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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Its about time - 2005 Scion XB
  By Gid Pool - March 12 - 3:20 pm

  This little XB box is a "Shrinky Dink" that thinks its a sports car! I go the manual because I like the control and peppy nature. It is truely the best of both worlds, fun to drive and inexpensive. Oh, and for what its worth, I am not the Gen Y target market. Im 60, going on 20, and cant wait to start adding the goodies to it. First up, cold air induction! For the older crowd this would be a GREAT second car, or commuter for work days. Flip down the rear seats, add the cargo cover, and head for the beach or golf course. Toyota got this one right in so many ways it makes me wonder why none of the other companies have nothing even close.

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  Great package at a great price - 2005 Scion TC
  By taComa - March 11 - 4:40 am

  I have had my black Scion tC for almost a month now and am very pleased with the purchase. No haggle pricing saved lots of time and trouble. Plentiful horsepower and torque for daily driving and highway passing. Throttle response feels excellent, like drive-by-wire. Smooth auto transmission. The dual- panel panoramic moonroof is very cool and unbelievable in a $17,000 car. Exterior is very stylish, especially the 17" wheels and turn signals on the side mirrors. Excellent fabrics, fit and finish in the interior. Gladly traded in my 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo (after 4 brake jobs and 2 steering rack replacements) for this 100% Japanese- built top-quality vehicle.

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  Love It!!!!! - 2005 Scion XB
  By Gulia - March 3 - 12:53 pm

  The car is a ton of fun to drive. I went from a Chevy Suburban to a Ford F150 and now to a Scion. I was worried it would be too small as I am 58" and my boyfriend is 62". We TOTALLY fit comfortably. I was looking at the amount of space between his head and the roof of the car and was amazed. I love it!!!

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  I Love My tC - 2005 Scion TC
  By K.S. - March 2 - 4:40 pm

  I have had my tC for almost two years and I have loved every minute of driving my car. I have no regrets about buying this car over any of the other models that I considered buying. It is very affordable and well stocked even in the base model. I have the interior LCD floor lights in blue and the pedestal spoiler.

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  Love My xBox - 2006 Scion XB
  By garykbear - March 1 - 8:53 pm

  I do love my new Scion xB however, with less than 500 miles on it, I already had to fix a chip in the windshield and there is already a paint chip missing on my hood from the same gravel that hit my windshield. This car seems to be prone to chips and nicks. My previous car was an 03 Corolla, I went 3.5 years without one chip on my windshield. I guess I will be buying lots of touch-up paint. I will keep this as long as it will take me around.

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  They got it right! - 2009 Scion XB
  By Farpost - March 1 - 4:10 pm

  Decided to leave the SUV market and traded in my Tribute for the xB after the test drive. The ride, fit and finish and comfort cant be matched for an auto under $20,000 (tremendous bang for your buck). Toyota got it right with the 2nd generation xB. Well done!

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  The Best Car To Buy - 2007 Scion TC
  By Play Boy69 - February 28 - 8:50 am

  The Scion tC is not only a good looking car but it is very fuel efficient and also low in cost so its perfect for everyone.

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  Love my mini UPS truck! - 2010 Scion XB
  By Tony - February 27 - 2:06 pm

  After much research bought this XB to replace my 2005 Focus wagon--elec stability control primary reason. Great vehicle for day to day driving- especially when hauling room needed. Handling (with the add on stabilizer bar) is great! Plenty of power and room. (I am 63" 205 lbs). Really good standard sound system for this price class. Stability control has worked well so far in Cleveland snow. Have been very pleased with how car has handled cross winds on the highway. Weight and power good trade off for so- so gas mileage.

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  2 xB family - 2005 Scion XB
  By Kayaker - February 20 - 7:36 pm

  I purchased my 05 xB in 2006 and love it. Can carry anything, even a kayak! (Bungeed the back shut about 6") I have since added a roof rack to hold both my husbands and my kayaks and still get 36-38 miles per gallon with an empty roof rack. Last year my husbands Camry was totaled and he was lucky enough to find a used "05 xB. His had 30,000 miles on it and is still like new. We live in NH and had record breaking snow last year. We did have snow tires, but could go anywhere. Never had a car this good in the snow! Both boxes are standard transmissions, very easy and fun to drive. Cant imagine driving anything else. We plan on keeping these boxes forever.

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  Great coupe - 2011 Scion TC
  By Lou - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Just had it one day. It is a very roomy coupe, comfortable with supportive seats. I may look into upgrading or replacing the center armrest with a padded version. The dealer installed fog lights and it dresses it up. I also had blue tooth installed and have the Alpine head unit which is upgradeable with nav. and has a good size touch screen display. Dealer installed options seem fairly priced. The manual shifts well, the hydraulic clutch will take me a few drives for me to get used to. The uptake is numb. Steering is on center but can easily veer into oncoming traffic if you are not focused on your driving. All in all, a nice sporty coupe for a retired guy.