Scion tC

bobotheclown · October 2004

Finally that 3rd break light in action today on the freeway. I have to be honest and say that it does look weird. But who cares it's not like I'm going to be staring at it much when I'm behind the wheel the TC next year.

Darn my neurotic nature of not wanting to buy first year cars. Oh well hopefully the 06's will come out in June/July.

Those 05 mustangs are still looking attractive though.

iluvmysephia1 · October 2004

concerning not buying a first year rig...I think that a few little bugs may be ironed out in the next model year. Like the "3rd gear popping out and going into neutral on it's own" for instance. Scion engineers may or may not revise the stereo cover, stereo controls and/or the loosening bolts on the moonroof. Every time I type these out I wonder what the really big deal is, ya know? The 3rd brake light issue is not an issue to me. You've all bought 2004 tC's right? Anybody have a 2005 tC and have any of these "troubles" mentioned here? The tC for sale now would be a 2005 model year, right?

I have learned of two very cool touches I didn't know the tC had: changing illuminated colors on the temp.control dials inside and illuminated turn signals on the side mirrors outside. Neato touches that only make a great value in a car even more of a great value.

bobo-when are you gonna buy a tC again? Fall of '05? I'm lookin' at possibly spring of '05.

mackabee-yep, I was taught in an old-fashioned classroom and simulator combination course through the school system in Washington state(in a town close to Seattle)in the late summer of 1975. Old school teachin', man, but I'm thankful for it! Another deficiency I've noticed in some driver's today is this: not signaling is rampant-young drivers, middle-aged drivers, old, you name it, but here's another sorta dangerous and sometimes befuddling situation today. Ya come up to a 4-way stop sign and judge "who's on first base" as you do a California-stutter stop. You get these people who don't really stop and are just timing it to go before you no matter what and come what may. I don't think driver's ed teachers had the time to be totally thorough on this issue. I was taught that you need to let the driver on the right go first if it's anywhere near a tie as to who got there first. If they arrived first it's a no-brainer, they go first. Now, throw in one, or, now two more drivers at that four-way stop and, well...you get the picture. Unorganized mayhem. I don't think 4-way stops work during the stress of living and driving today, eh?

stickguy · October 2004

the tC came out as an '05. THere was no '04.

Actually, an advantage to buying when released. I will have a current model year car for well over one year.

tonylexus · October 2004

Forget the first year jitters and enjoy! The minor issues you may have seen here are of no great consequence and would probably be present in one form or another at any time in any vehicle. This is a Toyota so do you really expect any major issues? As for the 'stang, it does look good, but its 'old' look will probably get REAL old quite fast, and then there is the reliability issue.

Have had my tC for 2 weeks now, 1,000 miles most of which at hwy speeds. Absolutely no complaints or concerns. Mileage has been 28 - 31 MPG (again mostly hwy). Can't wait to get into some twisting country roads.

This car has thus far exceeded my lofty expectations. Get one, if you don't like it, the resale shouldn't hurt you too badly - life is short - enjoy!

307web · October 2004

I wish the mileage were better. 28-31 highway isn't that great for a small car.
People routinely get 30+ MPG highway driving much larger V6 Buicks.

bobotheclown · October 2004

iluv- I don't own one yet. Planning to buy a 06 next June/July or whenever they come out.

tony- Well I liked the look of the fastbacks before the 05s came out. The only reason I'm considering a 06 mustang (1st year neurosis again) is because it looks retro. Plus it's a 210 hp v6 that suppose to get 28 mpg freeway.

tonylexus · October 2004

I stated the mileage for informational purposes and admit that it may not be the greatest, but I'm happy with it (coming out of a Liberty that got 17)and I'm sure we could list dozens of 'better' and 'worse' examples.

I'm not 70 yet so I didn't shop the Buick!

All things considered, the tC MPG is comparable to the other cars in its class (power, amenities..) and offers a lot more otherwise.

There is give-and-take based on priorities, budget, and preferences with any vehicle purchase and you have to be careful to compare apples to apples as best as possible.

