Scion tC

jrct9454

The obvious first suggestion is to go to Tire Rack's website and go over the alternatives. I too think that the tire selection on this car will prove to be something of a mild Achilles heel for a lot of people. These tires are going to go away fast and be expensive to replace.

I would probably lean toward the all-season Michelin Pilots, though in Michigan, the best solution is dedicated snows on another set of wheels for the nasty months - probably appropriately sized 16 inchers with a narrower tread and higher profile, but same rolling diameter. Again, Tire Rack's excellent website helps you with equivalents in other sizes, but if it gets too complicated, call one of their people on the phone and ask for help.

tahlequah

I'm in Lexington. Bought the first tC in Lex. (sadly, it was not the first off the lot since I wanted a black 5sp, which took 6 weeks to get after I ordered it). They told me some stripper drove the first one (blue) off the lot. Well, how could I possibly compete with that! I'm still the only one around with a black one....it won't be long though.

Got the car at Greene's. Doc fee $300. Got a killer trade in. Stopped at Glenn in Frankfort first - they were not honest with me, either about the Scion (pity I knew more about it than they did) or about my trade in value. I just can't believe in this day and age with the internet that dealers seriously think they can tell you the wrong trade in value and expect you to not know better! Needless to say, they BS'd the wrong person...I went to Greene's who gave me WAY more than book on my trade. I bought the tC in an hour!

They had a flint mica at Greene's. They had put 18" wheels on it......sat up pretty high. Surely someone has bought it by now, though.

chieftk

Thanks for the advice on the tires. I have been to the Tire Rack site and looked at ratings on same-sized tires. The Bridgestone Turanza seemed to rate well in all categories. Any others that may work well on the tC?

Don'y know if I can trust Consumer Reports. They rated Bridgestone Duehler HT's as great in snow, but I had them on an RX 300 All-wheel drive and they were worthless in the snow and wore out at 35k. My Michelin LTX'S are great in the snow, have 65k on them and half the tread remains, so I will take your advice to look at the Pilots.

Don't mean to make this a tire thread, but I am certain that many northern buyers will share my concerns come December and it will be cheaper to trade new tires than replace worn ones.

tahlequah

Here's something interesting: one of the perks (the jury is still out if it really is a perk) to my tC deal is that I get free tires for the life of the car. Now, the catch is, I have to have them replaced at the dealer. Not a problem there - great service dept. However, the fine print goes on to say something like, "We'll replace your tires for the life of the car with tires of our choosing." hmmmmmmmm any bets that the replacements won't be Potenzas?

corvette

Unless Potenzas are the cheapest tires available in that size, they probably won't be. Most of those plans I have seen in the Louisville area require that you have all the service performed at that dealer. By the time the tires wear out, they've already made several hundred $$$ in service. Is that the case at Greene's?

markg4

i have conti extreme contacts on my 2000 si. they handle great in wet & dry weather and are very good in the snow also. if/when i get a tc, i will get a set after the oem's wear out. check out the reviews at tire rack. some people have had issues but the majority love them. good luck.

markg4

i have conti extreme contacts on my 2000 si. they handle great in wet & dry weather and are very good in the snow also. if/when i get a tc, i will get a set after the oem's wear out. check out the reviews at tire rack. some people have had issues but the majority love them. good luck.

gee35coupe

They handle fine. But I cannot get them to stay in balance. There's a jiggle that I can't seem to eliminate. It may be that my car jut doesn't like the tires though.

markg4

too bad they dont work for you. they are relativley inexpensive and i have had no issues with them after 10k miles. they handle head and shoulders above the oem michelens in both rain and snow. even the 17" for the scion are only $94 each on tire rack.

techwolf

Silver tC, A/T.

The dealer said 2 weeks. I ordered two weeks ago to the day. Exhaust, 6 CD changer, Security System, rear spoiler, Sub, even amber lights and pedal covers.

Opinions on the 6 year / 100k coverage plan? They dropped the thought in my head when I put my deposit down because the TRD supercharger is not factory and the coverage plan would cover any damage to the car that it may cause. Same thing with aftermarket add ons.

gee35coupe

Got mine for $300 for the set of 4 215/45/17's. CHEEP!!!

jrct9454

The problem is most likely the fact that one or more of the tires is out of round; one sure sign of this is when repeated rebalancing does nothing or simply makes the problem more subtle.

