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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Definately worth the money - 2008 Scion XB
  By jusbuyxb - June 23 - 8:22 am

  Because I have had some experience with Toyotas, I went with the XB. For a toaster on wheels it is not that bad. The 08 has the rounded corners, didnt like the square styling. I heard some issues about heavy oil consumption. What I do is put a honey oil additive in the engine to prevent a lot of these problems. At 70K, still running like a champ. I think most people dont think about the additives to the tranny and eng which definitely make the difference. My wife loves it and coming off an American car binge my whole life, I dont mind the plasticky feel of the Scion. My wife had a PT Cruiser, or should I say PT Loser @19MPG average and now is happy with the XB @24MPG.

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  Gold rush 314 - 2009 Scion XB
  By EntropyGold - June 21 - 8:23 pm

  I just took my 2008 gold rush 5.0 #314 for its 10,000 mile oil change. This has been the best car I have owned. This is my everyday driver to work 100 miles round to NYC, and my toy box on the weekend. Easy to buy without the BS. Very fun to drive. I added a TRD cold air intake and it gets up and goes better then my Hemi Magnum! I have a Thule roof rack for my 17 kayak and bike at the same time. Love it or hate it the Xb is a lot for little money, and gets noticed more and I get more questions then cars I have spent 3 times the amount on. Not the car for you if you like to hide. Enjoy!

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  Great in Snow - 2008 Scion XB
  By Service Tech - June 21 - 1:50 am

  I love how much room is inside with the seats foleded down. I am tall and even I have pleanty of head room in the front and back seat. I live in WI and drive in allot of snow, I have no worries driving in bad weather. Also I drive almost all hwy miles and avg 30 mpg.

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  Wanted it since it came out... - 2006 Scion XB
  By EVLTSTR - June 17 - 10:13 am

  This toaster is everything I wanted. It has great fuel economy, a low operating cost, a simple design, Toyota reliability, styling, features... I could go on and on. I have 2 complaints (both of which I knew going into the purchase). 1) The box has ZERO aerodynamics, therefore, it is impossible to keep all of the bugs off of your windsheild. 2) The gearing in the transmission is very short. Toyota did this to get the most acceleration out of this ice cream truck. At 80 mph in 5th gear (manual transmission), you are at 4,000 rpms. Other than that... Its great. It looks so small on the outside, yet you have so much room on the inside. Plus the aftermarket tuning comminity has taken this car and ran with it.

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  Scion xB2 = Awesomeness - 2008 Scion XB
  By Matrixv01 - June 15 - 8:43 pm

  I love it! Its the perfect blend of slick, unique styling inside and out and urban-living functionality, all at a great price, with a great engine, sound system, and tons of cool extras all standard. I traded in my 2003 BSP Toyota Matrix for a 2008 HTM xB. I liked the xB1 but it had too many flaws for me to consider it for my next purchase. Perfect timing for a redesign. Drastically improved exterior, interior, and under the hood over the previous generation. Still has the unique, quirky-but-cool boxy look, Toyota reliability, low base price, extremely well engineered convenience and functionality, awesome upgrade Pioneer stereo. The xB possesses that "fun-to-drive" factor in excess.

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  FOXXY BOX - 2005 Scion XB
  By Kerry in Vegas - June 15 - 1:30 pm

  I LOVE MY xB!! Cool looking without being over the top. The standard features make this an excellent buy, throw down some more dough for some fun accesories and a killer set of wheels and you are good to go!!

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  The Best By Far....... - 2004 Scion xA
  By cybergypsy - June 11 - 10:00 am

  The best in its class...by far... This is a amazing car have had 35 cars in the the last 3 years..for the money this car is great...much better the the C class Benz 230..

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  Finally a fun drive - 2004 Scion XB
  By Mike70jul - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Just got the car last week and love it. Enough power for around town and commuting, but I am looking forward to adding some Scion performance items to enhance the power. Ride is a bit stiff, but not bad. Dealing with the salesman was surprisingly pleasant, and the buying process was efficient. Body metal is light guage and some interior plastic is not very stout, but for the price, + - 16,000, not bad.

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  Love the Scion XB - 2004 Scion XB
  By ScionXBowner - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I got a new 2004 model with 3 miles on it for under 15g. It is very roomy and comfortable. Its not the fastest thing but thats not what its meant to be. Almost 40 miles to the gallon. Would buy it allover again. Thanks Toyota. Also 5 year UNLIMITED mile warranty!

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  Poor Replacement for the Celica - 2006 Scion TC
  By J. Cooper - June 11 - 1:23 am

  I went to the dealership ready to trade in my 92 Celica (one of the greatest toyotas ever made). The Celica I thought had made me a Toyota driver for life. I just couldnt do it. I saw the tC and sat in it and I loved it. Then I drove it. It was not teribly powerful, kind of peppy but not very and it handeled like Id expect a large sedan not a small coupe. It weighs at least 500 lbs. more than it should with most of the weight up front. This car plows like no other car Ive driven (plowing is not a good thing).