allscion

Hi everyone...
Here's another interesting perspective on the tC, this time from the
Cincinnati Enquirer.

Happy Labor Day weekend to all!
Paul

Allscion
http://www.allscion.com

http://www.enquirer.com/columns/whee...404_scion.html
Scion's tC delights, in manual

Toyota division keeps price low for appeal to young buyers
By Carol Traeger
Enquirer contributor

"Give the kids the cars they want at prices they can afford, and
offer them a slew of dealer-installed accessories for
personalization." That's the philosophy of Scion, Toyota's nascent
youth division.

Launched in 2003, Scion initially sold its two vehicles - the xA and
xB - exclusively in California. To coincide with its national
rollout in June, Scion introduced a third vehicle, the tC sports
coupe. Unlike the xA and xB, which are rebadged versions of Japanese-
market Toyotas, the new tC was designed exclusively for the Scion
brand.

Where the xA and xB are cartoonish in appearance (the xA resembles a
Japanese anime Mini, and the xB looks like SpongeBob SquarePants),
the tC is so conservatively styled it will easily fly under the
radar. Buyers can dress it up with a dealer-installed spoiler, color-
keyed ground effects and 18-inch wheels.

Hailing from the jelly-bean school of design, the tC features a
blunt nose, BMW-like eyebrows, high door sills and a low roofline,
and sporty 17-inch double-spoke wheels pushed out to the four
corners. The center rear brake light is clear instead of red, which
looks pretty great at night.

Get the manual

With an MSRP of $15,950, the tC is the Scion's priciest model. It's
also the most powerful. While the xA and xB are propelled by a 108-
horsepower engine, the tC is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder
borrowed from the Camry. This power plant generates 160 horsepower
and 163 pound-feet of torque.

When mated to the standard five-speed manual transmission, the
engine produces plenty of poke; the shifts are snickety quick, and
the car feels lively and fun. When paired with the four-speed
automatic transmission (an $800 upgrade), however, the engine feels
half asleep.

Unfortunately, my tC tester was the automatic; I nearly trashed the
whole car based on its lackluster performance. With no manu-matic
shifter, I was stymied in my attempts to access the engine's spunk.
The transmission struggled on hills, lagged on on-ramps, and was
just plain depressing.

Knowing Toyota's reputation for quality, I decided my test car had
to be a misfit. A strange buzz emanated from the dash, the moon roof
cover rattled, the fuel gauge malfunctioned (registering
near "reserve" even when the tank was full), and the steering wheel
tried to fight its way back to centerline during cornering.

To give Scion the benefit of the doubt, I drove to a local Scion
dealership and test drove another tC, this one fitted with a manual
transmission. The car was a different animal altogether; the
steering was direct, the engine was peppy, the brakes were crisp and
there wasn't a squeak or rattle in the house. The tC rides on
MacPherson struts in front and a double-wishbone setup in the rear,
and the ride is firm, but compliant enough to absorb most ruts and
bumps.

Interior design


The interior offers ample passenger room and a clean and modern
design. The cockpit is highlighted by an aluminum-tone center stack
that flows waterfall-like into a center console, which houses a cell-
phone holder, two cup holders, and a fabric-covered storage
compartment. Above is a huge tinted glass panorama roof (standard),
with a power sliding portion over the front seats and fixed glass
over the rear.

Scion says the texture of the dashboard and upper door panels was
inspired by Japanese paper, but to me it looks cheap. I also had a
real problem with the shutter-style AC vents, which look cool but
direct most of the air upward, making them ineffective at cooling
anything beneath your ears.

The tC comes in one well-equipped trim level. Noteworthy standard
features include the moon roof, one-touch windows (that move so
swiftly, they're impossible to open only a crack), cruise control,
mirror-mounted turn signals, antilock brakes and a Pioneer sound
system with CD player. The only factory option is a side air bag
package. But there are numerous dealer-installed goodies, including
satellite radio, shift ***** by OBX, sport pedals and an interior
illumination kit that bathes the front foot well and cup holders in
blue or amber light.

The standard Pioneer sound system, also featured in the xB, sounds
much better in the smaller confines of the tC. Ergonomically,
however, it bites. Instead of a ****, the stereo features two tiny
volume buttons (one for up and one for down), and you have to press
them forever to effect any discernable change. The volume level
ranges from one to 62, and I'd venture only dogs can hear anything
in the one-to-20 range.

Conversational front seats

Surprising features include rear seats that recline up to 45
degrees, and front seats that can be tilted all the way back to
create what Scion calls a "conversational space." How much talking
will go on between two supine teens is anybody's guess. But the
dealership salesperson quickly pointed out that people can sit
upright in the back seats with their legs extended over the
flattened front seats. With the moon roof and rear hatch open, they
can kick back in a comfortable and airy "sitting room."

For added utility, the split rear seats can be flipped forward to
expand cargo space from 12.8 cubic feet (with the seats in use) to a
whopping 60 cubic feet. With both the front passenger seat and rear
seats folded, the load floor stretches a full 103.6 inches - perfect
for carrying snowboards and surfboards.

Something any cash-strapped student can appreciate is fuel economy,
and here the tC delivers decent numbers. Automatic transmission
models average 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Manual
models get 22 mpg/city and 29 mpg/highway.

TRD supercharger

Buyers who want more performance can opt for a dealer-installed,
fully warranted TRD supercharger, which boosts output to 200
horsepower. TRD also offers a suspension lowering kit, a performance
clutch, quick shifter and 19-inch wheels with high-performance
Pirelli P Zero tires.

With a base price of $16,000 and a power output of 160 hp, the tC
will give the Civic EX, VW Golf, Ford Focus ZX3 and even the Acura
RSX a run for their money.

Get the five-speed manual transmission, throw in an aftermarket
stereo, and you'll have a delightful little car that won't break the
bank.

fr130

"Unfortunately, my tC tester was the automatic; I nearly trashed the whole car based on its lackluster performance. With no manu-matic shifter, I was stymied in my attempts to access the engine's spunk. The transmission struggled on hills, lagged on on-ramps, and was just plain depressing. "

Someone doesnt know how to properly drive an auto...what a shame.

TJtC

how bad is the auto? I know auto's arent "fun" to drive so to say but my current car is an auto with a v6 and its not a dog even at almost 10yrs old. I've never owned a 4cyl auto but my g/f's civic doesnt suck going up hills or getting on the highway.

Rivulent

Interesting comment about the steering. I notice my steering wheel is really tight, and when going forward and cornering, such as on a 35 mph off ramp, it is actually sort of physically taxing to hold the wheel. I need to hit the gym

fearturtle44

This person must have been using the brake pedal vs. the accelerator. The auto is very peppy but if you came from a Corvette, you might not think so.

I do agree with the volume controls. Should be a 1-10 volume and not 1-62.

Kevin

spwolf

not to mention that he doesnt know how to use auto windows, how hard is that?

Problem with most reviewers in general is that they are used to driving expensive cars, so they tend to compare all cars the test with some of the best/most expensive cars they remember...

Redfish

1-30 would be better for the stereo indeed.

How she struggled so bad with the auto I dont know. My auto is plenty strong on hills, but then again maybe she was too dumb looking for a special "manumatic" portion that she failed to realize they put "3" there next to "D" for a reason..

Though the review is done fine, I see nothing especially insightful that couldnt be garnered from 30 seconds looking at the car.

lucky

Nice review. I agree that the auto lacks the pep of the 5 speed. Good to see that other people find the windows hard to crack as well. I came off as a retard in another thread when I mentioned this.

TC_Sweetie

The automatic is just fine and i'm always on hills n'crap...... We should throw her in a cavalier or a neon then lets hear her compare... Daymn!

And as far as the windows go how in the world can people not just crack them?? Its very possible i do it all the time.... i mean really its not that hard to just hit the up button once they start moving down too fast

Giddy_Nihilist

Huh? The vents work fine on my tC. They direct the air up or down, covering the full range. If her ears are that low how can she see over the steering wheel?
What? The two stage window switches work fine on my tC. Using a light touch, the window stops where I want it when I remove my finger from the switch. If I use more force the window goes all the way, non-stop. It's simple but it might not work for people with really slow reflexes.
I agree. The ergonomics of the Scion radio are poor. ***** are so much better for adjusting volume, etc. But I do like having that mute button.

Spicys_TC

I agree. The mute button has become one of my favorite features of my TC!!

I also agree with controls about the radio. I qet annoyed with the tiny volume buttons that I have to hold down forever just to increase or decrease the volume.

Aside for the radio controls, I thought the reviews were excellent. I am in love with my TC, and I felt very confident with my purchase! Now, these reviews have just re-affirmed my smart buy. Not to mention the comments about it's European style.

TC are seriously the coolest, smartest buy on the road today!!!