Hey, keep in mind this is a $17k compact car made by a dividion that had a top end of @$15k prior to its arrival. It isn't meant to compete against a Prius or Porche. It's strong point is that for the money it can be mentioned in the same breath as some cars costing up to $5k more, has a Toyoya/Lexus heritage and balanced performance. They did a lot of things right with this car. Perfect? not quite, but kept in context, better than most.

tonylexus · October 2004

Can't blame you, I too like the Mustang very much but I'll be honest, the reliability history of the pony and the recall history of recent Ford's kinda scared me off from seriously considering a purchase. My lease was up this month and I could not wait for the car to prove itself and would have had to have the V8 so there goes the mileage. Figured I could take a reasonable gamble on a first year Scion.

I'm not a Scion salesman so I can tell you that based on the class of vehicle I was shopping, if the tC were priced above $20k I would be driving an RSX right now.

With all things considered, and price was a factor as this is a 2nd car for commuting, I just didn't see anything out there to keep me from buying the tC. So far, I'm very happy with the decision.

bobotheclown · October 2004

Reliability, is the reason I'm leaning heavily toward the TC.

Anyone know if you can haggle the accessories? I'm fine with paying MSRP on the TC since it's not that much more, but those accessory prices are crazy.

Funny thing when I tried to get a insurance quote on the Mustang. As I was completing the auto-quote at Progressive's website, it popped up a new window saying I should check if the car has a recall on it.

mackabee · October 2004

no haggling on the accessories either. You may want to do a google on tC accessories. There is a certain dealer that sell tC accessories for less than the MSRP.
: )
Mackabee

iluvmysephia1 · October 2004

do you guys feel that your OEM Potenza's take the bumps all right? Or are the bumps all felt pretty strong? I am already planning my next set of tires for the car before I've even bought the tC! I must like this new Scion a lot! I'm leaning toward the Yokohama's because I sure liked them on my '99 Sephia. The car handled so much better after getting them.

Who has bought a 2005 tC with Black Cherry Pearl color? Are you having trouble keeping it clean? Do they apply a wax coating for you at the dealer? Extra charge for it or do you have to wax it the first time yourself?

tonylexus · October 2004

I have the BC. Any dark color is going to be a little tougher to keep clean, living in Michigan, I'll have my work cut out for me. I'm use to having black cars so that comes as no shock. The pay-off is that when the BC is clean it is a spectacular color - day & night.

My dealer put a light coat of something on it but I tried the McGuires Tech Wax as recommended on this site and was very pleased with the easy on-off and looks, yet to see how long it lasts but it is so easy to apply that it shouldn't matter.

I too already have my next set of tires picked out, Pirelli P Zero Nero's. The Potenza's are rough but so far, that's about the only significant change I would make on the car.

tonylexus · October 2004

Anyone out there have the Scion Fog Light Kit?
Any comments, recommendations? As well equipped as the tC is, lack of fog lights is, in my opinion, a glaring ommission. No pun intended!

They are one of those things that once you have them, you can't live without them. They come in handy on snowy nights. $425 sounds kinda steep. Please advise. Thanks.

jps1 · October 2004

Jcf,
I saw your post at the Edmunds site and as I just placed an order for an automatic, silver w/side curtain airbags, I was told up to 8 weeks wait [ETA around Thanksgiving]here in San Diego.
Just curious what you were 1st told and what extras you ordered or if that even influenced the ETA at all.
I also have heard of others who ordered a specific config., but a different color arrived at the dealer and they were asked if they wanted to opt for it, but if not that they wouldn't loose their original position in the que.
What's the scoop you got?

