Scion tC

ljstc · April 2005

Hey man I hear you, I just traded in my Toyota Tundra for a TC and I love it." Quick question" I have owned my TC for 5 days now and drive like 40 miles a day and the gas gauge is at 1/2 a tank is this thing for real, I would have filled my truck up at least once buy now. I have been checking out aftermarket mods for my tc and was wondering if anybody had put any stage turbo kit in their tc. The stage 3 turbo kit is suppose to raise the power ratio up to 165% if that is true could you imagine what this car would be capable of, but the cost is over 5 grand. {ouch}

boiko · April 2005

I notice the tC doesn't have a wiper on the back window...is this an issue in the winter if you live in an area that gets a fair amount of snow..?

Also - do most people just leave the radio door open most of the time...? It looks like if you were to open/close it too many times it might break, anyone have a problem with it?

Thanks
-mike-

stickguy · April 2005

the snow can build up, but the angle of the window isn't much different that some sedans/coupes. I would have liked a wiper, but it wasn't really an issue this winter (I don't drive in the snow much). It is more of a problem with rain, where the wiper would be nice. Not crucial, but nice.

I never close the radio door. I don't see any reason to bother, but my son plays with it once in a while. Maybe if I street parked in the city, but I still don't think it would fool anyone.

Besides, does anyone still steal radios? Can they do anything without the security code?

2005sciontc1 · April 2005

Man i hear you on that one i just got the car less then a month ago and some of the scratches are bad and i dont know how they got there.

germancarfreak · April 2005

Somebody help me out here, agree with me, anything, shout it out Scions are freakin sweet cars did anybody see that orange xb in super street mag, you know the one with the turntable that folded out? :P

htwosrjunk · April 2005

dude do you have some wacko problem or something, we're talking about tC's here not xb's (that xb was pretty cool though

raiderschick · April 2005

I am 17 and I just got a scion tc...i used to drive a corrola and a highlander! so if u wanta use me just email me!

captainbloomer · April 2005

I put a deposit down on a tC RS 1.0 on 3/24....sticker was 18,290. Not much bargaining room...still not going to be in for another 1-2 weeks...ARGH!

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

great choice, the Scion tC RS 1.0! Funny thing about this new Scion tC is that I even like this car in the Silver Streak Mica (or whatever Scion calls silver!!). No kidding, the reason I mention it is that I don't like silver as a car color much at all. This car is proportioned so nicely such that it looks really good in silver and I've got a line on getting one of them (with a slick convincing sales pitch to my wife, who loves our Sportage 4x4, first). Be nice to get closer to 30mph on the highway as I know that once we move to South Dakota we're gonna be exploring all over the state(we always explore the state we move to at length, we've been to a lot of areas here in Missouri that a whole lot of longtime Missourians have never been to, no kiddin'). I look at it as a challenge to win her over to the Scion. Yep, it's gonna be a large challenge, too. We're a one car family but the Sport is approaching 100,000 miles(96,135) and would probably go on to 250,000 miles, but I've fallen hard for the tC.

captainbloomer-I'll bet you're just slightly excited!

htwosrjunk · April 2005

Hey, does anybody know what the future is for scion? are they gonna come out with some more models or stay a three car company? I don't mind the cars they got right now, just wondering.

ivtec · April 2005

From what I've read lately, seems like Scion will scrap models and replace them with trendy/more marketable ones. They are all about adapting to the consumer. However, there's one thing that I'm not so sure about. With the awesome following, interest, and aftermarket support for the tC, will this car continue to evolve and be redesigned etc...or will it be replaced with something new in the near future like a t2C or something??? Any thoughts???

I think this car is here to stay for a while. I hope they keep the name tC alive for the long term.

