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 The xA has since been replaced by the xD, which carries on the quirky and customizable spirit of its predecessor.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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  Barts view - 2004 Scion xA
  By Scionbro2004 - April 19 - 10:00 am

  The car is pretty cool for the price, it was my first car that i bought brand new. Im 20.

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  Love and HATE Relationship - 2009 Scion TC
  By kcady - March 4 - 4:10 pm

  I bought my tC Brand new in 2009! I loved it for awhile, I love the look of my car and its great on gas other then that I was dissappointed! I lose control of my car in the wind! getting around in the snow is a joke! Went through the stock tires around 12k, the air conditioner sucks, anyone over 6 foot will be cramped in your car, my car is always in the shop for something! very basic..... I was in a car accident, I was very surprise how good it held up. The other car was totalled, while mine needed just a big dent repair! I would advise someone to really consider your options and rule Scion out!

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  Gas Mileage Poor - 2005 Scion XB
  By charles liddell - February 7 - 6:10 am

  I like the cool factor of the car yet am very disappointed with the in city gas mileage. I have gotten as low as 20 mpg. I dont know if there is something wrong with it or not. I sacrificed a lot of handling and performance to get the promised great mileage. I used to drive a 94 Mazda Miata and got about 22 mpg on average and had a blast driving it. I am planning on taking a huge hicky on the purchase of this car because I will get out of it ASAP and get the 2006 Miata.

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  Warning for Scion xA Buyers! - 2006 Scion xA
  By scionwarning - January 22 - 6:53 pm

  I just paid $707.00 for repairs to the air vac system because I was told that "topping it off" can cause gas and air flow problems. I do not top my gas tank off. I may round off to the nearest 10, but I do not top off. My car has only 51,000 miles. I am 53 years old. My contention is if this is a problem with all Toyotas as I was told at the dealership, then a disclosure from Scion/Toyota should be made available and placed on the gas cap or sun visor or the warranty manual - somewhere. Buyers beware!! I am writing to the CEO and President of Scion as well.

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  Disappointed - 2005 Scion XB
  By TVkid - January 22 - 3:20 am

  Loved this car from the moment I saw it. Convinced my wife to get it for our small business as a delivery vehicle. The "toaster" sees a lot of miles, but gets regular service and is only driven by me. Rarely gets better than 29 miles per gallon. Had to replace all four rims and tires - $800 - because of cracks in the rims. Lost the transmission at 89,000 miles. Small back side light managed to vibrate loose and fall out - $175 to replace. Now AC compressor is going out. The Camry we used as a trade-in was much more reliable.

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  Decent little car but overpriced. - 2006 Scion TC
  By Jeremy - January 21 - 12:22 am

