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Scion tC – Funky,
Spunky Little Car
VEHICLE OF THE WEEK
Scion tC
By Frank S. Washington
DETROIT – Toyota may have finally gotten it right.
Despite its amazing sales success, Toyota has tried and
failed for years to attract substantial numbers of younger
buyers into its showrooms. It’s been a while since a Toyota
has been considered the car to have by the 30 and under set.
Toyota had to invent a whole new brand to get the job
done but it looks like it might have something with the
Scion, a new line of vehicles aimed at younger car buyers.
The line up consists of three models: the xA, xB and tC .
The latter is considered the performance model of the
group and I test drove it for one week. Before I even got
into the vehicle I could sense its road presence. I don’t
know whether it was intended but the tC sport coupe had
the hood of Volvo’s S40, the headlamps of BMW’s 5-
Series, 17-inch split six-spoke wheels that reminded me of
the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG and lessen the mass of the
bumper and it looked to me like the wide-mouth grille of
the next generation Audi.
If you’re going to use a hodgepodge of styling elements,
by design or not, then Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and
Volvo is not a bad group to mimic. But beyond its looks, I
found the Scion tC to be exhilarating.
What’s more, my 21-year-old daughter said she liked the
Scion tC more than she did the Toyota Celica. She test
drove both cars and found the Scion to be lighter, more
maneuverable, sportier, the ride was better than the Celica,
and the price point was right.
The base price of my test vehicle was $16,465, and for
that price I thought the standard equipment bordered on
phenomenal. It included a panorama moonroof, side mark-
er lamps integrated into side mirrors, four-wheel disc
brakes and 17-inch alloy wheels with a graphite-color fin-
ish.
It had cruise control, a rear cargo tonneau cover, auto
up/down automatic front windows with pinch protection,
in-key remote keyless entry, a rolling code engine immobi-
lizer security system, auto-off headlamps, and an electronic
hatch with power release. All three Scion models come with
air conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors
and a chrome-plated exhaust tip.
There were sport bucket seats and they slid forward mak-
ing access to the rear seats easier.
Once back there, I had plenty of legroom but there wasn’t
much space between the top of my head and the roof liner.
It’s a very small coupe and the fact that I could get in the
back seat with any level of comfort was a bit of an achieve-
The Staff
Of The Skanner News
The tC offered a smooth ride with
easy handling. Equipped with a 6-
speed automatic transmission with
Dynamic Rev Management®, the
shifting is easy. High-end projector
beam headlights are specially
made to maximize roadway illumi-
nation. The alloy wheels, with
redesigned 18" machine-finish,
make you wish you were on the
track. The tC’s standard Pioneer®
Touch Screen Display Audio sys-
tem makes the music sound like
you are live at a concert. Estimated
mileage: 23 city / 31 highway. Sug-
gested retail price $19,965 manual
transmission; $20,965 automatic.
ment.
Still, I was just sitting in my driveway. My sense was that I
wouldn’t want to ride in back of the tC for more than 20
minutes.
And although they call the car a sport coupe, or a two-
door lift back, it’s a three-door hatchback. Open what looks
like the trunk lid and you’re looking right into the car. I’ve
never had a problem with hatchbacks, I find them very util-
itarian.
Optional equipment included seat-based side impact air
bags and air curtains, a premium audio system with six-disc
in-dash CD player and MP3 capability, rear spoiler lip and
a sport tuned exhaust system. The extras pushed the sticker
on my test vehicle to $19,339. That’s not bad for a funky,
spunky little car.
That exhaust-system added to a driving experience that
was sensually explosive. I can’t remember the last vehicle
from Toyota; it may have been the Supra that was a blast to
drive.
Powered by a 2.4-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder
engine with variable valve timing, the tC was rated at 160
horsepower at 5,700 rpm
and 163 pound-feet of
torque at 4,000 rpm. This
was respectable street
punch for a compact car.
My test vehicle was the
five-speed manual version
and I had a good time driv-
ing it. Normally, I’ll pass
when it comes to sticks in
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Page 8 The Portland Skanner July 24, 2013
small cars. However, this short shifter was fairly smooth,
cross gate shifts were easy, I didn’t have a problem finding
gears and there was no road vibration that reverberated back
up through shifter, or the pedals. That sort of vibration is not
uncommon in small cars equipped with manual transmis-
sions.
The tC responded like a sports car. It was quick, the ride
was smooth, it was highly maneuverable and it had some
road presence. In other words, folks took a look at it.
I found two things about the vehicle that I could do with-
out. The center stack has a silver satin template. Its plastic
made to look like brushed aluminum, although the climate
control dial is cast aluminum. I’ve never experienced the
use of silver satin executed nicely. I just don’t like the stuff.
Sometimes shinny is not better.
My other quibble is the tC’s A pillars. They’re pretty
thick. Combined with the side view mirror housings, it
causes blind spots that are larger than normal. In congested
areas, particularly with pedestrians, the tC’s larger blind
spots are cause for a bit more care when cornering.
The company started selling Scion in California last year.
Last June, Toyota started a national roll out of its new
brand. So far so good, the new cars have been well received
and they’ve gotten good press.
It looks like Toyota finally has something that young car
buyers find interesting and alluring. Just don’t call it a Toy-
ota – the tC and its siblings are Scions.
Frank S. Washington can be reached at PO Box 23167,
Detroit,
MI,
48223.
Or
e-mail
him
at
frank@aboutthatcar.com