sonikk71

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This is now the official test drive thread. post all your thoughts and discussions here on test drives. If you have a new review than bold it to make it stand out. All other threads started about a test drive will be locked.

kwicslvr



Ok I will get right to it. I drove a stock ( which compared to other cars is loaded) 5sp flint mica. They had a azure blue one also. So here is my list of pros and cons...

Pros

- Looks

The car is just darn sexy. That is all I can say. If you have not seen one in real life let me tell ya, the pics don't do it justice....

- Build Quality

I wasn't really sure what to expect considering the price and that it was a brand new car. I was impressed. The fit and finish was excellent for a car in this price range. And I really liked the interior. It really impressed me with a very understated/classy look for a ar in this class. Kudos to Scion in this area.

- Price

After driving one and actually seeing how complete a package this car is I have to say it is a great value. I mean it has everything right off the showroom floor. ABS, Sunroof...you get the picture.

Ok now onto What I didn't like.....

Cons

- Headroom

I mean what was this car built with a midget in mind?! I am only 5ft 8in and it was barely acceptable for me with the seat on the lowestsetting! I must say anyone taller than me had better put in serious time on their test drive to make sure they can hack it.

- Torque

This is where I was really dissapointed. I have been doing alot of research on comparable vehicles in this class. So far I have driven the TC, the Mazda 3s ( sedan not the wagon) , the Mitsubishi Ralliart, and the Nissan Spec V. While the car isn't gutless, up against the mazda and the ralliart it just doesn't feel as lively. When to compared to the spec v, let's just say the spec walks all over it. Now I know many of you are going to say yeah but the spec is rated at 175hp/180tq that's way more... It's no secret the spec's numbers are inflated. The Mitsubishi Ralliart is rated at 162/162 and believe me after driving one I can say it almost keeps up with the spec. So I felt that with the TC rated at 160/163 it would be in the ball park. Not so. Oh what could have been....

- Suspension

Like the torque this is another area where I was really hoping for more. The Tc has alot of body roll and feels slugish. I currently drive a Mazda protege and it's no secret that they corner great (they just don't have the horsepower) so maybe I am just being spoiled here but I really feel that if Sion is going to go after the youth market like they say the car should not handle like a you parent's midsize sedan. Give me some handling please. Once again the spec and the mazda are significantly better here. NOTE: I feel that all that really needs to be done remedy this is some stiffer spring rates. So this definately may not be an issue once the TRD or other after market manufacturer's springs hit the market.

Well guys there it is. The good and the bad. overall I say the car is a good car it just needs some tweaking to be a homerun. Had it driven like a spec v/ralliart I would not have been able to get my wallet out fast enough! And lest you think I am some Scion hater/mazda,nissan,mistubishi lover. I have a few things to say. The mitsubishi is a fun car but looks funky. The nissan drives like a bat out of hell but build quality is definately a concern. The mazda while being a very well built car is somewhat quircky looking and is prety darn pricey. So there all in all I say the Scion is good and could be great. Hmmm....supercharger and some stiff springs????? Gonna have to keep my eye on that.

sonikk71

What no replies???

CU_rob

Fair Review ... I respect your opinion.

However, the price point of your test palette may be a litte out of the tC range...
Mazda 3 has to be a base i version to be at mid 16K.
Mitsu Ralliart and Nissan Spec V are also a good bit above mid 16K
another comparison could be had to the Neon R/T (*not SRT4) which isn't far off... actually dodge has the 04's for under 16K right now.

Just my 2 cents.

sonikk71

I was thinking the same thing myself but then I realized
#1 with the rebates the spec is actally as cheap or cheaper than a TC As far as the ralliart the dealers are dealin so I would say you could definately get them close also.
#2 the TC is rated pretty much the same the same as the Ralliart in hp.

All in all I really wanted to like the TC and still do I was just hoping it would have it all. Performance and sexy looks.... but I guess we cant have it all now can we. Like I said though with the supercharger and some springs.....

Outkast627

The tc has a 2.4L engine. There is obviously some sort of "bottleneck" in there somewhere, as this size displacement should be turning out more horses. A little headwork would likely open it up a bit. Keep in mind that the most performance this engine has seen has been in a camry/solara, where the main concern isn't going fast, its longevity. I can't wait to get my tc, and get to work on it. First stop, NDRA C/4.
PS if you are going forced induction, watch out about giving it more than about 7-8 psi. 9.5 to 1 is a little high for real power.And even though Toyota pistons come from the factory Teflon-coated,which will help with friction, some dished pistons to drop that compression down would serve you well, and keep things cool.