  I bought this car about a year and a half ago, totally in love with it at first. Good power band, predictable and quick for a car of this class. Right off the bat I replaced the suspension and did a modest 1/8th drop w/ coils, short shifter and a cold air intake. Modest modifications. The engine sounds really nice! But still, after you hit 60mph the power just seems to vanish. It pulls pretty hard off the line, but after 60mph (more accurately 3rd gear) the power dissipates and its simply disappointing. The Pros: Looks pretty nice, super easy to modify, plenty of parts to choose from, comfy (for the price), stereo is decent, and it handles surprisingly well at high speeds going into corners. Some people seem to have issues with reliability, Ive had no such complaint. I have yet to get a single check engine light short of my gas cap failing (OH NO NOT $5!). Sunroof works great, windows work great, plenty of trunk space and room for two passengers in the rear. AC works well enough, heater is nearly too hot. Cons: Theres a lot.... For starters, the blue and white instrument cluster is REALLY IRRITATING. The highbeam indicator is so bright at night, I had to apply duct tape over it because it affected my vision at night. The blue you can dim, but what a dull choice for the dash. Turn signals are blinding, cruise control light is blinding, everything on that cluster impairs vision at night. Then in the day, you cant see it! Its the most hilarious thing, at night youre blinded, during the day you have to squint to see your speed. Bummer. At high RPM, the engine sounds awesome. Low RPM, it nearly sounds broken. Theres this ever present noise that all Toyotas Ive owned make, but this one is particularly annoying. As you accellerate you can hear the drive train slowly getting louder and increasing in pitch. At first I liked it, it rather sounded like a go-kart, but now its frustrating. The standard manual stick shift had the longest throw Ive ever seen. It was really annoying. Id miss gears because the throw was so damn far. It was almost mandatory to install the TRD short shifter. Front left speaker broke nearly immediately for reasons unknown. The wire harnesses for my taillights literally lit on fire and required a $500 replacement. Gas mileage is worse than my Honda Prelude SHs, which was 6 years older, weighed almost 500lbs more AND put out about 40 more bhp. 26 highway and 19 city? What? Thats even when you reeeeaaallly baby the throttle. For a 4-cyl coupe w/ 160bhp, theres no reason for that at all. Weighs about as much as an aircraft carrier for its size. As I stated in the short review, the car is quick off the line (by quick I mean 6.9 second 0-60 w/ the short shifter), but super slow and lame after ~60mph. Fourth gear is a joke. Made worse by the fact that while cruising in 5th at 70MPH on the highway, the car is revved to 3.5K RPM. Which is simply goofy for a car that has no pull in 4th and 5th gear. EVERYTHING RATTLES! The interior door plastic rattles. Windows rattle. Rear windshield rattles. Dash rattles. All of the things in this car rattle. The build quality in this car is simply atrocious. For a car that costs this much money, what the [non-permissible content removed] My old 87 Celica GT had a million times better interior quality, and I bought it for $1k! They used the cheapest plastic Ive ever seen in a car. So much so that the plastic warped, so its not even or flush on the window after 1k miles. [non-permissible content removed] Honestly, the plastic of a Fisher-Price buggy has better plastic quality. The mesh of the seats (the option that I have, cant speak for cloth/leather) is comfy and easy to clean, but foul to the touch. Feels cheap like everything else. When I bought the car the clutch was too stiff, now its loose and unpredictable. Sometimes I can depress it half way and shift, other times it decides that I cant. Really confusing. At 115K miles the starter, ignition system and distributor cap failed simultaneously. $6k down the hole. I need to replace the spark plugs way more frequently than I should (nearly every 1K miles, probably related to the dead ignition system). THE SINGLE MOST ANNOYING THING YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN DRIVING THIS CAR: Its a Corolla with an aluminum block. Still a corolla. The motor just isnt special at all. Cams are small. Transmission is weak. Not enough power etc. But occasionally youll be driving and remember "I could have saved $4k if I just bought a Corolla, and gotten the same effect". Except, somehow, even the corollas have better build quality than the Scion tC. Unless you like boring overpriced cars that have no power, suck gas like an SUV, but look nice. Go buy a Corolla. Their cheaper, more reliable, just as fast, more comfortable, get way better mileage and dont disappoint because you never expect anything out of corollas ;)

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  Too Cheap! - 2007 Scion TC
  By Bob - December 25 - 3:56 pm

  I wanted Toyota quality, what I got was Toyota cheap! This car has too much plastic (for example, its all along the sides below the door and quarter panels), too much emphasis on youth chic and not enough hallmark Toyota quality. No wonder they invented a new brand. The radio pops whenever you turn it on after a short delay because of poor integration of the factory amplifier option. This occurs on every Scion with a factory installed amp. When I first got it, the radio popped every time I changed stations! It also has cheap sheet metal that pops from the slightest pressure. I thought I was going to dent the hood, hatchback and doors a couple of times when I first waxed it. The whole roof is glass. On the plus side it is fun to drive.

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  Less Impressed than Id Hoped to Be - 2008 Scion XB
  By callisto9 - December 18 - 12:53 pm

  Bought used in 2011 with just under 50K. I researched this car for about a year before buying, so I knew what I was getting. Been less than impressed during the past year of ownership. I wanted so badly to like this car, but the little things are added up to an unpleasant driving experience. If I could go back and do this all over again, Id likely have gotten a different car, or an automatic.

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  xB nice style, poor quality - 2005 Scion XB
  By onaircreative - November 16 - 3:06 am

  This is no Toyota. The Scion xB is a cool looking car, with good fuel consumption, but it ends there. It has no pickup! Dont try to get on the highway with the air conditioning on. My trunk latch came off when I was only trying to open it. I mean - it came off in my hand. Now the car wont lock. I have less than 14,000 miles and now I am stuck paying the bill on a manufacturing defect. Scion can refuse any repairs based on nothing other than their word. This car seems to be constructed entirely of plastic - CHEAP PLASTIC. Granted, it is roomy and cool looking, but looks can be deceiving. Its ride is too bumpy as well.