Once upon a time in the land of car culture, where exhausts roar and hatchbacks slam, a noble experiment was born: Scion. Toyota’s attempt to seduce the elusive youth demographic. It was edgy, boxy, and came in colors not found in nature. It also went out of business. Pour one out for your xB, folks because there’s a real reason why Scion failed.
But why did Scion die? Was it the name? (“Scion” sounds like the name of an overpriced vape lounge.) Was it the marketing? Was it the fact that most of the youth they targeted were too broke to buy new cars? Buckle up, reader. Let’s take a joyride through a brief, baffling history
Born to Be Mild
Scion launched in 2003, aimed squarely at Millennials. Yes, those same Millennials who were still eating bagels with cream cheese from their college dorm microwaves. Toyota wanted to be cool. So they made cars that looked like toasters, ran ad campaigns featuring DJs and graffiti, and created a “pure pricing” model that eliminated haggling. Sure.. things like the Scion C-HR looked cool, but ultimately it all amounted to nothing.
The Scion xB became the poster child for ironic box-shaped rebellion. It was quirky. It was different. It had the aerodynamic properties of a filing cabinet. Yet somehow, it sold.
But as the years rolled on, the Scion lineup aged like unrefrigerated sushi. The tC coupe tried its best to be sporty, but its main competitors were actual fun. The xD existed, though scientists still struggle to explain why. The iQ was a rolling existential crisis.
Market Confusion: A Tale as Old as Trim Levels – Scion Failed
By the mid-2010s, Toyota looked at its Scion division and said, “Wait, aren’t we cool enough already?” Scion’s audience was aging, its models were rebadged Toyotas, and its whole vibe screamed “mid-life crisis at an EDM show.”
Meanwhile, young buyers started flocking to used Civics, Mazda3s, and rides that actually had Apple CarPlay and power seats that didn’t require a PhD in origami to operate.
Toyota pulled the plug in 2016, culminating in an embarrassing yet unrelenting reason why Scion failed. Some models were absorbed into the main Toyota lineup like wayward cousins returning to the family reunion. The rest were quietly led into the woods and never spoken of again.
But Then, a Hero Emerged: The Subaru BRZ
Amid the chaos, a phoenix rose from the JDM ashes: the Scion FR-S. Born from a collaboration between Subaru and Toyota, this lightweight, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe was fun. Like, actually fun.
After Scion’s demise, it was rebadged as the Toyota 86 and continued alongside its nearly identical twin, the Subaru BRZ. And that, dear reader, is where this story gets its happy ending.
The BRZ still lives, thrives, and slides gloriously sideways around corners. It’s a rare example of what happens when car companies stop trying to be cool and just build something awesome. It’s the spiritual successor to every Miata-loving purist’s daydream.
Aftermarket parts for many FR-S owners translate over to the BR-Z well enough, so at least there’s that.
Final Thoughts: Boxy Wasn’t Enough
Scion was a noble idea. An attempt to do something fresh, affordable, and edgy. Unfortunately, their cars were often more quirky than quality. Their target market wanted excitement, not existential disappointment with a USB port.
But let us not mourn Scion. Let us celebrate what it gave us: a generation of kids who learned how to modify a car that cost less than their phone bill. And the BRZ, the shining example of what happens when carmakers remember that driving should be fun.
So here’s to the brand that died so that the BRZ might live. Scion failed but we still have the BR-Z to enjoy.
