What is a "Scion"?

[Alex_1]

It is the car for "Generation Y", that's what it is!

A Scion is actually done by Toyota Motors who are obviously going after a younger generation of drivers. So what are all the baggie pant, jeans hangin' down their ass, throw-back jersey, too-big sunglass wearin', K-swiss sportin' kids into? Bright lights, tiny "hooked up" wheels and apparently boxes. The hope is that eventually the "kidz" will grow up and follow Toyota when they become more mature.

Personally, I think the cars look like pieces of $hit on wheels. I mean really - the "truck" looks like a freakin' box on wheels and the tiny car would be nothing more than a speed bump in a collision. But hey, who are we to argue with the youth of a nation! On the plus side, they are fuel efficient and not incredibly expensive - relatively speaking. And they have some gadgets that the kidz will love. The coupe doesn't look too bad to be honest and sports a 160hp engine.

http://www.scion.com/drive/drive_images/xa_images/xa_head_mid.gif

http://www.scion.com/drive/drive_images/xb_images/xb_head_mid.gif

http://www.scion.com/drive/drive_images/tc_images/tc_head_mid.gif

Not my cup of tea for a car or truck or sports car. But then again, maybe it's not a car meant for old farts like me. What do you say?

[skipshady]

I just got a bunch of promotional stuff for Scion after a friend went to an industry party last week. They are seriously targeting the teens and the early 20's crowd - there's a magazine with graffiti and turntablist profiles, and a CD, which I'll check out soon.

Pretty much every automaker is trying to find a way to market to the younger hip crowd - they want to make cars affordable & high performance, but then, the practical middle aged people end up buying the car, making it uncool. I think what they're trying to do now is alienating the older folks as much as they're attracting the younger crowd, but that's just my guess.

[Alex_1]

In a way I can see it working though. It is a Toyota, so they do have the reliability in the monker. And that's something the rich kids parents will look at and notice if they are buying the car for their brat... erm... kidz. But they aren't advertising it as a "Toyota" because most likely, "Toyota's aren't cool". :p I guess in Japan there is a sedan model above the Avalon sold here that's about 91K. One of the main reasons it isn't sold in the US, they (Toyota) say, is because "nobody wants to say that they bought a 91 thousand dollar Toyota."

i would have made fun of the music, but I kind of dig sound systems in cars and want a custom one in whatever new car I get. The target is obvous - but I think you're right - you'll see 30 somethings buying into the cars and making them uncool. Sort of like the Matrix. The sales guys aren't thinking so much about the image - they're just trying to push numbers and make quota. I guess the best way to get the keys to younger people would be to have more incentives for them... "high school diploma gets you a $500 voucher", etc.

[FearM9]

Pretty much every automaker is trying to find a way to market to the younger hip crowd - they want to make cars affordable & high performance, but then, the practical middle aged people end up buying the car, making it uncool.

That's what exactly happened with the Honda Element. Honda wanted to target the young, supposedly "active" demographic, and IIRC from another car message board...a good chunk of Element buyers are those practical middle aged people.

I don't mind the xA or the tC. But I don't think I fit the Scion's target audience...I'm a 31 y.o. single male that lives out in Butt********, Idaho (where it probably won't be sold for a damn long time). If I ever got one, I highly doubt I would mod it up with bling bling wheels and a cold air intake. I'd just buy one cuz it's cheap, somewhat different, and gets good gas mileage.

[skipshady]

One of the main reasons it isn't sold in the US, they (Toyota) say, is because "nobody wants to say that they bought a 91 thousand dollar Toyota."Which is why they created the Lexus brand, of course.

You don't have Lexus, Acura or Infiniti in Japan because Japanese consumers don't associate Japanese names with low-end. At the same time, I'm sure Americans consumers are fully aware that when they buy a Lexus, they're buying a Toyota. Branding, she is a strange beast.

It's pretty funny that stereo systems aren't standard equpiment in Scions.

[TheWakeUpBomb]

Pretty much every automaker is trying to find a way to market to the younger hip crowd - they want to make cars affordable & high performance, but then, the practical middle aged people end up buying the car, making it uncool.That's exactly what happened with the Honda Element. I have seen several around here, and I've yet to see one driven by someone under 40. Seriously.

EDIT: Dammit! I just saw Fear's post. Whoops. Great minds...yadda, yadda, yadda.

[TheWakeUpBomb]

Which is why they created the Lexus brand, of course.

You don't have Lexus, Acura or Infiniti in Japan because Japanese consumers don't associate Japanese names with low-end. At the same time, I'm sure Americans consumers are fully aware that when they buy a Lexus, they're buying a Toyota. Branding, she is a strange beast.Which makes Volkswagen's experiment here very interesting. Volkswagen has always been a "lower" brand here, leaving brother Audi, BMW and Mercedes as the prestige German brands. The folks in Wolfsburg apparently didn't like that, and put a plan to change the VW image into motion a few years back. Which is why you started to see things like the W8 Passat and the Toureg. All which laid the groundwork for the $80-90K Phaeton, which came out in the States in the last few months.

They didn't want everyone's reaction to be "A $90,000 VW?!?". But that's pretty much what it's been from the rank-and-file thus far.

