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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Reliable Space Capsule - 2006 Scion XB
  By Smith - December 17 - 7:56 pm

  The Scion xB has great interior space for a tall man and it is as reliable as a Toyota, of course. My only wish is for a bit more sound-deadening of the interior and a bit more comfort (brighter interior dome light, softer seating, etc.) - perhaps there should be a Lexus xB?

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  Some good, some bad - 2008 Scion XB
  By woodywrkng - December 13 - 4:15 pm

  I bought my 2008 XB used, with 26k miles at around 25 months old. Its a 5-speed model, and was at a dealership for a very nice price, perhaps because most people dont drive cars with manuals these days. Most of these Scions are holding their value very well, so it was hard to pass this one up. Im a 50 year old guy, whos now more interested in a roomy, economical, and reliable car, than one which I hope will impress people. Ive owned it for over one year now, and have some good impressions, and some not so good. Driving experience: The car handles and brakes surprisingly well. The suspension is very simple and should prove rugged and reliable. The steering ratio is quick, the turning radius short, and the suspension quite firm without being harsh. The driving position however seems at odds with the handling prowess of the car. From the drivers seat, it just doesnt feel particularly sporty. There are minimal seat adjustments, decent but not well bolstered seats, and a rather high mounted shift lever, with the end result just feeling a bit awkward if you try to drive in too agressive of a manner. While the seats are indeed better than most I found in this price/class of vehicle, it would be nice for a lumbar control or lower seat angle adjustment. The drivers seat will raise and lower, but its pivoted at the front, thus when raised you tip forward. On the highway its surprisingly quiet and composed for an econocar. One odd problem Ive found is when wearing my size 11 work boots, my left toe rubs on the clutch pedal lever unless I pull my leg back un-naturally, while my right foot can just barely fit between the brake pedal and the center housing to reach the gas pedal. There simply isnt much room under there for an average work boot. My normal shoes dont experience this problem. Theres a sizable right rear blind spot, which makes it a crap shoot backing out of an angled parking space, as well as large side view mirrors which obstruct your view to the side. If you tend to drive in nice weather with the window down and your arm hanging out, you may want to begin looking for a decent physical therapist since the window opening is quite high and youll eventually tear your rotator cuff. Winter driving: The standard tires are round, and thats about it. The traction control works very well, asuming its working (more later) and its needed, due to the lame tread pattern of the Bridgestone tires, and very low ground clearance of the car. Many people lower these cars, which should make them a real adventure when encountering a pothole. Speaking of tires, the spacesaver spare is mounted on a wheel, the color of which should be called puke yellow. I reckon thats so you wont be tempted to leave it on for long. Theres no discrete vent always aimed at the drivers side window to keep the side view mirror visible on frosty days, so youll need to aim your dash vent in that direction. The passenger side has a separate vent. Perhaps its the small wheel wells, but ice tends to form in the front wheel wells and rub on the tires, more than in most cars. Engine: Impressive low rpm punch, acceleration, snort, whatever you want to call it. This thing just plain scoots if you want it to. I do my own repairs, and the normal maintenance items are easy to find under the hood, with the parts that will eventually fail (alternator, water pump, A/C compressor) easy to see and reach. There is some chatter on a Scion forum about leaking water pumps, and mine isnt visibly leaking yet, although there is a pink stripe directly above the pump on the underside of the hood. Gas mileage-wise, I get 23-26 in city winter driving, in the cold state of Iowa, which I feel is fine since my daily commute is only a few miles each way. In warm weather the number rises to 25-28 in town, and up to 35 on a mixture of 55 and 65 mph roads. These figures are when the car is carefully driven however. Transmission: A smooth but long throw hydraulic clutch, widely spaced gear ratios, and a high mounted shifter without a reverse lock result in a car that doesnt ask to be driven aggressively. It took me a few weeks of driving to make nice smooth shifts. People do praise the automatic transmission, but I never drove one. 65 mph occurs at 2700 rpm, which is fairly normal for a car like this, although I do feel the car has the power to be geared higher. Interior: I like the blank dash in front of my face when looking straight down the road. Having the instruments slightly to the right gives you an un-cluttered view of where youre going, which is a good thing. A few of the oddities are slightly annoying however. The only clock is part of the trip computer, which has 8 functions. You can only view one at a time, so if youre watching the gas mileage, you dont see the clock. If you could choose which function to view from the steering wheel there would be no problem, but you cant. The standard radio is actually closer to the passenger than the driver, which is a bit odd, and the climate controls temperature knob is behind the shifter knob when in odd numbered gears. Speaking of the standard Pioneer stereo system, its impressive. Im an audio nut from long ago, and can honestly say that unless youre a kid wishing to annoy entire neighborhoods with hip-hop, you wont be upset with the sound quality, assuming you learn how to use the various features of the stereo. Most factory stereos in a car of this price are fairly basic, but this one is a nice surprise. Well done Scion. The interior feels cavernous, with easy access (meeting the approval of my 89 year old Mom), backseat legroom like a limo, and enough hard surfaces to create echos. The center console is a few inches too low to be of any use as an armrest, but its storage area is deep enough to hold CDs. The drivers seat has a fold down arm rest, that gets in the way of the seat belt when up, so thats a minor annoyance. Theres a storage area under the rear seats, which is a fine idea, except that whatever you put under there tends to slide around a lot on the hard plastic. I recently loaded a standard sized kitchen range into the rear and closed the hatch, so there is indeed lots of useful space. Exterior: Yeah, its odd looking, so what? It would be nice to have a key lock for the rear hatch, just in case. The only keyhole on the outside of the car is for the drivers door. The roof is the longest, flattest expanse seen since the early 70s full sized station wagons, which is a good thing since I use an aftermarket roof rack for a canoe or kayak, and the further apart the bars are, the better. The paint seems to be very thin and dainty. Its just too easy to scratch, so youll be needing a container of touch-up paint, which judging from the price at the Scion dealer, contains precious metals and diamonds. Problems: Being the first year for this model, there are indeed some bugs. Some quite serious and pricy, if they occur after the warranty expires. In my case, my anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control are now kaput due to a known problem with a rear wheel speed sensor, and being two months out of warranty, Im looking at a 700 - 900 dollar repair. And thats only for one of the sensors. Double that number when the other one fails. It seems as though they arent waterproof. Scion knows about the problem, theres a TSB on it, but chooses not to issue a recall or an extended warranty on this issue. Since it concerns most of the safety functions of the car, I find that disturbing. There are also issues with the water pump, electric power steering, windshield cracking, and an assortment of creaks and groans to name a few. Overall, Im basically pleased with the car, but disturbed by the reliabilty concerns. It reminds me of the Ford Fiestas from the late 70s, on a larger scale, but without the simplicity and reliability.

