2011 Scion tC: My Review

2011 Scion tC

Scion Canada was kind enough to let me drive a 2011 Scion tC for a few days as part of their grassroots marketing campaign.  This is the third Scion vehicle I've had the opportunity to drive, following the xB and xD, and certainly the one I was most looking forward to.


The Scion tC is a 2-door sports coupe.  It's only engine choice is a 2.5 Litre 4-cylinder engine rated at 180 bhp.  This is a car in a small class, as the 2-door coupe has seen its share of vehicles going out of production, such as the Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude and Acura RSX. Currently, the Scion's main competition is the Honda Civic coupe and Kia Koupe. 


The car I drove was pretty much stock.  It arrived in Alpine White wearing snow tires on the standard 18" alloy wheels, and equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission.  The only options were a leather interior ($1,975 - which includes heated front seats) and Alpine stereo ($535).  The car comes with many standard features, including A/C, power windows, and huge sunroof for the front passengers and a glass roof for the rear seat occupants.  Speaking of the rear seat, it was very roomy - certainly large enough for adults to sit comfortably.

The interior was very nicely laid out, with a large tachometer and speedometer in front of the driver.  They really should copy this layout for the Scion xB, as it works well and provides the driver with all the information they need.  One interesting feature was the design of the steering wheel.  The steering wheel has a flat bottom, which you might find in a race car or Lamborghini - it's a very sporty set up.  The wheel had controls for the stereo located on the front, along with the cruise control stalk behind it.  Overall, a fairly typical arrangement of the controls.  It made it very easy to find everything when I jumped into it.

Flat bottomed steering wheel.

The exterior design of the car wasn't one I really appreciated until I saw it in person.  In photos it appears rather slab-sided, and the roof looked low creating a chopped look.  Having now seen it in person it is actually a quite aggressive design.  The fenders flare out quite nicely, especially the rear ones which add a nice flare to it.  Styling is always subjective, but to me this design was quite pleasing.

Driving the car was a real treat.  It handled nicely - steering was fairly sharp, suspension was on the firmer side (befitting a sporty car) but not uncomfortably so.  Power was acceptable (you can always use more), at 180 bhp, and there was good torque available to get you moving.  The driving dynamics were such that I could easily pass the day away driving this car, especially on the highway.  On the highway this car really shone - it was stable and comfortable, power to make a pass - an excellent cruiser.  I would love to have this car as a daily driver if I had to travel the highway on a daily basis.

One missed detail was the spacing of the pedals.  The accelerator and brake pedals were fairly far apart - far enough apart that heel and toeing was difficult (I don't really have small feet, so it wasn't me).  On the plus side, left foot braking was a breeze.

If I was looking to replace my Celica this is definitely a car I would consider.  Fun, sporty and a little bit different from anything else out there makes this car a winner in my mind.  Especially when you consider the price, at $20,850, compared with the Civic Coupe SI ($25,880) and Kia Forte Koupe ($22,295) - both of which have less power.  The Scion tC looks to me like the leader of the (rather small) pack.