[Alex_1]

Which makes Volkswagen's experiment here very interesting. Volkswagen has always been a "lower" brand here, leaving brother Audi, BMW and Mercedes as the prestige German brands. The folks in Wolfsburg apparently didn't like that, and put a plan to change the VW image into motion a few years back. Which is why you started to see things like the W8 Passat and the Toureg. All which laid the groundwork for the $80-90K Phaeton, which came out in the States in the last few months.

They didn't want everyone's reaction to be "A $90,000 VW?!?". But that's pretty much what it's been from the rank-and-file thus far.

That's actually what I meant - I read the article in Motor Trend or something about the new VW yesterday when i was getting an oil change (Damned Jiffy lube tried to nail me with the cost... wankers) I'm pretty shallow, and no way I could accept paying 91k for a Volkswagon. They say it's built on the same platform as the Bentley (or Rolls, I forget which is with Volks and which is with BMW) but still...

Toyota had a good way of stretching out the brand like Skip said. The platforms are pretty much the same ... a Highlander is an RX 330. A Camry is a ES 330. I don't know if the LS is the same as the 91k Toyota in Japan though. Nissan does it, Acura does it... hell even Ford and GM do it.

But they're good at it. Lexus for luxury, Scion for the kidz.

[microbrew]

I was also thinking about the Phaeton while reading this thread. I also thought about the BMW series 1 and series 2- they're worried about 'diluting' the brand.

The Scion brand also fills out Toyota's lower end model offerings. Before you only had the Corolla and the hideous Echo.

[Motterman]

http://iml.bu.edu/cmr/robots/cylon.jpg

Oh....SCION! Sorry, wrong thread. :D

[Achtung]

I was also thinking about the Phaeton while reading this thread. I also thought about the BMW series 1 and series 2- they're worried about 'diluting' the brand.

The Scion brand also fills out Toyota's lower end model offerings. Before you only had the Corolla and the hideous Echo.

Fear of brand dilution is the reason we aren't getting the otherwise excellent Audi A3 here in the US (at least not for now). BMW is pondering whether to sell the 1-Series here, but it looks unlikely. Mercedes, however, will not re-brand its A-Class when it starts selling them here, although that is arguably part of a general downgrade in the Mercedes-Benz brand over the past decade.

I guess I can understand the purpose of re-branding, mostly so a certain brand can have a certain image, as well as a certain level of product quality and reliability as well as service throughout its product line.

Still doesn't excuse those Scions from being ass-ugly. :eek:

[skipshady]

Mercedes, however, will not re-brand its A-Class when it starts selling them here, although that is arguably part of a general downgrade in the Mercedes-Benz brand over the past decade.Since you mentioned Mercedes - isn't there some cannibalization between Mercedes and the Chrysler brands? I have no idea what the prices are, but it seems Chrysler is trying to upgrade its image, which would seem to put it in competition with Mercedes.

[Achtung]

Since you mentioned Mercedes - isn't there some cannibalization between Mercedes and the Chrysler brands? I have no idea what the prices are, but it seems Chrysler is trying to upgrade its image, which would seem to put it in competition with Mercedes.

Yeah that new 300C, fully optioned-out, is getting close to that $40K mark, which is treading closely to E-Class range (albeit the V6 E320). There's a bit of overlap going on there, though not as bad as VW directly competing the Phaeton against the Audi A8.

[Don Boppero 3000]

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2002/newyork/highlights/images/scion-bbxfrt02.jpg

I think it looks very cool! Too bad it only has 108 hp!!

[prk166]

Which makes Volkswagen's experiment here very interesting. Volkswagen has always been a "lower" brand here, leaving brother Audi, BMW and Mercedes as the prestige German brands. The folks in Wolfsburg apparently didn't like that, and put a plan to change the VW image into motion a few years back. Which is why you started to see things like the W8 Passat and the Toureg. All which laid the groundwork for the $80-90K Phaeton, which came out in the States in the last few months.

They didn't want everyone's reaction to be "A $90,000 VW?!?". But that's pretty much what it's been from the rank-and-file thus far.

I ran across an article on VW's attempts to upscale the brand a bit. Apparenlty their sales of the passat (?), I think that was the one, took a big hit the last year or two when they tried adding all sorts of features and charging more.

[Metros Striker10]

I think the xB's and the sedan are cool looking. Booper's pic is perfect explanation why one should buy one. It's partially "hooked-up" and a few modifications later and you have a show car. Plus, with the current gas prices, who wouldn't want a 33/28 MPG car? The horse power thing is something that isn't too positive. The xA I think has 125...I'm guessing the sedan is up at 150.

[Own Goal Hat-Trick]

ghetto thug piece o crap cars.

[amerifolklegend]

ghetto thug piece o crap cars.And yet still thousands of times more attractive than a WRX. :)

[Don Boppero 3000]

ghetto thug piece o crap cars.



Your right that car in few years will be a ganster's delight!

[Own Goal Hat-Trick]

And yet still thousands of times more attractive than a WRX. :)

yeah but my ugly car is fast enough to make 'vette owners cry :D