Scion tC

rorr

They may figure that the typical American driver would try to run it on all electric with a 20 mile commute and then be all bent out of shape with Toyota when the batteries were constantly out of juice. My dad commutes close to 30 miles each way with his Prius; I've got a 65 mile commute myself.

If you only live a couple of miles from your daily destination, I think the earlier fuel cost comparison between the tC and the Prius is even more in the tC's favor. With that kind of commute, I can see you driving only 3-4k miles a year.

For 4k miles a year on the tC (figure 25mpg with gas @ $2/gal.) that's only $320/year. Even if you ran the Prius for FREE all year, you could run the tC for nearly 10 years at that rate before you began to break even on cost.

genee

My local dealer does MOST of the leather as an add-on. Sends it to Klassic Koachworks. The tC quote was $1190. The seats are completely done - even the backs are leather - the side panels have leather in the "middle" section. The leather is three grades better (see someone who does leather furniture if you are confused) than Toyota factory and is triple-stitched rather than double stitched as is the factory stuff. All around better stuff. (This outfit will even do a moon roof with a rain sensor to shut it if you leave it open !!!) "Bun warmers" are another $495. It takes an over-night and can be done over side air bags when they are in the seats.

genee

I would guess Toyota/Scion has NOT come up with a new chip proof paint. So, where is any protective side trim? Twice to the store and this thing is going to be showing primer down both sides.

mackabee

Prius warranty on the batteries/HV components is 100k miles or 8 years, not 150lk miles. Just for your info. I still don't get the concept of spending money to save money ; )

bushido: If you want your wife to keep you happy, let her put whatever she wants on her tC.
                            : )
                       Mackabee

bushido

Thanks Genee,

That is about what they are asking locally (Chicagoland) for "normal" leathers. They offer the Katzkin line. I tried to talk my wife into the faux ostrich skin, but she just wasn't into it. It's good to know we should ask about a seat heater option, I don't think that she's thought of that yet.

Thanks,
B

ezshift5

......a damn fine review. Best, ez.

2000 Solara 5-speed/215X55'2 (but getting old)

tuffyleung

Hey, $250 for light kit... don't get it, this option should be on tc's list, cos it doesn't fit the car, and also way too OVERpriced..... you don't want to get robbed , aren't you? Also for the 6 dise CD changer, are you willing to pay $395 just for doing little less CD changing by your hands??? IF you really do, then I'd have nothing to say. for the Muffler, it won't give you a noticable difference , unless you get it with the AEM cold air intake and / supercharger... thank thoroughly , man.

stickguy

Actually, I was wondering if there is an option for side protector strips. I worry about door dings, etc. and know that one will inevitably happen. Any chance there will be color-coorrdinated ones designed for the car at some point?

genee

The floor mats and cargo liner can be ordered from http://www.partznet.com/toyota/scion/accessories/tchomepage.html
and save you a few bucks. I thought about ordering the the auto-dimming mirror because it was beau coups cheaper. Then I found that the flat-rate shop manual lists its install as 2.5 hours. If it takes THAT long by someone with a little knowledge about HOW, it is well worth the extra bucks to order it from the factory. It (the mirror) has three different colored lights to shine on the aluminum waterfall in the dash and is supposed to have "home-link" but I can't find a picture with all three homelink buttons. Anyone out there have the mirror?

alphabass

Thanks for the info about the Prius warranty and break even points. It will definitely influence my decision! By the way, I found out that those hardware hacks will void the warranty.

tuffyleung

"""(This outfit will even do a moon roof with a rain sensor to shut it if you leave it open !!!) "Bun warmers" are another $495."""
So, for $1190, three grades better leather than Toyota factory's and a rain snsor are included in that price? "Bun warmers"? where is it put in the car?? any picture for all those leather, sensor and warmers you mentioned? Where did you find info of these accessories? I am really interested, please tell me more.... any other cool goody?
thanks in advance

maxhonda99

I think the $1,190 only includes the leather trim. the heated seats are a extra $495 or whatever, and the moonroof is probably about a grand extra.

stickguy

bun warmers is just slang for heated seats, which is just a heating element under the seat cushion.

carguy79

I am about to have my order submitted for a new Scion tC. I love my 03 Tacoma Doublecab, but want something more economical. I get an employee discount since the company I work for is a distributor of the Scion, the price was right and it made since to me. Has anyone had any problems or is the quality just as high as a Toyota?

stickguy

quality seems to be fully to Toyota (evne Lexus) standards.

cwilks

I know, I know they are not even similar cars. Question to all those to help me out. A coworker needs to get rid of his 2002 WRX Subaru Wagon. Has 29000 miles going to sell it to me for 16k. I was ready to buy the tc, now he approaches me with this deal. What would all of you knoweledgeable people do in this situation. I like the tc better in terms of style & features I need. I don't necessarily like the look of the wagon and don't need that much performance, but the AWD is a nice feature for winters. I don't want to turn this into a a new forum just a little advice from others.

