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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Scion - 2006 Scion XB
  By StevenR510 - December 28 - 4:13 am

  This car is great in town. We have never taken it on a long road trip. It is a little sluggist on hills though. It has lots of interior room. It is fun to drive and attracts lots of attention.

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  Scion tC, Center Console FIRE! - 2006 Scion TC
  By kelswer - December 27 - 4:40 am

  All around this is a nice car but...its reliability is poor! An iPod plugged in to the center console (designed and factory installed by Toyota) caught fire and caused over $8,000 worth of repairs NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. Toyota blamed it on the iPod which miraculously STILL WORKS! We were told that Toyota had never had any problems with this. My thoughts...there is ALWAYS A FIRST ONE! We will never buy another Toyota.

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  Terrific Vehicle for the Money - 2009 Scion XB
  By Perry - December 26 - 6:06 am

  I purchased this vehicle after extended research on comparable vehicles; there really is no other that offers this kind of space/efficiency for the price. On the first test drive I was smitten with the overall feel and build quality and decided to purchase then (of course no mention of this to the salesman). The car handles just like a small car, the power is much better than expected and the noise levels during driving are very low. It feels as though this is a more expensive car than the sticker indicates and that itself is very impressive. The manual transmission is silky smooth and engagement of the gears is quite accurate with a solid high quality feel. Sound system is great, buy it!

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  My First 2006 Scion tC - 2006 Scion TC
  By gilbert - December 25 - 3:30 pm

  Had trouble finding a dealer that would sell a tC basically stock. I ordered it thanks to an Edmunds.com referal. Ordered on a Wednesday, picked it up the following Wednesday. All I added was the mats.

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  Glad I Didnt Buy the Honda Fit - 2008 Scion XD
  By Aleida - December 23 - 5:50 pm

  I should be getting speeding tickets every time I drive it...Im having tons of fun driving a stick again. On the freeway Im doing 80 without realizing it. In the beginning gasoline would splash back out at every fill up. It took two visits to the same dealership to get the problem fixed. My description was not adequate so the second time the service manager hopped in and we went to a gas station and he saw it happen.

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  I love my car!! - 2008 Scion TC
  By junebug - December 23 - 4:20 pm

  The car is great! No complaints. Got the navigation system and the security system and the extras are worth it for me. The sunroof is cool!

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  teener loves her tc - 2008 Scion TC
  By teener loves her tc - December 19 - 6:03 pm

  I think that the gas mileage is great. i purchased the car in november of 2007 and it still feels like i am getting into a brand new car. Although leather seat would be nice, they stain very easily and the material is very hard to get anything out. The lighting inside should be all one color and not blue and orange, but thats not that much of a big deal to me. I have a manual transmission and have driven on the highway many times. I think it should have a 6th gear, it always sounds reved out over 80 mph. The exterior of the car is beautiful but, I would not suggest the color white. It gets very dirty and is hard to keep shiny. but over all I love the TC

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  love the scion - 2008 Scion XD
  By andy - December 19 - 12:50 am

  just bought a new scion xd and love the car. i am getting about 35 mpg which is the main reason i got it. you get a lot for your money with the car from the stereo system to all the airbags that come with it. i live in vermont and it handles the snow somewhat like an all wheel drive. i feel like the car is a mini suv, with height of it, plus the excellent gas mileage.

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  The tC (tooCool) - 2006 Scion TC
  By Me. - December 16 - 4:26 am

  well, this car has been pretty reliable, its fun to drive, and it gets...decent gas mileage. and i mean decent. it gets 23 mpg, city or highway, always. yeah. not as good as id hoped but oh well. basically its a good car, fun, reliable, safe.

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  gotta love scion xbs - 2005 Scion XB
  By chester - December 15 - 4:40 pm

  ive had my scion for 2 months and have been following since it was a concept car from toyota... it drives wonderfully and its appearance speaks for it self. plus the no hassle buying program is amazing. in 6 months im getting my wife a scion tc cause i love what this company is doing so much plus its toyota so how can you go wrong!!