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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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 car! - 2005 Scion TC
  By han - March 29 - 10:00 am

  at first when i saw the car i was amazed. when i drove it, it was like the best thing that has ever happened to me!

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  Had it for a Month - 2005 Scion xA
  By timschoice - March 29 - 1:36 am

  Good car, fun to drive. Got the automatic with a lot of the silly neon lights and better radio. Handles really well, acceleration is a little light from a stop with the auto, but handling is terific. Great sound system. Great car and better price.

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  Great Company Vehicle - 2006 Scion XB
  By dorans - March 27 - 10:46 pm

  These Scions are great for company vehicles. The come with standard vehicle skid control, antilock brakes, and roomy interiors. We use them for our employees, they are useful and great on gas. They are basically a rolling billboard we will plaster our company name and logo, with a wrap-around mesh type ads that will cover the side and rear windows (not the front of course). It is a great way to advertise.

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  Scion xD towers over competition - 2010 Scion XD
  By Barbara - March 26 - 10:20 am

  After months of researching and test driving most of the subcompacts in this price range, the Scion xD won by leaps and bounds. The exterior design is just funky enough for a hip 50+ driver and the interior design is thoughtful and practical enabling one to ignore the plethora of plastic. Mileage, even in the first week, exceeds all expectations. Love that standard equipment on the xD would mean thousands more on other makes/models. The road noise is a bit loud, but the standard 6-speaker Pioneer stereo covers that beautifully. The cargo capacity and split seat design for variety of space and ease of configuring is amazing.

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  My 1st new car - 2006 Scion xA
  By scottygunn - March 26 - 9:40 am

  I love my xa. It can be a little uncomfortable on 1400 mile trips but for the most part its uncomfortable. I get great gas mileage and the stereo is great. I only wish it had a little better looking dash and was a little faster. But what it lacks in power it makes up for in gas mileage.

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  Best value of any new car - 2005 Scion XB
  By frankydiggy - March 25 - 7:33 am

  With a small engine, it wont win any street races. But who cares with everything else you get. So much standard equipment, cool funky styling, tons of passenger room. Wife has said she feels like shes riding first class in front passenger seat. SOOOO much room for small car. Ive certainly driven faster cars, but who the heck ACTUALLY uses the big engine cars? Had a Celica- got several tickets. Plenty of people ask about it. I cant stop showing the inside to people to show how much room their is. Averaging 30-31 mpg in first 3000 miles. Plus its Toyota reliabilty. Overall, best value you can find.

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  2008 Scion xB - 2008 Scion XB
  By mlopez0529 - March 24 - 3:46 pm

  This xB rocks my sox! Wow totally fun to drive. If you werent too sure about the first xB, you definitely need to drive this one. Great interior finish! The curves and lines of the exterior turn heads and gives it a improvement. Engine!! WOW! The tC engine/Camry engine in this gives it great acceleration and fuel economy.

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  AWSOME CAR! - 2004 Scion XB
  By Rosebud1 - March 24 - 10:00 am

  My mom just bought me this car for a 19 birthday present. I absolutly love it. Has great feul milage, a great look, and the interior is sooo roomy! I took this down to college with me and could fit EVERYTHING in it without going above the rear window. It definitly surprised me!I wanted a car that turned heads and this one definitly does! I have had someone ask me where I got this car atleast once everytime I go out. Overall this car is GREAT!

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  Best Car I Ever Owned - 2005 Scion XB
  By ronaldcclark - March 24 - 10:00 am

  The Scion Xb is the most fun car to drive that I have ever driven. The inside visibility of the car is second to none and the seats are really comfortable. The only three things that I would add are: (1) an armrest for the driver (2) a few more horsepower and (3) a temperature gauge for the engine instead of a warning light for high engine temperature

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  Amazing Car - 2005 Scion TC
  By tC_Rider - March 24 - 10:00 am

  By far the best car in its class. When combined with the manual transmission the car feels a lot more exciting. Youll find it hard to believe you payed less than 20 grand.