Thanks for the info,
Patrick
PS: I made my mind up to order the tC [9/22/04] after researching the car for about 30 minutes; of course I had wanted a hi-mpg 2nd car for a while now: 50 mile commute daily in So Cal. freeway bumper to bumper.

jps1 · October 2004

I just ordered the silver, but I wanted the Indigo originally. Indigo is intense, but in a slick way; more at day than night, but yeah, under certain lighting at night it looks way cool. The contrast with the black interior is less. The 1 thing that changed my mind is the dark color in So. Cal.- the solar effect seems to heat it more during the day, so that at about 3-4pm when you're ready to leave for home, [could be psychological] it's a little warmer in dark cars than light ones. Keeping it clean wasn't that big of an issue for me- I park in a garage at home. I guess I liked the contrast of grey/black best of all [think about the first print picture you saw of the tC; it was probably grey- marketing and designers probably agreed silver showed the cars' best profile]. Just my preference, but they all look good.
This is weird though, you know how So. Cal. is car crazy and you don't have to look very far, so inside of about 10 minutes on the freeway you've probably seen just about every car ever made? Ever since I ordered the tC, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for any out on the road. Over the last 3 weeks I've seen maybe 2- that's it, wierd.

gobluetc · October 2004

Like tonylexis I live in the Land of the Orange Cone & Road Salt (i.e., Michigan). Despite this, I plan on purchasing a Black Mica tC someday!

iluvmysephia1 · October 2004

car magazines earlier today I am no less taken by the new car than I was yesterday. Some call it's design bland. Poppycock! That design looks ever so sweet..one could doctor it up with body kits but just like the GT V6 Tibby from Hyundai I would leave it's clean and fresh design alone. I like it just the way it is but I agree, foglights might be nice. Not sure they're a necessity but kind of nice, though.

Any tC owners from Idaho? I'm graduating from college(no, I'm working on a 2nd career, I'm not a young buck by any stretch!)in March of 2005 and I'm looking at a job over in eastern Idaho. Snow country. Would a tC be a pain in the rump to drive in the snow? I mean, it is FWD, right? If I go over there the Sportage 4X4 with our 4'x 8' trailer would make the trip. I'm still thinking about getting a tC later on in 2005. Nothing's cast in stone, though, of course. Who lives in Idaho on this thread that has the new retro-Celica tC?

iluvmysephia1 · October 2004

who owns a tC who lives in either Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Utah or North Dakota reading this thread? Who has actually taken a tC out into snowy driving? Is that a big no one-because the tC just came out in June '04 and no one has had a snowy chance yet in their tC? Oh, doesn't that sound like fun? Spinning around in circles in your tC in the snow? Now I'm gettin' all excited again!

Speaking of spinning around, wouldn't the tC make a cool little racecar? Ever thought about racing tC's against each other in the oakie-berries somewhere, on a track? Or how about endurance racing them? This is getting more exciting all the time!!

jcf · October 2004

jps1 - While all my sales reps claimed that a specific color choice with SAB would take longer than a non SAB model, only one sales rep clearly explained why a specific order might not arrive within 2-8 weeks.

Ironically, that one sales rep offered me a car first out of the 9 dealerships I had orders with - even though I had placed orders with numerous other dealerships 2 weeks earlier! Thus, in my case, placing orders with multiple dealerships helped.

As for the listing policy and not accepting a second choice, I would expect it to vary per dealership.

It took 3 months from my first orders for my car to arrive. Had I insisted on my first color choice, it would likely have been another 2-4 months. This is based on Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov port allotments though. One would think that future orders could see better availability and shorter waits.

Finally, after 2 years of saving, 6 months of researching, and 3 months of waiting, I picked up my new baby. Parked under a street lamp last night, showing it off to my friends, that white sure looks sharp.

wonderland · October 2004

After an eight-month wait, I finally got my silver mica with side-curtain airbags. (The first dealer strung me along and tried to get me to accept a different color without the side airbags, while a second dealer fulfilled my order in one month. It definitely pays to be on the list with more than one dealer.)

Fog lamps weren't yet available, but I haven't checked back since my initial purchase. I got the six-CD player, XM satellite tuner, floor mats, satin silver aluminum ball shift knob, sport pedal covers, B-pillar applique, cargo area net, cargo liner, rear lip spoiler, door-sill enhancements, mud guards and auto-dimming mirror (awesome).

