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    Comments on: 2016 Scion iA Manual


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    • Arrhh! My eyes!

      1 Reply
      • Unfortunately, washing out your eyes will not remove the image from your mind. You will just need to live with it.

    • "If you don’t intend to use the rear seats regularly, the Scion iA sits at the top of its class." I don't understand four door cars with useless backseats. 4 doors doesn't make it a family car; room in the back does. Small 4 door cars mean the B pillar is pushed too far forward so the driver has to negotiate it every time they get in.

    • The front end looks like how I would imagine Don Knotts would look like in a Cars movie. But anyways, the iA is a blast to drive it like you stole it, love Mazda six speeds, crisp shifting, smooth clutch, what is better at this price for driving enjoyment?

    • Mazda probably made this deal to get Toyota-level volumes on one of their cars for once. I wonder what they were thinking when Toyota turned it into a dead-brand-walking Scion. 

      That interior certainly looks tops in its class, at least. 

    • Wonder if Mazda though lets not do the Mazda 2 in the US because they will want the CX3 over there? Or did they think, lets make a deal with Toyota and let them carry the Mazda 2 to the US (though wonder at what point did Toyota "oh, by the way we plan to Scion badge it" in that negotiation)?

      1 Reply
      • Well, Toyota couldn't give Mazda TOO much of a good thing, could they? Maybe Toyota altered the deal... pray they don't alter it any further.

    • "It’s easy to be dismissive of a carmaker that doesn’t actually make its own cars, but it’s difficult to fault Scion for this particular move. The Scion iA is likely far better to drive than anything Toyota would have built to take its place."

      That speaks volumes for the state of Toyota design and engineering today.  With Toyota's financial resources, there is no excuse for Mazda being able to design a more competitive compact car.  It's bad enough that they have to rely on Subaru and BMW to build their sports cars, but it's a sad thing when Toyota cannot build a decent compact sedan.  Beyond sad, actually.

      5 Replies
      • Agreed

      • It's also exceedingly ironic, given that they made their inroads in the US by selling great, well-built small cars against domestics that couldn't build small cars very well at a time when they were needed. Now they can't even bother making one themselves period? Maybe they have become the New Old GM.

      • Every car maker co-operates with other manufacturers to some degree on various vehicles or technology, depending on strategic need. Mazda clearly wants to get more volume on its products, and Toyota wants to differentiate Scion without expending much effort. 

      • Without expending much effort?  How about virtually no effort?  We're not talking about platform-sharing or a team co-development project here.  This is a cut-and-paste grille job, and it's borderline shameful.  

        Toyota is the world's largest automaker.  It wasn't long ago other manufacturers went to them for their expertise in designing and building small, efficient cars.  Now it seems they just want to do the marketing, while others do the heavy lifting.    

      • Yes, that is what is implied by: "without much effort"...

        Aside from the styling, there is nothing shameful about this, Mazda is clearly pleased to do this and makes money from it.  

        It would be borderline facile to imply that Toyota doesn't do plenty of heavy engineering itself...

    • Ok, one has to ask....

      What is the benefit of buying this car over the Mazda 2?

      Ahh, I just learned they discontinued the Mazda. Well, there's my answer.

      4 Replies
    • Where are the comments from this morning?

    • The single most compelling argument for the Mazda CX-3 to date. :/

    • It likely won't be long before someone sees if you can swap the real Mazda2 front clip for the ugly Scion mug. It looks like it would fit - the headlights are the same shape and the hood appears to be the same. But the U.S.-specific bumper laws may proclude that.

      Even as is, the frontal appearance could be improved with some creative application of body-colored paint on the thick black inside-the-grille bumper and lower grille slats, along with a horizontal chrome bar delineating the bottom of the grille at the top of the bumper. A second option - leave the bumper black, put a horizontal chrome bar at the bottom of the bumper, and paint the slats below it body color which would subdue their appearance.

      1 Reply
      • As you suggested, a little of the "personalization" Scion owners once held dear would go a long way toward making this car look less like Predator receiving a proctology exam.