Basically right now I drive a 97 honda prelude. My car just hit 90k miles and i'm ready to step it up to a new car. One of my top choices is the TC.

I've heard good things and I've heard bad things. I'm looking for a something quick and reliable. I've heard that the auto's are a little on the slow side so I'm definitely looking at a 5 speed.

I was also wondering about the Supercharger that is available. Would you say it was worth it? I know it puts the car's HP up to 215 or so.

Other then that- Is their anything bad about the car?

Any help is much apreciated. thanks


** And does anyone know of any bay area scion forums etc?

 

Complaints about rattles and glass
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...999&highlight=

 

I'd say keep your 5th gen Prelude and get the Jackson supercharger for it. Your car has way more hp than the tC stock vs stock, plus Preludes handle like crazy. They are amazing, i had two 4th gen Preludes btw. Was apart of BAP (Bay Area Prelude)

buuuuuuuuuuuuut, if your looking to get a brand spankin new car, that has LOTS of aftermarket, the tC is a damn good choice :D

 

yeah i want new.. i would never spend that much money to get a SC for a car with as many miles as it has. well... since tc's are so slow ..iono.. any ideas what other cars their are that decent HP and in the same price range?

BTW im on BAP also.

 

well... also realize that the TRD S/C available does not fit the new '07 tCs. and other methods of boost will need to looked into.

alot of work for HP gains compared to what you have now.

if you want quick and reliable, the tC is my best choice.... if you want quick and fast but may need a bit more maintenace than a toyota..... then perhaps my choice would be a WRX/STi... or an Evo. (but yeah.. that's a bit out of the price range...)

 

anything IN the price range?

 

I've heard nice things about the Mazda 3 Mazdaspeed3.

Lot's of horses because of the turbo (236?). I dunno how much it is though... And also, it kind of looks like a station wagon.

Hmm, if you're just feeling the need for speed at affordable prices (under $25,000), I guess you could go with a SRT4 or a Cobalt SS or the Saturn Ion Redline. But then, you'd be stuck with a US made car and it would be in the shop 1/2 the time anyways.

Of course you could get the si but I think those are on the pricey side.

 

If you wanna stay with Honda, get the new Honda Civic Si or the Acura RSX-s, they have the same hp as the Prelude.

 

Fast/slow can be kind of subjective, depenjding on what you're used to. I'd try driving one before including/excluding it.

 

The tC will be a great choice in reliability and standards that are extras with other vehicles. You get a lot of pull with the SC and have a unique car. I say go for it. :D

 

Someone once said:

You car can be either:
A. fast
B. cheap
C. reliable

Pick 2.

I'd say the tC is B & C. But I find that it's peppy enough to get you out of most city driving situations that I've encountered.

 

well i drove one today, while it isn't as fast as my prelude it is still brand new and has potential. I think If i put the SC on with some other things it would be good to go. I also test drove a mazda 3 today... The mazda3speed isn't out yet but i hear they pack a mean punch cuz of their turbo. they are the same speed as a TR WRX.. anyways I'm looking to spend 20k or less so i'm still debating. The mazda 3 is nice but slower then the TC... a little bit mroe expensive but the interior is definitely worth it.

I'm a little disturbed that scion owners would advise me not to get the TC.

I'm not really into American made cars unless its muscle and with gas prices these days I dont wanna mess with it. I took a look at the saturn redline and it was cheap looking..

I think other then the TC and the mazda 3 the rsx would be good too but still not many options as far as modding and stuff.. Any other input would be great.

Stylis- thanks for the positive reinforcement.


*** the tc has more HP then the cheaper rsx..

 

i think the tc is great car choice.. it has a nice design and very good reliability.. before i got my tc, my mind was pretty set up buying and driving a honda (civic) but when i compared the priced of the civic i wanted(EX), i realized i was gettin a much powerful engine, good features for price, and tons of mods to personlize my car..

I dont' want to push you into getting the tC then regret it later.. but if you notice in this site.. even though they complain alot about their car you'll still see " but i love my tC" in the end of the reply..

when i saw the tc, i kept persuading myself to stick to my orig choice but hey i think i got a better deal IMHO

 

the tc is a great car. the guys who say it is slow probably don't know how to stir the gearbox to leave other cars in the dust. i have over 31k m on my 05 tc and it handles even better than the day i got it when it had 20 miles on it. the only real problems are the abundant blindspots caused by all the thick pillars. i hear lots of complaints about rattling, and to that i count my blessings that i don't have that problem. maybe they have been going to fast over speed bumps or rough pavement. those who say other cars in this price range are better are merely seeing the grass greener on the other side. the only real competition for the tc is the civic si. i use my tc for daily driving, cross country 900 mile plus drives, and deliveries for my restaurant. the only time i wish i had a different car is when it snows.
you should go and testdrive a tc to find out for yourself. but if you want a good reliable quick new car with lots of aftermarket choices for customizing, the tc is about it, that and the civic si. i would also consider the cobalt ss s/c since gm now offers a 10 year/100k warrenty, and even if it is in the shop all the time, i think it includes a loaner car too. that might be worthwhile to look into.

 

well after driving and debating all day im leaning on going ahead with the TC. When i make up my mind for sure and go through with it i'll let ya'll know and ill post up some pics.

does anyone know what the HP gain would be with the SC and the exhaust?

I dont plan on buying the SC yet but definitely later.

 

well... then hope that TRD decides to make one and release it.

hit me up if you have any questions at all about the car... i have pretty much access to all resources you can possibly need..

 

don't know what the trd exhaust adds, people will tell you it makes it sound better rather than improving performance. i got mine as soon as i got mine so i don't really know the difference. accoding to dynocharts on zpi's website, a trd supercharger makes the car put out 195 hp, and then just by removing the lower half of the airbox, it makes 214 hp.
http://www.zeropointindustries.net/gallery/DynoCharts
also, remember to get a tc, and not a tc spec. keep an eye out for that.

 

i love the interior space of the tC. if i knew they were going to release the civic si sedan i might have had a big headache trying to pick

why is that? we all love our car for what it is and want to make sure if you buy a tC you would love it too. we are honest people and answered your questions truthly. and there is no need to lie to you so you would run out and get a tC it will sell itself.

 

I actually plan on getting the 06 so i dont have to worry about the SC for the 07.

also- what is the tc spec?

and also, by removing the lower half of the airbox does it increase the loudness?

 

yes, the hole point of the airbox is to reduce loudness at the expense of resticting air flow. still, an extra 20 hp just by increasing airflow is pretty sweet, you'd have to spend atleast 100 for the 9.5 psi pulley to make 21 whp gain. i imagine you could get similar results combining it with a cold air intake, short ram, or ram air whatever. and the tc spec is a downgraded tc in the worst ways. the glass roof doesn't open, instead of riding on real 17inch rims, your slumming it on ugly 16 inch wheel covers hiding those ghetto black steel wheels. it is supposed to be a cheaper version for people who plan to modify the tc anyway, but it really doesn't save any worth while money, i mean, is the price difference even enough for a set of nice rims. and and what is the point of having the heavy all glass roof if it doesn't open? since you are getting an 06, it is nothing to worry about the "spec" trim level. oh god how i hate the spec...everybody else will too when they see ghetto tc's rolling around missing their wheel covers...