I've really been looking hard at the Mazda 3s, but someone mentioned the Scion tC on a Mazda forum today. I researched the tC online, then went to my local dealer. He let me test drive a tC (automatic transmission; I'll be looking for a manual). I drove it with no passengers.

I really like this car! Power and acceleration were plenty for my needs, and handling was very good. Rough road surfaces were taken very well, and the steering was very tight. The build of the tC felt solid overall, and I really didn't want to give the car back to the dealer. It was a very pleasant experience and I like the no-haggle sales philosophy with the Scion line.

Oh well, time to make some Scion tC wallpaper for my PC! :D

 

thas cool man....hope you buy one soon! I love my SSM 5 spd tC, it awesome!

 

Honestly, I was in a horrible mood when I did my one and only tC test drive, and I was not especially thrilled. I was pretty sure that my general bad feelings afterwards were mostly because of my bad mood and not because of the car, but it had the positive effect of keeping me from getting too excited too early on.

Now, I love my tC more every day!