genee

I would suggest you go to fueleconomy.gov and look at what it costs to run a WRX. Then take a peek at the April issue of Consumer Reports where you will see the WRX is so-so reliable and ALL but three (for ALL years listed!!!) Toyotas are highly reliable. If you don't like the looks of the Subaru, you are going to be bored with it. The tC will stroke your ego a bit.

genee

Does the mirror REALLY have HomeLink built into it? My other HomeLink cars have three buttons so you can open the gate and two doors with it. Has anyone spent $310 on a mirror?

genee

Tuffyleung - The rain sensors are for moon roofs that they install - not applicable in the tC. To see colors of leather check out www.katzkins.com and follow the links. Katzkins has franchises all over the country. Some install the seat heaters while they have the seats torn apart. I don't know where they put the switches.

cwilks

Thanks for the info. You're right. It's just that 16k is such a good deal. Dealer price is like 18-19, private like 17,5 and trade in 16. Plus depreciation shouldn't go down like a new car.

To all those, how well should this car depreciate? What do you think the resale will be in 2 years? 5 years?

I get bored easily, maybe not with this car, depending if it is ok in the snow (Michigan). I will probably be in a new car about every 2 to 3 years. Hate to take a big hit on depreciation, but it shouldn't be too bad relatively speaking because it is a cheap car to begin with.

sphinx99

Does anyone have expected lease costs? I'm going to need a lease in an affordable, sporty something to be my daily driver (probably ~ 12k/year) and am wondering if the tC might fit the bill.

hpoohh

http://www.scionsolutions.com/possess/special_offers/

$916 down, $241/month for 48months
Seems not a very good deal. Not sure about the residual, but since the target customers are younger group, i think they use a higher money factor and lower residual value to leverage the risk.

atlantagirl

"A coworker needs to get rid of his 2002 WRX Subaru Wagon. Has 29000 miles going to sell it to me for 16k. I was ready to buy the tc, now he approaches me with this deal. "

I just bought an Impreza 6 weeks ago, and am honestly considering ditching it, taking the loss, and getting a tC. I don't have the WRX - so it would hopefully be a bit higher quality, but I'm having issues out the wazoo with my little car

If you are considering the WRX, definitely definitely definitely take it on a good long test drive (especially if you'd be using it for a long commute), on the interstate.

In my car, the seats get really horribly uncomfortable after about 40 minutes. This may be a personal thing, obviously, but that's why you should go on a LONG drive if possible I've found the Sube seats to be a bit *firmer* than other cars, and if that's not your thing, after 40 minutes or so you'll find yourself a bit numb in the legs/rear

In my car, I'm also having horrible problems with the steering (still after the dealer supposedly did an alignment and tire balancing) - this is only obvious at high speeds (around 70mph and greater - which is normal on Atlanta interstates during a reverse commute!) - basically at this point, the car feels very unstable and seems very jittery, like it's constantly pushed by the wind from side to side. Ick.

I also found some rust on my *new car*, plus a ding, plus warped plastics on the inside...

The Subaru radio in the base Impreza is also, in my opinion, noticeably not good. I'm not a huge radio person, but this one was bad enough that even *I* could notice. So if that will annoy you, make sure you take a listen.

The final thing is - at least around here, there aren't so many Subaru dealers (and only one close by that is only Subarus) - so if you do need/want warranty work or other dealer work, you don't have many options for where to go. Some people have said (others have argued against it) that b/c Subes have a different type of engine than most other cars, if you need engine work you MUST find a Subaru expert, not any random mechanic (but I'm far from being a car expert, so I can't say for sure!)

Oh, and you might want to check out the insurance rates for the two cars I'm honestly not sure how they compare, but I think the WRX has a fairly high rate? (And of course the cost of gas... do you need premium for the WRX?)

I don't think anyone knows precisely what the depreciation for the tC will look like yet, since it's just been released... but it's a Toyota, and it seems to be getting pretty good reviews - I'd be willin to bet it will do OK in that regard. I think, generically speaking, Toyotas are a little bit higher than the Subarus in terms of depreciation, but subarus aren't terrible...

Good luck

cwilks

Thank you so much for the info. I did not even think of the fuel. You must use 91 or higher octane......That means 93 where I am at @ well over 2 a gallon everywhere. I am currently commuting about 200-400 miles a weekend visiting friends, etc. Not good. you pretty much convinced me against it.

I may as well have a brand new car, where dealers are only a short commute and have everything I want in a car. I just graduated college and have my first real job, may as well treat myself for what I want not what the better deal it. In the long run it's really not, I don't think it's the car for me.

