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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Limited Scion - 2004 Scion xA
  By Geolex - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Great CAr great looks (red limited scion Xa) #15, I love this car

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  xb - 2005 Scion XB
  By john k 3 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  great! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!! ! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!!! !!!! !!!!! ! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!!

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  I love it despite its faults. - 2005 Scion TC
  By Vinny8 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I love my Scion. I have been driving it for three months now and have enjoyed every moment. I drove it on a long road trip to go to school (~600 miles). It was such a smooth ride, great handling, and very comfortable in the cockpit. Everyone that I have showed the car off to has complimented the styling of the car. I dont think the Civic (my other choice) would be turning as many heads as the tC has.

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  2006 Scion tC - 2006 Scion TC
  By ScionGrl - September 10 - 4:06 pm

  My Scion tC is one of the most fun cars Ive driven in a long time. AND it has Toyota quality assurance. Ive taken my car on a few long road trips and it handles really well in inclement weather and near-miss incidents. Its totally stress-free! I love it! Plus the way the car just grips the road, I feel like I have total control.

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  250,000 miles and still going. - 2005 Scion XB
  By bigtbronco951 - September 9 - 1:01 am

  I bought my 05 xb used toward the end of 05 with 23,000 miles on it. Mine is the bright yellow release series. Since i`ve owned it i have driven the crap out of it! Taken it to Las Vegas countless number of times and on several oyher road trips since 05 and it has never let me down. Car averages around 31 mpg hwy so long as i put super in it. Have done a few aftermarket upgrades to it and by far the best one was the Magnaflow exhaust system.Woke the little box up like you would not beleive! As far as reliability...awesome! still on the original clutch. Change oil regularly. gonna try and see if it`ll go 500,000 with no major work.

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  My First Purchase - 2005 Scion xA
  By Chelsea - September 3 - 7:53 am

  I love my new car. I just got it last weekend. I moved from a 90 Honda Accord to the 2005 Scion xA. Its so much fun driving it and it compliments my personality perfectly. I am a small, but fun perosn and so is the car. The dash looks so futuristic and the sound system thumps. The seats are really comfortable too.

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  I wish never bought it - 2009 Scion XB
  By Sam lathou - September 2 - 9:56 am

  IÂ’ve had my 09 XB for over 7 months brand new. And since day one at over 40 M/H pulls to the right. Complained to Toyota but no action was taken. I donÂ’t like it at all, sheep car yet I paid over $19500 cash for it. Took it to another shop and was told rear left tire out of alignment but Toyota didnÂ’t provide adjustment for the rear and NO TIE RODÂ…means the rear has to be shimmed or something ,, big money to do that

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  2005 XA Reviewed - A Practical Car - 2005 Scion xA
  By BigEd - August 28 - 8:23 pm

  This is a good, well built car. My Scion gets 33 MPG in city gas mileage. My Scion is a lot of fun to drive around also. One of my favorite features is the hatch in back. I can flip down the seats and carry a lot of stuff back there. The stereo is pretty good and the seats are comfy. The air conditioner is marginal, however. The overall quality seems to be really good. It has lots of technology in the engine and good power for city driving, but high rpm on the highway. I love this car.

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  I own one - 2011 Scion TC
  By tcelikel - August 25 - 2:47 am

  Cant stand when people review a car that arent driving it everyday, so I thought I would add a few comments. Dont buy this car if you are looking for a sports car. Its not. Buy this car if you are looking for a much more attractive looking 2-door Corolla with a tiny bit more juice and a lot of extras. For only a couple thousand dollars more than the Corolla, the decision was easy for me. The only reason I gave it a 4 performance wise is that it seems like Toyota markets the car as sporty. Sporty looking/feeling yes, but not a sports car. For commuters, the performance would easily be a 5. Nothing wrong with it.

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  Love it - 2008 Scion XD
  By mtubbs - August 23 - 6:36 pm

  I have had it for about a week, first tank of gas was 32.5 mpg on the first tank blended city/hwy. I downsized from an Acura TSX and while the xD isnt the same type of car, I actually prefer it when you factor in its affordability. It has enough pick-up to merge on I-95 when it is moving and keep up once you are on. I am 63" and I can sit comfortably in the backseat with the drivers seat adjusted back. I also drove the Fit Sport, and the xD feels like a much more substantial car and has much better pick-up on the road.