Scion has a different way of doing things for sure. I believe the xB will be replaced by a truck version and/or the t2B (link below). I don't know about the xA though - it's lacking in sales and might just disappear. We'll just have to wait and see.

link title

Side notes for those interested: This 2.4L Camry engine is capapble of withstanding up to 490hp with stock internals via a stage3 turbo!!!! They haven't pushed it further YET(at scionspeed.com), but I'm sure they will. This just shows you how solid this powerplant is. The engine has a service factor of at least 3.0 - maybe even greater. Oh yeah, they did shear an axle in 1/2 while attempting a quarter mile run lol. But I think you probably need a titanium axle to handle so much torque. If you're wondering how the build quality is on this car, just read reviews by caranddriver.com, motortrend.com and so on. They say this car is rock solid.

***Please don't ever compare a Chevy product to a Toyota! You tend to make Toyota engineers sick to their stomachs.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

your comments on the tC are interesting. Do you have one? I'm mulling a purchase of one over right now. I would probably not need any more power than the 160 hp and 163 ft-lbs. of torque available to the front wheels. What I love about this car is it's rock solid build quality, low price, knockout looks, slide-open roof, stereo and 4-wheel disc brakes. The car has a great looking shape to it...from that grille with the slanting headlights and wrapping around hood lines to the neat little notch in the body in the rear window. This car is the best looking "360 degree-spin car" available anywhere IMO.

ivtec · April 2005

No, I don't have one yet, but I've read just about every tC review I can get my hands on. I also tried to look at Scion as a whole, just to see if they are here to stay - and if I would be wasting my money if I bought one. I didn''t want to make an uneducated purchase. And yes this car looks nice I agree.

Once I learned that Toyota built the tC, I became very interested in this car. They build autos that last. (I know this from inspecting tons of Toyos at my last job)

I'm holding out for the supercharged tC(if TRD ever finalizes its development!!). Right now I drive a base RSX (on a lease) - which I'll be trading in. My Acura has been a blast, but I can actually use something with more power. I'm assuming the supercharged tC will have a tuned suspension...which will hush the auto critics' goffing at the soft ride. I hope TRD will up the horsepower to be competitive with the SRT-4 but I really don't think it will happen. If it doesn't happen, they had better keep the s/c version priced low.

I will miss hitting 60mph thru second gear in the RSX.

But Honda/Acura, your being out-bid

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

the soft, pliable ride of the Scion tC will suit me just right from the factory. I'm just going to be taking my tC to remote and distant parts of South Dakota(Mount Rushmore, Sturgis, Rapid City, Deadwood, Wall Drug, etc., all the way east to Sioux Falls) . tC stands for touring car-exactly what my wife and I need as we get to know our new home state!

I think what's roping me in in a large way is the low price of the tC.

tonylexus · April 2005

Help!

The deflector on my sun roof shattered yesterday. I have read a few accounts of this happening and there are a couple of complaints (I added another) filed with the Safety Admin.

With the weekend and all I have to wait until Monday to contact dealer. I would like to know how others had this resolved. Was it covered under warrenty? I cannot imagine that it would not be. I also can't imagine why such a fragile material was used in a manner designed to stand face forward of the oncoming road!

This is definately an inherent design flaw and a significant safety issue. Imagine traveling at 55 and being pelted in the face with shattered glass - that's what happened to me. Luckily I was alone and maintained control after an initial loss and luckily had my sun glasses on.

Any info appeciated. With summer here, it is just a matter of time until many of you will have the same experience. After months of no noises, I began to hear a few pops in the roof a couple weeks ago, then this. Don't know if it's related, but none-the-less this is not a happy experience and the first I can complain about since buying in Oct.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

what did your dealer say about your shattered deflector? As a potential tC owner, I am interested in what happens with your tC getting fixed up and also a possible TSB or recall possibility for the Scion tC regarding this matter.

secretariat73 · April 2005

A rock hit my windshield in February and the windshield had to be replaced.

Okay, it happens. Well, this week the NEW windshield started cracking.

Has anyone noticed excessive windshield problems like this, or is it just bad luck on my part?

-Steven-

tonylexus · April 2005

The part is on order and dealer said they will take care of the replacement - WHEW! Happy with that kind of service!

