2012 Scion iQ Minicompact: Too Little, Too Late.

Introduction

Sold worldwide as a Toyota, the iQ (base MSRP $16,020, as tested $17,198) is a minicompact. Unless you have a chronic inability to parallel park, refuse to ride public transportation and only park in resident-only spaces in Manhattan or San Francisco, the iQ is near useless in the land of marked spaces, where even the most crowded cities paint parking big enough to fit a Chevy Caprice.

Of course, if the iQ had other redeeming qualities, its size wouldn't matter as much. But even in city driving, we also found the little Scion to be utterly disappointing in our road tests. Soft brakes, wheelbarrow-like handling and a droning continuously variable transmission mean the little car is sluggish at best, terrifying at worst. And it doesn't even get the stellar gas mileage you'd expect from such a small vehicle.

Tech & Entertainment

Scion offers several in-car entertainment system options, all from Pioneer.

Our car featured a mid-level set of options, with satellite radio but without navigation. We used the base audio system on another Scion and actually found it to be more convenient and easier to use than the upgraded iQ's sluggish touchscreen. Either way, Scion fully expects buyers to customize their sound systems because a highly-paid market research firm told them that's what young people are supposed to do. Kids these days...

There aren't any ways to control the entertainment systems by voice, but there is a rocker switch on the steering wheel that adjusts volume and changes tracks/presets.

Our tester featured Bluetooth audio and a dealer-installed Bluetooth phone setup. As in many older Bluetooth-equipped Toyotas and Scions, that meant a June bug-shaped microphone was glued to the dashboard, with a small wire running behind the nearest pliable plastic surface.

Starting in 2013, Scion will add an optional infotainment system they're calling BeSpoke. It's essentially a dumb terminal that uses a connection to an iPhone app to display navigation, audio and other in-car apps on the system's screen. We have yet to try it out, but will let you know as soon as we do.

Design

Resist the urge to laugh...

Toyota pushed the iQ's wheels to the far, far corners. There's no overhang, and therefore absolutely no wasted space. The result is a small car that's not flashy, like a Fiat 500 or Mini. Unfortunately, that also means other drivers may point and laugh, Nelson Muntz-style. {{photo_gallery "Driver Side Exterior Photo", "Passenger Side Exterior Photo", "Front Exterior Photo", "Back Exterior Photo", "Front DS Angled Exterior Photo", "Front PS Angled Exterior Photo", "Back DS Angled Exterior Photo", "Back PS Angled Exterior Photo", "Grills & Detail Exterior Photos", "Grills & Detail Exterior 2 Photo", "Under the Hood Photo", "Trunk Open Exterior Photo", "Gas Tank or Charging Port Photo", "Wheels & Wheel Space Photo", "Sunroof Photo", "Convertible Top Down Photo", "Exterior Other Photos"}}

Inside, thanks to a herringbone pattern of staggered seats and a glovebox that sits under the passenger seat instead of in the dashboard, there's comfortably room for three people, plus a tiny seat behind the driver that may best be saved for cargo. The backseat is small and not well padded, but at least there are cupholders back there.

{{photo_gallery "Driver Side Door Open Photo", "Steering Wheel & Dash Photo", "Gauge Cluster Photo", "Center Stack Photo", "Shifter Photo", "Cup Holders & Storage Photos", "DS Inside Door Photo", "Passenger Side Door Open Photo", "In-floor Storage Compartments Photo", "Glove Compartment Photo", "Fit & Finish Photo", "Side Controls Photo", "Back Seat Door Open Photo", "Back Seat with People Photo", "Leg Room Shot at Rear Photo", "Back Seat Folded Down Photo", "Third Row Photo", "Third Row Down Photo", "Trunk Open Empty Photo", "Trunk Open Full Photo", "Spare Tire Compartment Photo", "Interior Other Photos"}}

Driving Experience

Equally frustrating on city streets and highways

We tested the Scion iQ in Somerville, MA—one of the most densely populated cities in New England, with a staggering 11,600 registered vehicles per square mile. It's one of the most challenging places to own a car in the US, and the sort of place where the Scion iQ should feel right at home.

We still wouldn't recommend it, even to Somervillians.

Driving in a city where cyclists, pedestrians and drivers all seem to be wishing for the same kind of vehicular death, you need a car that can quickly avoid obstacles and seize opportunities to merge. The Scion iQ is not that car. Sluggish off the line, it groans like a lion that's stepped on a nail whenever you hit the accelerator. Cut into traffic that's moving faster than 20 mph and you'll have to floor it to avoid getting honked at by the guy behind you.

Once outside of city limits, the iQ experience worsens. The car's tiny wheelbase and light weight means it flutters along the highway like a dragonfly, catching the wind and tossing with the pavement's undulations. It's not as bad as the terrifying subcompacts of the '80s (Subaru Justy, Chevy Chevette, Ford Festiva), but it's certainly not confidence inspiring.

Going uphill at 65 mph, the tachometer is just 1000 RPM short of redline. If you don't know what means, it's a sign that the iQ has to work nearly to its limits just to keep up with traffic. It's like how Katy Perry insists on singing high notes that are clearly outside of her range.

You wouldn't have to step up to a Canyonero to avoid these pitfalls, though. We've driven nearly every small car on the market from the Hyundai Accent to the Ford Fiesta – even other minicompacts like the Fiat 500 and Chevy Spark – and have found every one of them to be more competent on the highway than the iQ.

And forget about fuel economy. At best, the EPA rates the iQ at 37 mpg highway — not bad, but not worth the compromises, especially when real-world mileage is closer to 35 mpg.

Conclusion

We were sad to see how poorly the Scion iQ performed in our tests. After all, it's such an easy target -- a little car with a silly grin and a funny name. We were hoping it would triumph against the odds, enthrall us with its utility and impress with an interior that made it feel every dollar of its near-$18,000 pricetag (as equipped).

It didn't. Like the extra-skinny jeans on sale at Galeries Lafayette, the iQ's size just doesn't make sense for the US market. Neither does its price, or the experience it affords the driver.

We're not alone in our judgement. Listening to the tinny radio, we heard a song by Train whose lyrics reference a "crappy purple Scion," and we're certain they're not trashing the fantastic FR-S.

The Scion iQ offers a lot of interior space for such a small wheelbase, but that's all. It lacks the panache of other small cars, and aside from a few parallel parking parlor tricks, we can't seem to find any other use for it. It's an answer to a question that nobody's ever asked with an American accent.

Trim Levels

Scion doesn't do trim levels. Instead, every car gets a la carte options.

Powertrain

The front-wheel drive iQ comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which eschews gears in favor of belts and pulleys to offer an infinite number of gear ratios. They're common on cars where increased gas mileage is a priority. This particular CVT contributes to the car's sluggishness, and the overall feeling that it isn't very enjoyable to drive. It's sold in the rest of the world with a stick shift.

Safety

NHTSA gives the iQ a four star rating, out of five. It gets three stars for side impact protection, four for frontal crash and rollover protection.

IIHS gives the car an overall rating of Good, its highest rating. It gets Good scores in every measure except "restraints/dummy kinematics" where it scores Acceptable. It does not get a Top Safety Pick.

The iQ weighs 2,127 lbs. These ratings are only valid in a crash between vehicles of the same weight.

Fuel Economy

You'd expect a car this small to get, like, 400 miles a gallon, right? Not so.

The EPA rates this at 36 city, 37 highway. Not bad, but not worth the sacrifice in our opinion.

If it's fuel economy you're after, for the same price as a base iQ you can pick up a three year old Prius with some warranty left on it. You can get an even newer Honda Insight. Either would get at least ten more miles per gallon.