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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Scion tC, if your taller than 5 5" - 2005 Scion TC
  By dave burge - November 19 - 8:30 am

  If your taller than 5 5", this car is probably not for you. Im 5 10" tall and I have had the seats in every position. There is no position that I am comfortable in. The steering wheel is too far forward for the average height of a man. When the steering wheel is in a comfortable position my legs are in the birthing position and very cramped. When my legs are comfortable, my arms are fully extended. Dont even think about being able to recline the drivers seat, youll never reach the steering wheel. Toyota needs to take men who are taller than 5 5" into consideration when designing vehicles. Otherwise the car is excellent in all other aspects, but the lack of comfort ruins the whole car for me.

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  Faster than a Supra! - 2005 Scion TC
  By hachiroku - November 18 - 3:16 pm

  I have an 05 tC and an 88 Supra. R&T tested both cars in the year they were produced, the tC was 7.8 to 60, the Supra 7.9. The car handles like its on rails, the stock tires are very good. The build quality is very good, but there is a rattle in the dash when its cold (surprise...). Driveability is extremely good. Except for being a little taller and being FWD this car is as much a blast as my 85 Corolla GTS was. The stock sound system is good, better speakers like Quarts make it excellent.

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  Good Deal for an Inexpensive Car - 2006 Scion xA
  By Gerald McD. - November 4 - 7:26 am

  This car is solid for an economy car. It handles extremely well, and the gas mileage is good. I drive mostly interstate miles, and I am getting between 34-35 MPG with the 5-speed manual transmission. The front seating is comfortable, the back seat is adequate, but not for longer trips. The extras that come as standard equipment (stereo, ABS, AC, etc.) really make this an outstanding deal. The only negative - it is a bit loud at interstate speeds, the engine is pushing 3,500 RPM at 70 mph.

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  Best car and most fun to drive - 2004 Scion XB
  By rickoorama - November 4 - 2:00 am

  This little car is so fun to drive. It holds all my tools and equipment for my job, plus hauls my huge 66" friends around with complete comfort and room.

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  Love it! - 2006 Scion TC
  By Julie - November 2 - 11:00 am

  This little car handles so well and has plenty of pick up when you need it. It does have 2 blindspots but if you adjust your mirrors well you should be fine. It is a fun car to drive and great stereo sound. A lot of car for your money.

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  Havent put gas in it yet - 2004 Scion xA
  By BlueScion - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Loved the no pressure sale. This is the way all car purchases should be. At only 100hp I expected lousy performance, but with such low weight, it zips! 60-80mph on the freeway with no problems. Seudo Recarro seats sit nice front and back. It took about 30minutes to get used to those center guages. Now my other cars seem weird.

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  I love my Scion TC - 2006 Scion TC
  By Shelley - October 28 - 10:30 pm

  Other than the air-conditioner needing a bit more "kick", and the color of the interior / nylon seats, I love my Scion tC! I drive it all the time, and it is economical and really fun to drive. I am 52 years old..and feel like the LIttle Ol Lady from Pasedena! I love the pickup speed and the versatility of the whole car.

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  Good Economy Car, But Not Great - 2005 Scion xA
  By Ted Mer - October 16 - 11:43 am

  The Scion xA delivers good fuel economy, decent power, and has good features. Its road noise is a bit bothersome, as are a few rattling noises from the windows and dashboard. After 1.5 years of use, I have made no trips to the dealer except for maintenance. The turning radius is a bit large for so small a car, which is good for safety but bad for tight city driving. It handles wind, bad weather and city speeds well. It delivers okay performance on the freeway if youre not used to driving muscle cars.

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  Great car but not for all - 2007 Scion TC
  By buckeyedrifter - October 15 - 2:33 am

  I had to get rid of my TC 2.5 years because of an accident so I figured now would be a good time to write a review. Things I liked: Fun car to drive Great car to learn/relearn manual Very flexible so easy to haul big things Things I didnt like: Not very good in rain/snow Tires wore out too quickly Mileage would go down unless driven on perfect road Bottom line: This is a great car for a small commute and if you want to learn manual. But there are better cars IMO. I bought this car after having a 97 Civic for 9 years and the Civic would drive no differently rain or shine and I always got the same mileage even with my foot all the way down. Tuner parts are expensive too.

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  Fun 2 Drive - 2007 Scion TC
  By andyhaines - October 12 - 10:06 pm

  This is my first time with Scion. I love the car more every day. I cant wait for it to warm up so that I can open up the sunroof.