Great review! Kinda what I thought about headroom, though. When buying my wife's Toyota last weekend, the finance manager said the tC would accomodate someone as tall as 6'4" (LOL). I forget sometimes that these guys will say anything. I'm 6'1" so I guess for me, I'll still keep looking at the xB (although my wife said she'd learn to drive a manual transmission so we could have the tC )

 

yea 143lbs is like having your girl in the passenger seat. :D The difference in handling based on that should be negligent. I'm guessing its the suspension and maybe a bottlekneck in the engine. just lower the car about 1.5' throw on some stiffer springs and open up the engine. and the problem should be solved.

I'm also 6'3 from what I've heard and seen it shouldn't be a problem I'm all legs anyway. :D

 

Well I think it really depends on if you sit with the back of the seat WAYYYYY reclined. IF you do you will be ok but if you just sit normal Isay make sure you really pay attention to this on the test drive to make sure you can live with it. I could live with it but I am short. 5'8"

 

Have you sat in one yet??

 

in regards to your comment to the suspension. my wife has a protege5 and i have is300. true the car doesn't ride like a mazda but rides more like an is300 where its a perfect balance of sport and luxury. i had a celica gts before and when i hit bumps on the road the chassis would begin to shake. the tC suspension soaks up all the bumps while the chassis remains composed.

remember they were going after a european road feel with the tC. i've taken the car @120mph and love how smooth and quiet the cabin is, compared to my celica at the same speed everything starts to shake.

 

I've sat and driven the Tc (just waiting for mine to get the stereo installed MONDAY COME QUICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I'm 6'3" and the headroom was no problem in the passanger & drivers seat. Maybe some of these people who are over 6 foot want to be sitting at a 90 degree angle but all I did is recline the seat about an inch and I was totally comfy.

The back seats on the otherhand..... Lets just put it this way Front seats for me & my guy friend, back seats for our short girls we are taking out on dates.

All in all headroom is GREAT!

I totally agree with the fact that other cars feel more livily when driving. I personally was dissapointed, but you can't have everything, if the price was 19k or 20k then it might be a real turn off but hey, mine is 17 + so you know what? I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm getting. PLUS you gotta love that soonroof. I LOVE how the sunshade will flip back so quick when you start to open the roof.

 

haha thats pretty heavy for a girl unless she is tall.

 

Manas is right..one of the Toy/Sci execs has even stated the handling goal was that of the Jetta..which probably isn't competing with the RSX A Spec in the handling department...a lot of the comparisons made have been w/Japanese cars ..i've owned many of both and the Japanese cars generally seem lighter on their feet...the German cars seemed softer but more solid...this is just a general thing i've noticed...my fathers M Roadster ain't exactly cushy so i understand there are always exceptions...but this is a $16,500 car after all...

 

yep tall and I don't like em anorexic either.

 

My impressions after an all too brief 10 mile test drive over twisty two-lane back country roads:

Fit and Finish: Admirable, up to the best Toyota quality standards for other vehicles built in Japan.

NVH: Solid as a rock, no unusual clunks or rattles despite blowing through potholes at speed. Quiet at least up to ~85 mph, my max speed on the loop.

Exterior: Beautiful from all angles except dead on from the front that appears somewhat generic. A chin spoiler or splitter with fog lights will help. The graphite finish stock wheels are gorgeous and appear light weight. They were a $400 option on my IS300, standard on tC. Not impressed with the rear spoiler, it looks better clean IMHO.

Interior: Quality throughout, especially at the reasonable price point. The top dash finish and waterfall effect center pod are distinctly different and set tC apart from the competition. Seats are almost Recaro fit and finish and are heavily bolstered. I was eventually able to adjust seat, wheel, shifter and pedal spacing to accommodate my 5'11" and 190 lb. frame with a little headroom to spare. I didn't need to recline the seatback excessively for proper ergo. Wide pedal spacing made heel/toe downshifts difficult, the optional pedal covers might help. Rear seat headroom was adequate if your head is positioned under the rear glass. Outward visibility is good in all directions, especially compared to my MR2 Spyder top up. Switchgear heft and feel is comparable to Lexus, very cushy tactile feedback.

