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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  A Great Value - 2005 Scion TC
  By Thom - February 8 - 9:53 am

  Enjoyed buying this car no dealing about price. What they price it at that is what you pay. Lots of standards for the price, and has Toyota quality behind it. Has a powerful engine for a small car. Handling is excellent.Would recomend this car to a friend. I really made a good decision on this purchase.

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  Sci Fi - 2005 Scion XB
  By picccc - February 6 - 5:10 pm

  Its a toaster, a breadbox, ugly, you name it and Im sure youll hear it. All that matters is that its a good car that needs more power and thats about it.

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  Fit my needs perfectly - 2014 Scion XB
  By tedstor - February 6 - 7:41 am

  I was in the market for a Corolla or a Camry, but when I went to the Toyota/Scion dealer, the Xb caught my eye. The boxy look wasnt exactly what I had in-mind, but I quickly came to realize that the Xb fit my needs incredibly well. I needed an inexpensive(ish) vehicle that would comfortably accommodate my 63" frame, with a back seat that would accommodate my three kids. The Xb hit the mark. I bought my Xb for virtually the same price as a Corolla, but had the larger cabin that I needed. Performance is fine. Fit and finish is good. A very easy car to drive and park. Not many features to speak of, but has everything I need. Nice stereo. Scion service boost is a nice added value.

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  My Fun Scion - 2006 Scion XB
  By cswalley - February 6 - 3:23 am

  This is the best car I ever had. People stare at the strange box, but it runs great and has lots of space. I have a bad back but the seats offer good support and I dont get out stiff from riding. I have to be careful about the speed. It has lots of get-up-and-go power and easily cruises at 80 to 90 mph. The only thing missing is a cruise control option. The 4 cyl 16 valve dual OHC engine was borrowed from the Toyota Echo and is smooth and quiet. The 160 watt Pioneer stereo is a joy to play.

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  It drives great!!! - 2004 Scion XB
  By arky - February 5 - 2:00 am

  I think this a car that has been a long time coming for the younger people. We a vehicle that express individuality and that what the Scion does for all of us.

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  A nice little car - 2004 Scion xA
  By Lovethebluescion - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Chose the Scion for the value. Love all the standard features, good gas mileage for the low price. Scion has plenty of power for a commuter car, find myself zipping at 75 mph without realizing it. Only negatives are the high back seats block the rear view and the speedometer could be a little larger.

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  Poor gas milage - 2012 Scion IQ
  By rgutzler - January 31 - 6:12 am

  I have about 2000 miles on my Scion IQ. The car has yet to get over 29 mpg. My last tank ran 27.5 mpg and the low fuel light started flashing at 175 miles on the tank of gas. My IQ is running almost 25% less milage than the stated 36/37 on the window sticker. I am 65 years old and drive slow with no Jackrabbit starts. When I contacted my dealer, Billion Motors, in Sioux Falls, S.D. the service manager was defensive and indifferent. I purchased the car because I expected good milage and now feel like a fool for having a small car that gets substandard milage.

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  My Third Scion - 2006 Scion XB
  By Paul - January 29 - 8:30 pm

  My Release 2.0 Scion xB is the 3rd xB Ive purchased. My xB black box was one of the first California xBs released in June 2003 (people stopped me on the road to look at it). Then I purchased a Hot Lava release 1.0 for my wife. Then I got the yellow one for an upgrade. All total of about 70,000 trouble free xB miles! No other car does what the xB does. It provides lots of space, gets great gas mileage, is extrenely reliable and fun to drive. Its even more fun to see the looks on the face of SUV owners see me fill up with 9.8 gallons.

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  Not Feeling My tC - 2006 Scion TC
  By Mllipsey - January 28 - 3:40 am

  I have had this car from 77 miles to 57000 miles and I have been trying to get rid of it since 5000 miles. I must admit the car is fun to drive at times but compared to 75% of the other cars on the road its not much power under the hood. The only time I feel like its fast is when I am the only car on the road. The gas mileage stinks, I get 265 out of a full tank and the dealership tells me its because of "winter" gas in the winter and "summer" gas in the summer. The worst part is that loud whistling from the sunroof that toyota refuses to look at unless I pay them. Its time for me to move on.

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  Pretty Awesome Car - 2010 Scion XB
  By frank - January 27 - 11:23 am

  I love this car. I traded from a 2006 Ford Focus. This car handles like a dream. It easily makes tight turns at 50 mph and will go it to a power slide which is great. I put a cold air intake and it dramatically improved the acceleration across the entire power curve. I put on a new exhaust system and the car lost its delay from pressing the gas to acceleration. My only complaint is the fuel. I get about 25 less miles per gallon but this isnt a big concern because of the horsepower the car has