Thanks to all. After I call on insurance quotes to make sure they are in line I will be ordering my flint mica tc. Thanks.

Atlantagirl - definetly recommend trying out the tc if you are going to ditch the sube. You will be blown away how many features, performance, customizing you can do with a car that looks much more expensive than it is.

cwilks

One more thing, didn't even think to look, I assume the tc uses 87? Correct?

stickguy

Yes, the tC uses regular.

dat2

The one benefit to the wrx is it is a true drivers/performance car, the tC drives more like a luxurious sporty but still economy car. If you have not driven the wrx, it is quite a thrill to drive, the steering and handling are nice, the car has a nice weighty feel and the turbo spin-up is a thrill every time. if you are not so much into performance oriented cars, the TC will surely be easier on the pocketbook repair wise as already mentioned, fuel mileage would be a little less, but not a lot. With gas at almost $2 a gallon, going from regular to premium is only fractionally more, since it's usually 20 cents more than regular, that is less than 10% different. 05 WRX wagons are out, they have been updated/improved, and could probably be had for around 22-23k. SO I guess 16k for an 02 is a decent deal, but not sure it is the deal of the century. Living in Michigan, there must be a Subaru dealer on almost every street corner??? Way more on the road that in Atlanta, where there is no reason for AWD. Good luck, if you change your mind and look at the WRX, be sure to have it looked at by a mechanic.

mackabee

mackabee

Sorry, I hit the enter button before posting. Nothing that I know of. There are after market companies that will do that for you. Most of the body side molding after market that I've seen is for trucks, however I'm sure there's one out there that will put it on your tC. Might ruin the look of the car though. I can't picture a Solara with bodyside molding or a tC. In fact now that we're on the subject I don't recall ever seeing many if any sporty coupes with body side molding.
tC is HOT right now! I'm all out for July! I got 10 for August and we are pre-selling those now. I wonder if I should put my order in now? Hmm.
                       : )
                       Mackabee

stickguy

It go hot once word got out that I bought one. I have the impact on people ( ;->

mackabee

Well thank you very much! Where do I send the Scion ballcap to?
              : )
             Mackabee

janamax

Not trying to nit-pick, but I went to that link and it's not actually $916 down (as in a down payment or cap cost reduction). The $916 amount is first month's payment, security deposit and acquisition fee. It doesn't seem like a great deal, but not horrible, either.

cwilks

You're right. I just need to decide what is more important to me. I don't really need the performance of the WRX. I would rather have the luxurious feel and slightly good performance versus sheer performance. I don't really like the wagon look (I'm 23, it just screams old man to me). Gas wouldn't make a difference. Dealer price is around 18-20. Basically he is selling it to me for trade in value. AWD would be great. Thanks for all the adivce. I will be ordering my tc, the Subaru isn't the car for me.

Also, I called about insurance, they don't have the car in the database yet, too new, but they will do it on the value of the car, etc. I am 23 and through statefarm it was only $76 a month with full insurance (250 comprehensive, 500 collision) However, I have excellent credit, good student, good driver discount with a new customer discount. I thought that was an incredible deal given my age bracket. I would have to say this car's insurance is very reasonable also.

atlantagirl

Ooh congrats then on your new Tc! Yeah, I'm really anxious to go test drive one, but I'm also looking at possibly moving out of my house into a townhouse/house/condo/whatever sometime in the next few months -and am not sure that trading in my brand new car would exactly present my best side to creditors. (Yeah, i know i should have waited on the car, but my old one broke down and sort of forced the issue). Everything is still very much up in the air at any rate...

Nice deal on your insurance! I wish I could get mine that cheap!

Come back when you get it and let us know how it works out!

stickguy

Drove the tC for the first time in a few days (after driving the Miata most of the week). Forgot how nice it was, especially comfy and smooth, although after the Miata (especially with the top up) darn near anything is quiet!

Filled up, and got about 26 mpg on tank 2. Was expecting a little more, but not too shabby, and at least I get to ask for refular now instead of premium. Will be taking a +/- 200 mile highway trip tomorrow. Hopefully it will be reasonably open traffic, so I can see what real highway driving will do for MPG. I'm figuring about 30-32 the way I drive if I can actually get some open road.

