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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Nice ride for the money - 2005 Scion TC
  By Andrew - October 22 - 4:46 pm

  This car has more than I expected. The standard options and power are fantastic! I would have expected somewhat better gas mileage, but the trade off for more power is ok.

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  Ive waited 13 years!! - 2005 Scion XB
  By ouistorm - October 21 - 10:43 pm

  Just purchase a 2005 Scion xB. I hesitated since Im 36 years old and it seemed a little "young" for me. Been driving the same 92 Toyota Truck for 13 years and it was time to buy. For the price I expected a cheaper vehicle in terms of build quality & materials. Its sooo quality, even the manual tranny shifts well, no lugging. Drove from LA to Riv and got like 36 mpg! Also in wind, its really weird, but it does great! Some road noise, but not "fatiguing" on long drives as the Consumer Reports review stated. (Consumer Reports actually recommends this car). With the Low TCO (true cost to own) and edmunds awards and the Consumer Reports thumbs up, it was an obvious choice. Also suuuuuper roomy

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  Grandmas Scion - 2006 Scion xA
  By SHARJEN - October 16 - 3:10 am

  I love my Scion xA. It is fun, reliable, and economical.

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  Fantastic - 2006 Scion XB
  By uribails - October 15 - 12:30 pm

  I recently purchased a new 2006 Scion xB. I love the style, way it handles, its standard features, and all the possibilities there are to customize it. I bought mine with only the standard features. I found that a lot of the addons through Scion were costly. I purchased things like floor mats, a cargo net, and arm rest for half the price on-line. It came standard with a 6 speaker pioneer stereo with CD and an auxilary jack for my MP3 player. It has remote keyless entry and it gets great gas mileage. This summer its been great to take to the beach. I just put the back seats down and through the cooler, chairs, umbrella, boogy boards all in the back and off to the beach I went.

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  Savage Car - 2005 Scion xA
  By lucas200400 - October 12 - 2:50 pm

  I got my Scion xA in December and I cant drive it enough. The best part about it is that if you drive it rough you still get better than the average car being around 28mpg and if you drive it easy you get over 34mpg. So to me gas still is not that big of an issue. With the way gas prices are i couldnt ask for a better price or gas milage in a car.

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  Amazing! - 2007 Scion TC
  By Jinxedyepiri - October 12 - 11:43 am

  The new 2007 Toyota Scion tC is an amazing car. Its greatest feature is how smooth it is. My my Scion is literally as smooth as my friends 06 2006 BMW 325xi! I live in Utah and drive a ton and the gas mileage is literally shocking. Ill drive a long distance and see that I barely used a quarter tank! Also, the interior and exterior are so cool :D . I love the double sunroof, it allows so much light into the car.

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  scion rulez - 2004 Scion xA
  By myckro - October 12 - 2:00 am

  so far so good. d vehicles fun to drive. its a headturner.

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  We Love our Scions!! - 2004 Scion XB
  By Marlene Andrews - October 12 - 2:00 am

  We liked our first Scion XB so much that we purchased a second XB about a month later. Theres plenty of room for groceries and kids school and sports stuff. You cant beat the awesome gas mileage! The customer service rep who helped us at Longo Toyota, Verone, was great. We ordered the Scions and then were in and out of the dealership within an hour!

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  Great Little Box - 2006 Scion XB
  By jimw0238 - October 8 - 2:46 am

  i bought my 2006 Scion xB 3.5 weeks ago and already have 3,100 miles on it. It is a lot of fun to drive. It looks small outside, but it is huge on the inside. I have already bought a lot of aftermarket accessories for it - which only make it even better. Mine is an automatic and it gets between 29 to 34 miles per gallon. This is an awesome commuter car and it likes to cruise at 75 mph, which is only at 3,000 rpm. The other day I burned a quarter tank and went to gas station to get gas and laughed when it took 3 gals to get back on full. I havent had any problems in the wind at all - but the windshield does attract a lot of bugs. I love my box and it is worth the $16,719 that I paid "out the door"!

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  great car - 2005 Scion XB
  By robert dejesus - October 7 - 10:00 am

  i had a expedition this car is much better and roomier