Known for offering both value and style, the Scion was Toyota’s attempt to engage younger buyers before reabsorbing the brand back into Toyota in 2016.

Written by Jason Tushinski

Reviewed by Kathleen Flear

Updated on Jan 31, 2024

Table of Contents

Are Scions good cars?
Are Scions reliable?
Are Scions safe?
Are Scions expensive to maintain?
Are Scions good on gas?
Are Scions fun to drive?
What’s the best Scion?
How to find affordable Scion insurance

Load full table of contents

Scion, a brand full of youthful vigor launched by Toyota in 2004, has an average 7/10 rating from Car & Driver. Scion built several affordable, stylish, reliable, and sporty vehicles while in production until 2016 when the brand was re-absorbed into the parent company.

While only in existence for a bit more than a decade, Scion made a name for itself as Toyota’s effort to target trendy, youthful drivers with a new line of affordable-yet-fetching vehicles. While the brand was pulled back into the realm of the Toyota mothership in 2016, several Scion models were rebranded as Toyotas—the FR-S became the 86, the iA became a version of the Yaris, and the iM became a version of the

Corolla

Here to break the now-defunct Scion brand down for you is

Jerry

, the

car insurance

broker and comparison shopping super app! We’ll take a closer look at some Scion models and examine their reliability, affordability, safety, and other features. We can even help you find the lowest

Toyota insurance costs

Are Scions good cars?

Despite their brief time in existence, Scions made their mark as remarkably durable, affordable, and fun cars to drive—in fact, Car & Driver Magazine gave the 2016 Scion FR-S a sterling 10/10 overall grade. This no doubt pleased the tall foreheads at Toyota (though…not enough, apparently) who saw the Scion as a youth-friendly line of cars that would diversify the automaker’s audience with an edgy new product line.

Scions were known to offer just one trim on their models, but many options were available for each vehicle. Who knows how Scions might have continued to reshape Toyota’s image had the brand been able to exist for longer than it did. But alas, we’re left to inspect the ruins of the Scion brand. So, here’s a look at Scion’s 2016 lineup—aka its final trip around the sun.

Model	Starting price	Years	Vehicle type	Edmunds.com rating	Car and Driver rating
FR-S	$26,100	2013 to 2016	Coupe	N/A	10/10
iA	$16,495	2016	Compact sedan	N/A	8/10
iM	$19,255	2016	Hatchback	N/A	7/10
tC	$20,180	2005 to 2016	Hatchback	N/A	3/10

Are Scions reliable?

When thinking about how reliable a car is, you want to think about how often

your car breaks down

and how affordable it is (or isn’t). Generally, you also want to look for solid warranties, reasonable repair costs, and infrequent recalls—these are usually the hallmarks of a reliable brand.

Scions might not be of this earth anymore, but used ones are generally regarded as excellent buys due to their reliability, affordability, safety, and overall value. Considering Scion was an offshoot of Toyota, the brand’s overall reliability shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

MORE:

The 5 characteristics of a reliable car insurance company

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

Are Scions safe?

Overall, Scions are considered to be very safe.The 2016 Scion iA was voted a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, and most other vehicles in the 2016 lineup received top marks from either the IIHS and/or the NHTSA.

What makes Scions overwhelmingly safe vehicles? Most Scions came with many of the following safety features:

Star Safety System

Vehicle stability control

Traction control

Anti-lock brakes

Start & stop technology

Forward collision mitigation system

Driver & front passenger airbags

Front and side airbags

Side impact beams

Child safety locks

Here’s a rundown of Scion’s safety ratings and recalls:

Model	NHTSA rating	IIHS rating	Recalls
FR-S	5 stars	Good	3
iA	N/A	Good	0
iM	N/A	N/A	1
tC	5 stars	Good	3

Are you overpaying for your car insurance?

Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.

Compare Rates Now

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms · No fees

4.717k Ratings

5M+Drivers Joined

7M+Cars Garaged

MORE: How to find vehicle safety ratings

Are Scions expensive to maintain?

According to RepairPal, Scions are inexpensive to maintain with a yearly average of $467—well below the U.S. average and in line with

average Toyota maintenance costs

. The best way to ensure your Scion stays trouble-free is to follow Toyota's suggested maintenance schedule. This will ensure your already-used Scion stays on the road for many years and many thousands of miles.

The Scion with the most complaints was the Scion tC hatchback, which logged 170 complaints according to CarComplaints.com.The worst year for the tC was 2007, with excessive oil consumption being a recurring problem.

Are Scions good on gas?

With an average fuel economy of 29.8 miles per gallon, Scions would rank near the top of contemporary vehicles in terms of fuel efficiency if they were still being produced.

Here are the fuel economy numbers for Scion’s last cohort, its 2016 models:

Model	City	Highway	Combined
FR-S	24 mpg	33 mpg	28 mpg
iA	31 mpg	40 mpg	34 mpg
iM	28 mpg	36 mpg	31 mpg
tC	23 mpg	30 mpg	26 mpg

Generally speaking, the size of your engine will dictate your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. If you have a bigger, more powerful engine, your fuel efficiency will be lower. A less powerful engine offers better fuel economy. If you’re a speed demon or an environmentalist, it's clear which engine would work better for you.

MORE: How to choose an eco-friendly car

Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds

No spam · No long forms · No fees

Find insurance savings

Are Scions fun to drive?

Scions can be great fun to drive. But at the end of the day, what’s fun for one driver might not be for another—it’s all up to your tastes and what you can afford.

MORE:

Should I buy a sports car?

What’s the best Scion?

The best Scion is in the eye of the beholder, but the FR-S is generally considered the best of the 2016 lineup.

FR-S: sharp driving demeanor, refined powertrain, and beautiful cabin

iA: an excellent blend of style and substance, offering lots of amenities—especially for what many considered a basic car

iM: offers versatility and affordability, but wasn’t exactly considered a thrill to drive

MORE:

Toyota AWD cars

How to find affordable Scion insurance

On average it costs $2,282 annually for full coverage for a Scion—nearly $400 less than it costs to insure a Toyota with full coverage.

If you’re looking to score a robust car insurance policy, you can do so with

Jerry

. Sign-up takes just 45 seconds, and then our

trustworthy insurance shopping super app

gets to work comparing more than 50 top quotes to find you the best policies at the best prices. Better yet, Jerry automatically searches for better rates on your behalf before each renewal period.

Best of all? The average Jerry user saves more than $800 per year on car insurance!

“I thought paying a lot for insurance was normal.
Jerry
made it easy to find affordable insurance. It was even easy to switch insurance agencies. I went to bed and woke up with new insurance.” —Steven C.

RECOMMENDED