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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  FUN, FUN AND MORE FUN!!!!! - 2005 Scion XB
  By Buffman - July 8 - 10:43 am

  Had my new xB for a month and love it. This is a love/hate car. You will love it or hate it. It is very unique to say the least. It is quicker than I thought it would be. When I read up to buy this car I thought it looks great as is, but who drive something that slow. Yes, it is slow but not anywhere near as bad as you may think. The gas mileage is great, there is more than enough room for a family of 4 (the kids cant kick the back of your seat when driving, HUGE PLUS), and storage space is more ample than I thought it would be. We have had a very windy fall here and this "little box" has been unaffected by it. Overall it has been lots of fun, not just a car!!

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  Fantabulous - 2008 Scion XB
  By BigRigDriver - July 7 - 6:20 pm

  This car comes loaded with everything and its cheaper than most popular cars out there. Fun to drive, great gas mileage and very comfy. Road noise is much better than others in its class. Very roomy, young couples with a kid or two will love it. Big folks will find lots of room. Car made in Japan which is a big plus since my confidence in domestic made products has declined to low levels. Do yourself a favor and get a GPS if you do buy one, you gonna need it for all the fun driving you gonna be doing in it.

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  Gas Mileage and looks - 2005 Scion xA
  By Bufferlow - July 7 - 10:00 am

  I was originally interested in the Mini Cooper or a hybrid but after finding out the wait time and reading some of the horror maintenance stories about the Mini and hybrids, I found the XA. It has been a great little car. Has most features you would want and great options. The "Saturn" like sales price makes decision-making on purchase easy. You either accept or walk...no goofing around waiting for the next offer. My dealer did not make it painful when we discussed extended warranties and the like...that was a relief.

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  fun economical ride - 2005 Scion XB
  By wynn - July 7 - 10:00 am

  if you can get past the fact that it looks like a freezer on wheels, it really is a great car.the back seat is unbelievably roomy, and its also cool that it gets 35 mph.great stereo system too.

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  its a steal..no questions about it ! - 2005 Scion TC
  By Tai - July 7 - 10:00 am

  There is no questions about it! tC is a steal no matter how you look @ it. Though the ride quality is a bit soft for me, I opt for the TRD spring which has not only give the car much better handling but it also gives it a firmer all over ride quality.

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  tC tC youll be hearing this alot - 2005 Scion TC
  By zacharkins - July 7 - 10:00 am

  i have only had it a week and i have cleaned my garage out 4 times before parking my tC in it. i left the dealer wondering if they undercharged me when i was acquainted with all of the features ive never had i went to the dealer after test driving many vehicles knowing that this was another car that looked good on tv, and was not very interested. I ordered one two days later and thought i would have nervous breakdown waiting for it. the car amazed me i wanted a yamaha R1 and i left after ordering the tC i have always had great luck w/ toyotas.as for tC well see !?

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  my tC - 2005 Scion TC
  By ooopsij - July 7 - 10:00 am

  this car is so far the best car you can get with all those standard features for the great price and the reliablity.

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  Love My xB - 2006 Scion XB
  By sdugger - July 5 - 12:40 pm

  I have owned my xB for one month now and I could not be happier with it. It is so fun to drive and is a real head turner. Even my Dad who bought it for me, more because of Toyotas reliability has really started to like the looks of it.

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  great car for a snowless climate - 2005 Scion XB
  By on the road again - July 4 - 5:53 am

  The roof is a little high for loading kayaks. The snow collects heavily and gets quite packed in the wheel wells causing the front tires to loose their turning mobility. On both rear wheels the packed snow had to be broken up with the windshield ice scraper. The wiring to the side lights is located in the wheel wells and it pulled away and is now broken and hang down. The garage said the whole unit would have to be replaced. Ive never had this happen before. Other than that I really love this car.

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  Best of the rest - 2010 Scion XB
  By Charly - July 4 - 1:43 am

  Still have our 2005 Rel 2.0 and love our 2010 xB. 05 model gets 35 mpg on trips so we bought another one. Only one trip so far, into the Smokies for 7 days, avg 31 mpg overall on mountain roads & xways. Car is absolutely the best cross over out there. Smooth, quiet and fuel efficient. Just finished mixed driving of 275 mi and avg 31.6. Very thick comfortable seats too and lots of room for this 6 foot 220 pounder. You just can do any better. We drove Hondas and other Scions. Ford has no hi-mpg crossover and GM quality history precludes any consideration of any model. Chrysler has no quality or mpg in any line.