Shortly after the movie Fast and the Furious debuted, manufacturers were trying to capitalize on a fluke of a movie with a new crop of customizable compacts.
Such was the case in Toyota’s Scion brand and its tC coupe. Now in its second generation, is the 2011 Scion tC still the gateway for younger buyers that the company hoped for? Or have these so-called tuners moved on?
Leftlane takes a look at Scion’s most conventional model.
What is it?
The tC is actually the only “normal” looking vehicle in Scion’s lineup. With the iQ and xD covering the micro-vehicle side of the equation, and the “you can go with this or you can go with that” xB, in the role of the Angry Toaster, the tC is utterly average in its appearance.
A two-door, four-seater, it actually has rear seat legroom for a night on the town for you and three of your homies. Add in the convenience of a lift hatch with fold-down rear seats, for an open cargo area, and you really have something.
In many ways, the tC is a replacement for Toyota’s long-dead Celica, although it shares its four-cylinder engine with the latest Camry and RAV4
What’s it up against?
Logical competitors in the segment run the gamut. Honda Civics and Kia Fortes both make natural rivals in their coupe forms, while we could see some comparison shopping against the Volkswagen Golf and the upcoming Hyundai Veloster.
This segment is so crowded and will only become more so as this year goes on.The tC’s entry-level status is strictly by design since the Scion division was Toyota’s idea for an easily modifiable platform that was an easy entry point for new, younger customers.
Any breakthroughs?
An evolutionary design, the new Scion tC is a case of sharpening up its appearance, and updating its innards. In other words “if it ain’t broke, let’s freshen it up a bit, anyways.”
A new 2.5-liter with direct injection replaces the old 2.4-liter found in the outgoing model. With the more modern fuel supply system comes a few more ponies, too. A six-speed stick finally shows up on the options list.
Beyond that, the true beauty of the tC lies in the total customization that is possible with the car. That, and the way that the brand has managed to create a whole flock of Scion disciples.
How does it look?
If you were to see this Scion standing alone, you would immediately know that it was a slightly different tC. That’s because this new model is more evolved from the first generation and is now sharper, crisper and more confident appearing. Our test model featured a full JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) color scheme, meaning it had a white body with black roof and black accents. Scion officials told us that, in profile, the TC was inspired by the look of a full-face race helmet, used while piloting race cars around a track. We can see that. We think.
Although not appreciably wider then the model it replaces, this new Scion has the look, from the front, of a squatting bulldog. In fact, the look actually belies the car’s front-drive set up, and appears more like a rear-drive car. If only.
Projector beam headlights lend a contemporary look to the lighting package, as do the LED turn signals. Blacked out A-pillars impart a sinister look from the Calty–designed coupe that is built at Toyota’s Sutsumi plant in Japan.
The standard panoramic moonroof is a fun look at the world through the car’s ceiling. Wrapping up the rear, our tC was equipped with a rear lip spoiler, which was installed by one of the automaker’s regional distributors and not Toyota directly.
And on the inside?
Scion’s pricing is mono-spec, meaning that, generally, one price fits all. At launch, we thought the dashboard was rather plain in a boxy, almost ’80s Japan sort of way. We still do, but it has grown on us since we saw it a few months ago. We like the flat bottom sports steering wheel, and the gauges behind it, which are direct and to the point. Since our test car was equipped with an automatic transmission, we would have enjoyed the driving experience more if there were steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift levers, too.
The color scheme concentrated on basic black, with faux aluminum trim pieces throughout. This Scion was optioned with Alpine’s premium audio system with navigation and HD radio capabilities. The system, in addition to offering Bluetooth, had streaming audio, which was seamlessly integrated into the redundant steering wheel controls. AUX and iPod inputs are also included.
The seats offered great support during long drives, allowed us to arrive without fatigue. The pattern on the fabrics is a combination of geometric shapes and swirls, which almost get lost in the blackness of the overall interior. Overhead, the panoramic glass moonroof features manual curtains inside, which are probably there to help keep costs down. The rear seats recline a little bit, and also fold forward in a 60-40 split, to open up the rear for more cargo capacity. Cargo capacity is 34.5 cubic feet.
You won’t find many luxurious materials, but at least the graining is unique and everything feels exceptionally well screwed together.
But does it go?
Once again in the one-size-fits-all category, the tC can be had in any engine size you want as long as it’s a 2.5-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine. Thanks to the direct-injection, the big breakthrough underhood is the 12-percent horsepower increase and 6.7-percent increase in torque. That equals 180-horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque. As light as the Scion is, you would think that would yield a whole lot of speed. The truth is things don’t really start happening under the hood until you get into the high-rev zone of this engine’s powerband. Unfortunately, that seems to be de rigueur for most of the small four-cylinder engines coming from import manufacturers. Mileage on the 3,100 lbs. vehicle clocks in at 23 city and 31 highway – not great, but about right for a sporty coupe.