These tires have a lot of nylon in them, and they develop flat spots easily...never mind the occasional one that comes from the factory simply not round enough.

Michelins are my favorites because they resist this problem better than any other manufacturer out there - Michelin doesn't slavishly use nylon to get their higher speed ratings. Pirelli is especially guilty of this in their H- and V-rated tires [never mind the Zs].

gee35coupe

This is the best they could do. It IS very temperature dependent though. And they do take a while to get the rough spots out in the morning.

tahlequah

<<Unless Potenzas are the cheapest tires available in that size, they probably won't be.>>

That's what I think as well.

<<Most of those plans I have seen in the Louisville area require that you have all the service performed at that dealer. By the time the tires wear out, they've already made several hundred $$$ in service. Is that the case at Greene's?>>

I would have to look at the paperwork again but I don't think it was that strict, as in "all service". I recall it said I had to have the tires replaced there (dealer) and, like I said, they would replace the tires with a comparable tire.

dat2

i got my tc at oxmoor, got a great price on the trade so did not have so much of a problem with the doc fees. if someone doesnt have a trade i would def recommend going somewhere with lower fee.

has anyone noticed their sunroof popping and creeking when you go over bumps??

tonylexus

Thanks for the advise. The conti's were on my list to check out. Any feeback on the Turanza's? Have had great luck with Michelin's in the past and don't want to leave them out of the running .
Tires can make a world of diffrence in handling & traction in changing climates so I want to get the max out of the car with the rubber as a key consideration. The OEM Potenzas don't fair to well in consumer responses on Tire Rack so If I can trade them new I feel I'll be better off monitarily and get the max from the car from the start.

carguy79

yes I have noticed a sound that appears to be from the sunroof. Ironically enough, it only seems to happen if I cross a bump or back out of my driveway after the vehicle has been sitting.

arrow34

One of guys at my dealership told me he had that sound on his scion and all you have to do it tighten three screws on each side of the moon roof, on front of the track. You have to use hex screwdrivers I believe...

genee

Free Tires for Life. Sounds really great until you do a web search for "Free Tires for Life." It is NOT a dealer thing. It is an extended warranty program by the same company that does - at least in Salem, OR - the Toyota extended. Search the web and one of the sites is from this insurer telling the dealers how much money they can make. The policy supplies the tires to the dealer. But all it takes to void the policy is one missed rotation, etc. It appears MANY dealers are jumping on the wagon to get cars into the shop for spendy routine service.

genee

Lesss than two weeks ago I ordered $465 (Scion site) in accessories that anyone can install. They arrived last Friday with a total price (including shipping) of $252. Everything was genuine Scion, in factory boxes, and in perfect shape. You may get to the site at partznet.com. For things like mud guards, floor mats, etc. you can't go wrong. Email first and ask if they can consolidate shipping costs. The web site listed a total shipping of $58 the actual billing was $16.

mackabee

They have mudguards available?
                    
                  Mackabee

mougenot

I just went on that site, they have mudguards.

mackabee

Thanks for the info.
           
        Mackabee

techwolf

And love it. Silver A/T. I got the sub, amber lighting, security system, auto dimming mirror, rear spoiler, 6 disc changer, mud guards, front strut tie bar and mats.

The Sub sounds very nice. The manual indicates it's a 10" Bazooka sub.

The lighting is impossible to make out in daylight. Will have to comment later at night.

The security system is nothing too fancy. tCs have the immobilizer as standard anyway. It's just another flashing light and noise to annoy people with.

The dimming mirror includes Homelink, so you can program it with your garage door opener.

The spoiler is a nice accent but hardly worth calling a spoiler. It's a lip really.

The changer controls are fairly straightforward. I popped in a MP3 CD with about 110 tracks on it. No problems at all.

Mudguards are nice. I liked the look better than the ground effects kit.

It's hard to comment on the tie bar without knowing how the car feels without it. Overall, it's responsive in turns and feels very stable.

The car itself is beautiful. The throttle is a little sluggish from 0 - 15, mid range power compensates and it picks up rather fast from 15 on. Braking power is nice and even and feels fairly powerful.

The real complaint I have is the stereo cover lid. It fails 1 in 3 times easily. I suspect that will be my first warranty repair item.