I suppose it can be assumed that it was hit by something that caused the breakage but can't be certain one way or the other. I was ready for a battle but the dealer was great.

However, I am looking for ways to avoid another incident like this if it was a stone, etc. I would hope that Scion is looking for a fix as well.

Is there an add-on deflector as I've seen on other cars available for the tC?
That might help, though it would detract from the looks of the car.

How about that clear material applied to the front of cars to prevent stone chips? That might at least help keep the glass from flying into the car.

Any one know if Scion might have something other than glass to replace the deflector with? Could something be fabricated to replace the glass?

I don't want to have to hold my breath every time the roof is open. Heck, if pops with each stone hit, this could be a weekly event - the dealer and insurance company isn't going to put up with that for long.

Scion needs to come up with a fix.

Also, my windshield has been hit but with no damage .

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

I remain interested in getting a tC after reading your results back on the deflector. I think it was a good-sized rock or something else that came along and hit the deflector. One time on I-5 southbound towards Seattle I noticed a dog bone come out of this guy's truck and bounce end-over-end down the freeway-and off of my windshield! I-5 is nuts for windshield dings-it's horrible.

I don't think I'd worry about it tonylexus. I'm glad your dealer jumped right on it. Good fortune and I'll make sure I update the thread here if I trade for a tC in the next coupla months. Enjoy 'em! I want a silver one!

ivtec · April 2005

Anyone know the new colors for the tC in 2006? I want a gray/gunmetal color so bad.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

I'm pretty sure the Scion tC established color for gray/gunmetal is called Flint Mica. They've got it waiting for you already on the 2005 tC!

juandehavasu · April 2005

Has anyone heard when the "06 tc will be in the dealer showroom...may as well get an '06 if possible.

ivtec · April 2005

Yeah I have seen this color. But it's too dark. It's basically a charcoal black metallic. I'm looking for a lighter gray (like a titanium color). Like on the G35 and my RSX. The flint mica will show scratches & dirt too easily.

I have seriously considered the mica though. But I think back to my old black stang gettin all scratched up and...I'll never buy a dark car again.

The tC would look mean in the titanium color!

stickguy · April 2005

isn't really a gray/gunmetal. It's more of a metallic charcoal color. It's also the color that I have.

Toyota does have that kind of gray on other models (I think it's called phantom gray).

clevelandalt · April 2005

490 hp on a Scion tc? Why? Why put thousands of dollars into a small 2.4 engine? Its basically a camry with a smaller body.

ivtec · April 2005

ScionSpeed.com is just testing the car's limits, but I was mainly bragging on how strong this engine is. I would love to bolt on a StageII turbo and reach around 300hp anyday. As far as maxing the engine out, not something I'd ever try myself. The whole point in going turbo (for me) would be to increase the hp but keep the gas consumption somewhat low. I could smoke a number of cars priced WELL above the tC.

If you bought a base tC manual, dropped an additional $3000 on just a StageI kit, maybe another $1000 on exhaust and clutch, you could walk all over a Dodge SRT-4(for about the same msrp of the SRT-4). Only downside, you have no more factory warranty - bummer.

Of course, the average everyday joe with a tC could care less about dumping extra $ into the engine - like you mentioned . But, for so much bang for your buck it's definitely something I'd consider.

Well, now that I think of it, I'd probably install a turbo kit in a Camry if I owned one. lol.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

I'll leave the Camry 2.4L L4 motor alone in it. That's already more than enough pop for pop.

Oh, and the Silver Streak Mica on the '05 Scion tC is the very first motorcar I've ever liked a silver color on. The car looks built to wear silver IMHO. :P

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

has your dealer put the new deflector back on yet? In the meantime, is your tC just being garaged?

genee · April 2005

I am thinking about having the windows tinted. However the New Beetle - replaced by the Scion - I had done gave me "triple vision" on headlights behind me. The shop told me that VW and Porsche have heavier wires in the heating grid and the film will NOT go on without a "little" air space on each side. Daylight was fine but once headlights were needed each air space created internal reflections that were very distracting. What has been the results of having the tC rear hatch tinted with film (commercially - not the diy approach to life).

osu1298grad · April 2005

My tC was ordered this past Monday and I can't be more excited! After the dealer loaned me a demo last Saturday, I had no doubts this is my next car.