The tC’s suspension kit consists of MacPherson struts in front and a double wishbone setup in rear with stabilizer bars at both ends to keep things in a rigid state. The electric power steering is actually quite good, and gave good feedback from the various surfaces we encountered. The added benefit here is no power being sapped from the engine’s pulleys, which results in better fuel economy.
Power finally got to the pavement through all-season Toyo Proxes 4 tires mounted on 18-inch alloy rims. As good as these tires are in providing grip, they caused a fair amount of road noise to come into the cabin while we kept in contact with Leftlane headquarters via the car’s Bluetooth phone hookup.
Although it is a car that is louder than many of the vehicles we have driven lately, this tC is a high-pitched whiner that pumps out a note that is music to a tuner’s ear.
The six-speed automatic transmission was a smooth shifting unit, but as we said during our experience at the tC’s launch, we would have enjoyed spending more time in a real shift-it-yourself unit. Regardless, Scion predicts 70 percent of its buyers will opt for the automatic, a true sign of the times.
We were surprised to see a large expanse of raw metal in place of plastic engine cladding under the hood. Perhaps it is time for a return to painted engine blocks and valve covers like days of old where engines paraded in red or blue.
We loved thrashing the front-drive coupe through cloverleaf on-ramps and sweeping turns around the ranch, and listening to the four-banger beat it onto the local interstate. In situations like that, it’s fun to feel the front wheels pull us through. Torque steer was about average for this style of vehicle and this sort of power, but experience with rivals suggests that it is part of the class’ character.
Why you would buy it:
Because you would like a clean canvas with which to paint your motoring masterpiece.
Why you wouldn’t:
Because you are upside down after “tuning” Mom’s old Civic with that huge two-tier spoiler and coffee can muffler.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Scion has built an affordable two-door coupe that is essentially the automotive equivalent of a blank sheet of paper. It’s ready to be converted into the car of dreams for tuners and enthusiasts everywhere.
2011 Scion tC base price, $19,275. As tested, $22,667
Navigation, $1,999; Floor mats, $109; Lip spoiler, $499; Destination, $785.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
Review: 2011 Scion tC
Reviewed by
Mark Elias on
January 19
.
Scion might be stagnant, but its more refined tC sporty coupe might just have what it takes to inject some passion back into the brand.
Shortly after the movie Fast and the Furious debuted, manufacturers were trying to capitalize on a fluke of a movie with a new crop of customizable compacts.
Such was the case in Toyota’s Scion brand and its tC coupe. Now in its second generation, is the 2011 Scion tC still the gateway for younger buyers that the company hoped for? Or have these so-called tuners moved on?
Leftlane takes a look at Scion’s most conventional model.
What is it?
The tC is actually the only “normal” looking vehicle in Scion’s lineup. With the iQ and xD covering the micro-vehicle side of the equation, and the “you can go with this or you can go with that” xB, in the role of the Angry Toaster, the tC is utterly average in its appearance.
A two-door, four-seater, it actually has rear seat legroom for a night on the town for you and three of your homies. Add in the convenience of a lift hatch with fold-down rear seats, for an open cargo area, and you really have something.
In many ways, the tC is a replacement for Toyota’s long-dead Celica, although it shares its four-cylinder engine with the latest Camry and RAV4
What’s it up against?
Logical competitors in the segment run the gamut. Honda Civics and Kia Fortes both make natural rivals in their coupe forms, while we could see some comparison shopping against the Volkswagen Golf and the upcoming Hyundai Veloster.
This segment is so crowded and will only become more so as this year goes on.The tC’s entry-level status is strictly by design since the Scion division was Toyota’s idea for an easily modifiable platform that was an easy entry point for new, younger customers.
Any breakthroughs?
An evolutionary design, the new Scion tC is a case of sharpening up its appearance, and updating its innards. In other words “if it ain’t broke, let’s freshen it up a bit, anyways.”
A new 2.5-liter with direct injection replaces the old 2.4-liter found in the outgoing model. With the more modern fuel supply system comes a few more ponies, too. A six-speed stick finally shows up on the options list.
Beyond that, the true beauty of the tC lies in the total customization that is possible with the car. That, and the way that the brand has managed to create a whole flock of Scion disciples.
How does it look?
If you were to see this Scion standing alone, you would immediately know that it was a slightly different tC. That’s because this new model is more evolved from the first generation and is now sharper, crisper and more confident appearing. Our test model featured a full JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) color scheme, meaning it had a white body with black roof and black accents. Scion officials told us that, in profile, the TC was inspired by the look of a full-face race helmet, used while piloting race cars around a track. We can see that. We think.
