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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Miss Foxy is a class act! - 2005 Scion XB
  By AnnieC - January 28 - 4:56 pm

  I never wanted a new car. Had my Honda since 1980 (25 yrs),unfortunately, had a serious accident in 2005 and could no longer find parts for the old girl. Reluctantly, I brought Ms. Foxy home and its been a love affair ever since. Here we are 4 yrs later and I wouldnt trade her for the world. Definitely the last car I will ever own...I hope..

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  Awesome Coupe! - 2014 Scion TC
  By manicwombat - January 28 - 1:58 pm

  Its no doubt why they call this "The King of The Coupe". Loved my 2013 so much, I am trading it in to get a 2014! When I bought my 13 the 14 was just outside my price range. Now they dropped the 14 to just over the price of 13, making it affordable for me.

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  Great Car - 2007 Scion TC
  By Alexandra - January 27 - 10:06 am

  I just bought this car and I love it. I have no regrets about buying it at all. I love the style of it inside and out. It is very comfortable to drive and it gives me all the space I need. After test driving a couple of other cars I finally found the perfect car for me. I also love the fact that everyone turn their heads twice to look at it. If you want attention, this is the car for you.

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  My Little Toaster - 2005 Scion XB
  By Margaret - January 23 - 11:30 am

  I bought this for a family vehicle and couldnt be any happier. We go everywhere and do everything in it. Im looking into gettin another one soon. The gas mileage is great and the space though small can accommodate a lot.

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  It Fits Me! - 2006 Scion XB
  By Josephus - January 19 - 7:06 pm

  My 2006 Scion xB is definitely a "fun car" to own and drive. It fits me like a comfortable pair of shoes, handles reasonably well -- no, exceptionally well for a car of its size, engine & transmission -- in both city traffic and on the interstates, and never fails to elicit comments even from complete strangers. When I pay attention to the tach, I can generally get almost 30 mpg in stop and go city traffic, barring a complete traffic jam, and almost 34 mpg on long trips at sustained speeds up to 75 mph if I keep the tach at or under 3000 rpm.

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  Amazing!! - 2008 Scion XD
  By xD - January 17 - 8:03 pm

  I love my xD, its my 1st new car. I upgraded from a 91 Acura Integra GS. I love that the Scion looks little but in the inside I feel tall. That was one thing I was worried about when getting a subcompact car, but the standard side curtain airbags are a plus safety feature. It is a little noisy but it has an amazing pioneer stereo system that covers it up. I love in simple instrument panel. It records my MPG. I got 33.2 MPG on my 1st tank!!

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  Terrific Tc - 2005 Scion TC
  By Karen - January 13 - 6:00 pm

  Our Tc is a sweet ride,its roomy,quiet,comfortable,awesome looking for its price,which is also great! So happy we found a cute,eye catching car,our grown children want it,sorry,this is our baby now!My husband wants another one,maybe the Xb!

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  Im no Gen-Xr but I love this car! - 2005 Scion XB
  By nkeithf - January 12 - 4:30 am

  Ive now had my xB for a couple of months, and man, I was not prepared for how much I enjoy it! Im a 46 y.o. guy who is ditching my job to go back to school, and I wanted lower car payments, so this was my cheapest but best choice...and I love it! It drives great, super gas economy, and with my aftermarket sunroof ($1200), it does everything I need it to do. My hats off to Toyota for packing so many features into such an inexpensive vehicle...

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  Scion Xb - 2005 Scion XB
  By Scion xB - January 11 - 6:46 pm

  The Scion xB is fun to drive and has tons of room. It handles great as well. Everybody looks at it and wants to know more about the car.

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  Great car - 2010 Scion XB
  By kevininstl - January 11 - 6:25 pm

  I purchased my 2010 xB in August of 2009. Since then, Ive put almost 35,000 miles on it. This includes a daily commute of 30+ miles each way. Also longer trips of 250 miles and one of about 1,000 miles. Everything has been just as I thought it would be and thats a good thing. I avg about 27 MPG and can get over 30 in the right conditions. The car is comfy and has all of the reasonable things standard. The cargo space is very good for a car its size. Its much larger on the inside than it looks on the outside. Best of all is its reliability. Im this far in and the only time I took it to the dealer it turned out the burning smell was from a plastic bag caught on the muffler. :)