Gunner1

se-r is a sporty version of the sentra, and is produced in relatively low quantities. the spec-v is the more hardcore version of that. same goes with the ralliart lancer. also the civic si is the sporty version of the civic, or more precidely, the civic hatchbacks(which are not sold in the US, along with the hardcore version, the type-r). i'm almost certain that the spec-v and the civic si only come with manual transmissions.

the scion is a more broad entry level sports coupe that comes mono-spec. one flavor for all who are interested. most will be auto's. most will never come near a race track. flavor is added in the form of a bolt-on supercharger and trd suspension packages. that's basically scion's focus.

i dunno if you read about the direction they were going with this car, but it wasn't made specifically to produce low times at the track. they figured that younger buyers like nice things too and that the would appreciate a nice driving, well made, good looking car.

i'm not all that young...but i'm sold.

RoryC

don't be talkin shiz, bout my scions

The tC doesnt have it "all", but for the price, and quality, it's pretty hard to beat. We got in any tCs in yet, so I'll hold direct comment on the vehicle. However, keep in mind the price, and quality of the vehicle. You can't beat a toyota manufactured vehicle.

cornfield

I agree.

ps thanks for the review. kinda what I expected can't wait for the springs and supercharger.

JSVH

Thanks for the fair and unbiased review! I really like hearing about both the good and the bad of the tC.

urban_assault_XB

the Scion line In my opion could all use tuning from the factor I have a 04 XB with about 6,200 miles onm it an I changed the to after market springs and the car handles so much better and the ride is also better after the sway bars come in it'll only get better. There have in my opion there has only been a hand full of cars that come from the factory that you wouldn't want to make changes to but they all cost more than a TC , thanks for the great review

toyota4life

I disagree with the person who said the Lancer Ralliart is pricier than the tC. I nearly bought a Ralliart and I had the price negotiated down to $16,400 before I even set foot in the showrom. Mitsubishi is on the ropes and they are willing to deal to sell cars.

That said, although I am disappointed that with similar power specs the tC appears to be lacking in performance, the real reason I am buying a tC over a Ralliart is build quality. Who knows how long a Mitsubishi will hold together but everyone knows Toyota is top tier in quality. I have a nearly 100 mi. round trip commute every day and I need to be sure my car is going to make it day in and day out.

Thanks for the honest review.

tC_Me_Baby

Well, considering that the tC weighs 2905 lbs compared to 2762 for the Mazda 3s, of course it's gonna be slower and handle worse.

TheBigGuyRy

Again yet another check mark on the horrible head room side... doesn't make any sense at all to me how people under 6 foot always say there is barely enough headroom for them but people over 6 foot say there ample...

You shorter dudes must like to sit up really really straight.

sonikk71

Or perhaps the tall guys sit farther back because of the length of their legs... which if you think about it would make sense. Also I don't sit up straight but I certainly don't roll ala "gangsta lean" if you get what I mean. I think the fact that I am shorter makes me move farther forward which means I am closer to the windshied and if you look at the shape of the roofline you will definately get more headroom the further back you are. I also didn't really care for the headroom in the Mazda 3 either. It was better but not by much.

sonikk71

Uhh...no "shiz" just my opinion...I'm trying to be fair and unbaised.. Notice I never said I didn't like the car...I just felt there were things that should be improved. The HP/TQ specs seem to be a little on the high side compared to how the real car performs. I mean the spec v 's ratings are way overated were as the ralliarts seem to be right on target so I expected it to perform about the same as far as get up and go.

sonikk71

Yeah something weird is goin on there....I mean the facory HP/TQ ratings must be over inflated cause it doesn't really feel like 160/163. Still all in all it is a good car for a great price...

sonikk71

I agree with everything you say with one exception...I can forgive the sluggish/soft suspension because Scion never made any claims there but the HP/TQ numbers just don't add up the car doesn't perform the same as other cars with comparable numbers.....Other than that I like the car it has many pluses....

sonikk71

No problem I really tried to be objective and not let emotions rule me. I really love the way the car looks in person though it is really hard to shake...SEXAH!!!!!!!!!!

sonikk71

No problem I really wanted to show the car in a real light as opposed to just pushing the positives and ignoring any negatives. I am in the same place as you as far as the whole new ar thing goes I drive alot and really want a good quality car but I also want something with some zing. The spec v is a blast to drive but the build quality is iffy and it is kind of ugly. The mazda3 is expensive with good build quality but just doesn't quite have the zip of a Ralliart or a Spec. The ralliart looks ok and performs well but it is just that a happy medium of all. All in all driving the TC did not make my decision any easier...actually it just made it harder...

sonikk71

Come on 143lbs is not enough to make that big of a differance as what I felt. I understand this is a TC forum be let's be open minded...