Engine: Very flat torque curve with VVT-i. No noticeable peakiness, just consistent pull all the way to the rev limiter that I hit too many times. The twin balance shafts really do their job, it feels more like a Toyota V-6 but sounds like a well-tuned 4 banger. Speed gains deceptively quickly, yet the engine pulls strongly from ~2K rpm to redline.

Transmission: Short throws made it a pleasure to shift. I don't know if a short-shift kit would even be necessary. Ratios seem well spaced 1-3, a bit of a drop to 4th. I never got into 5th. Wheels spun on a quick 1-2 upshift and gave a nice bark on a redline 2-3 quick shift. If you eventually get the S/C, I think a limited slip will be required.

Clutch: Progressive, even engagement. Shouldn't be any problem in city driving.

Brakes: Smooth, even pressure produced straight stops. ABS engaged at the limit but it was still easy to change direction with ABS pumping.

Steering: Definitely the strong point of the car. Direct, quick, outstanding feedback, well weighted, everything you'd want in almost any car. No noticeable torque steer except on quick shifts at redline, but still minimal. The leather wrapped and tilt adjustable wheel is the perfect diameter and thickness. This might be the best steering Toyota in production, even better than my MR2 Spyder.

Suspension: Compliant, maybe a tad too soft, but about what the 80th percentile will want. I got the rear to step out on an off-camber downhill braking turn, but it was easily controllable. My first mod will be the rear sway bar and...

Tires: The weakest link, like so many cars off the lot. I'd read that Potenza RE-040's would be standard, an adequate Summer tire with predictable breakaway. Instead, the tC had Potenza RE-92's, an all-weather tire suitable for an econobox, but a serious shortcoming on the tC. It might be a regional thing, with the M+S RE-92's going to the Snowbelt areas like here. Mod #2 will be Summer high performance tires.

HVAC: It was 84°F and sunny. With the silky smooth temperature selector set on less than max cool and the fan on medium speed, the cabin cooled within a mile. The rest of the drive was on low fan speed. Good, quiet air flow and distribution. If only it had full auto A/C, it would be perfect.

Stereo: Sorry, can't comment. The head unit was missing and being updated.

General: Considering the price, I'm very impressed. My Flint Mica 5M/T with all the air bags should arrive next month. After a few tweaks like the rear sway bar, tires and strut tower brace, I think it'll hold it's own until the S/C is released in November. I think the chassis will be easily able to control the extra power with no further upgrades other than those listed, plus synthetic brake fluid. You know, Toyota gets around $23K for the Avensis (4-door tC) in Europe. They really are looking for market share with this car. It's good, very, very good at $23K. At the U.S. price, it's a segment leader. If you need the side airbags, get in line now, they're limited to 10% of production I'm told.

 

awesome review. thanx for the info.

 

My complaint with the suspension wasn't so much with the bumps as it was with the body roll in corners.. Which really won't be an issue I bet once we get some good aftermarket springs....

 

Who did you get your TC from? I live in the area.....

 

You said it!!!!Give me curves....

 

I test drove one today!

It was an auto with the AC on and 3 others in the car with me, so it was basically the slowest setup to test drive...but I enjoyed it! It was totally what I expected! A smooth, yet sporty, responsive car with comfy seats and cold AC. I drove my fiance's Acura TSX to the dealership. The TSX, I'm afraid, was what I was comparing it with...I was initially disappointed, but then I remembered that the tC is a good $10k LESS than the Acura. The TSX has similar size wheelbase, wheel size, tires, torque, engine size, and sporty theme. The weight is close but the power and gearing are in favor of the Honda-powered sedan. It's unfair to compare, but maybe the tC can look forward to growing up to someday be a full fledged Lexus in the future!

The seats aren't all that supportive. The seats in the TSX are perfect to me. They hug and they're wrapped with perforated black leather. The tC seats look neat and seem like they will be supportive, but they are soft couches in comparison. Good for the long drives, but I dunno about long term. Only time will tell on that one.

