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Scion tC
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Comments
Ken
I also want the car to be LOUD, and the current variable-valve muffler doesnt nearly cut it. I used to have an old '98 eclipse that I put a 2.5" cat-back exhaust with Magnaflow double-walled muffler, but it always sounded a little tinny and not quite as powerful as I wanted. I know its a small engine, but would putting straight-pipes (no muffler at all) on the car either improve the sound quality/volume or kill the horsepower by removing backpressure on the engine? Or maybe an unforseen benefit/drawback that I don't know about? I hope I put that simply enough.
I'm also brimming with questions about installing a body kit (and recommendations/opinions on which ones are alright), interior and undercarriage lighting and wiring that I already own and just need to install in some sort of custom switch panel that I would want to build (and the possibility of putting it on an independent power system somehow), installing an existing 2-amp/2-sub/capacitor stereo system that I already own, while keeping the stock head unit (which kicks [non-permissible content removed]), maximum rim size (I was looking at some 19" white motegis to put on the black car...will they fit or rub? what if I lower 1.2"?) tinting the windows, putting on lambo doors, and all sorts of other annoying questions.
Let me know if any of you want to get very in depth with this car for the next year or so. I've got enough cash to do this car right, and I want to do most, if not all, of the work myself, and I want to try and innovate in as many areas as possible.
Looking forward to your feedback and hoping somebody else is as pumped about tuning their tC as I am.
http://groups.msn.com/HeresYourFriends/mynewscion.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=870
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
FORD, GM, and TOYOTA are the best car companies in terms of how they treat their workers and customers. This is the conclusion I came to through my research.
So while I was going to buy either a 2006 Hyundai Sonata V6 or 2006 Honda Accord EX-V6, I found it immoral to support such immoral companies. There's nothing GM or Ford have right now, however, that interests me in the slightest, so I looked at Toyota's portfolio. SCION! After really laying my eyes on the tC and experiencing it, I have fallen in love. I am going to order one next week. 2006 Scion tC manual w/ airbags, iPod connectivity, and XM sattelite radio. I couldn't be more excited.
I can't see throwing $20,000 at a car company that denies workers basic rights. Honda and Hyundai can have their cars! Toyota is going to have my business for a long time.
MORAL OF THE STORY: You can't just make good cars. You have to be a good corporation, or nothing you do means anything to some people.
GO TOYOTA!
Stopped by at Circuit City and they showed me some Infinity's that weren't too bad and were about $120. I'm looking for something in that range plus a good sub for the back. Sub = No more than $160, Speakers = No more than $180.
Anyone have ideas for me and what's worked on your tC?
tccowboy :mad: :confuse:
Ran about 70-75 much of the way, with a fair bit of time at 75-78, so was not trying to eek out the best mileage.
Just out of curiosity, I took a quick run to 85. Pulled real well from 75-85, and felt nice and stable. You did hear the engine working pretty hard, since it was up close to 4K at that point.
IMO, 75 is about the highest comfortable cruising speed, and even that feels a bit busy. It really seems to like to settle in at 65-68, and feels like work to go faster.
I guess the same short gearing that lets it pull quick from 75-85 w/o a downshift is responsible for the rest of the symptoms. I really think they could drop top gear RPMs by 10%-20% and still have plenty of performance on the highway with this engine.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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Please help
Cbmoore61
I have been reading at a very large SCION OBSESSED message board/web site lately and have learned so much about Scion in general, especially the hundreds of way out there mods available and have really enjoyed looking at all of the incredible pics of what these guys (and gals) are doing to their cars. I had NO IDEA there were Scion "clubs" nationwide that meet up for rallies, etc. No WONDER the cars are selling faster than they can make them with that kind of "obsession" LOL.
Hope this helps.
Ken
Unfortunately, I got in a wreck last week. Thank you Toyota for the great safety features that left everyone shaken but unhurt. The car, though, was totaled. (This was in part because even though the repair costs were not huge, the 75% of fmv threshold before State Farm would total the car, was pretty easy to reach.)
I was so happy with my first Scion that I right away ordered a new one. The salesman at McGeorge was, again, great. I ordered it with the same specs as the first one, but got a 2006 and side airbags (once bitten...). The Richmond dealership was able to get this one from a Virginia Beach dealership, the car came a day later, and just yesterday I picked it up, only nine days after the accident that totaled the 2005. I made an appointment Friday afternoon to pick the car up yesterday at 10:30. The salesman was ready for me when I got there, had all the paperwork filled out and ready to go, and the car was washed and gassed up. After test-driving and signing, I drove out of the dealership at 11:20.
After driving a Taurus-ified Volvo rental for a week, I couldn't have been happier to get back behind the wheel of my tc. Plus, the 2006 radio is 100% better than the old one and I noticed the annoying radio cover now opens and shuts smoothly. I also really like the steering wheel mounted radio controls. I won't belabor this point, but the Volvo I rented sells for, literally, almost double what I paid for the tc. While the Volvo's seats were very comfortable, I honestly cannot tell why anyone would spend $15,000 to $18,000 for leather seats.
Anyway, to each his own. My experience, though, with Scion, my tc, and McGeorge Toyota-Scion in Richmond has been outstanding. I'd recommed all of the above to anyone.
Okay, now I can quit crabbing about Toyota killing my Celica.....
if you pay by credit card and your mechanic will put into writing that the parts didn't fit, were broken, and smeared with black markings, you will not be held liable for the charge on your card. a picture of the broken parts wouldn't hurt either.
