When we hear a story of an adoption from another country or from an orphanage we tend to feel a bit warmer in our hearts, with the hope and goodness that this story can offer. In this case, the orphans are the Scion models and the warm feeling is in the fact that Toyota has chosen to continue to develop and sell most of the vehicles that were part of the Scion lineup, rather than clearing out inventory and ending all Scion models in their tracks. The only orphan not to be given a home under the Toyota brand will be the tC, but the rest will come along to the parent brand.
Toyota
A Look in Review at Scion
With the recent announcement that Scion will no longer be its own brand after August of this year it seems fitting to take a look at what this brand has meant to us over the past thirteen years. Yes, Toyota has only allowed Scion to be around for thirteen years, but when the overall sales penetration for the entire brand is only 2.2 percent of the Toyota sales this brand has had its day in the sun and the remaining lineup will be absorbed into the Toyota lineup to add more fun and youthful style to the parent brand. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some highs and lows of Scion over the years.
It was Only a Matter of Time
The Toyota Prius was the first affordable hybrid car we saw on the market, giving us a car that we could enjoy giving us the added benefit of increase fuel mileage form a hybrid powertrain. The Prius has been so popular, arriving at the right time when gas prices were on the rise, that it now has come into its fourth generation of the car. As the most popular hybrid car on the road today the Prius has given us a great deal of joy, but other companies have seen the positives of using hybrid technology with the engines of some super sports car to create higher performance.
Honda, Starting Backwards
Fuel cell vehicles have become a new line that is powered by hydrogen to burn cleaner and be more environmentally friendly than gasoline powered vehicles. Honda has been working with fuel cell vehicles since 2008 and has worked to build many different refueling stations in Japan and in California. The newest fuel cell vehicle that will arrive in California next spring now has a name and it’s called the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. This will be familiar to drivers who have purchase hydrogen powered vehicles before as the first ones put out by Honda were called the FCX and then the FCX Clarity.
The Wrong Decade but the Right Cars
The 1980s was a very unique decade in the automotive world. While the time was mired by cars that felt underpowered and less capable than ever before because of the massive emissions regulations put on the industry there was also a great deal of awesome vehicles that become the bedrock for the vehicles we see today. The Volkswagen GTI was begun in the 80s as was the BMW 3-Series. This decade also featured such high end exotics as the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa both of which adorned the walls of many a teenage boy during this decade. With the good in mind from the decade that wasn’t for the auto industry here are some of the coolest cars of the 1980s.
Camouflage isn’t Going to Get it Done
What seems to happen when we are anticipating a new model of any vehicle? The vehicle is tested somewhere in a supposedly remote location with what is to be a layer of camouflage over it that is supposed to keep us from being able to see what the car will really look like. Such was the case with the new Toyota Subcompact Crossover SUV (yes, another one of those) that was seen testing with a Scion xB. In no way can automakers continue to expect us to believe they really think they are hiding much at all from us with this covering.
Toyota Camry: Most American Made Car
Every year Cars.com puts out a report on which cars are the most “American” made vehicles in the US. Previously, the Ford-F150 held the title of Most American Vehicle, but this year there is an upset. The Toyota Camry claimed title to that name this year. The website puts out an annual American-Made index, which considers the percentage of domestic parts in a vehicle, final assembly place, and overall sales.
Vehicles that Hold Their Value
On the average a vehicle will lose twelve percent of its value during the first year of ownership. Some cars lose more, others lose less and when you know you are going to trade the vehicle in that you have recently purchased the ability of your vehicle to hold its value is extremely important. Instead of being a statistic, this actually becomes a feature of the vehicle itself and makes it much more important for you to ensure you have a vehicle that will easily be resold for a good price and give you the most value overall. Here are ten vehicles that are well-known for holding their value and depreciate very little over the first year.