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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  awesome car - 2005 Scion TC
  By manuel simao - January 17 - 10:00 am

  awesome car and very nice for the price of it

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  Another celica - 2005 Scion TC
  By SusuBendera - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Its a good car with a great value, but doesnt mean that this car is on the same level as the celica and rsx.

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  Not the quality I expected from Toyota - 2008 Scion XB
  By belowexpectation - January 13 - 7:00 pm

  We have been driving this xB for about 20,000 miles for two years, and disappointing since about 10,000 miles. Besides a major problem with engine (the dealershop fixed it), it rattles with the breake pushed, and plastic fell apart from under the passenger chair. This is not the Toyota quality we used to know. Although it has a unique design and some functionality, the overal quality is below my expectation considering the price tag.

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  Commuter Alternative - 2013 Scion TC
  By calcarnut - January 13 - 3:32 pm

  I finally decided to get economical and go with a commuter. Since my wife and I ride together to work and the kids are grown, we decided on a coupe. Choices were the TC, Honda Civic and Hyundai Veloster. The Civic was comparable in gas mileage but was $3K higher. The Veloster was better in gas mileage by 5 miles/gal and was comparable in price for the base. But the TC had much more power due to its 2.5L 4-cyl. The front passenger seat has so much room it leaves ample space for a rear passenger up to 6 (my wife is 56"). In my opinion, it also looked better than the Civic and the Veloster. Our avg. mileage in the city and highway has been 28 mpg.

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  great vehicle - 2005 Scion XB
  By juanb - January 12 - 10:00 am

  one of the best cars low on miles per gallon.

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  not there yet - 2006 Scion XB
  By lag - January 6 - 12:40 pm

  i really like this car, mostly for its height. getting out i only need to swivil and stand up. i bought it used, i think the previous owner beat it up. its new to me but i just tested the mileage andonly got 26mph, very disappointing,will try to find out why. my criticisms are 1. the only headlight is inadaquite, should have one over the front. 2. needs alot of rm. to park if you need to open the back,3. a little too noisy, and i bought it with a cracked windshield. didnt know it was a cronic problem. but i love how much you can see, lots of window space. also all the little spaces to hold things, fall all over the place. not deep enough. i love toyot, cant imagine driving any thing el

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  they should do a comercial about me - 2004 Scion xA
  By jy - January 5 - 11:36 pm

  Had a Toyota echo. Put over 200k miles on it with only changing the brakes and exhaust manifold gasket. Wanted a newer car. The xa has the same power train as the echo. So bought it.$11.9k . Same as the echo. Great mileage (I drive 90% highway. At least 38+mpg). Ive loaded it up with lumber (strapped qty 16 16 1x8s on the roof), cement, you name it, Ive loaded it. No probs. I consider ti a throw way car so Im not concerned about the roof or scratching it. Thats why I load it to the max when I do my home depot runs. Cant beat it. The only thing Ive done on it is new brakes/rotors in the front and exhaust gasket. (90k miles on it at that point)

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  Best for the money I paid! - 2006 Scion XB
  By ScionRider55 - January 5 - 1:23 am

  Great car! MPG could be better for 1.5L engine. I like the space, shelves, large doors and windows, all included options, seats, radio. Some important to me things I did purchase and install by myself, such as: central armrest, multiple 12v outlet, map light, trunk and underhood lights. Planning to install good (not original) fog lights. Thats it! At this point my project "Scion" will be finished. My wife loves this car as well.

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  good bang for the buck! - 2008 Scion TC
  By SxRacer108 - January 4 - 10:13 pm

  Great little car, needs a bit more power though. Coming from a Nissan sentra ser spec-v with the 6 speed. This car is a little more sluggish but not bad at all! Decent gas mileage and great radio... And gotta love that price tag =)

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  My 2005 Scion xB in Blue Onyx Pearl - 2005 Scion XB
  By Chuck C - January 2 - 6:53 am

  I just bought this car on July 21st, 2005 and all I can say a very incrediable car so far. I had a 2003 Dodge Durango SXT an awesome SUV in its own right. With the high fuel prices in California I had to go with another way. I chose the Scion xB because in 1989 I bought a 4x4 Toyota and loved it knowing Toyota makes an excellent product. The gas milage on this xB is unreal and the power is great for 110 horses. In the near future I plan to add I cold air intake and a cat back muffler system to help the performance also. I might possibly make this a show car as well. My ending remarks at being a 50 year old male you cant go wrong with this sporty car from Toyota / Scion.