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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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:

• 

  Scion xB - 2005 Scion XB
  By Ian Steele - July 5 - 12:16 pm

  Great ride, fun to drive, more room than you can imagine!

• 

  Small Outside, Huge Inside - 2006 Scion XB
  By ANTONIO GUERRA - July 4 - 5:00 am

  This car is awesome. I need a roomy, comfortable car for my business and was originally planning to buy a Lincoln to replace my aging Ford van. I test drove the Scion xB on a whim, and completely fell in love with it. I found that it has more head and leg room, front and back, than the Lincoln I took for a spin, and its a lot more fun to drive. My customers love riding in it...no matter how big they are, they have plenty of room to stretch out. I dont get very good gas mileage because of the type of driving I have to do at work and the way I drive, and Im in South Florida so my A/C is always on. I can only imagine how much more gas Id be burning if Id bought that Lincoln.

• 

  Love my xB - 2006 Scion XB
  By cor337 - July 4 - 1:40 am

  I love my Scion xB! I was hesitant at first, but this car grew on me really fast. It has great interior room and cargo space(60/40 split). It has awesome fuel economy and a great stock Pioneer 160 watt sound system. I opted for the iPod and Sirius radio and it makes my long driving even more enjoyable! I drive this car daily and its a looker. I replaced the stock 15" hubcaps / tires with some 17" 7-spoke gunmetal rims. My xB looks and handles even better! Not to mention my 17" rims match the cool looking Thunder Clound Metallic Scion offers! I have fun driving this car everyday. All in all, it is a great and fun car!

• 

  I love my Scion XD - 2008 Scion XD
  By lovemyxd - June 30 - 8:30 am

  When I sat down to test drive this car, I immediately knew it was the one. Its cute yet bold looking--and super fun to drive.

• 

  Best Car Ive ever had - 2006 Scion TC
  By Albert Montijo Jr - June 28 - 10:10 am

  This car is the best value on the market. For all the features that you get on a base model, this car is a steal. Im even bold enough to say that this car is better than a Civic or any other car just like it.

• 

  Bad Gas Mileage/Frequent Visits to the Shop - 2006 Scion xA
  By igobye - June 26 - 1:53 pm

  At 28,000 miles the best mileage Ive gotten is 36 mpg once. Most of the time Im lucky to get 33 mpg highway. I commute 90 miles daily and Im not getting the mileage that I expected, which was one key factor in choosing the car. When I asked a Scion dealership about it, I was given the same excuse others have been - those are just estimates and there is not much they can do about it. On top of the gas mileage issue, my car has been in the shop three times. The first time was to to replace the radio that changed channels by itself. The second time to replace the Camhead assembly and the third time it was leaking between where the gas nozzle goes and the tank. It was all warranty work, but Im almost out of warranty - then what? At this rate Ill be broke.

• 

  Outstanding XA - 2005 Scion xA
  By Jojo Abaya - June 25 - 11:33 am

  Just bought the XA about a week ago and am very impressed with the ride. I commute 44 mins one way and needed a reliable and economical car and the XA was everything I needed. The XA has power everything and the 5 speed manual does great on the hills. Its a comfortable ride and has the Toyota reliability emanating from it. It handles well on curves and is pretty quiet (I almost stalled it twice because I kept on thinking it was an automatic due to the quiet engine!). Plenty of room, where I can put 3 car seats in the back if I needed to. I like all the aftermarket parts I can put on it to make it personal. The only bad things is that it didnt have floor mats, cruise control, or armrest.

• 

  Love It - 2006 Scion xA
  By Afaq Syed - June 24 - 6:53 am

  This car is incredible. I was working on a tight budget. After test driving three cars, the salesperson showed me this car. The long list of standard items was impressive. After taking it out for the test drive I found it to be very responsive and fun driving and decided to buy it. I bought a Toyota Camry 6 months back. I wish I had test driven this car before I had brought my Camry. I think this car is a true value down to every penny.

• 

  Scion Love - 2006 Scion TC
  By StansTryin - June 24 - 1:06 am

  Without a doubt, this car is the best car I have ever owned.

• 

  It was worth the Change! - 2009 Scion XB
  By stormancast - June 23 - 7:30 pm

  This car had pretty much what I was looking for. 1. Space the back seat room is bigger than my wife 2002 Durango, 2. Good size cargo area, 3. Decent engine size/Power, and 4. Decent Mileage. I have already put 1800 miles on and enjoy driving it. It has a lot of of spunk and great turn radius. I did my research and test drove many compact cars that was in the same price range. Nothing seemed to compare to the XB. When I work from Home my wife steals it from me. The only negatives would be the arm rest, the power plug needs the key in the ignition and door console needs to be higher. overall I love the car.