Picked up a Scion tC today.

Picked up a Scion tC today from Scion Canada's headquarters - again thanks to their grassroots marketing campaign.  My initial impressions are very good.


The car feels a little choppy at slower speeds (~40km/h), but once on the highway it just eats up the road.  Really a wonderful highway car - plenty of torque to execute a pass, stable at speed and comfortable.


The interior is nicely laid out with a typical dash - large tach and speedo.  The steering wheel is a treat - it is thick and meaty, with a sporty flat bottom - pics will follow.  The driver's seat is comfortable with plenty of adjustments, which along with the tilt n' telescoping steering column, means it was easy to quickly get comfortable.  The stereo is also very good, with a decent low end.

Only problem is, it's price is making me a little upset.  When I bought my Celica GT-S in 2004, they were listing at over $30,000 - if I recall correctly it was closer to $33,000.  A little pricey at the time. Now, here's a car that at first drive seems to be nearly as exciting and enjoyable as the Celica, but you can get into it starting around $21,000!  Astounding!  This car seems to be an incredible value.

I look forward to the next couple of days with the tC.  As in the past, I'll post an update or two, and then a final driving impression.

LIVE: "Take on the Machine"

The "Take on the Machine" game is now live at machine.scionnation.ca .  A previous release suggested it wasn't going to be available until tomorrow, to coincide with the opening of the Montreal Auto Show.

Source: machine.scionnation.ca

"Take on the Machine"

Looks like Scion Canada is giving away a 2011 Scion tC, and all you need to do is play a game.  That's right, something you'll probably do anyway.  Best of all, you don't even need to win, just play.


This sounds a bit interesting - the game controller is actually an encoded marker that you use as a steering wheel.  A webcam picks up your movements and translates them into the actions on the screen.  The game will be introduced January 13th at the Montreal Auto Show, as well as online.  Try it out at a number of Canadian auto shows, including the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.


So go on, have some fun, and you might even win a 2011 Scion tC.  Full details are at Scionnation "Take on the Machine".


[Source: Scionnation.ca]
UPDATE: This is sort of related, well, so far as it relates to video games anyway.  Here's a Nintendo inspired xB.

Source: Autospies.com

Autoblog.com also has a video of it. Read the full post here.

[Sources: Autoblog.com, Autospies.com]

Toyota Zelas

Here's an interesting bit of information - the Scion tC is going to be sold in China in 2011 as the Toyota Zelas.  No information on whether or not there will be any significant changes to the tC for the Chinese market.

[Source: autoevolution.com]