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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Great concept but poor execution - 2012 Scion IQ
  By sam214 - March 29 - 8:34 am

  For a small car it doesnt have the zip or the exceptional fuel economy expected. It does not have rear disc brake or any fancy features to justify its "premium" compact branding. The engine makes terrible noise and sounds like it has valves problems and only quiet down when warmed up, thus giving doubt to its long term reliability. The steering wheel makes scraping sounds, and brake pedal makes loud and annoying clicking sounds. Toyota technology and quality is missing in this car.

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  Poor design bad quality - 2005 Scion xA
  By PP - February 13 - 5:56 pm

  Pros: Small, sleek, roomy and fuel efficient. Cons: Bad design, poor quality, noise, vibration. -My speedometer broke, to be replaced. -Brakes (disks and pad) to be replaced. -Can not open widows if driving on highway speeds, because bad design makes this vehicle unstable,and it builds excessive pressure in the cabin. -Lots of vibration noises in the cabin wile idling. I bought it thinking of Toyota quality, but overall this vehicle has very poor quality.

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  Good Car with a Noisy Engine - 2005 Scion TC
  By 99custom - January 15 - 10:57 pm

  Its my wifes car, but I do all the work on it. Its a good car for the price, but the engine is very loud. If you do your research you will see a problem with waterpumps going out, lifters tapping, and cold starts making lots of noise. Another problem I have encountered is the breaks. They always make noise in reverse, no matter what. Im not using cheap parts either. Of course my rear hatch broke, Its been JB-welded for years now..LOL. But the car runs good and does not consume oil like others have mentioned online.

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  You get what you paid for - 2007 Scion TC
  By Brakefade - January 15 - 9:10 am

  The car is great for the price. If youre buying it to throw a bunch of money into mods however, I would suggest you move up to the Civic Si. The tC has two fundamental flaws that enthusiasts will have to spend a lot of money to overcome. One is the lack of an LSD, and the other is the glass roof. The glass roof makes the car heavy at a place you want a car to be as light as possible. If youre looking for an affordable, good looking, reliable, daily driver with a hint of sportiness, this is the car for you.

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  This is a Joke - 2008 Scion TC
  By First and Last time - November 6 - 10:36 am

  I Got this car for my daughter because she liked the style and I knew the car was made by Toyota (I am a toyota man). This car is way over priced. The inside is so cheap. Only 22 mpg. I can not believe that Toyota made this car. I might never buy a toyota again because of this experience.

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  Bewarned of MPG ratings - 2013 Scion IQ
  By yyrd - October 28 - 12:58 am

  I buught this IQ with the idea it got great MPG. Sadly i averaged about 27mph. I looked on Google and found others with the same complaint. 27MPG and a tiny car? It kinda makes the whole concept silly. I returned the car with 100 miles and was very angry. I got a Prius C instead. The back seats touch the front seats, having NO place to put your feet/legs. You cannot fold the backseats with out removing the headrests and leaving them home. I dont understand why it even has backseats. Maybe so they can Claim it can carry 4? There is no luggage room, again you need to fold backseats to have storage room. I suggest removing them out of the car completely as they have zero function.

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  Scion tC - 2005 Scion TC
  By Sk7007 - October 21 - 6:46 am

  This cars air conditioner fails to cool in over 90 degree weather. Also, it has a poor paint job, it chips extremely easily. Also, I have been having trouble with the window moldings.

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  Not so Happy - 2006 Scion XB
  By dee - October 2 - 5:56 pm

  My 2006 Scion xB has a bumpy ride. Ive only had it since May 2005. I thought it was a fun car in the beginning but it has no pickup upon take off. Is anybody else having the same problem?

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  Overall very disappointing - 2013 Scion FR-S
  By garrett2000 - September 27 - 4:57 pm

  I have the 6 speed manual. There are 2 main problems with the car, the first being the severe lack of power. Scion claims this car has 200 HP, I beg to differ, its lucky if it has 150. The acceleration is absolutely terrible, and the hesitation off the line makes the situation even worse. However, once its in 3rd gear or later, it does get a little better. The other thing that bothers me about the car is the transmission grinds when shifting from 1st to 2nd, and from 2nd to 3rd. It doesnt happen every time, but happens enough to be severely annoying. The only redeeming quality of the car is the styling. It looks like a sports car, but thats where the similarity ends.

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  To Xd or Not Xd? - 2010 Scion XD
  By 1ldhall - July 13 - 8:50 pm

  I commute the freeways of LA daily for +65 miles one-way. I have driven the Xd for over 6 months and +10k miles and find it both satisfying yet annoying causing classic cognitive dissonance. The power is ok, but not exceptional, gas-mileage is ok but not great, the radio is very annoying to use with so-so audio quality, in LA you need a radio to survive those long commutes. The AC can barely keep-up on warm days on the 101 fwy and its not even summer yet! Only one cigarette lighter that is on only with the ignition; annoying, no arm rest; annoying, road handling; noisy & annoying, cant see the cup-holders in the dark, annoying. There are better vehicles for the money available.