Badge Changing Won’t Change What it is

02.22.16 - 2016 Scion iA

02.22.16 - 2016 Scion iA

The down side to a brand being dissolved is the fact that many times this means all their hard work to develop new models and designs will end up being discarded and never come to fruition. So many brands and companies have been on the verge of their big break in their market to only find the money run dry and interests wane for their products. Typically when this happens the company is forced to sell rights to their technology and patented ideas for a very small amount compared to what it’s worth or what it would have been worth had their products made it to market.

For Scion the time has come to say goodbye. This brand has served as a platform for generations of drivers to buy cars at a great price that were mostly equipped with whatever was needed. Thankfully Scion is part of Toyota and the work will not have to be sold for a dime on the dollar, but instead allow most of the lineup to be rebadged as Toyota models to add more to the already amazing Toyota line of vehicles.

This is extremely good news since Scion just recently released two new cars for their line, the iA and the iM. The iA is a car that is built by Mazda in Mexico for Scion and is made on the Mazda 2 platform. This car has a front end that was designed and built by Toyota and has some appointments inside from the parent company, but most of the structure comes from Mazda, which is an interesting partnership of direct competitors.

This car is a five passenger sedan that fits right into the compact car market to be the right size for most drivers and is sold at a price that makes it easy for younger professionals to own. Using upgraded materials for this class and improved standard equipment you will find the iA offers a rearview camera, automatic climate control, push button starting, a tilt/ telescoping steering wheel, two USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth voice recognition and a seven-inch touchscreen with navigation. This makes the iA one of the subcompact sedans that has the most equipment in the class to ensure you don’t have to worry about adding features or marking off boxes which eventually lead to an increase in price.

Toyota and Mazda made sure this car would be a bit sporty and yet also a sleek masterpiece of style. When has that ever been a description of a car that falls in the under $20,000 price range? Even the wheels are an upgrade over what you might expect as they are sixteen-inch alloys that make for a better look than steel with plastic covers on them.

The ride quality is excellent with the MacPherson struts up front and a beam axle at the rear which are all tuned to give you a ride that is smooth and easy to enjoy. While this is no luxury car you will be able to tell a difference between the ride in the iA and the ride in many others in this class.

The power comes from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is made for fuel mileage which it provides at a rate of 31 city/41 hwy mpg. The standard suspension used is a six-speed manual to give you the stated fuel numbers, but these can be increased to 33 city/42 hwy when you choose the six-speed automatic transmission for your driving. The automatic also has a sport mode to give you a bit more excitement in this car that only weighs in at 2,400 pounds.

Is the iA the car for you? Under either badge (this car is absorbed by Toyota in August) it certainly can be as it gives you a no fuss, no frills and no hassle driving experience that is exactly what you asked for; give it a try and see what you think.

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