Scion Tc's

[MTK]

scion Tc's

I know this isn't the best place to ask but it is the off topic section.....has any one seen this car? it looks so sweet and has great power for the money they are asking....I want one. They are a toyota motor so they can most likely be serviced by toyota dealers and they are super cheap. (nana)

 

[mountjonas]

it has the camry 4 cyl. motor. around here i think all scion dealerships are toyota dealerships as well, but not the other way around. i think they are a great value for the money. if i were in the market for a car today, i'd seriously consider them.

 

[JDM_familia]

if i didnt have a car id consider it too. 16k isnt bad for a 160hp engine. plus trd offers a supercharger for it which can be gotten thru the dealer and doesnt ruin the warranty. did scion go nationwide yet? cuz before it used to be juss ca.

 

[mountjonas]

when they launched the tc, scion went nationwide.

 

[JCell]

the tc is noce as hell, with slightly bigger rims and dropped, it's a sweet car

 

[Micah]

My friend has it - and she loves it.

But it's an auto - still, I'm gonna drive it.

 

[Leppy]

It's not what I expected. I only drove the auto.. and personally, I kept missing my protege. It feels to me like it went the cheap way to look expensive. The only thing I drove at the Toyota dealership that I wanted was the used 02 MR2-S.

 

[jersey_emt]

I went to a local Scion dealer about a week ago to take one out for a test drive. The dealer didn't have any tC's in the showroom or out on the lot to test drive. They told me I have to put a deposit down, and order one before I can test drive one. ******* bulls*** if you ask me.

I simply told them 'This is a $16,000 TOYOTA, not a ******* Ferrari.' and walked out.

Went to another local dealer, and test drove one without a fuss. Can't say I have any real complaints about the car, it's really nice.

 

[1sty]

THey look nice, I'd like to test drive one.

This goes in the Other Sport Compacts

 

[FrigginGLI]

It's a little heavy for the hp. But the list of mods and stuff available from the dealer is great. If you get it, get the upgraded wheels, stock wheels come with RE92 tires which are god aweful.

 

[eting_pro5]

they are great looking cars with good power and an awesome price. their only downfall is their relatively heavy weight and their handling is no where near that of the protege.

 

[wongpres]

Here's a cut & paste of my Scion tC versus Mazda3 comparo after I drove the tC in July:

Even though I'm Canadian, I own a Mazda3 and have driven a production-spec Scion tC (I even drove both vehicles on the same roads).

Comments:
- the tC is heavy, and this weight is clearly felt when driving the cars back-to-back. The Mazda3 is far superior in driving dynamics. Note that I'm not saying the tC is shabby (it's much better than say a Corolla), but it is much inferior to the Mazda3, and I would attribute a good portion of this to the weight
- many people comment how the tC is so solid when you close the doors and so on. This is not true, the doors feel like this simply because they're heavy (just listen to the body noise when closing the door on both vehicles). Basically, from driving and doing things like closing doors, it's very clear that the Mazda3 has higher torsional and flexural rigidity (I would imagine the tC's panoramic roof has an affect too).
- the tC is significantly cheaper than the Mazda3. Heck, even after specing out the price of a tC with side airbags, and converting to $cdn, the price was still cheaper than my Canadian Mazda3 price-plan price. This, despite the fact that Canadian cars are typically cheaper than the US, and the fact that Canadian-spec Mazda3 does not offer side airbags (all other options were very similar between the two). The tC is simply an AWESOME value.
- both cars are new models and have their issues (the tC I drove only had 13 miles on it but the roof was rattling like crazy even at speeds as low as about 15mph, the other person in the car also heard it). Having said that, I would argue that with a build date of spring '04 or later, all of the Mazda3 issues have been resolved. I would rate the vehicles equally in terms predicted reliability.
- both cars have lots of tire noise from their respective 17's
- no visibility issues for me in either vehicle

Basically, if I were slightly short on money (I'm talking about a purchase here, not sure about lease rates with the tC), and if having only 2-doors is fine, then I'd get a tC over the Mazda3. However, if I could afford the approximately $1,000US extra, then I'd get the Mazda3.

Both are excellent vehicles and are heads-and-shoulders above the rest of the competition in that class/price-range. It will be very interesting to see how Honda responds when its next-gen Honda Civic comes out just over a year from now (that's the big loser compared to these two vehicles).