Dealer installed options that will come on later are: B pillar applique, exhaust kit, wheel locks and sport pedals. They wanted a 1 week minumum, 2 week recommended wait time for all the "numbers to work themselves out". Either way, I'm quite happy with the car.

tahlequah

YIKES! hmmmm, well, I didn't pay anything extra for the "Free tires for life" offer (I didn't take any extended warrantee, either). But, I've learned that you do indeed have to have ALL your service done at your dealer's service dept for the deal to take effect. And, you're right, one missed rotation and its null and void. From what I understand, this is standard practice with these tires at Toyota dealers across the board.

Do I like the Potenzas? Jury is still out. The handling is fine but, it's true, Tire Rack reviews are less than perfect. However, the test for me will be:

1. How good is the tread, REALLY? Are they gonna last longer than 6 months? they better....and

2. How well can I adjust to feeling every bump in the road? If I did a lot of highway driving, I don't think I would even notice. But I'm one of the poor folks trapped in a city with 3rd graders for planning engineers (that means a red light every 30 feet - for no good reason, other than Buffy Bluegrass probably complained about something!) and no funds to fix last winter's potholes so....I have plenty to remind me that I'm driving low profile tires!

Bitter, Party of one, your table is now ready! LOL Really, though, I'm actually happy with the Potenzas for now. I'll have a better formed opinion as they wear.

As for the sunroof popping - something is popping on the first drive after the car has sat overnight (usually), that's a fact. I'm usually so into the stereo that I can't tell where it's coming from except that it's not in the floor (always a good sign, I think).

genee

The "Tires for Life" thing is at all kinds of dealers here in Oregon. I guess I wasn't too clear when I called it a warranty. The insurance company insures the dealer against having to buy any tires. They are so sure that the majority of drivers are going to void the plan they offer to buy the tires for the dealer. If you want MORE on the Potenzas try 1010tires.com They have ratings and customer reviews on just about all the rubber on the road.

genee

You mention that the sub is a Bazooka speaker. They make a whole slew of powered subs. Is there any mention of the power of the amp in the manual? 100w? 150w? 200w? What about level controls for the sub?

Weazell

Got my silver tC (automatic transmission cuz I'm 50 and don't ever wanna shift again) on 8/8/04. I went in to the dealership not sure if they would have anything at all - but was hoping for silver or black cherry. Having already driven one two weeks ago, I had decided that if they had what I wanted in stock, I'd take it. They did, and I think I blew the salesman's mind when I said, "Great, I'll take it!"

Then came the hard part. First I asked about the roughly $500 fee for "Delivery and Documentation." The salesman told me (after verifying it with his sales manager) that it was a Toyota charge and not their's. Nothing they could do about it. Their only fees were $168 for license and title (State of Oregon) and their own $50 doc fee. I caved.

Then came the fun part - picking the accessories. I wanted to stay under $20K so here's what I'm getting:

1. Rear spoiler
2. Auto dimming mirror (only because of the Homelink feature)
3. Floor mats
4. Cargo liner (I have a dog so I think this will come in handy)
5. Leather shift nob
6. Bazooka Sub
7. XM Receiver and Antenna
8. Mud Guards

Of course, most of the items were not in stock but they hope to have them by Thursday so I can get them installed before a four day road trip beginning Friday afternoon.

Only two small issues so far. I've noticed the creaking/cracking noise of the sunroof that others have mentioned. Also, it has been in the 90s in Bend, OR, all week and the AC takes a long while to get things cooled down.

One question: For those of you who have XM, is it quick and easy to activate? I'm hoping they will have the above items installed by noon on Friday. By 2:00 PM or so, I need to be heading out of town. I'm hoping I can just run home, activate XM through my PC and head out of town with 120+ stations to listen to. Whaddya think?
 
I LOVE the car and am pleased with my purchase. I cannot believe all I am getting for $20K!!!

Just sharing my joy,

Peter

tuffyleung

""accessories that anyone can install""
you have installed those accessories on your tc? Is it really easy to install? What did you order and install? Let's share how easy to install them. thanks.

genee

There are some accessories "that anyone can install." There are others best left to those with the funky special tools. Mud guards (which I am having painted to match the car by an outfit that "touches up" used cars at dealers' lots), floor mats, wheel locks, door sills, appliques - just take some patience - cargo mats are some that anyone with an IQ greater than sagebrush can handle. I was going to do the auto-dimming mirror (the wiring harness HAS to be under the head liner) until I learned that the shop flat-rate is 2.5 hours for this little project. I cannot find any wiring for the sub-woofer in the schematics from the manual I suggested down loading a few postings back, so I am somewhat up in the air on that until Crutchfield can supply instructions. I hope this helps clarify things for you.