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  Great Car! - 2005 Scion TC
  By Lewiston Rob - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I saw it one night after work and was into the dealership before work the next morning, drove it just six blocks and bought it!

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  Mixed feelings on my tC - 2006 Scion TC
  By RichNYSME - November 16 - 8:33 pm

  I purchased my Scion tC to replace my 98 Nissan 200sx-ser which was a fabulous car. I love the exterior styling, handling, comfort, and overall feel of the car. My biggest dissapointment is in the build quality. Ive owned many Japanese cars over the years from Honda, Mazda, and Nissan without any problems; this is my first new Toyota purchase and I fully expected legendary Toyota quality on this car. I havent gotten it. The paint is very delicate, scratching very easily. Interior quality is fair at best, my drivers seat is showing a lot of wear, and the interior panels get scratched very easily. Im not rough on cars at all and this one is holding up badly at only 18 months old.

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  Great Value - 2005 Scion TC
  By ElMariaci - November 9 - 8:00 am

  I recently purchased a tc, I am very pleased with it. The car itself is a great value with excellent standard features. It is clear that the profit margin for the vehicle is made on scion accessories. I dont know that any of the accessories are a great buy. For instance I can get chrome wheel locks for $25 and scion is asking $49. This is just the beginning. You cant beat this car at this price, but consider going to other vendors for accessories.

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  great little used car - 2008 Scion XB
  By jjjjjohnson - October 29 - 11:21 pm

  Happy with it PROS: great little short distance commuter. nice simple interior. simple easy to clean exterior. smooth auto trans. nice strong 2.4 engine. very reliable once you replace or update its weak cooling system and weak brakes. strong a/c system. CONS: cheaply built car. cheap interior pieces. mpg is only so so. paint and exterior trim is weak. suspension is a little bumpy. not a long distance freeway car. cant take abuse got this for about 6800.00 cash. the cheaper you get it the better. then upgrade the weak cooling system and braking system. runs about 600.00. if you can afford it. move up to a 2010 and up used model. they were more reliable cars.

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  Great if Youre Under 56" - 2006 Scion xA
  By Duley - October 27 - 3:50 pm

  I drove my wifes car - 2,000 miles in seven days. Im 61"at 200 lbs. The car sipped gas, saving $180 in fuel over my car. It is very nimble at cruising speeds. I expected a buzzy engine, wind noise and stiff suspension from a small car and I wasnt disappointed. Luckily, the stereo worked perfectly and for the price it performed great, climbing hills at 75 in 4th. The AC handled 100+ temps with no problems.

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  Go speed racer - 2006 Scion XB
  By Frighteningly good - October 25 - 9:00 am

  My Scion xB is silver with a stick. It is a very slow car, but its so sweet. I cant stand myself. Its love. I have the blue light in the footwells, and the armrest which is essential. This is a very dark car on the inside, so get a light. Im getting 32 MPG combined. Again, this car is extremely slow. The back phony lowrider tail section is falling off because I cracked it on a curb. You need to be careful. Buy this car immediately. It doesnt get any better. The dealer will have nothing to do with haggling. Get them on the interest rate of the loan you will pay. They will go into the other room, their face will turn red, and theyll make the deal - sort of. Good luck, and happy driving.

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  Ugly but GREAT - 2006 Scion XB
  By Mark - October 21 - 9:56 pm

  Ok, the 2006 xb is ugly but because of that design the interior space is amazing! My wife averages 31 mpg in daily commuter driving including stop-and-go traffic. The interior feels cheap and the ride is stiff. You sit very high for a small car which improves visibility. Not much power from the 1.5 liter engine but who cares with that gas mileage. Very cheap to purchase new, only costing $15,000 with the optional cruise and armrest. The rear liftgate is the entire height of the car so its a bit awkward to open. The cruise control is awful to use as it drops 3 to 5 mpg before engaging, but once it does it works fine. This is the best car for the money and thats why the resale is so high

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  Great except the gas mileage - 2004 Scion XB
  By Don - October 15 - 4:56 pm

  My car is phenomenal. It is sensible, practical and fun. My only issue is that gas mileage is poor. On the highway I typically attain 28 miles per gallon. Not great for a tiny 4 cylinder. Both dealer and Scion of America insist that I am the issue. Apparently all others do get the mileage rated on the window sticker. Very disappointing to an almost perfect car in every other way.