I currently have a '97 Civic and was leaning towards another Civic or the Mazda3, but this decision was a no-brainer... sorry Mazda, I have more faith in Toyota quality. As far as Honda is concerned, the quality is there, but the exterior styling is horrible... good luck on the next generation this fall. Unfortunately I can not wait on the '06 since I am closing in on 100K and am looking to get rid of it before I hit that milestone.

When I called my insurance company to compare rates on these three models, I was surprised to hear the tC was the lowest... it beat out the Civic by $100/6 mos!

The target date is June 6th, it's going to be a LONG six weeks!

iluvmysephia1 · April 2005

I also am closing in quick on 100,000 miles and have my eye on a Silver Streak Mica Scion tC. I hope the time goes fast for you!

gee35coupe · April 2005

That's crazy talk. I used to buy mine at 100k to go to at least 200k.

osu1298grad · April 2005

Yeah, well, I buy cars to use them for 100K... to each his own.

I bought this new when I was still in college and am looking to upgrade from a DX. I also am starting to put a decent amount of work into the car due to continued maintenance and age, but there will be a lucky recipient of a Civic that's been well taken care of.

P.S. The car is not without it's problems, either.

gee35coupe · April 2005

There's nothing on the car that can break. Strippo city.

osu1298grad · April 2005

I've had issues with a valve that misfires since the second month I owned it and Honda refused to replace it. It trips the check engine light and costs me $100/pop to "reset" the computer.

I had the driver's side headlight replaced just before the warranty expired due to condensation problems... only, it was replaced with another defected one. I was told this was going to be a $200+ out of pocket replacement for me despite it originally being replaced under warranty.

I have a water leak on the passenger's side floorboard that Honda can not find the source of... let me tell you, that has been lots of fun to work around!

That's probably good enough to prove my point...

gee35coupe · April 2005

osu1298grad · April 2005

Regardless, I am okay with my "overall" experience, hence why I considered purchasing another one. I may very well get one later in life, as long as the exterior styling improves!

Don't get me wrong, these issues are frustrating... BUT, it could be a lot worse.

My parents have owned Toyota's for 25 years and my first car was a used Tercel. They have been extremely pleased with their experiences and I am willing to jump back to Toyota... for now. Of all their offerings, the tC is the only one I would consider. This time last year, it was between another Civic and the Mazda3. The tC has an amazing package for the price and is built with Toyota quality... I am all about getting a good value for my money, thanks to my parents!

Claires · April 2005

... before we get any further off-track. This is the Scion tC discussion. You can talk about your experiences with the Civic in the Honda Civic Owners forum.

gee35coupe · April 2005

"The tC has an amazing package for the price and is built with Toyota quality".

Thanks though. :confuse:

osu1298grad · April 2005

My thoughts exactly... my apologies, please pardon the brief interuption.

oozaz · April 2005

I'm putting down my deposit on a tC tonight and I can't wait till delivery, which the dealer quoted will be 7-10 days! I've seen a couple of posts from people about the paint scratching easily.. Have a lot of people been noticing this? I've ordered mine in Flint Mica, I think it's going to look sharp!
Anything else I should look out for on the get go?

iluvmysephia1 · May 2005

has your dealer put your deflector back on yet? Everything's OK with your tC then?

ivtec · May 2005

With dark paint you're gonna see scratches...period. You can just take better care in how you wash the car. Use a soft sponge to clean it and a synthetic shammy to dry it. Regular bathroom towels & washrags will scratch your paint nasty.

FYI -This is a response I got from the folks at Scion when I asked about the s/c and the '06 models/colors. "Thank you for contacting Scion. The TRD supercharger option for the Scion tC should be available by
before the end of 2005. At this time there is no information available about the 06 models. They should be release in June/July for the tCs."