This is a fun car though. Lots of nice touches, like the curved arm windshield wiper (for better coverage), and the best washer spray better I ever saw (a nice mist that covers the whole windshield, instead of a couple of narrow streams).

tuffyleung

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1- &item=7911359912&category=33597
Does this little chip really work??? Any comment on this chip? Also, with a AEM Cold air intake increases several horsepower, how will that affect the gas mileage???

j42

at scion.com for $995

http://www.scion.com/drive/accessories/tc_gallery/index.html

cooldad24

As the review pointed out, it's very difficult to maintain 30 MPH with gentle foot and relax driving condition in the city route especially in big crowdy city. So 48-50MPH is about right and respectiful.

cooldad24

I am Electrical Engineer and has interest on the audio stuff. As my understanding, the single unit usally take one slot while the in-dash CD changer takes 2 slot. I don't think you can stuck additional unit to store the idle 5 while playing CD. So the unit must be different. Even with the 6-cd changer (magazine style), you need to switch between head unit and changer. So I beleve they are different unit. Now for the security, most Toyota has immoblized unit. The security option is to alram when thieft try to breaking in by unlock the door or breaking the windows. In juction with light flashing, turning on the interior light along with horn go off. Professional thieft can disable it in 10 sec. It's more effective for random picking thieft for stereo and valueable items in the car.

expwyman

Hi everyone. I just saw the Scion tC this week at a local dealer, and it's an awesome car. At the age of 39 (real age, not wishing), I never thought I'd want to get a sport coupe, let alone a Scion (all I thought of when I heard Scion was "lunch-box on wheels"). But seeing the tC made me think differently.

Anyway, my only wish is that it would come with some form of traction control. Living in the northeast (NY now, PA soon), traction control on my previous cars has come in handy during the winter on slippery icy roads. Any thoughts on how those who want this car are handling this issue, if at all?

By the way, I also liked the tC because it's the first car I've seen that has my initials.

expwyman

The Scion tC is the first car that I'm interested in that also shares my initials. (I didn't know about the Chrysler TC or any others since I never bothered to look.)

axiomowner

Hi,

Our local scion dealer is offering to install leather seats in a Tc for $1380. Has anyone spent the extra and liked the results?? Since it is a blind (non-factory) item, I'm not sure if I should take the chance.

genee

His quote seems in line with ALL of the Scion extras - HIGH! I have seen two Scion after-market leather jobs done by Katzkins and they are nothing short of fantastic! Go to Katzkins.com and search for a franchise near you. The quote for my Scion tC was $1190 - two colors (from a selection of 30+), perf, and choice of side panel color. Even the seat backs are leather with a map pocket on both.

mackabee

Most dealers use this brand which is farmed out to local installers. Has nothing to do with Scion. Dealer prices run anywhere from $1099.00 to $1399.00 depending on which dealer you're getting it from.
              : )
               Mackabee

genee

Ooops! The Katzkin site is at katzkin.com (no "s"). Then click on installation and you can find a local franchise. It seems that you MUST work through a dealer for anything newer than 2002 .. middle man needs his cut. But Mackabee has given you dealer costs so you have some wiggle room.

dat2

hello scion folk,

just starting running a deal at a local dealer and they said doc fee is $600, this seems exorbantent. what are other people paying??thanks...

buckeyecase

It really depends on the region. Some states have a legal limit to the doc fees. I think OH is around $100. From what I can tell, those in the SE USA are paying the highest doc fees.... $500-600 seems about avg.

All Scion dealers are supposed to post the doc and any other fees on their "menu" and a lot post on their Web site too. If I were you, I would call up all the dealers in your area and ask them... supposedly they have to tell you up front.

mackabee

Run don't walk to another Scion dealer. $600.00!! Let me guess, you're probably in Florida. I've read about those outrageous doc fees at another Scion related website. There's really not much you can do other than trying to find a dealer with the lowest fee or no fee at all. These dealers are doing this due to the low mark up on the car and no holdback but still, they are only hurting themselves in the long run. I'll never understand that mentality.
                     
                     Mackabee

cwilks

600 seems very high. I just ordered mine in Michigan. I live just over the border in Indiana, but the dealer closer seemed like jerkwads, and I like the guy in Michigan better. There were no extra fees. The price you get on their website, that is how he wrote down the price, then tax (6percent here), then 10 for Plates and 5 for something else. No dealer fees whatsoever for me.

Also I got off 400 bucks for being a recent graduate, not a bad deal, as long as you finance something through toyota financial, no minimum which is nice.

Also about winter driving, I can't imagine it would be that bad, it does have ABS for stopping. It is also front wheel drive, but I am sure the tires are not the best. I am in snowy conditions all winter also and was worried about this. I ordered the manual which should allow you to have much more control of traction in the winter. There is also enough torque where you could easily start off in second, probably even third with no problem to help spinning wheels. I am getting rid of a firebird, rear wheel drive that blows in winter so this has to be better for me.

I'm excited tc was ordered saturday. Flint Mica manual. Now I just have to wait what seems like forever to get the damn thing in.

kazi

just saw a write up in NYTimes which says that A/C has trouble keeping up with 90 deg. Anyone from the sun belt?