A view of the interior of the 2011 Scion tC. Photo by Scion
How does it drive?
It's fairly sporty and doesn't understeer too badly. But the shifter was a little imprecise and the big, beefy steering wheel felt like it belonged on a Supra and not this Corolla cousin. We drove a bare-bones six-speed automatic and a loaded six-speed manual, the latter including a thicker anti-roll bar and bigger brakes from TRD. We preferred the automatic. That manual shifter felt like it was about half a foot too far to the right and engaging the gears was less precise than we'd have liked. The automatic, on the other hand, was wonderfully smooth, especially during full-throttle upshifts. The sequential sport shift made for easy and quick shifts up and down, though it will shift for you if you hit the 6,250 rpm redline. Power was good by the standards of the class and moved the 3,060- to 3,102-pound tC to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds with the manual or 8.3 mph with the automatic, according to Scion. The automatic we drove came with the standard 18-inch wheels and the manual we drove had the optional 19s. Both produced a lot of road noise, though Scion says it's less than the previous model. Road noise is not a big concern to tC buyers, according to Scion, as they will be cranking the standard 300-watt, eight-speaker sound system as far as it goes, which is up to 50. An optional Alpine system offers a 4.3-inch touch-panel screen with HD radio. A navigation system is another option. Unfortunately, USB and iPod jacks didn't work in either of our test cars, even though we tried two different iPods in each.
Do I want it?
Scion has been keeping its prices under $20,000 to draw younger buyers into the Toyota/Lexus fold, which is the division's stated purpose. The tC continues that tradition with an $18,995 MSRP for the manual, including destination, and $19,995 for the automatic.
The styling in this car is pretty strong. Scion calls it aggressive and masculine. It follows the Fuse concept and the second-generation xB with an armored, post-apocalyptic look that Scion says was inspired by a helmet. It could be just the thing young buyers want, especially those who play video games and crank their music real loud, which is just about all of them.
Scion doesn't list any competitors but when pressed execs say the Mazda3, Mini and some VWs (presumably Jetta and Golf) would be in the running.
Scion sales have dropped off a cliff since flirting with 200,000 only four years ago. This year they're on track for only about one quarter of that. Scion says the economic crisis hit its young buyers harder than the rest of the population. Whether recovery for Toyota's entry division will require bold styling leaps like the tC and xB or some bigger innovation remains to be seen. The iQ is coming soon, which will help, but the big leap will surely come if Scion VP Jack Hollis gets the rear-wheel-drive variant he says he's been asking Japan for. It worked for Mazda with the Miata, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary as an enthusiast's icon. RWD is exactly what Scion needs to survive, thrive and drive away from the competition.
2011 Scion tC
On Sale: October
Drivetrain: 180-hp, 173-lb-ft four; fwd, six-speed manual
Curb Weight: 3060 pounds
0-60: 7.6 seconds
EPA Mileage: 23 city, 31 hwy (mfg est)
Mark Vaughn - After slumming in Europe five years covering F1 etc. Mark Vaughn interviewed with Autoweek at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show has been with us ever since because no one else will take him. Anyone? See more by this author»
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