Although not appreciably wider then the model it replaces, this new Scion has the look, from the front, of a squatting bulldog. In fact, the look actually belies the car’s front-drive set up, and appears more like a rear-drive car. If only.
Projector beam headlights lend a contemporary look to the lighting package, as do the LED turn signals. Blacked out A-pillars impart a sinister look from the Calty–designed coupe that is built at Toyota’s Sutsumi plant in Japan.
The standard panoramic moonroof is a fun look at the world through the car’s ceiling. Wrapping up the rear, our tC was equipped with a rear lip spoiler, which was installed by one of the automaker’s regional distributors and not Toyota directly.
And on the inside?
Scion’s pricing is mono-spec, meaning that, generally, one price fits all. At launch, we thought the dashboard was rather plain in a boxy, almost ’80s Japan sort of way. We still do, but it has grown on us since we saw it a few months ago. We like the flat bottom sports steering wheel, and the gauges behind it, which are direct and to the point. Since our test car was equipped with an automatic transmission, we would have enjoyed the driving experience more if there were steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift levers, too.
The color scheme concentrated on basic black, with faux aluminum trim pieces throughout. This Scion was optioned with Alpine’s premium audio system with navigation and HD radio capabilities. The system, in addition to offering Bluetooth, had streaming audio, which was seamlessly integrated into the redundant steering wheel controls. AUX and iPod inputs are also included.
The seats offered great support during long drives, allowed us to arrive without fatigue. The pattern on the fabrics is a combination of geometric shapes and swirls, which almost get lost in the blackness of the overall interior. Overhead, the panoramic glass moonroof features manual curtains inside, which are probably there to help keep costs down. The rear seats recline a little bit, and also fold forward in a 60-40 split, to open up the rear for more cargo capacity. Cargo capacity is 34.5 cubic feet.
You won’t find many luxurious materials, but at least the graining is unique and everything feels exceptionally well screwed together.
But does it go?
Once again in the one-size-fits-all category, the tC can be had in any engine size you want as long as it’s a 2.5-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine. Thanks to the direct-injection, the big breakthrough underhood is the 12-percent horsepower increase and 6.7-percent increase in torque. That equals 180-horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque. As light as the Scion is, you would think that would yield a whole lot of speed. The truth is things don’t really start happening under the hood until you get into the high-rev zone of this engine’s powerband. Unfortunately, that seems to be de rigueur for most of the small four-cylinder engines coming from import manufacturers. Mileage on the 3,100 lbs. vehicle clocks in at 23 city and 31 highway – not great, but about right for a sporty coupe.
The tC’s suspension kit consists of MacPherson struts in front and a double wishbone setup in rear with stabilizer bars at both ends to keep things in a rigid state. The electric power steering is actually quite good, and gave good feedback from the various surfaces we encountered. The added benefit here is no power being sapped from the engine’s pulleys, which results in better fuel economy.
Power finally got to the pavement through all-season Toyo Proxes 4 tires mounted on 18-inch alloy rims. As good as these tires are in providing grip, they caused a fair amount of road noise to come into the cabin while we kept in contact with Leftlane headquarters via the car’s Bluetooth phone hookup.
Although it is a car that is louder than many of the vehicles we have driven lately, this tC is a high-pitched whiner that pumps out a note that is music to a tuner’s ear.
The six-speed automatic transmission was a smooth shifting unit, but as we said during our experience at the tC’s launch, we would have enjoyed spending more time in a real shift-it-yourself unit. Regardless, Scion predicts 70 percent of its buyers will opt for the automatic, a true sign of the times.
We were surprised to see a large expanse of raw metal in place of plastic engine cladding under the hood. Perhaps it is time for a return to painted engine blocks and valve covers like days of old where engines paraded in red or blue.
We loved thrashing the front-drive coupe through cloverleaf on-ramps and sweeping turns around the ranch, and listening to the four-banger beat it onto the local interstate. In situations like that, it’s fun to feel the front wheels pull us through. Torque steer was about average for this style of vehicle and this sort of power, but experience with rivals suggests that it is part of the class’ character.
Why you would buy it:
Because you would like a clean canvas with which to paint your motoring masterpiece.
Why you wouldn’t:
Because you are upside down after “tuning” Mom’s old Civic with that huge two-tier spoiler and coffee can muffler.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Scion has built an affordable two-door coupe that is essentially the automotive equivalent of a blank sheet of paper. It’s ready to be converted into the car of dreams for tuners and enthusiasts everywhere.
2011 Scion tC base price, $19,275. As tested, $22,667
Navigation, $1,999; Floor mats, $109; Lip spoiler, $499; Destination, $785.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
Rating:
