I'm looking at buying a new car to replace my 03 Corolla S. So far I have test driven and like the following cars:

Mazda 3 S GT
Huyndai Tiburon GT
VW GTI
Scion TC (would purchase w/ a SC installed probably)
Dodge SRT4 (fun, but most likely not practical)
Subaru Impreza (not impressed, but going to test drive another one)

All of these I test drove stick as that is what I plan to buy. (EXCEPT for the TC, only had auto)

As you can see, my real choices fall on the Mazda, VW, Scion, and Huyndai. I've been going to all of the enthusiast web sites and doing research on each of the cars. I wanted to know if there are any issues with this vehicle that I should be aware of. I know some people have problems, and that is unavoidable... but is there anything widespread? I know the Scion TC has a TSB out right now for the sunroof, and that it makes a cracking sound going up inclines. I actually heard this noise when I was pulling back into the dealership after the testdrive. I plan on going back after they get a manual in. I have read a lot of issues about the transmission (grinding, trouble shifting, and poping out of gear) so I plan to watch for any of those when I drive it.

Any issues about the SuperCharger I should be aware of? I plan on having it dealer installed to maintain the warranty, but I will be sure to ask if any of the mechanics have done an install first.

Other than the SC I dont plan on any mechanical mods to the car. Only cosmetics.

Thank you.

 

Try doing a search.

The SC is too new to really show anything about problems...

Other semi-common issues are: hatch rattles, sunroof creaking, radio door squeaking, etc. Very minor. I think you'd be extremely satisfied with a tC. Especially if you're going to customize it a lot.

One thing - the manual transmission is geared fairly short.

 

gti is nice, fast car...but i don't trust volks build quality anymore.
impreza is a sweet car, turbo lag sucks, but AWD and 220+ horses is awesome
tiburon is great looking car, the new design is so much better looking that the first design. if you get the v6, it pretty quick

srt-4...well, you have to be a jerk to own one of these...at least around here you do. you have to show off and cut people off constantly. its a supercharged neon...

did you check out saturn ion redline or cobalt ss?
personally, if scion didn't come out with a tC, i would have pursued a mini cooper S

 

Mazda 3 S GT piece of crap, my friend has it
Huyndai Tiburon GT do you really trust K made car ?
VW GTI ==> maybe, but too much money for maintenance
Scion TC (would purchase w/ a SC installed probably) worth every pennies
Dodge SRT4 (fun, but most likely not practical) domestic car SUX, and Fugly
Subaru Impreza (not impressed, but going to test drive another one) STI maybe

 

Sorry, should have mentioned the Impreza is the base model 2.5 i (if I remember right). AWD, but only 173 hp. The interrior was ugly and looked cheap. Wasn't very satisfied with the car.

I stopped a Mazda 3 owner the other day to ask him how he liked it and if he had any problems. Zero issues and loves the car. But, like I said, I'm asking on all the forums to get an idea.

I've heard of all the small stuff on the Tc, squeak, rattles, and pops (or should I say crack's). Sounds annoying, but fixable (minus the roof cracking, which is a little dis-concerting).

I'm asking around on the VW forums to see if build quailty is up to snuff. I know the SRT4 forums I didn't even bother posting, because its full of young kids w/ tons of mods that complain when their warrenty is voided. My friend has an 03 w/ all stage 2 and its been a great car w/ no problems. Personally, I'm a little leery of it myself. Its probably not really on my list, but its in the price range and is still an idea.

The Tib I honestly dont know a lot about and was hard to find anything on any forums. I never even thought of the car because, well, its a Huyndai. But I was at the Subaru lot and they also sold Huyndais so I took one for a spin and enjoyed it. So, now im reading up and waiting for replys.

I've read a lot on these forums and have seen some major issues pop up, but its hard for me to tell after 2 days of reading if these are people either : 1) over reacting, 2) abused the car, or just owner error, or 3) a serious issue that needs addressed. When I was at the dearlership I asked if they had already installed the strips on the wind guard of the sunroof and they didn't know what I was talking about, so that kind of concerned me.

Thanks for the replys, any other info you can think of would be appreciated.

 

Out of your choices listed, I would give the nod to the tC. For the $$$ you're paying, it doesn't get much better. I also looked at Mazda 3. But when I found out what options it came with (and Ford owns part of Mazda.), it was a no-brainer. Hyndai Tiburon is nice, but a good one costs $$$. Volks has had quality issues for a while now. Dodge SRT4, dude-its a suped-up Neon. Subarus are nice too, but again a decent one is $$$. depending on what you'll be doing, you may not need a S/C just yet. They barely came out, so you might want to wait until the kinks are worked out. Go with the tC! You'll be glad you did!

 

I drove the Mazda 3 also - I couldn't get over the looks and I didn't like the dash (all the audio and heater controls put together, seems it limits stereo modifications)

I also drove a Tiburon, and to be honest I did like it. The price was decent, and the V6 can pull. But, it came down to resale value...I just don't see it holding it's value at all.