As has been stated by many others, the sound system is not the easiest to operate and I would recommend purchasing from a different vendor. The radio cover is ridiculous and takes three or more "pokes" before it will open. The dashboard display is extremely difficult to read when sunglasses are being worn, and the air conditioning is quite ineffective. (Summer time temperature in California's capitol city range from the low 90's to above 100 degrees.) My 1991 Celica cooled things off in a flash, but not so with the tC. My major complaint though, is the poor MPG. Ninety percent of my driving is done on the freeway, and it's averaging only twenty-four MPG. All that being said, the tC is fun to drive, has get-up-and-go, and is extremely comfortable. Also, with all of the add-ons and at less than $23,000 out the door, it's quite a bargain.

bobotheclown · November 2004

I thought you couldn't get the auto-dimming mirror option with side-curtain air bags. It had something to do with some wiring conflicts with the side-curtain airbags.

tonylexus · November 2004

Wow, you went to town at the accessories counter!
I am by no means a techy but I am amazed at the comments I've seen in/re the radio being complicated. Can't imagine what the complainants would do with iDrive! Maybe I'm lucky and maybe we just don't hear from the majority in/re the radio door, but mine poses no problem once I figured out the right touch.

Have burned four tanks of gas and thus far have not seen less than 28.5 MPG. That is with a high percentage of hwy miles but not babying it otherwise. Haven't had a chance to try out the AC but the heater works fine so far (Michigan - gotta love it!)
So far, my only preference would be for dials rather than button controls. As for performance, comfort, amenities, design, etc., I am totally satisfied and loving the car.
With a car this low, the auto-dimming mirror was a no brainer for me and once you've had one on any car, you can't live without it.
Still not seeing any around town but I guess that's a good thing from the exclusivity stand point.

genee · November 2004

Gee, I have been driving one with auto-dimming mirror and side-curtain airbags for three months now. But I was also told you couldn't have leather done with the side airbags and I have that too. Granted I haven't had to test the airbags but the little tags are there.

bobotheclown · November 2004

I'm all for getting the auto-dimming mirror, but not if it runs the risk of causing the side-curtains to malfunction. Just because you had it done, doesn't mean it should be done.

volcomknurd · November 2004

JCF....Where in San Diego did you get your tC? How was the service? i also live in SD and am looking at getting one fairly soon. Please let me know how your shopping experience went so i can go to the right place. Thanks in advance

genee · November 2004

My tC was configured on the Scion.com site. Since the factory site would allow this configuration, I assume it approves of the two items (side airbags and auto-mirror) being on the same vehicle. I don't think they want to risk the liability if the bags were to not operate because of something they added.

jcf · November 2004

volcomknurd - Out of all 9 San Diego County dealerships, I found the best sales reps at Kearny Mesa, Mission Valley, and Escondido. However, realize that all of the dealerships have several reps; so, landing the right rep is probably more important than choosing a certain dealership. Almost all of them, seriously, firmly claimed that they were the largest distributor of Scions, and thus could offer me the better selection. Don't be buffaloed by that sales line.

If you're in no hurry, I'd choose the closest dealerships to work with, allowing you to get your service done at the same place you bought the car. If you're in a hurry and selective on your model, play several. Don't be afraid to lay down the $500 refundable deposit either. I got all of mine back with no hassles.

genee · November 2004

Somewhere on this site (other thread?) there was a suggestion to logon to the Scion site and "chat" with a rep. Rather than "chat" I phoned ... twenty minutes to get past the first filter and transferred to a "specialist" who would handle my problem. Now, with a case file, I am still waiting the "I will call you right back with a solution" to the problem. Anyone else experience this frustration?

pdm72 · November 2004

Actually, you can't configure a car with side airbags and the auto-dimming mirror on the site anymore. I think they changed it not that long ago. After hearing that some people had both, I thought about checking into one without the homelink feature, but then I realized I hardly ever drive at night, since every time I think about doing it, I remind myself of the miserable time I'll have driving aimlessly around and around my neighborhood looking for a parking space when I return.

