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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Nice for the Price - 2008 Scion XD
  By ke_parks - April 20 - 1:20 pm

  I like the car so far, I have only had it a couple of days. I traded in my 05 civic for it, I think it has better pickup than the civic, Has a lot a neat features inside, like Ipod jack and mp3 player jack, The mpg is Ok, not as good as the civic but I think it is fun to drive. I like how it sets up higher kind of like a small suv with a lot better mpg

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  Good First Car but Wish I Had Taken a Different Route - 2012 Scion TC
  By bigzman95 - April 18 - 11:41 am

  I have had this car since the day it hit the lot back in September of 2011. While there are a lot of things I love about my car, there are also things that I dont. Overall its a pretty good car but I wish I had done more research before buying it. For instance, by the time I added some options onto my car, the purchase price was well into the upper $20k range. For that amount of money I honestly wish I had went with something like the Subaru WRX, which is faster, AWD and has four doors. Scion makes lots of attractive points to buyers, but honestly the cars are a bit overpriced in my opinion. If you want a car for a new driver Id look at the Dodge Dart or Subaru Impreza.

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  I love it too - 2009 Scion XD
  By formerHondaowner - April 18 - 6:30 am

  Ive had this car for a year now, bought no extras except the pioneer radio. I had wanted to stick with Honda, but their options were limited. This ended up being the whole package for me ... looks nice, fun to drive, and great for growing into when we start our family. I was extremely surprised by its pep and how roomy it was inside. Best of all, it gets WAY better MPG than sticker shows ... I get between 33 and 37 mpg Hwy depending on how I drive (and 75mph is my minimum). Ive had 3 Hondas previously and wanted to another, but this car beat out anything Honda had to offer in my book!

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  Pros and Cons - 2007 Scion TC
  By James - April 18 - 6:10 am

  I really like the way the outside of the car has been styled and when I got in i quickly fell in love with the way the car was put together. I like how the dash wraps around the driver making all of the controls easily accessible. the standard features of the car are awesome; moon/sunroof, power windows and locks, stereo controls on the steering wheel, and alloy wheels.

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  March on xB - 2005 Scion XB
  By helibob - April 18 - 3:00 am

  This car was a complete surprise. It does everything better than well. From the handling to the loads, it performs better than advertised.

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  Surprising - 2006 Scion TC
  By Jason - April 17 - 9:33 pm

  I love my tC. Its the first car I bought for myself (my dad bought me a Wrangler and an F150 before that). I wanted a car with good gas mileage without looking like a Geo. The tC gives me around 24-28 mpg which is above average, but not the best. What catches you off guard with the tC is the speed. This car likes to go fast, but its engine isnt abnoxiously loud when you hit speeds in excess of 100 mph. Its 0-60 isnt anything to brag about, but Toyota makes a supercharger for the tC if you want to tweak the engine.

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  Lot better then honda - 2008 Scion XD
  By Cal - April 16 - 2:06 am

  I bought this car a couple of weeks ago. My first choice was a Honda Fit, but after dealing with Honda they would not compete with the price of the Scion XD. The Xd is a lot better than the Honda fit, more options, better ride, better price. I would highly recommend this car. Excellent gas mileage, Toyota "SCION" cannot be beat...

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  Scion is the best. - 2004 Scion XB
  By SGVside - April 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is the best bang for your buck. It has everything you need and more. It was well worth the money for sure.

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  Great little car - 2005 Scion XB
  By caringman46 - April 10 - 5:23 pm

  Overall a great car. The 05s apparently have the air conditioning problem fixed mine works really well. Had a sun roof put in love that. Some rattels but no more than other cars these days

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  Great Car - Great Value - 2005 Scion TC
  By janet aubry - April 9 - 8:36 am

  I saw this auto (the TC) online and told my college age kids I wanted one. They said "how do you even KNOW about them ?"I wanted a light blue one, hard to track down but my dealer got it and the dealership then had people trying to buy it while it was parked out front waiting for me to pick it up. It was love at first sight for me. Driving it makes me feel happy. Valet parkers rave over it. The price as amazing and everything was included. Although designed for the young, it is also great for the young at heart!