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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  09 TC RS - 2009 Scion TC
  By jromine - November 21 - 8:00 pm

  I bought this vehicle trading in a Mazda 3. I live in WI so driving a Mazda 3 hatch without ABS was difficult to say the least. This car handles great in the winter. We had a pretty bad winter this year and I had no problems with its handling. Much better than what I had before. More room in the back then what youd think for passengers who sit in the rear. Car stayed on track in the snow and when ABS kicked in it stopped. Ipod hookup is awesome in this car, better than a lot of Pioneer aftermarkets out there right now. Car looks great on the outside, I get a lot of stares and comments. Roomy interior, but the build quality could be better.

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  Wish it was a lil better, o well. - 2005 Scion TC
  By jagon09 - November 5 - 6:10 pm

  Bought the car used with only 27k miles and it is actually a pretty good buy. It is pretty fun to drive just wish it wasnt so heavy around turns. My dads lil old Honda is smoother around turns, but what can ya say. I still love it. O and gas mileage isnt where it should be but I think that is due to weird weather lately and me not having standard 215/45/17 tires but 235/45/17 tires. O well. 21 is way better than the old 13 I got with a Chevy truck. lol

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  40 miles to the gallon! - 2005 Scion xA
  By Laura - November 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is not a hybrid, but does get a wopping 40 miles to the gallon! Its design is a cross between a Mini Cooper & a Toyota Matrix. The torque is weak for the first few hundred miles and then it seems to warm up to your style of driving, i.e. mine picks up and gets going a lot faster now than it did in its first 500 miles. Standard auto windows and cd player are great! Back seat folds down and makes for lots of room to transport larger items. I am very happy with my purchase.

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  OK car - 2007 Scion TC
  By janno95 - October 5 - 12:18 am

  I got my 2007 scion tc when it had 167k miles on it 2 years ago. I currently have 216k on it and it was running very good until my oil light came on. Come to find out Scion has a recall on the engine for OLDER scions. The mechanic I talked to said this would be a problem as the cars got more miles on them. Also, my car was awful in the rain and snow.

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  Great for the Price - 2007 Scion TC
  By Narso - September 27 - 10:30 pm

  This is a nice little car for the price. Its got pretty good handling and a very sweet engine. The cornering isnt as flat as Id like, but the steering is pretty sharp, especially after I got rid of the original tires. As is, its pretty tossable, but Im probably going to get an aftermarket rear sway bar to help flatten things out. I love the flexibility, if not the total horsepower, of the engine. Its smooth, torquey and quiet. Exactly what Ive come to expect from Toyota. The transmission has good ratios, but could be smoother. 6 speeds would be nice. I really like the styling both outside and inside. It looks like it costs much more than it actually does.

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  Affordable, Reliable and Sporty-Looking - 2006 Scion TC
  By megster - September 24 - 6:21 am

  has been a great car for me for the past 5 years. It has 75k on it and ive only changed the breaks & tires once. never had any pricey maintenance problems or any engine problems! my car has only had some weird fix-it-yourself issues like the windshield molding coming off (glued that back on), sunroof not closing (i tap it instead of pressing it down and it closes), drivers seat chair catching on track (used melted chapstick to fix), and the hatch release piece almost breaking off (bolted extra bolts in the interior to keep it on). But i cant express how RELIABLE and LOW COST this cars been. i wish it had a sportier suspension tho! also, looks like a teen car and im in my late 20s!

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  Perfect first car - 2014 Scion TC
  By Tyler Brown - September 23 - 1:50 am

  Some people get pretty basic first cars, and theres nothing wrong with that. I was lucky to get something a little more than that. The 2014 tC has seen a pretty drastic exterior styling change from 2013, and while some say its bland (how?), I think its just what this car needed. The lines are sharp and aggressive, and takes several styling cues from the F-rs. While the front grille and rear diffuser are nice, it really is a bit too much plastic. The wheels are also very nice. The interior is very well laid out, and the standard touch-screen display is great, but again, a little too much plastic. The ride is pretty good for its class, the acceleration is good, and the steering is above avg.

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  TC heaven - 2006 Scion TC
  By sdsu12 - September 18 - 4:14 am

  Great road handling small sport car. If you do not enjoy sport cars do not buy this car. Interior is small, only 2 doors and hard to get people in the back seat. This car is good for two people to drive around town. My doughter currently drives this car but she now is 22 and wants a small SUV. I might keep it for the weekend driving in SOCAL.

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  Cheap Stylish Ride - 2006 Scion TC
  By Spectacularjax - September 12 - 5:23 pm

  Ok here is the deal. I always wanted a fast sporty car, which this car is. However it is basically a toy. It is kind of like the old honda civics that were made to play with. Parts easily pop off and on for accessorizing, which is lots of fun. The trunk is poorly made, if you live in New England like I do, and it snows it is very difficult to lift the trunk, so you need to clean all the snow off before even trying. Sometimes the trunk ( with no snow on it ) closes by itself and hits you right in the head. The handle to the trunk pops right off and unless you have package tape it will dangle and eventually fall off. Tires are thin and dont last too long, head room, not good for tall people.

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  I like it. Been good to me - 2005 Scion TC
  By since it came out - September 11 - 4:03 pm

  I read about this car and waited its arrival. When they became available I bought one. Its comfortable and reasonably sporty driving wise. I have fit so much stuff in this car at once its astounding. Flip all the seats down including the passenger by taking the head rest off and youll be amazed. It does hold the road and corner well and once you get used to the shifter it accelerates with more than enough oomph. I have changed the oil replaced the tires and that is it. I plan on driving it till the wheels fall off and given its performance to date I think that will be a long time coming.