gee35coupe

Easy to activate. I have it in our Accord. You can activate it online or you can call. If you do it online they waive the activation fee. But the fee is usually waived anyway with new equipment.

volcomknurd

Mackabee, maybe you can answer this question for me. why are dealers charging the delivery fee diffrent when Scion specifically states that the MSRP includes delivery fees? i think that the dealers are double charging to make more profit(sp), since the regular joe shmoe buyer wont look into that.

volcomknurd

This is cut and pasted directly from scions web site, and it specifically states that it includes the delivery and proccessing fees..if so why are dealers charging this on top of MSRP? I dont know about any one else, but this is kinda messed up. i noticed this at 3 diffrent dealers when i went to test drive the car.

*Cut and Paste from Scion Official Web Site*

Base MSRP* (includes standard features) Manual $16,465
Automatic $17,265

Why haggle?
Life shouldn't require haggling. So we sell our cars based on a "pure price" experience - every product and service offered by our dealers is menu-priced. You order exactly the accessories you want and skip what you don't - the price offered at your dealer's is exactly what you'll pay. No hassle. No haggle.

The price posted at your dealer's is the price you'll pay for your vehicle, including accessories and financing. What you see is what you get. The bottom line is that you'll know the bottom line. We build the exact Scion you want and you know exactly how much you'll pay for it.

*2005 Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price as of 6/2/2004, including the Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee. (Historically, vehicle manufacturers and distributors have charged a separate fee for processing, handling and delivering vehicles to dealerships. Toyota's charge for these services is called the "Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee" and is based on the value of the processing, handling and delivery services Toyota provides as well as Toyota's overall pricing structure. Toyota may make a profit on the Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee.) Excludes taxes, license, title and available or regionally required equipment. Actual dealer price may vary.

ghgh

A tC has come in that fits my specs -- apparently, the guy who ordered it couldn't get his financing together. The dealer has said I could take it, but it has 44 miles on it (it has been driven by potential customers). For some reason, I don't want to buy a car that has been driven by several people who themselves would not be all that careful with the car. What do you Board Posters think about that? Would any of you hesitate to buy? Am I being paranoid?

ghgh

The dealer just called me back and said he would throw in the floor/cargo mats. Whaddya think?

cooldad24

Ask them to thrown in one or two more and take it after careful inspection. Just make sure there is no any damage, scratches and stain. $200 for 44 miles is a good deal IMO.

exzur

The fisrt 500 to 1000 miles(break in period) is the most critical mileage in the life of an engine. You can get the floor cargo/mats cheaper from other sources. It&#146;s not worth taking the risk.

By law, the dealer can sell you that car brand new. However, IMHO, it should be classified used car.

nyccarguy

Isn't that much. The car isn't used either unless it has been titled. This is a Toyota engine we're talking about here. Even if the car was abused on some of the 44 miles, it doesn't mean the engine is going to blow. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just follow the break-in period that toyota (scion) suggests in the manual and you should be fine.

In April 2002, I took delivery of a 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH with 89 miles on it. It is now 2 1/4 years later with over 31K miles and no engine problems.

Now if we were talking about an M3 or an EVO then there might be a cause for some concern.

tuffyleung

Anyone knows what are the differences between a Struct Bar and a Sway Bar? I am clueless about them. What does each bar do to the TC? please help, thanks.

stickguy

A strut bar ties the top of the front strut towers together (it bolts to each side and spans across the top of the engine). A sway bar is linked into the suspension and helps keep the car from leaning or rolling as much in turns. Mostly all cars have front sway bars, many have rear ones also.

The strut tower bar's purpose is to stiffen the body structure (so it doesn't flex as much), but frankly, for most people (like the ones that don't do autocross racing), it is probably more asthetic than anything else.

The sway bar can make a noticible difference in the handling characteristics, even changing to a different size can change the balance of the car.

Mr_Shiftright

sway bars should be researched carefully before you bolt them on. You can end up with results you don't want if you pick the wrong size or bushings or if you don't make other adjustments to tires and alignment, etc. You could throw the car out of whack.

I agree, tower supports are like wings and spoilers---on the average street car they are mostly cosmetic items. However, there have been one or two new models of car where I would have put them on in a red hot minute---the first early Boxsters come to mind. So it depends a lot on what the car was designed for and how you drive it.

bigkid

I'm in the mist of purchasing the tC. But I want to figure in all the extra "fees" in my financing. I live here in Dallas,Tx. and was curious what others have paid in additional fees?

