Hello ScionLife.com!

My name is Mike. I'm a 20 year old college student that goes to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

This is my first time posting on this forum, and I've read through most of the stickies and FAQs. I hope that posting "intro/new user" threads are okay. If it isn't, please delete it and let me know where it is appropriate to post them; don't want to break any rules.

Now here's the kicker. I don't own a Scion. I actually drive a 2006 Honda Civic Si in Fiji Blue Pearl. Now, before people jump on me for it, I joined this site because I was looking (briefly) at the Scion tC before I ended up buying my Si last July, and just recently got the urge to keep researching the tC. I have no animosity over any cars, and have no intention of creating problems. I hope you don't mind that I'm here.

The more I look at the tC, the more I like. I love my Si, but I love the tC, too, and I wish I could afford to have both. Who knows, in the future I may end up trading the Si in for the tC. I know the Si and the tC really don't compare feature wise (Si being more expensive), but I actually wanted a Civic EX for the gas mileage (and navigation unit) at first, but I couldn't find one.

Anyways, sorry to keep babbling. Nice to be here!

 

Welcome! Now get to your nearest Scion Dealer and get a tC..

 

Welcome! That's funny you couldn't find a Civic Ex but you could find an SI. When I went looking for cars the dealer near us said they were only allowed something like 6 a year.

 

Thanks tCTaco!

To be honest, I never really did much beyond looking at rewviews of the tC and going to a few dealerships to window shop. I've never driven one, but I was the passenger in one back in a 2005 model before I had any interest in new cars.

I suppose I could go take a look at some of them at the dealerships, maybe even test drive one to see how it compares to the Si.

Of the tC's I've seen, I completely love the Blitz Blue Mica, Black Cherry Pearl, and Azure Pearl colors. I saw a Blitz Blue Mica sitting in a showroom floor (unsold) back in my Michigan hometown, and that's what helped inspire me to get the Si in Fiji Blue, but unfortuantely, I didn't know about the RS series, and just assumed it was a new color for 2007. D'oh!

 

Last year, for the 2006 model year, the Civics were practically impossible to find in sedan form, let alone coupe form.

Initially, I wanted a 2006 Civic EX coupe with a 5 speed manual and the navigation unit. That put the price at $20,000. It came with a sunroof, navigation (voice activated), premium sound, 30/40 gas mileage, and XM.

I placed orders for that car in Rallye Red (much like the RS 1.0 color) or Alabaster Silver (because those were the only two colors you could get a black interior with, and I wasn't fond of the ivory [beige] or gray). Honda rejected every order I placed and the dealership couldn't get it. Apparently Honda had issues getting enough navi units, and most were placed in Sedan and Si models.

I couldn't afford the Si with navigation, and a few months later, I was told I could've wait until August for an EX 5MT w/ navi coupe, or I could grab a Fiji Blue non navi Si they had unclaimed coming in.

I chose the Fiji Blue because patience is a virtue that I've never much had. I preferred the wheels, spoiler, and color on the Si anyways. I had to drive 9 hours to get it, because it seriously was the only fiji blue color in a four-state area, I had some dealerships helping me look.

Long story short, it's pretty common knowledge that the 2 door EX 5MT's with navi are even harder to get than the Si's (with or without navi).

Go figure!

 

Hello Ringpop, and welcome to the board! Congrats on the SI, it is a great car. Obviously more performance oreinted than the TC, and it's a honda so you cannot go wrong with quality. Glad to see you on the board. It is always nice to get information about other cars in the same class, and also from people who can offer tips for any car problem.

 

personally i love the new civic exterior but the interior kills it for me..

 

welcome Special_Ringpop. Yeah, I also knew about the Navi problem.... and there were so many different excuses made from dealers regarding obtaining a Civic EX w/ Navi.
There is a lot to like about in the tC and of course a lot to like about in the Civic Si. Giving the tC a test drive would be a good idea! But the Civic will be hard to top.
Once again, welcome!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

The Civic Si is obviously more performance oriented than the naturally aspirated tC, but the tC with the supercharger would be a good competition.

Truth be told, I love the 197 horses the Si has to offer, and it gets 23/32 (I've gotten closer to 35-36 doing all freeway driving on a few road trips), but I really wanted a sporty coupe with fuel efficiency. The Si does do that, but not as well as the non-Si models.

For me, the interior of the Civic was what sold it. I like the tC's interior as well, though the radio on the tC scares me (too many buttons!), and I see a lot of people hate their amber lighting. I suppose some people love or hate the Si's interior. Personally, I love everything about how it looks, but I've noticed a few things.

-The plastic, while of good quality, scratches and scuffs ridiculously easily. Go to any Civic forum, and even the most die-hard Honda owner will attest to that. It's been a real headache trying to explain to passengers why "you shouldn't fling your seatbelt back into the car" because it'll scratch the plastic, or, why you shouldn't put your feet on the door sills, etc.
-There are a few rattles on every Civic I've been in. I haer it's qutie similar for the tC, as well.
-The gearbox is flipping fantastic, but the Drive-by-Wire throttle makes the car very lurchy if it is driven cold.
-That said, sometimes gear three doesn't like to engage, and sometimes it pops back out into neutral. This was also a problem with the RSX Type-S (same gearbox)
- The seats and the interior fabric. The Si's faux suede seats rock, and they are very comfortable, but I've seen a LOT of wear on them for being brand new cars, already. Also, where your heel goes near the clutch and accelerator, the carpet is already wearing on a month old Si on a board I frequent.

Granted, all these are little nit picky things, and I know the tC has just as many, I'm sure.

But overall, if/when I go to trade the Civic in, the power isn't a huge deal to me. As long as it has 140 horsepower or higher, I'll be fine, given I really wasn't going for performance, really, anyways, but just a sporty, fuel efficient car, whether it be tC, Civic or Civic Si. I'll test drive a tC eventually, and I'm sure it will have many things the Civic doesn't compare to, and Im sure the Civic Si will have many things the tC can't compare to.

Though...I gotta say, I want your freaking moonroofs. Bad.

 

personally i love the seats in the si. i def wish they were in the tc. but nothing i can really do there unless you wanna trade seats. lol. i think the tc's interior is more modern rather than the si which is leaning towards the more futuristic? maybe im just talking out of my arss. to bad the civic doesnt have a JDM counter part as well as the tc. but i think you wouldve been happier with either choice you went with. either the si or the tc.

 

I agree.

There is a lot of animosity between tC and Civic owners, but in reality, both are really great cars and its pretty hard to go wrong, I think.

 

Unfortunately, my all time high in MPG for the tC was 31. There are some that got to the mid 30's but of course the power produced on those motors cant match the K20. So just looking at MPG and power, the Si is a better deal. If the tC had a 6th forward gear, then things may be different but I cant imagine it being rated any higher than 34 even w/ a 6th.
I'm not bashing the tC, but a Civic w/ a R18 motor isnt too far off from a tC in a 0-60 sprint and offers great gas milleage as you know. Prior to getting the tC, my 2 other choices were Mazda3 and Civic LX. Honda dealers by me wouldnt budge on price so yeah......... haha

 

Bump and Welcome!!!