Drove a GTI- too much $$$ for the performance

SRT4=neon and discontinued

tC- way to go

 

1. It's a good car. Handles very well and its motor is peppy enough. I dislike its styling though. To be honest, this car, if it weren't so expensive, would be a much better buy than the tC. Pricing on the 3 puts it on the level of an RSX which is of course, a step above a tC. This 3 I'm talking about has quite a few features though so base it would sit next to a tC. I don't like it without features. Also, without features and stuff (base or any 3 sub 18k dollars) the 3 lacks some stuff that the tC has. Overall, the tC just feels like a more solid car to me with more features and for less money. Although I would say they are close, the tC, in my opinion (trying to be as objective as possible) is the clear winner here.

2. The Tib GT is also a good car.. so I've heard. Not having ever driven one, I can't say for certain but my friends have not encountered any troubles with this Korean car. I don't think it's fair to judge Hyundais as bad simply because they're Korean. At this point in time, Korean car industry is like Japanese car industries back in the 80's and 90's - cheap and beginning to become very good. The Tib is almost like a Korean Celica Supra although with almost none of the sportiness. As a sports car, I can't say it's awesome (also because I haven't driven it but namely because my friends say our Civic rides more sportily.) As a cruiser it's excellent. So I guess the question is crotch rocket or cruiser? If you're a cruiser guy, take the Tib. You could also try looking at the Eclipse GT but that's way more expensive and far uglier. The Tib is a solid choice for little money but it's no racer's car.

3. The only thing bad about this car is price and maintenance. It's an awesome car. But again, VW's quality is suspect. Plus, I hate the lay out of the interior.. Japanese layouts are far more intuitive to me.

4. Um, this car is the best car in the world? :D This car is also a very solid choice. Again, trying to be objective, I was impressed with the upscale feel of the ride and build quality. The 3 felt the same too but somehow (a few disagree with me) the tC just feels more polished. Even though it's not as intense as some other sports cars, it packs enough punch and acceleration to keep up with very many of the cars on the highway. The solution to the tC's percieved laid-back-ness is a little suspension tuning. In my opinion, once the tC has gained some better handling through the corners it feels as fast as an RSX (in fact, the tC is faster than the RSX base in normal driving conditions straight from the factory but feels slower because of the softer suspension.) With a supercharger and some accompanying mods (you'll need some more mods for the TRD s/c as its numbers, although better than expected, are still lower than competing supercharged cars in the same class) will make the tC a very zippy little car. I would get one of these

5. I couldn't say much about this car except for what I saw at the car shows. The interior is gross. The exterior is gross. The performance is awesome. I would hate to wake up every morning, shower, brush teeth, eat breakfast, go down stairs into the garage and say, "Damn, I still drive a Neon." Of course, an SRT4 is hardly a Neon but it looks just like a dressed up Neon (because it IS a dressed up Neon but with the heart of an SRT monster.) Also, I've heard of (from people I don't know) a not very fun commute in SRT4s. They're fun for the first few months but when the glee of a new car wears off, it starts to get tedious for many. It's a crazy fast car though. But damn, it still looks like a Neon... no matter how many times I look.

6. AWD is fun. AWD and not that much power makes for a lackluster performer. Also, the interior is gross, like you said. It's not as gross as the SRT4 but the tC and 3 and Tib are MUCH more attractive. Again, another solid car but if you're looking at the base RS than there are better cars.. namely the ones above.


My thoughts. Hope to see you around here after you buy a new car. Hope you'll be around after you buy a new car to be able to post pics of your car in the tC forums

 

Hey, its me from "that other place." I didn't want to be too vocal because Scion's are still new to that disgruntled crowd. Anyway, it can be hard to tell in forums the exact ratio of satisfied to dissatisfied, so that's where stuff like this comes in handy:

Check the consumer reviews on the left side. They're 9.3 and 9.1 out of 10 happy and you get to see an actual number as opposed the standard negative spam in forums. Sure everyone there could be jaded, but its hard to get more objective.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...Scion/model=tC

J.D Powers. If anything can be considered an unbiased authority for "how happy are the drivers", this is probably the closest (at least that I know of).

http://www.jdpower.com/awards/indust...sp?StudyID=984

 

if you're going to spend the money on the tC to get the SC, it bumps the price up to about 20k. for that kind of money, the new civic Si is very nice as well.

had the Si been out in early summer, and available in red, i can honestly say i'd have trouble making the decision. they are both very good cars. my RS is still 2k cheaper than the Si, but with a supercharger, it would be 1k more, making the prices very close. anyway, as much as i like the Si, i just cant see myself owning a civic and being part of the bottom-feeder honda group. i really hate most of the honda scene, as most of the people i have interacted with on forums and in real life were mostly arrogant dicks with 100 hp fart can-equipped civic DXs. i know thats kind of a silly thing to some people, but one of the things i like most about the tC is that its NOT a honda. i'm very pleased scion and its community. xA, xB, and tC owners are, as a whole, much nicer and more friendly. the Si is a great car, good power, fantastic handling, very cool interior styling, decent exterior styling (i personally like the tC's much better), 6-speed tranny, and an LSD. however, the negative connotation of the "civic si" and the community surrounding it nearly stops me in my tracks from wanting to buy one.

regardless, its not available till december anyway, and it will likely carry a premium for the first few months anyway... so... yeah.

of the other cars, i have no personal experience with any but the tC, and the tC itself is a fantastic car for the money. you get a lot of really cool standard features, and a handful of not-so-standard ones (one-touch automatic windows, up AND down, for passenger AND driver is one that sticks out, and is very handy). blah blah blah though, what can i say about the tC that isnt plastered over this site? i love mine, and already have a friend that is going to buy one after seeing mine and hearing some of the features on it.

 

Hyundais may be decent now, but they carry the stigma of horrible reliability and extremely low resale value. The Mazda 3 would be my second choice, if I didn't get the tC, but it's pricier, not as comfortable, and I didn't like having to pay extra for stuff the tC comes standard with.

I'm not buying VW any more... After hearing about how many VW owners have problems (Friend's 5 year old Jetta is dead, etcetcetc), and having problems with my old Jetta, it's not worth it.

 

Only consider Scion tc and also add acura RSX on your list. Scion tc and acura rsx are consumer report recommendations for low price sporty hatch back.

 

 

go to the tC "power hungry" forum and read about teh supercharger. Many in there have it installed and have reviewed its performance.

Spending 20 plus (S/C tC), I'd probably go with a couple year old S4. If new under warranty is important, a supercharged tC seems like best bang for buck.

 

Hey Old Pueblo, thanks for the links. I hadn't checked out edmunds yet, but it was on my list of things to do. I'll check out Jdpower while I'm at it.

For the people saying to get look at a Civic SI or RSX I was going to, until I found out my insurance would be TWICE what I pay now. Can anyone say "stolen a hell'uva lot?" Even with a alarm discount it still doesnt bring down the insurance cost.

Everyone on the VW forums is saying that the bugs have been worked out of the GTI. The 06 will be a new gen and this years is the last of this Gen (meaning the kinks have been worked out for the most part).

I did check out the SC threads and the numbers aren't impressing me a whole lot. The only other thing about the TC I dont like is the warranty. My Corolla had the same 3 yr / 36000 miles, and it was up after just 2 years. I've now had my car just under 3 yrs and it has over 50k. But, I LOVE my resale value. I owe 9k on it and I can sell it for 13-14k in my area. Which is why I dont think I would get the Tib.

So, it comes down to the GTI, TC, and Mazda 3. I do have one other car I havn't looked at yet, and thats the Mini Cooper S. Price is like 22k for the new 06, but I'm thinking if they have an 05 on the lot they will make a deal.

 

Mazda 3's have lousy side impact crash test ratings.....just something to keep in mind.

The TC is going to be 2 - 5 grand cheaper than anything else when all is said and done.

Are you looking at a VR6 or a 1.8T GTI?

Consumer Reports says that the Mini is less reliable than the GTI, which is really saying something.

 

there is no choice

 

Mazda, VW, Scion, and Huyndai

VW: If you wanna fix up ur car and go fast in a small car
Mazda: IMO 4dr family car
Scion: Sporty bang for your buck little above ok in speed
tiburon: cheap version of the tc with bad insurance history

if those are ur choices the gti and the scion are the best choice.

 

1. I had the old Protege and it was a great car as far as being reliable and handled pretty good. The 3 has a nicer interior and more power. I have sat in on and its nice but I have never driven one. I know many people that owned Mazdas and they were all good cars.
2. Never driven or sat in one. Looks nice though. Not sure about the quality although its far better than in the past.
3. My dad has a Golf and its a nice car interior wise. Costs a little more than other cars in its class. Look out for electrical problems. His car has had 2 or 3 of them. Nothing major just a pain in the ___.
4. Nice car for the price. Well equiped with lots of stuff for the price. Has some rattle issues but Ive been able to fix them myself easily. No other issues. I think its a great car.
5. Going to be discontinued after this model year. Very fast. Loud all the time and rides hard. Lots of upgrades for it. The new Neons are reliable. Still ugly inside and outside. Poor reputation from the orginals=poor resale on them all.
6. Slow and not very fun to drive. New ones might be better I dont know. Power would help a lot. Nothing fancy at all and I think its kinda ugly.

I would go for the Mazda if I needed 4 doors since its a little more practical. Since I dont need that the tC is a great choice. I would also give a look at the Cobalt coupe. Its pretty much a improved Ion with fixes for the things that didnt work on the Ion. For some reason not all the improvements for the Cobalt were done on the Ion.

 

OK, honestly now, on a Scion forum what answer did you expect. I'll tell you why I chose a tC.

#1- Reliability. It's a Toyota. My girlfriend sold her old '89 Camry with 430,xxx miles on it. Original engine and tranny. She doesn't even know how to take care of a car, but it ran like a champ. I wanted a car that will last me a long, long time.

#2- Mileage vs. Power. Supercharged or not, it's a good ratio either way.

#3- Style/features. Keyless entry, Glass roof, 17" rims STOCK! Not to mention it just looks sharp.

btw- I test drove an auto too and imo there is a HUGE difference between manual and auto. Go drive a manual and you will fall in love.

You know what my opinion is... I stand by my purchase. 15xxx miles later and no major problems. DO IT!