Having said that, I compared the 06 tC (28 MPG) to a 05 Civic EX coupe (35 MPG). Guess what? The tC, after 15000 miles and one years insurance, was $100.00-$120.00 cheaper. I have a perfect driving record and my insurance is USAA. They have low rates for active duty and ex active duty personnel. Anyway, the $100.00-$120.00 is no real difference but I imagine the 06 Civic Coupe will be $200.00-225.00 higher cost since insurance will be higher.
A comparison with the 05 EX sedan (lower insurance) showed it equal to the 06 tC. The 06 EX sedan will have a $100.00-$120.00 disadvantage due to an insurance increase. Also, the 06 Civic EX sedan does not have a sub woofer option and comes with 16 in alloys. I don't like Joe's stereo and tire shop touching my new auto.
It is my option that the new Civic, although a significant improvement, is not a good value. The tC is a better vehicle. Folks, the tC hasn't even gone through a redesign and its better. Same wheel base as the Sedan yet its hip like a coupe. Another observation is the tC is all Japanese. Yes, it has some initial design glitches but overall it is a trust worthy auto. The Civic is a world car (parts from various countries) and needs its first year of design glitch fixes. I still have to take a Civic for a test drive but the tC appears to be my next vehicle.
By the way, isn't a 2.4 engine more powerful than a 1.8 when both have been equally modified?
TEAShea
from Nebraska
Is it true there is no buzzer working with the security on Scion tC?
I have security installed, but I don't hear any sound when I lock or unlock my tC.
Thanks.
Owned a Honda once and I cannot disagree that they are excellent cars. I commend you on your gumption to ditch a car you weren't happy with.
I've had my tC for 1 year and 17.5k miles and have absolutely no complaints. In fact, the car has exceeded my expectations in every way. I have found many of the "problems" asserted here to be of a personal preference nature rather than major issues with quality, engineering, etc. I do not deny that some vehicles have their legitimate problems and, of course, dealers are dealers, but, yes, you will find a degree of this with every make of car - even Honda. My experience has demonstrated that the "problems" with the tC are not of an extraordinary degree.
I shopped the Civic, but unless you're talking SI, I found the tC to be much more satisfying in performance, style and "feel". I do like what they've done to the new models but have no reason to take a closer look while still happy with the tC.
It is a shame your experience with the tC was a bad one. Best of luck with the Civic - By the way, did you read the 200+ pages of Civic "Problems and Solutions" before buying?
Since that forum is not pruduction year specific that's not bad for a car that sells the volume of the Civic. There are a few million of them on the road by now.
they wouldnt replace it because the tire needs to be not holding air for anything to be replaced under this warrenty
seems like you didn't read the fine print.
i wonder if you have any recourse?
What is interesting is the damage to the striking vehicle. It was a late-1990's Nissan compact pickup, a 4x4 model with what seemed to be some suspension lift and a brush guard across the front. I first drove toward the scene from the rear of the Nissan, and initially was able to see the damage to the tC but not the Nissan. I figured that the Nissan would have relatively little damage, especially once I saw the edge of the brush guard. Imagine my surprise to see that the front end of the Nissan pickup was demolished! In fact, while both vehicles were obvious write-offs I'd have to say that the tC came off better than the Nissan pickup. The only downside, alas, is that given the location of the collision it was pretty obvious that the tC driver was at fault.
If you were to examine the 'problems' cited here I think you will find that we are talking about (in relative terms) a handful of people with just a few legitimate problems. (i.e., I do not consider someone's dissatisfaction with the third brake light not being wide enough a "problem")
I, for example have heard a 'roof pop' maybe 3 times in a year - no concern, I have no problem with the radio cover, and only one other intermittent rattle in the hatch area that isn't there enough to be of concern. My mileage is better than I expected and no mysterious seat stains are evident. I prefer knobs to buttons on the radio, but have adapted, the operation and sound of the stereo system is flawless. My dealer has been great from sale to service.
The biggest gripe seems to be creaks & rattles. Admittedly, they can drive you nuts if bad enough but, frankly, if that is the worse you can say about a vehicle with an inovative glass roof that is such a great value in all other respects, it aint all that bad - especially as in my case, where it isn't a problem at all.
As great as the Civic is, you would not have a problem finding a certain percentage of people that have plenty of legitimate complaints and problems (I know BMW drivers that have far more substantial problems than I with my tC). Unfortunately, the percentages mean nothing if you are the one with the problems.
All things considered, for the type of car it is, for the features it has, for the difference in 'feel' and style, and an arguably equal corporate history of quality and reliability, I'll take the tC any day.
To each his own.
Something to consider if you ever plan to use the back seat.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Not too steal the Tc thunder here, but I did add a Tc vs. Civic Coupe thread in the Comparison area, but it hasn't received too much action.
There are some really nice touches in the tC that really didn't have to be there considering the class & price of the car. i.e., memory seat, tire pressure monitor, dual height adjustments on seat, 2 one-touch up & down windows, & yeah, even the radio cover (which isn't all that functional but I like it for the way it changes the look of the dash).
When you look at other cars in this class & price range there can be found some real obvious "short cuts" taken to remind you of why the price is so low. I don't feel that way where anything is concerned in the tC.
I'm expecting a lot from the new Civic, hope it delivers.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The deflector needs to be made of a composite material - not glass. I will certainly be watching for the fix.
As for "debris flying over the top of the car", I'm not certain that anything actually hit the deflector when it broke. Besides, it isn't at all far-fetched to consider debris striking anywhere on the car.
Does anyone at Scion read this stuff?
Stickguy- nice comment re: hardhats....