Scion iA: The Easy Choice

The Scion iA was actually what the brand needed.

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Southern California has its’ perks. It’s not just the weather, the location, the sports, and the entertainment. There are groups that can be easily found for all sorts of different interests. Your car designates you, as an owner and a driver, to a specific group altogether. Sure, there’s Cars and Coffee, Donut Derelicts, and all sorts of other car groups. There are also the group of people that don’t think like a typical enthusiast. They want a car that’s simple, reliable, and affordable.

What car do I see often on these So-Cal roads? You better believe it, it’s the Scion iA.

Scion iA, Scion Media Kit /

In fact, The Truth About Cars noted that sales have increased by 53%, from April 2015 to April 2016.

Looks like all they needed was a couple of new models after all.

So, why the interest in the Scion iA? It breaks cars down into a basic necessity. There’s no thought of electric power or hybrid systems. There’s no pretending of luxury or sporting intentions.

However, it does have the underpinnings of the most recent Mazda2, the generation that Mazda stopped building in the U.S. Mazda didn’t need to compete against itself with the Scion. It was going into the Scion iA and Mazda Cx-3 anyway.

Scion iA, Scion Media Kit /

Does that steering wheel and dashboard layout look familiar? It should. It is nearly identical to a recent generation Mazda 3. Clearly, there’s a lot more Mazda than Scion in the chassis. It’s easy to see that there’s a “Zoom Zoom” factor put into place, at just 106 horsepower.

The best part about the iA is the MSRP begins under $18,000 with the optional automatic transmission. In terms of selecting options, there isn’t much to note outside of deciding a transmission and whether or not to acquire the navigation system.

I have to admit, even the low-speed collision system and rear view camera are nice perks, and come standard with the car.

Scion iA, Scion Media Kit /

So why talk about it? Like the car, it’s simple. In a world of the Tesla Model 3, the latest Civic, the Subaru WRX, and other great choices, the Scion iA does what you need it to do best, while saving money long term. EPA gas mileage is rated at 33/42, and it has a curb weight of 2,416 pounds with the automatic transmission.

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Maybe we don’t need a nice car or a fancy car. We just need to get to point-B. We can always rent out fancy rides every once in awhile through Turo.com or other rental dealerships. But in the end, we all just want something dependable that makes our lives easy.

That’s what the Scion iA does.

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