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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Should I drive it? - 2005 Scion TC
  By Judy Cox - March 11 - 10:26 am

  I just bought a silver 2005 Scion tC with 20,000 miles. I took it in the first week for bubbles on the dash and new carpet. The curb turning to the right is blinded. Backing up is blinded in the rain with no rear wiper. The front cup holders are hard to get to. The doors are too large for compact parking. The window ledge is too high for arm resting. The dashboard reflects way too much light inside. The air conditioning is not nearly cold enough. The trunk is hard to pull down while holding other items. There is no outside trunk latch. It takes two hands to turn the steering wheel. The seat belt is hard to reach. It has lots of road vibration. It scratches and dents easily. My head and foot hit getting in and out.

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  Im in love - 2008 Scion XD
  By Eris - March 8 - 5:53 pm

  I just bought my xD two days ago and I havent even learned how to use 90% of the features and cant really rate it on reliabity, fuel consumption, etc., yet. Its fun to drive and extremely potent for its size. Leg room isnt important to me since Im 52. I really fell in love with its design. To me it doesnt look like a rhino, its a curvy cute alternative to the boxy boyish xB.

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  Air Conditioner Drains into Vehicle - 2009 Scion XD
  By JRN - February 27 - 10:00 am

  The vehicle is made w/o a filter and debris clogged my air conditioner drain twice. $600 later times 2, Im getting rid of it. I dont care to have the condensation from the air conditioner draining on my feet!

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  Love It - 2006 Scion TC
  By Bubs - February 25 - 2:30 pm

  The steering in my Scion tC is just a bit too tight - but that is the ONLY thing to complain about. This car has plenty of power for a 4-cyl. and a great cabin design. It also has plenty of room, lots of bells and whistles, and I didnt have to sell a kidney to buy it. It really is the best value I can remember in recent years.

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  Its A Winner - 2008 Scion XD
  By Its A Winner - February 22 - 6:13 pm

  I am a visiting Nurse and am in my car all day, going from patient to patient. Needed good MPG. Looked at Versa, Fit And Suzuki SX4. It was between XD and SX4, would buy this car again tomorrow. I LOVE it. It is fun to drive, fits anywhere and has good pick-up. Agree with need to decrease road noise, wish there was an armrest, and that doors lock when car is put in gear. I get many questions and compliments on my zippy red XD.

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  I love this car - 2008 Scion XD
  By Reesfun - February 22 - 12:50 pm

  Such a great little car...especially for the price. The gas mileage is fantastic. After 5K miles I have consistently averaged 36+ MPG with combined in city hwy/street driving. Highway mileage alone has come in as high as 42MPG. This car is fun, easy to drive-turn-park and fits me perfectly. My hubby 6 3" hubby purchased an XB and I fell in love with it with one exception...its just TOO big inside. I found myself having to reach too far for everything. But the XD has everything at perfect arms length. And the clutch is light and the manual trani is easy to shift. The only negative is that at 5K it has more "little noises" than I would have expected from a Toyota product.

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  Great car - 2004 Scion xA
  By Blue pacific17 - February 18 - 10:00 am

  I love this car fun to drive great on gas quality feel

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  Lovin it at age 40 - 2006 Scion TC
  By Paul - February 18 - 1:00 am

  Who says this is for the young generation? Im having fun driving this thing. Im usually the SUV type a guy but ever since the gas price started going up, I will be driving this baby spring thru fall! I feel like Im driving in a sports car. I get an avg of 25 mpg in mixed highway / city driving. Although, once broken in...it will be better on gas. I think this car will bring out the midlife crisis in me. Im already thinking of modifying it...uh oh! This car has a lot of torque. It will take time getting use to the 1st gear. It has a lot of wheel spin, but definitely stick with the manual tranny.

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  I love my car! - 2005 Scion xA
  By Vanessa - February 17 - 6:20 pm

  I just bought a Scion about a week ago, this car is great. It is my first new car and i really like it. The gas mileage is great. The car drives well and it definitely is cool, the interior is very nice. This is the perfect economy car.

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  Love it so far - 2004 Scion XB
  By tpat3 - February 17 - 2:00 am

  Its a blast to drive and gets a whole lot of attention. Still dont know what magic Toyota performed to get so much space into such a small package, but its really incredible. I was worried about it being underpowered, but its plenty quick and very agile. I mostly use it for commuting and its great zipping through traffic: you can fit this car through some very small holes. Handles like a go-kart, ride is firm but harsh and brakes are pretty good, too. Only been on the highway once, but got to speed quickly and is stable.