The engine was sluggish as I expected, but I did notice some pep there once you get moving. I'm spoiled by the TSX in this department the way it imitates a larger V6. The TSX's engine has the perfect blend of low weight and good low end torque in a package that likes to be revved. The tC isn't too bad at revving either. It's similar to the base Accord engine. It's definitely enough power to get around with. But I'll see for sure when I get to drive a 5 speed manual version with a couple less bodies in the back.

The engine didn't seem as smooth as the TSX or a base Accord or a Civic Si, which I expected. I'm not sure if Toyota motors really compare with Honda 4-bangers when it comes to that silky, smooth, sewing machine efficiency. But maybe I just need to spend more time with it.

The headroom is limited in the front, but I expected that knowing it had that glass roof. The seating in the back wasn't bad when you reclined the rear seats a tad. Overall, the seats were comfy...even with 4 adults in the car. I dunno how you're gonna get a 5th full size person squeezed in the back, tho...haha.

It was twilight so I didn't get the full effect of the interior lighting, but the dash lit pretty nicely against the silver gauges. It has nice amber lighting that looks good. But if you haven't seen the the beautiful display of automotive interior lighting in a TSX at night...you haven't seen anything yet...again...I'm spoiled by the coolest looking mood and dash lighting in a car. Cleaner even the the TSX's big brother, the TL.

The car isn't as TIGHT as a TSX, but it still feels solid. After my drive, I got into an xB right afterwards and the xB also felt tight, but...the engine in the xB falls pretty flat whenever you decide you need to accelerate at speed. The tC feels more like a normal, capable car that will cruise on the freeways quite easily. The xB has headroom to spare compared to the tC(or most cars for that matter), but the tC is the more conservative, yet attractive styling that I feel is more substantial to me for the long run...I expect to have this car a good 10 years. I think this car would still be pretty nice in a decade.

Ok, I've got more to say I'm sure...but that's all I could get out right now. Overall...good experience. I have my local dealer keeping an eye out for my future car. I hope they crank up production of the side air bag equipped models as soon as possible. I can't wait to attack my 40 mile commute in it!

oh BTW...

I have a question to those that know about these Toyota's...
What's that button in the glove about?

 

someone had posted something about a tC test drive on cable tv.... anyone know what channel and when it airs?.... if it has already aired... if anyone has it on the pc. for upload.....i must see this thing in action... the commercials just dont do it for me.

 

Test drove a tC yesterday. Here's what I thought:

First of all, I drove an automatic with no extra options besides those overpriced stickers and a 6-disk CD changer.

Power:
The power was pretty much what I expected. A couple of weeks ago I test drove an '04 Honda Accord Coupe (both i4 and v6), a Camry Solara (i4) and a Mazda 6 (V6). Compared to the 4 cylinder cars, the tC seemed more powerful. It had better acceleration from a stop and it seemed to pass cars with ease. Ofcourse the 6cylinder models were faster, but they also cost about $6,000 more. Compared to my current car ('93 Mazda 323) the tC was ofcourse faster. Even though my little hatchback is surprisingly fast with it's 1.6L engine (it's very very light), the tC ofcourse is more powerful. You also really feel the engine and hear it when you get into the higher RPMs (which I think is a good thing). On the freeway I had no problem getting to 65, then 75, then... then the dealer got a little ____ed off. With some mods this car will definately smoke any competition.

Handling:
Now this is what I thought set this car appart from the others I test drove. MUCH BETTER handling then a Honda Accord coupe. Similar to the Mazda 6, and also better then the Solara. I really felt like I was in control of this car, and I was one with the road. Didn't feel any bumps, but also didn't get the feeling like I was riding on air. Has a very good balance between the two extremes. Also, I busted a U at like 25 mph (which once again ____ed off my dealer, who BTW already sold the car I was test-driving ... haha poor sucker who buys that car), and the car had very little leaning and took the turn very well. Has a very tight turning radius. Also, the stock model rides pretty high, you don't feel like you're right on the ground. So once again, I was very impressed with the handling.