However, I do have leather--with side airbag tags on it, actually, so it definitely is done.

jcf · November 2004

genee - I'm the one who had a good on-line chat with the rep. Can't speak for the phone service though.

OK, after a week with the new car, its my turn to scrutinize a little more:

Positives: Impressive power, strong brakes, perfect alignment, great cruise and one touch power windows, solid, sound.

Negatives (Besides the stereo cover, tail light, roof noise, 3rd gear, and roof deflector issues previously covered): Sloppy shifting - compared to a Miata. Long doors - a real hindrance when not fully open. Steeply sloped hood line - makes parking visibility poor. Awkward foot pedal angles - a problem for working the clutch with work boots on. Big key - inconvenient to carry in a pocket. Door opener - annoyingly tempormental for the hatch.

Don't get me wrong though. I love the car. Its a great machine for the price.

I put McGuard wheel locks on right away. I assume everyone else is doing something similar?

pman3 · November 2004

After waiting 9 weeks, and getting the run around from my dealer every week(he offered just about every other color than my preference indigo ink, 5S, located in Milwaukee, WI), I feel like backing out and keeping my old car for a couple more years, minus the frustration. And now he won't even give me an "estimated" date(after orginally being told 3-4 weeks). Ah!!! Anyone have suggestions of another route to obtain a tC? What's this I read about contacting a sales rep directly? I went directly to Scion with my problem, and I got the case # run around.

bobotheclown · November 2004

I was never concerned about getting leather and the auto-dimming mirror since they are installed independantly of each other. Whereas the mirror and side-curtains is not confirmed as being 100% independant of each other if installed and this is where my concern lies.

genee · November 2004

For those who have tired with my complaining about being on the third stereo "lid" I just want to say that this morning I received a phone call from Scion. They told me that the poorly functioning cover WAS a MAJOR problem for them with many complaints and that a TSB was soon to be issued for a fix. So, for those like myself who want the lid to work properly, start asking your dealers/service departments about this TSB. Scion said that the TSB would NOT be announced but should be in service departments "in a few weeks."

genee · November 2004

Once again, go to Scion.com and configure your car. The auto-dimming mirror and side-curtains are allowable by the factory site. They are NOT going to let you configure something that leaves them open to HUGE liability suits.

bobotheclown · November 2004

Um I've have tried it at scion.com. You can pick one or the other, not both. That's why I brought up the issue. Maybe you should go visit the site and try it out yourself.

jcf · November 2004

pman3 - Your sales rep is being honest and correct in not predicting a date. Blame Toyota, not the dealership, for the hassle we've all faced in getting a specific model. Nine weeks is not unreasonably long yet - compared to others.

genee - Thanks for your persistence and everyone's complaining on the stereo cover fix. If the TSB improves the cover's functioning, I might actually start using it instead of leaving it open all the time.

genee · November 2004

bobo - This is downright frightening! I tried the combination at Scion.com and - as you say - it will not allow them in combination. When I configured my tC a few months ago, there was no problem putting auto-dimming mirror and side airbags together. I had several dealers searching for this configuration. That is how it was delivered to me. Now it would appear that I have paid $$$ for airbags that don't work? Scion gets a call as soon as I press "post" on this ...

bobotheclown · November 2004

Let me know what you find out. Didn't want to make you worry. I was just wondering if anyone knew if it was ok or not.

genee · November 2004

No phone contact until 9am PST MONDAY. I am definitely going to pursue this. My main concern is that there are others out there with the same combination from the early releases (pre August).

stickguy · November 2004

I must have missed something. Why does the auto dim mirror screw up the airbags? Is leather soemhow involved?

