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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Lovin My 2005 tC - 2005 Scion TC
  By slchick2006 - February 9 - 9:33 pm

  Since I drive 172 miles each day to and from work, I needed something economical, this car was that and more. I love the even more since owning it. Its very reliable and since buying it I have not had any problems with this car. I am consistent with oil changes and tire rotation. This car rocks.

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  xD 2.0: tons of features, fun - 2009 Scion XD
  By ArmywifeMo - February 7 - 10:26 am

  New owner but will try to post later with more info on performance, reliability, fuel economy. Long-legged passengers had ample room in the back seat, super fun to drive, much more spacious than it looks from the outside, still learning all the special features in the 2.0. Compared the Honda Fit base model (manual), the xD auto, & the xD manual; best handling & value by far with my car. A very style/brand conscious friend raved how my xD had more features than his recently purchased Lexus (but at the end of the day, he still has a "Lexus"...whatever I still have $6k to spend on other things!). Cross country road trip and baby on the way; the xD is read for the challenge!

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  Almost Perfect - 2006 Scion XB
  By gluzdov - February 5 - 8:03 am

  My conclusion from owning the stick shift model for 5 months: this car is perfect for the city, but bad for the highways. Its been like owning an SUV without sacrificing fuel and city parkability. its one of the shortest cars on the market and lets us fit into all kinds of super-small parking spots here in Philly. However, the manual gear design disregards the reality of speeds of the US highways. 5th gear: 80MPH/4000RPM, 90MPH/5000RPM - not a gas saver and the engine gets pretty loud. Dont believe the EPA estimates. Also, the default suspension option is pretty rough (wishing we upgraded).

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  weather u got problems - 2007 Scion TC
  By claudia - January 22 - 12:40 am

  I guess we didnt do our homework. When it rains or snows we do not use this car at all. You are all over the road. We wanted a good dependable car all year round, but not with this. We even bought winter tires and it did not help the problem. We didnt realize when it is a high performance car there is not much weight to the car abd thus you are all over the road when the weather turns bad.

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  Well-balanced car for the price - 2008 Scion TC
  By sushi714 - January 18 - 4:07 pm

  I purchased my 2008 Scion tC brand new in December of 2007 and still feel pretty satisfied with it! Im not sure if there was a better deal out there when I purchased this vehicle, but it provided the best balance between price, style, performance, and reliability (knowing that it came from the Toyota family of brands). Still in great condition, so havent had to do anything except the usual maintenence as suggested by Scion. Prefer ANT10 series (2009 and previous years) due to change to a more "boring" interior with the AGT20 (2010 - current) series.

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  Scion tC - 2005 Scion TC
  By jag85 - January 9 - 3:13 am

  I bought this car a year into college. I have always been a big fan of Toyotas, and the Scion brand offered many options standard for a reasonable price. There probably isnt a better overall car you can buy for 17k brand new in the U.S. Since its a big 4 cylinder 2.4 liters, I would expect a bit more horsepower, at least 175-180. Overall its a great car, fuel efficient, very reliable, unique styling, Lexus like interior, fairly priced. This is definitely a great car to give to your high school grad.

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  Good for the price - 2005 Scion XB
  By hotrod9 - January 4 - 3:53 pm

  The 2005 Scion xB is easy and fun to drive in traffic and very responsive. It is very easy to park in tight places. It does lack in power on the freeways and the gas mileage drops off at higher speeds, but I am still able to maintain 26 mpg or better at 75 mph. I get over 30 mpg at slower speeds. The ride is stiff and uncomfortable for long hauls. This car is very good in cities and short drives. The front bumper is only 5" off the ground so watch those curb blocks.

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  Gas-O-holic - 2008 Scion XD
  By pH - January 1 - 2:56 am

  We chose the Scion xD for the obvious reasons, gas mileage and bang for the buck. The car has an ugly dog sort of cuteness to it. Our initial impression is that it is a great little car. You definitely get what they advertise. If you want a Lexus level of performance, quiet and ride quality, dont buy this car. If you want an inexpensive, feature heavy car, this is the one you want! The "Pure Price" concept makes buying cars a snap. No pressure, no negotiating - what you see is what you get.