Scion

CNET Tech Car of the Year for 2011

2012 Audi A7 Our choice for CNET Tech Car of the Year goes to the 2012 Audi A7, a car that shows superb technology throughout. The list of nominees this year included many very advanced cars representing an impressive leap over last year, proving that the automotive industry is on a hot streak. Improvements in power-train tech play a big role, which helped the Chevy Volt take a top spot in our reader poll, but the connected car seemed like the most relevant and broad-based trend, which is why our staff leaned … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Only at the SEMA Show could a car as wildly styled as the Scion FR-S be the least eye-catching ride in a bunch, but that was exactly the case at Scion's booth.

Scion is no stranger to SEMA. The automaker never makes a big fuss (there's no press conference and its booth is best described as humble). However, Scion has consistently showed off some of my favorite concepts during the three years that I've been attending this show.

This year, the star of Scion's show was the new iQ. Four custom examples of the microcompact … Read more

Consumer Reports released the results of its annual car reliability survey today, and Scion came out as the top brand, with the fewest reported problems.

Scion cars proved the most reliable, according to owners contributing their experiences in the latest survey by Consumer Reports used to predict car reliability. The report, released today, compiles survey results for 28 brands. The least reliable cars, according to the survey, bear the Jaguar badge.

Along the Scion range, the xD scored the best, while the xB model was the worst, although all were well above most other brands. Lexus, another brand from Toyota, grabbed the No. 2 spot, and its CT200h model proved the most reliable, even more so than the Scion xD. Toyota-branded cars showed up at No. 6 in the survey.… Read more

The lowest-price cars used to be devoid of features other than maybe a rearview mirror and heating vents.

You can still find those very base-level cars, but go up a trim level and you get much, much more. Automakers have unleashed a new set of subcompacts focused on the entry-level buyer, and this young demographic has certain expectations about technology.

Most of the cars we included in this roundup come in between $15,000 and $20,000, optioned up and out the door. Navigation is not prevalent among these cars, but most buyers in this segment will rely on a smartphone. … Read more

The rest of the world has been driving Toyota's tiny iQ model for a few years, and now it comes to the U.S. wearing a Scion badge. That marketing makes sense, as the iQ is a risky sell to an American public that often scoffs at anything smaller than an SUV. Scion serves as an incubator for Toyota's more esoteric offerings.

But the iQ's sci-fi looks fit in perfectly with the Scion model lineup, and its likely buyers also fit the Scion demographic. The car will work well for young urbanites, its small size making it … Read more

Small cars such as the Mini Cooper or Fiat 500 have a cuteness that makes them seem like toys. You should be able to buy them 10 to a pack from the shelf next to the gas station cash register. And the Scion iQ looks more toylike than any car on the market.

Its wheels and headlights seem too big for its body. The wraparound rear window belongs on a concept car. The windshield overwhelms the front. The iQ is too stubby, and seems like one of Hot Wheels' wilder designs.

But the iQ packs some surprising utility. At a glance, you would assume this 10-foot-long car is, like a Smart, a two-seater. But it actually does have a rear seat. Scion calls it 3+1 seating, as the left rear seat, behind the driver, only gets leg space if the driver is very short. … Read more

Toyota's tiniest car could also be its first electric car in the U.S., according to news reports. The carmaker told its dealership franchise owners last month that an electric version of its Scion iQ is scheduled to hit showroom floors in 2012.

The Scion iQ is a pint-size city car currently being sold in Japan and the EU under the Toyota brand. Using a 1L engine, the iQ achieves an impressive 65 mpg. Toyota introduced the car to the North American market last year, and doubled down on the city car this year by revealing an electric prototype … Read more

Could you have predicted in 1965 that a $3,000 Mustang would be worth $50,000 today? Or in 1960 that a $5,000 Corvette could go for $100,000 in 50 years? There are certainly many cars from the past that are gone and forgotten, that will never attain anything like classic status. Trying to predict classic cars is harder than picking soybean futures.

Nevertheless, the editors of Car Tech decided to give it a try. Looking at cars from the last decade, we came up with 10 that seemed like they should stand the test of time. Most of the cars we picked had niche interest or a limited production run, ensuring some rarity in the future. A car like the first-generation Toyota Prius heralds the beginning of a new trend in the automotive world, while the Pontiac G8 marks the end of a brand. … Read more

It's not as nimble as the Kia Soul and its quirky looks have been outweirded by the Nissan Cube, but there's something about the 2011 Scion xB that merits a second look. Maybe it's the crazy paint on our Release Series 8.0 tester, maybe it's finally been around long enough to distance itself from the first-generation Scion xB in my mind, but the second-generation xB is starting to grow on me; I think that I'm starting to like it.

Where the xB wins hands down is in spaciousness. Where the Scion tC feels claustrophobic … Read more