I just have the regular mirror so not an issue for me, but I'm just curious.

tonylexus · November 2004

Have had the BC, AT tC for a month now.
- In majority of hwy (not expressway) driving, yet to get less than 28.5 MPG, high of 31.5 in 1800 miles
- Get a lot of envious looks and comments. I am amazed that most people admiring the car do not know what a Scion is or who makes it.
- Most admirers guess a price up into the mid 20's when I ask them how much they think the car cost
- Sorry, still no problem with the radio cover. One firm push and it opens every time. However, if you're going to put a cover over the radio, it should have speed sensative volume to aleviate open/close too often for adjustments
- Beginning to get scared as I increase speeds into turns to test grip and handling. Have yet to find this car's limit.
- All-in-all, love this vehicle, so far, no problems, no complaints, all fun!

genee · November 2004

Just received word from Scion about this combination. Once it was OK ... now it is NOT .. it appears that it will be fine sometime in the future. Here is their response:
If you have already had both accessories installed the dealer should be able to implement the new wiring harness so that the options do work. Contact them ASAP.

So, it would appear that the bags MIGHT NOT work just now but there is a wiring modification AVAILABLE that will make things function correctly. My next question is, "Why don't they just put the new wiring harness on any rig that orders the combination of side airbags and auto-dimming mirror?"

adidascub · November 2004

genee,

Don't you work? or have a life? If you wanted a LEXUS, you should have bought one.

bobotheclown · November 2004

He's not complaining about the tc. He's just mad that they sold him an option combination that may result in a important option(side-curtain airbags) not working.

iluvmysephia1 · November 2004

Car and Driver review of the new Scion tC from August of 2004. The review was very favorable and promising looking ahead at the probable success of the sports coupe. What I took away from the article were the pictures. Scion designers have designed this little coupe with simple yet intriguing lines to it. They invite another look. Or two. Hyundai has done the same thing with their delightful sports coupe Tiburon, redesigned in 2002 for 2003. There was technically no 2002 Hyundai Tiburon.

I'm thinking this new Scion is going to stick around for a while. What's weird is I don't think a lot of America knows diddly about the tC yet, know what I mean?

stickguy · November 2004

Well, it's not likely to ever become a mainstream car. I believe they will sell about 60K of them in the first year (above projections IIRC), os it will certainly not be as common as a Camry. Most of the driving public isn't looking for sporty 2 door hatch/coupes either, so it won't even appear on their radar screens.

Too bad actually, because it is perfectly suitable to be a "family" car, assuming it is the 2nd car. I have 2 kids, and they love it. Plenty of room for all 4 of us (inc. the wife). Doesn't have the luggage room for travelling, but we have a minivan for that.

The hatch also adds flexibility. I just put wood floors in my DR, and had no problems transporting boxes of wood and moldings (even 8 footers) with the seat folded down.

Still getting about 21-22 mpg average. This is real short hop, around town (most tanks I don't get more than 10 miles from my house), with a fair amount of stop/go on the way to work (a whopping 3 miles).

iluvmysephia1 · November 2004

do you think Scion may discontinue the Scion tC?

Personally I don't think so. Sales of 60,000 in the first year is better than good IMO and there are a lot of Americans like me who are interested in the tC but haven't bought one yet. I think this car has very appealing lines to it that tuners should also have a heyday with. What are your opinions?

jrct9454 · November 2004

The car has been on the market barely long enough to get recognized on the street, people are still lined up to buy one, and the question on the table is when it will be discontinued?

Toyota has made it clear that it is not married to any of the Scion products - none of the first round cars has any lock on making it to a second generation - but why is this important? Toyota's interpretation of the desires of the Scion audience has it that there is a short attention span at work, and nobody will care four years from now about anything being produced today. You can argue the premise, since the Tc in particular seems to have a lot appeal beyond the so-called target market, but if you believe in Toyota's logic, the answer seems inevitable.

iluvmysephia1 · November 2004

you mentioned, Toyota's close look at short attention spans. I happen to like the tC and I don't have a short attention span. I may not want to buy for another 6-12 months and I'm just wondering how anyone else felt about the tC's longevity. Sure, it's doing well now, but will Scion keep it for another few years? We really don't know for sure, do we? I would guess that the xA or xB may go and be replaced with new products. As for the tC, it is starting to get more notice and I think it offers way too much in it's automobile package to poop-can it.

stickguy · November 2004

If I had to guess, I would say at least 3 years for the tC.

Scion tC

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles