Scion: Gone, But Not Forgottent
It was a cold, rainy, depressing September day, I walked onto the local Toyota Dealership to witness the official launch of Scion cars in my neighborhood.
The Birth of the Scion
Toyota was intending to woo the younger demographic with the new Scion family of cars. They were targeted to the budget-conscious, while offering the same quality as the parent company, Toyota. I was curious to check them out. The day arrived and here was my big chance to check them out.
On display were the xB, xD, iQ, and the tC. While impressed with all of them on some level, the xB and the tC stood out for me. The spacious, utilitarian quality of the xB was impressive. While not my cup of tea, the tC was better suited to the younger demographic. I was impressed with its cool and hip personality with sporty seats, a low profile, interesting steering wheel design, and a stylish dashboard. Its hatchback design resembled one I drove back in my college days. And it was definitely very handy then.
Scion xB
As mentioned, I liked the xB. However, the look it had up until 2006 was the best. After the update in 2007, it lost that “personality” despite better performance and mechanical improvements. This design change led to the steady decline of the xB. Its practicality with a relatively spacious cabin for 5 sans any major frills was impressive. The wheelbase being stretched as far back and forward (like in the classic British Mini) added to cabin size. I feel a daily commuter car should be more functional, and less frills/distractions. Along with the engine, the interior too should be easy to maintain and clean. After all, life is busy, and we never have enough time.
xB Pros
The xB met all these specs to a tee. Its interior simplicity appealed to me. I liked the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle, and the relatively large cargo space. Unlike a sedan, one could load tall things too. The long wheelbase made the ride relatively comfortable without being too cushy. And most of all, I liked the xB’s manoeuvrability in city streets. So, there were a lot of plus points.
xB Cons
However, there were also the negatives. The most obvious was its boxy design which was polarizing. But this is what endeared me more to it – probably speaks about my quirkiness? Its dashboard was centrally located – again, something many don’t like. The only negatives for me were the digital speedometer which I’m psychologically not comfortable with. And the xB’s gas consumption is short of what I desired. Nevertheless, the positives far outweighed the negatives as far as I was concerned. I knew if I ever wanted to buy a Scion, it would be the xB.
Scion xD
The xD had a good feel to it. It had that nice, tight, compact feel to it along with all the positives of a simple interior already mentioned above. The Scion xD reminded me much of the Toyota Echo (a revolution in design in its time) from the inside but with an updated feel to it. This comparison was what actually drove me away from it too. Due to its comparison, I started splitting hairs and doing a detailed analysis. The Echo won in all respects except in having the latest dashboard features, ABS, Traction Control, and raw power. Also, the Echo had more interior space, lower gas consumption, and a smaller turning radius. But, the xD was still pretty cool. Its Corolla engine promised reliability and it was a newer car altogether. The instrument cluster was not centrally located which people generally have issues with.
Scion iQ: Not For Me
The iQ was a take on the Smart car that had already been in the market for a few years from Mercedes Benz. One of my office colleagues had bought the Smart Car and I immediately put myself in line for a joy ride in it. After going around the block I was impressed, but knew it was not the car for me. I’m frugal, but not THAT frugal. After the ride, I was asked of my impression. I stated that while driving a Toyota Echo was akin to riding a lawn mower, the Smart Car felt like a sewing machine. It had been a while since I had had that ride, but was pretty sure the iQ was a better designed car. But, again, not for me.
Scion Add-Ons
The other aspect of Scion marketing was their add-ons and customization, promoted as part of the culture of owning one. Remember these cars were targeted to the younger customer. So, there were all manner of cool additions including external lights, pedals, rims, tires, paint trims, tailpipes, seats, etc. All these are of no interest to yours truly.
What appealed to me was the bare bone vehicles. I would also prefer manual transmission over the automatic as I feel these smaller engines are more fun with a stick shift. It was surprising how the Scion appealed to me just as much as it did to the “younger” demographic. Checking out these cars in detail among the younger crowd that day was hence, weird.
Scion and The Family
I collected all the literature and went home to submit my report to the wife and kids who at that time were not yet in their driving age. At that time, we had a large American car and a smaller Toyota as a runabout for city driving. While the GM was cool on the highway, there was always a tussle to drive the Toyota. We loved that car for its practicality and fun factor of driving around town. It was our love for the Toyota, that endeared me to the Scions due to our new found love for simple cars in general. I was sure the family would love the Scions.
A Big No from the Family
It was surprising as my wife nixed the xB right off the bat – remember the boxy design? She showed some interest in the tC and ignored the other two models completely. While we were not looking to buy a car at the time, I implored her to at least check out the xB as she would love it once she sat in one. She had shown a similar initial disdain for the Toyota only to fall in love with it once she sat in, and drove it. But I could not repeat this with the xB.
My Attempts at Salesmanship
A couple of years later, used Scions started appearing on our local Toyota/Scion dealership. Our rule was only to buy lightly used models instead of new. One evening we were driving by the dealership; I asked my wife to check out the cars there hoping that I could entice her to look at the xB. This was about the time we were thinking of getting rid of our GM car and replacing it with either a minivan (read my other entry) or something similar. Once again, she was immediately attracted to the Scion tC! I was surprised. Why that car? She said this car looks cool and fun to drive. But I don’t want fun, I thought. I just want to drive from A to B, and back safely and without fanfare.
Still No to the xB
Regarding the xB: she just walked up to it, cupped her face against the side window, and stared into the interior. That was it. Not interested. She just couldn’t get by the external design. I tried my best to have her at least sit in one and see how it feels. She politely told me she was not going to drive a Scion xB. There was no convincing her. I tried selling it to my son, who is crazy about Japanese contemporary culture, mentioning this is what the average Japanese drives – sort of. But I couldn’t convince him either. I had read someone describe the xB resembling a “Milk Truck.” Apparently, that’s what it reminded of to my family too.
“Return” of the Scion tC
The years rolled by and the kids grew up and one of my sons got his driving license. I ended up seeing a Scion on our radar, again. This time it was ………drum roll please …………. a Scion tC! How’s that? As I scoured through the classifieds for something cheap, practical, reliable, and acceptable to all of us, I noticed a relatively low mileage tC at a dealership. But a few things happened at this time: our son’s grades dipped slightly, and COVID-19. That changed all the priorities.
The tC Was It
I realized this could potentially be the replacement for the Toyota we had. The negatives were: two doors, and low-slung body (I want to avoid at my age). The positives: my wife was keen, its sporty factor, large trunk space/hatchback utility, reliability (Camry engine), simple interior (I like that), and not many of them on the road. The last factor appealed to both my son and me. I liked the tC but, like I said, the dip in grades and the Pandemic put a hold on our plans.
Why Oh Why?
But coming to the crux of the matter. Why oh why was Scion terminated? Well we can only speculate. Maybe the youth didn’t go for it as much as Toyota wanted them to. Us mature folks who prefer no-frills reliable, unique looking cars, also liked the Scions. These cars were perfect to drive around an urban environment. Owning one would have been cool as not many of them were made. Hence, you could be driving a “disguised Toyota” without being surrounded by a whole bunch of Corollas or Camrys. So, it was the tC we had all finally agreed upon despite the potential for an increase in insurance rates, and having to squeeze into it. It was intended to be my son’s primary car with us only as the occasional drivers.
Cars that Made Sense
I’m personally very disappointed that Scion was cancelled. More than that, I’m disappointed that hardly any noise was made by consumers when this cancellation was announced. Since they had come out with the new sporty FR-S, I suspected better things to come in future. Which made the cancellation more shocking. Back in the 80s there was a tag line for a car brand: “Cars that make sense.” Well, Scion definitely was a family of cars that made sense. They weren’t fancy, were slightly off-kilter, dependable (my mechanic had never worked on one – which is a good thing, right?), unique (not many of them), engine parts interchangeable with Toyota’s, utilitarian, and customizable. All at a relatively affordable price. Due to these reasons, I wonder if these cars may become collector’s items in the future. Only time will tell.
Farewell Scion. Nice “Knowing You”
Who knows exactly what might have prompted the death of Scion. If they were not getting the sales volume sought, it shouldn’t have been surprising. After all, these cars were meant to be “limited editions.” Maybe they failed to generate the cult following Toyota intended. Or people like me spoilt the party for the youngsters by buying them thus putting the youth off of them? Who knows? I still hope to buy one eventually, just for the fun of it. Scion owners only have praise for them. The only disappointments, few and far between, are the ones I’m already familiar with.
So, this was my salute to Scion. That cold, wet, and depressing September weather definitely was a harbinger of things to come. I would say you were probably one of the best practical, reliable, and affordable cars I “never owned” – yet.