Guess I'll have to wait until mid summer to see the new available colors.

tonylexus · May 2005

The deflector is being replaced tomorrow under warrenty. I put some tape on what remained just to keep the remaining glass in place. There was no issue with water leakage.

I assume they are replacing with the same thing that was on there. Would still like a better long term remedy. This is bound to happen again. I'll be holding my breath every time I open up the roof.

Having the rear bumper applique installed (noticed that it would be a good idea once I started moving golf clubs in and out), also mud guards for a little more splash & stone protection.

Seen some concern on paint & color. I have the Black Cherry. Only chips are a couple of small ones that resulted from an attack by a salt truck on the expressway - my fault, should have held back. Other than that, no chips or scratches yet. Cleaned the tC this weekend - that Black Cherry is sharp! Flipped over 10k miles and running strong.

oozaz · May 2005

I live in the northeast and after a long winter we are left with a lot of potholes.. This being said, I opted to purchase the tire and rim warranty. It was an extra $250 and good for 5 years. They say it covers anything caused by "road hazards". I thought if anything happens to one of my rims it'll at least cost $250 to replace it... I pick up my new tC tonight! Has anyone else purchased this warranty, or more importantly needed to use it?? If so, how were your experiences working with the company?

tccowboy07702 · May 2005

I also purchased it. Not only does it cover the tire and rims, but it also has a roadside assistance program. I figured you couldn't go wrong with any of that. To replace all the tires on the car comes out to $640 not including "installation." I figured the rims would be even more expensive considering how awesome they look.
But, on the other hand, I won't be buying these tires again when they die. Their treadware rating is awful (160) and their traction in the rain has already almost gotten me in trouble quite a few times. I found this comparison on tirerack.com and I'm already excited even though I'm at least a year and a half away from new tires. PZero's run for $120 each where as the Potenza's are $160. Sorry for the long hyperlink.

tccowboy :shades:">link title

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare2.jsp?shipquote=N&RunFlat=All&autoMake=Scion&autoMode- l=tC&autoYear=2005&autoModClar=&sortcode=49500&fromCompare1=yes&partNumber=&make=&model=&p- rice=&prevprice=&sidewall=&sidewallShown=&promoShortText=&promoUrl=&loadRating=&width=&rat- io=&diameter=&speedRating=&qty=&stockMessage=&type=T&frontTire=&frontLeftTire=&rearTire=&r- earLeftTire=&wantRHP=&RHPprice=&sortCode=&pre=&sumRating=&spec=&warranty=&comments=&tests=- &surveys=&perf=&specCode=&promoLongText=&vehicleSearch=true&removeIndex=0%7C145WR7RE011&_1- 45WR7RE011_qty=4&_145WR70NMS_qty=4&_145ZR7RE92_qty=4&sortValue=1

tccowboy07702 · May 2005

Sorry, I guess the hyperlink didn't work. But if you go to tirerack.com, the tires that I compared are the original Bridgestone Potenza RE92's (215/45ZR17) that came stock on the car and Pirelli PZero Nero M&S's (215/45WR17). The PZero's has load rating "SL." I'm not exactly sure what that means or if it matters but that's just to let you know.

tccowboy

tccowboy07702 · May 2005

Has anyone tinted the windows on their tC yet? I was hoping to get mine done but I'm not sure what I should be paying for it and how tinted the windows should be.

tccowboy :confuse:

carguy79 · May 2005

I tinted mine a few months ago. I went with a metalized charcoal film 32%. It matches the roof glass in color very well and is still legal in AL. Cuts out on heat some, but it is still hot in South Alabama with all the glass that the car has

genee · May 2005

Do you have any trouble with multiple vision of headlights behind you? I had my last car done professionally and there were tiny air gaps around each of the defogging wires which caused reflections of lights behind you. The installer said that Porche and VW have heavier wire than most and this caused the problem. I don't want to do my tC until I know I will have unobstructed vision 24/7.

Scion tC

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