I'm aware of financing guys trying to swindle customers into paying way to much.

I've come up w/ a round about number b4 adding any of the extra charges into the total price of the car. $21,480 and some change.

How much extra should I cushion for, to have enuf money?

I really, really want to buy now, but I know I need to do a little more homework to help me in the end.

pdm72

I just put down a deposit on one today--the dealership doesn't have the colors I wanted, so I haven't yet picked out all of the accessories--I definitely want to look around and see what I can get outside of the dealer. Left to my own devices, I'm liable to walk out with all kinds of crazy stuff. I'm also struggling with the color choice. This is my first car purchase of any kind, so I'm a bit stressed out about doing something stupid. I'm already feeling myself wavering in the direction of XM radio, which I need about as much as well, I needed the car in the first place--which is, not really that much. One thing I find perplexing. . .$198 document fee? Does anyone know if that is standard for MA?

axiomowner

$198 is less than others have posted from outside of MA. However, I know Hyannis Toyota/Scion is only charging $95.

char

I bought my tC from Scion of Fort Worth on Camp Bowie. (scionoffortworth.com) I called them, told them what I wanted, no extras (extras add add'l del'y time and can be added at a later date)and they got it for me in 2 days from another DFW dealer. The pricing was exactly as seen on the website. They charge $50. doc fees + tax. I paid $18,602. (signed, sealed & delivered) for my A/T. Call David Easley or Greg Shea at 817-560-1500. They were the only dealers who knew more about the Scion than I did! The service area was awesome. The follow-up has been impressive, as well.

Glad you'll be joining the Scion family! I haven't seen another one on the road yet. Look for my Black Cherry one zipping around the metroplex!

bigkid

Thanks alot for the help Char.

I just want to be well prepared for those unexpected surprises salesmen have up their sleeves. They're always trying to up sale the car! I just want the car... thats it.. just the car!

I had the worst experience @ John Eagle Toyota/Scion. I had some smuck try and up sale the car with all the add-ons I didn't even want?(And I was only in there for the test drive, mind you.) Then tried to get me to put money down today so we could "start the ordering process on your car". What an [non-permissible content removed]! So I got up and just nodded my head and left! I don't want to strike out a 3rd time! So I'll give these guys a call on Monday and see how things go!

unfortunately for me, I live quite a ways away from Ft. Worth. I'm about an hour away (Northeast).

scootertrash

That's why dealers have e-mail.
Don't waste your time marching around.
I never go to the dealer until the deal is "done" and the total "out the door" price is fully agreed upon.

hc72

Mackabee, may be you can answer this question. Does the Scion dealer know what how many cars and in what configuration they will receive every month?

I have been waiting for an automatic tC with side curtain airbags for 2 months now. The dealer basically told me that they do not know when it will get here, they only get what ever scion rep send to them. I will just have to wait. No date or estimate.

However, when I was at the dealer, I saw them flipping though a binder with list of cars. Are they just brushing me off? Or worry that I might go somewhere else if they told me that it will take several more months.

char

Bigkid-- my suggestion is scope out the websites extensively, know the pricing and the tax. Each website states the documentation fee. All of them in DFW are $50. Here's where I got my info: www.wanttc.com >>> under DEALERS, it will give you every Scion dealer in your area, along with a link to their website. Once you're on the dealer's website, go to NEW VEHICLES, then to SEARCH NEW INVENTORY. Click on the tC picture. It will pull up all of the inventory. It will look like a bunch. Click on the STATUS column. It will list the tC's that are IN STOCK. Now look at the price column. That should tell you if the car has accessories on it or not.

Email the dealer, ask if that car is available and that you're looking to purchase ASAP. They'll call you back pronto. I discovered that each Toyota dealer seemed to have 1 or 2 salesmen who knew more about the tC than the others. I asked specifically for the Scion salesman. FW Scion just wanted my business more...they found the car for me!

BTW, according to the websites: Plano has a silver & flint / Richardson has a blk cherry, silver & flint / and Dallas has a silver & blk cherry.

Good luck with the hunt!

techwolf

I bought mine from Texas Toyota of Grapevine. I dealt with Bob Le Palma (sp. may be wrong on the last name). He's the Scion Program Director. He was very easy to deal with, explained everything and had an overall good buying experience.