Scion Wants to Sell Cars on New-fangled Thing Called "The Internet"

Mark Stevenson
by Mark Stevenson

Scion — the youth focused, geriatric-coveted Toyota Junior Team brand — is looking to push sales in a different direction as it tries to shed its “retiree in an xB” image in favor of Snapchatting their road trips in Scion iMs.

According to The Detroit Bureau, Scion wants to offer their wares online in more markets in an effort to appeal to younger consumers who don’t want to take test drives, I guess.

The Pure Process program, as Scion calls it, allows to login to AOL, use the Scion keyboard, and pay for their vehicle by money order shop for a brand new car via their tablet, computer or other iDevice, get a final price, arrange financing, and have the vehicle delivered. The Detroit Bureau points out that last point can only be done where it’s legal to do so.17

The system is linked to dealers. A pilot program brought 10 dealers into the test. Now there are 60 participating Scion locations as part of Pure Process. Average purchase time, from start to finish, was four hours, though about 50 percent of participants completed the process in about two hours.

If you are not a and unsure about this whole Internet thing, here’s a how-to video from some smart, British IT people.

Mark Stevenson
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  • Eggsalad Eggsalad on Aug 06, 2015

    To all you naysayers: there is a 70% chance I will buy an iM when they come out. Reason A) it's a Corolla hatch. Boring, sure, but simple and dead-nuts reliable. It's also made in Japan, which I like. I think the pricing is fair and reasonable competitive. Here's the competition (in my mind), and why I've rejected it: Hyundai Elantra GT. Always cash on the hood, so it would be cheaper. However, I'm seeing too much about valve buildup on the GDI engines, and don't want to be the guinea pig. Mazda3 hatch: Looks good on paper, but it's a Mexican car, and I don't buy Mexican cars. Subaru Impreza hatch: don't want/need AWD, and the resultant complexity and MPG hit. No, I wouldn't care if it was a Scion iM or a Toyota Corolla hatchback, but as a Scion, I know I can buy it at MSRP, without arguing with the dealer about all their nasty ADM stickers.

    • TMA1 TMA1 on Aug 06, 2015

      Spring for the 2.5, and your Mazda3 will be built in Japan.

  • SoCalMikester SoCalMikester on Aug 06, 2015

    FWIW, my xA has had no recalls at all. Id rather have a car thats VIN starts with JT than not.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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