 

[LASERBLUE135]

My 2 Cents

the TC's main competition I believe it the 3. Same hp, close to same engine displacement, similar price. A few thoughts...

the price is VERY comparable: the TC starts at 16,500. that's with just the basic car (which is LOADED), but if you want the goodies you do need to pony up! The 3 has a higher MSRP, but with rebates and delears actually dealing with you, you should be able to get them for the same if not cheaper even with sunroof/6 cd package. (I sold Mazdas and I know this is true) Note that protege ES's with the sunroof/6cd pk sold for 13,000 flat and I bought my mazdaspeed(NEW) about the same as the TC sells for!!!

That said the price is CHEAPER for the 3...you just have to deal with the salesmen. 1 point for the 3.

The TC however my be a tiny bit faster, will have LOADS of stuff to put on it in a year and can be supercharged from the factory (although I'd rather turbo). so that's 1 for the TC.

In the handling dept. the 3 is much better, the TC is heavy and in performance testing didn't do nearly as well as the 3 in the skidpad or the slaloom. 2 pts for the 3.

so I guess I'd buy the 3, buy it's really what you're looking for, also the 3 has 4 doors, so that's another plus in my book.

 

[scott42]

I've been seeing them around and really like the looks of it. Trying to convince the lady to buy one, but she wants a P5..I can't really argue with that
If I was looking right now, I'd seriously consider one. I'd sacrifice the MP3's handling for all the features I'm sure you can get with that thing for 2k less (Yes, the MP3's all went for sticker new, unline the MSPs which, I can't believe ended up selling for as low as 15k new (I was really shocked and frustrated on that one to say the least)

 

[mp3girly]

All I know is that my mom went to look at one, but she said it had a really cheapy feel to it, and her daily driver is a Subaru WRX wagon.

 

[roni]

I've been seeing them around and really like the looks of it. Trying to convince the lady to buy one, but she wants a P5..I can't really argue with that
If I was looking right now, I'd seriously consider one. I'd sacrifice the MP3's handling for all the features I'm sure you can get with that thing for 2k less (Yes, the MP3's all went for sticker new, unline the MSPs which, I can't believe ended up selling for as low as 15k new (I was really shocked and frustrated on that one to say the least)

I think the tc looks kinda nice, quite frankly it's the only thing that scion makes so far that doesn't look hideous imho.

But to sacrifice the mp3's handling? After having my mp3, i will never want to downgrade on the fantastic handling. I would need suspension mods on a tc before i even tried to get the dealer's "supercharger". Covered under warranty or not, I would need to make sure the performance parts I was getting were well worth it. The tc hasn't been out long enough to show the long-term effects of their dealer-supported modifications. Maybe the dealer will fix the problems, but I wouldn't want my car constantly at the dealership getting work done.

I haven't test driven the scion tc, but i have driven the mazda3, and i far prefer the mp3's handling over the mazda3, but the 3 isn't bad, especially not for that price.

 

[Chicken SOup]

In my honest opinion, Scion has released probably the best "bang for the buck" vehicle in a loooong time. When you consider that it is basically a Toyota, one can be sure that reliability will not be an issue. Would I buy one? Yes.
Would I buy one right now? No way!

These cars are so hot that dealers cannot keep them on the lot. I went to a Toyota dealer and asked for a test drive. They said they didnt have one on the lot, and that even if they did have one in the lot, it would be sold immediately. Their waiting list of TC's is anywhere between 4-6 weeks. I think the car is a beauty. For 16k, 19k for a S/C version, one can have a coupe with stock 17's, panoramic sunroof, cd changer, sleek interior, its an amazing offer. I just want to wait and see how these cars maintain themselves and if there are any major problems. Either way, go to scionlife.com, there are some nice TC's.

If you can try to catch a glimpse of a TC with the OEM kit..... that is just sexy!

 

[Cellerator]

The tC is actually a pretty good car. If i somehow get into an accident or need to sell the P5, that would probably be the car to get. Felt pretty nimble when i went to the dealer and testdrove it for fun. Brakes aren't too bad and not too bad of an interior.

 

[REMillers]

Thats strange we had Scions over here in VA for a good while with the xA, and Xb way way way before the Tc came out.

I haven't been in a Tc, but I love the XB it is soooo spacey inside it, and I have always liked the box look from Japan.
Sad thing is Nissan is making one just like it that is more rounded, completely ruins the style.

 

[Phoenix5]

I personally don't like it.As far as looks,I think it's too bulky and too plain.Power is good but like pimpprotege said it's too heavy for the hp.I'd rather get a Subaru 2.5 RS.I mean it weighs the same but with the RS you get 4WD and a torquey-ass engine.Either that or a '02/'03 Spec V(also a torquey engine).