shop... - 2007 Scion TC
  By toyota_luva - September 29 - 8:13 pm

  When I bought this car, I was thinking, cool, I dont have to worry about taking any trips to the shop, because Im quite busy. Yeah right, this car saw the shop more in its three months life than my Acura Integra did in its 11 year lifetime! Rattle this, rattle that, clutch disengaging when cold, bad engineering on the glass wind deflector/sunroof. Its like sitting under an exquisite chandelier during an earthquake. Its beautiful to look at, but deadly when things goes wrong. The coolest thing about this is, Toyota isnt really doing anything to fix it. I have an 07 tC and still had a hail of shattered glass fall into the cabin. Other than that, its a decent car with OK gas mileage

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  So Happy - 2014 Scion XB
  By sohappyowner - September 29 - 7:18 am

  I am really enjoying my XB. It rides nice and is comfortable. Bought it from Auto Nation in Buena Park, was a great experience. Very Happy.

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  Maybe I AM Crazy! - 2006 Scion XB
  By deb - September 27 - 1:53 am

  My teenager told me if I bought this car she would NEVER drive it! When I first saw it, I laughed and said "How ugly. Show me something else!" But now we both absolutely love it. My 62" boys get in the back seat and have PLENTY of headroom AND knee room! Even with the seats all the way back. It has no power, but with teenagers, I would prefer a car without a lot of power. Hey, it gets me where I want to go. I dont feel claustrophobic. In fact, I love the seat position - not too high, not too low, forward enough so I feel in control and can see cars coming even when I am down a blind alley. I was disappointed in the mileage though. Even with my careful driving, I only get 30 mpg instead 34.

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  My New Box - 2005 Scion XB
  By mcp - September 23 - 10:00 am

  OK So the nice old English gentleman next door leaned over the fence and said, "Youll not be offended if I say it looks like a hearse??" My sons twentysomething friends,however, keep asking to try it out. And love it. Handles well, and drives even quieter than I hoped. I really like how open the cabin feels, the headroom, and how high above the road I ride. The fuel economy is great.