Head Room:

I am 5'10" and I sat in every single seat in every single possible position. Sitting up-right in the driver seat, you have little headroom, mayble like a couple of inches...but NO ONE sits upright. With a little bit of leaning, you get very good head room, and you're much more comfortable. The passenger seat has a little less head room, and isn't height-adjustable (which I didn't enjoy too much). The back seats offer little head room in the upright position, but are very very comfortable if you recline them a little bit. So, it's pretty much what I expected. I noticed however, that the tC has BETTER head room then the Toyota Solara. Also, all cars with sun roofs have less head room than others, and if you consider that category, the tC has very good head room.

Other:
The stereo was awesome. You can change the backlight color by pressing just one button which was pretty cool. The sunroof looks really cool, but I didn't like the slide covers that seemed to be made up of a cheap, rubbery material. I'd prefer a solid plastic cover instead. What else, what else...oh I didn't see the hood no matter how much I adjusted my seat.
I didn't like a couple of things about the TC though.
1. The steering wheel is tiny! I could barely fit both hands on it, and when i did i felt like i was driving a go cart! Did anyone else notice that?
2. Even when the sunroof was closed, i still heard the wind coming from there. This was especially the case when I was on the freeway. Closing the covers did help, however. This was probably the biggest thing that got me worried. I'm afraid that the sunroof doesn't have a good enough seal when it's closed, which might allow water in if it rains too hard. I hope that's not true tho.
3. The trunk was pretty small for a hatchback. But I'm not worried about that since I don't expect to go shopping very often...gotta save my money for the car.

So that's it. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask!

 

i don't know if most of you who are not happy with 2AZ in the tC drove an auto. i thought the car has great power from idle to 5000rpms. it does run out of breath a little past 5k to redline but i'll sacrifice some high rpm power for some low end. the next time you guys drive a manual, quickshift 1st@2000rpms into 2nd then floor it close to redline and you'll feel the linear pull of this motor. also, the best gears in the car is 1st to 3rd where it pulls the hardest, 4th is okay but its 70% of what 3rd feels like.

grant it our's has the trd exhaust which trd has said adds 12 crank hp to the car so the car were driving has 172hp. i can't wait until we lower the car with the trd springs and add the aem cai.

 

[quote="RussianTC"][b]
... that the tC has BETTER head room then the Toyota Solara. ... Also, all cars with sun roofs have less head room than others, and if you consider that category, the tC has very good head room. "


***The Solara has a spec'd front headroom of 38.1", the tC 37.6" (i.e, less headroom).


"... i still heard the wind coming from there. This was especially the case when I was on the freeway. Closing the covers did help, however. This was probably the biggest thing that got me worried. I'm afraid that the sunroof doesn't have a good enough seal when it's closed, which might allow water in if it rains too hard. I hope that's not true tho."


***This kind of sunroof (nearly identical to that offered by Mercedes starting w/ 02 models of c- coupes and then E-class, and perhaps from the same supplier) due to its size alone WILL result in increased wind noise and a different feeling ride, due to the missing structural stiffiness of the all-metal body. Similar to driving a rag-top (but not AS noisy).

Fear that it will leak is silly and highly unlikely. Creaking and squeaking is another matter. .. But these type roofs have been manufactured for awhile now and most of the kinks have been worked out of them.


"...the trunk was pretty small for a hatchback. But I'm not worried about that since I don't expect to go shopping very often.."


***That's why the rear seats fold down.

 

I test drove a white manual tC today and was more than satisfied with the acceleration. I have a favorite hill that I compare cars on. It is straight up a very steep hill for about 1/2 mile. The tC was able to accelerate up it, gaining speed all the way. This is impressive considering that we are at 6200 ft elevation.

There was a "first look" review on Motorweek on PBS satellite today. It was very positive. They talked about how well equiped and sporty it is for the price. It was not a full test and therefore did not include 0-60 times. Local PBS stations will show this sometime this week. As they say "check local schedules".

My dealer has a black cherry manual tC in his next allocation. I was able to put a deposit on that one. He also requested an Azure Pearl, my first choice color, for the next allocation. When the cherry gets here, he will know whether the Azure is indeed in the following group. If so, then I can choose.

Roy