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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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 ride - 2006 Scion XB
  By john reed - May 1 - 9:36 pm

  I added undercoating, cold air intake, cat back exhaust, driving lights, euro style rear lights, and this vehicle is now quieter, peppier, gets improved mpg, which adds much to a fun to drive machine, in my opinion. It is a little under powered, but I bought it not to be a race car but a good looking, fun to drive and different looking vehicle. I also added graphics on the sides which gave it a dramatically neater look. I have been very pleased and will probably hold onto this one for many years because it is so much fun to drive!

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  The Best by Far - 2005 Scion XB
  By incubusman - April 30 - 8:00 am

  i know a lot of people who dont like the way ithe Scion xB looks, but it is the roomiest car I have ever owned.

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  OK, not great. - 2008 Scion XD
  By whitewolfe001 - April 30 - 7:02 am

  I bought the car used at 44k miles. The dealer put on brand new tires, and yet, the car is HORRIBLE in snow! The tires spin/slide not only on a mere coating of snow, but something even on wet roads. Its not a small car problem, because my old Geo Prizm was a champ in snow, and my fiances Nissan Versa is also quite good. Im going to have to get winter tires, even though I live 1.5 flat miles from work, because frankly I dont feel safe driving this in any amount of snow. Otherwise, its OK. The handling is not great. It has a very poor turning radius for a small car, and its herky-jerky: the gas and brake pedals are too sensitive; it takes quite a lot of finesse to drive smoothly.

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  TC WOW - 2006 Scion TC
  By TC - April 28 - 7:13 pm

  I researched the TC for months before I bought it, and was impressed with the reviews and ratings of the TC. When I bought the TC I was even more impressed, their is no car out on the market that you can buy that even comes close to the bang for the buck that you get with the TC. The interior is neat and well designed and the outside is sporty enough to turn heads on the road. I have no complaints about the car and would recommend it to anybody looking for for a coupe.

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  extraordinary value - 2005 Scion TC
  By rol - April 27 - 10:00 pm

  Have approx 5 k driven. What a fun vehicle! I recommend to anyone looking for a sporty affordable way to scoot around.

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  xA - xtra Awesome - 2005 Scion xA
  By txtarheel - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Wwnt to drive a Tacoma and a RAV4-came home with a xA. Was driving a Jeep Liberty that sucked-both in reliability and fuel. The experience of buying this car from Tim at Cavendar in San Antonio was first rate. It is such a fun car to drive-zippy! Solid as a rock. The a/c blows really nice and cold. The stereo has an incredible sound. The 17 yr old at home tells me it is a hit at his high school. Drove 80mph on the way home and there was no vibration. Trying to talk my F150 driving husband into a xB - we shall see!

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  A great value - 2008 Scion TC
  By RemKit - April 25 - 5:40 pm

  Great 2 door car for the money. Nice set of features that come standard and vast array of options and TRD performance upgrades. Making this a performance car might not be worth the money, but a few performance tweaks could make an everyday driver happy. I agree with many others that a rear wiper would definitely come in handy. A major problem in customization for tires. 2008 tC comes with Z rated tires! Sounds great if you are taking this thing to the track, but for everyday driving they are completely unnecessary & expensive. There is no downgrade option for all weather tires - big mistake for car buyers who know what they want.

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  Great Car! - 2005 Scion TC
  By Matt - April 25 - 3:06 pm

  There is no better deal out there. For all of the standard features you get and the power, this car should cost $20,000. The standard transmission is tons of fun and sporty. It has lots of power and a sporty feel when driving while maintaining a comfortable drive. I dont know how Scion is making any money on these with all of the bells and toys that they have in there.

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  I did the research. One year later... - 2008 Scion XD
  By Jesse - April 25 - 2:53 am

  After a lot of research and test drives, one year later I still stand by my purchase: It has the most features & style for the price. I drove this car cross-country packed with all of my valuables. The Honda Fit would not have had the power to merge with semis in the Colorado mountains at 75 mph while getting 40+ avg mpg. Thank the xDs Toyota 2ZR-FE Dual VVT-i 128hp engine. I bought this car to drive in LA, so the active head restraints, sideview mirror signals & the airbags for myself AND rear passengers were a major selling point. My friends love the interior design, stereo & comfortable seats too. Compared: Honda Fit Sport & Civic, Toyota Yaris Hatch & Sedan, Mini Cooper

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  "GLC" - Great Little Car! - 2005 Scion xA
  By JCairnes - April 25 - 12:20 am

  Folks, I aint no "Man, this is a cool car" type of guy but a 72 year oldster! Ive owned many cars, including a Bug, Rabbit, LeCar plus most recently a Solara. We also have a 2005 RX-8 plus a 2006 F-150 Truck. I would rather drive the xA any time over the others! Its fun, economical and just plain sassy! Buy it - youll like it!