all these posts about the tc being cheaply put together and using the cheap plastics and such make me really think twice about my new baby! I love it so far - its only got about 150 miles on it so far! I plan to modify it quite a bit so i shouldnt have a problem bit yous guys are makin me have second thoughts.....

 

Bah... I've had my tC since they came out and modify more than almost anybody on these forums.... almost.... and LOVE it... it's super solld.

It's a great car and pieces together super easy... you'll hear more negatives than positives here, as no one comes on and says how great their car is running....

 

ahh that makes me feel so much better and its sooooo true - no one comes to talk about how awesome their car is - they come here with problems and such that they need help with! I love my supa white tc so far! get comments on it all the time ( well i have only had it for the week, and get comments usually once a day) and i havent even dont ANYTHING to it yet - i am gonna wait until the winter is over to put all my performance mods on - the only thing i have so far is my subs in the trunk...

 

The tC is no more "cheaply" put together than any other car on the market. I have owned roughly 19 cars over the course of my life, 1 BMW 7 Hondas, 3 Toyotas, 1 Nissan, 5 Fords and 3 Chevys. The BMW which I loved was a 2004 Fully Loaded 325ci it was by far the most fragile car I have ever ever ever owned, and funny it was one of the most expensive I have ever had. I purchased it brand new, so I didn't have that previous owner "issue". Actually I sold it to get my tC, because I was tired of replacing stuff. I have nothing bad to say about any of my Hondas, as for the Fords and Chevys, well lets just say I would not go there for any other reason again, with the exception of a Ford F650 to pull my toyhauler.

My hondas, I replaced fuel sending units, while still under warranty, ac condensers, interior parts, leather seats and so on.

The tC is actually a very good car for the money, I have had very very few problems with mine and I am a very pickey person when it comes to my cars.

Now don't all of you get ____ed at me but there are a lot of very young in experienced people on this site, for some this is their first car, for some this is their first Brand New car. The thing that people are missing is NOTHING is perfect, and this is after all a CAR. I have read the threads about all the problems, I too have had some of my own hatch rattle, sunroof popping, stereo door squeaking, I have even had a wheel crack on my tC, all of which the dealership has taken care of. My tC has not had any more maintanance than that of any of my other vehicles, all in all. I just take it in when I get my normal services done and have the other stuff taken care of. I also own an xB as well, and I have the very same thoughts about my xB. I am even considering purchasing another one for my business.

In recent years Mercedes Benz (the premium car of all cars... ha ha ha) received a lower than average rating in Customer Satisfaction due to problems upon initial delivery for brand new units. All cars have their issues.

Though going to the dealer is a total pain in the ___, if your problems are resolved then where does the real problem lie. I have not heard of massive engine failures, trannies falling out of cars etc. If you are going to complain about scratching your interior, give it a rest, try having an interior with that stupid ___ wood trim and deal with that one. You can't put a Kleenex on that stuff with out causing a scuff mark and replace it, yeah that is a good one. 2 of my hondas had it and so did my BMW.

Trust me when I say the "issues" I read about on scionlife are all relative. Your own experience is what should dictate how you feel about your car.

You made a good choice...

I absolutely adore my car, I would buy another one if (knock on wood) something were to happen to it. It is an awsome car, it looks good, its peppy to drive, it is fun to drive, gets great gas mileage, is comfortable, has a nice ride... and so on. Your the one making the payment don't worry about what others have to say.

 

I couldnt agree more on the bmw. My friend has an 03 3.25i and I am not at all impressed with it. It is ok, but the doors are beginning to sag (21k on the car) and not close properly and he has begun having running problems. BMW's are nice, but highly overrated by the status hungry owners. The consumer reports are highly skewed by this and the fact that people affording a beamer usually are better at taking it in to the dealer for every possible maintenance routine. Not to mention most are traded or sold at low mileage. For the price they are highly over rated. Not to mention they cling to the same body styles for year after year after year.

The tC is built fine, or at least as fine as most other new cars out there. As far as interior, most new cars are lacking in the durability dept. I dont know where everyone got that the civic has such a great interior.. I have never ridden in one over a couple of years old that wasnt full of rattles, warped plastic, etc.

Dont stress on it.. some of the tC's have had some rattles here and there.. but for the most part they are built well. Trust me.. I bet I have had my dash apart more than most doing testing for gauge and console mods and other projects.

Just take care of it and enjoy it. Too many get caught up in the "why are they so cheaply priced" debate, which is simple: They simply charge the bottom dollar they would if a good negotiator came in to buy any other car in the same class. That is all the pure pricing does. Other car companies jack up prices and then haggle, knowing that most customers will give up early and they will end up making more.

And some even now bash its power.. funny how people on their first car complain Go back a few years and find a 16,000 NA 4 banger with 160 hp. That is very decent for a 4 banger like this.. not to mention a reliable one (dont throw in the new VW's either.. I said RELIABLE )

But the bottom line is, there are a ton of kids who would cry if the car had "only" 200 hp, leather seats.. but no heated seats or turbo Most people who have driven a while, spent a good amount of time under a cars hood and owned other cars see the value in the tC. It is peppy for what it is, fun to drive and looks great. Not to mention well priced and full of features.

 

I also don't understand everyone's complaints about the tC. As I've said before, have you ever even been in another car?

Have you ever been in a Nissan Altima? 'nuff said. Thousands of dollars more and the materials look like they were obtained from the local Wal-Mart and cut out with box cutters.

To this day I still have trouble accepting my sister's Altima as a "real" car. Especially once you open the hood - the big ugly nissan logo is made of plastic paper. Guess what happens when you put paper on top of a hot engine? Yea, wrinkles and major warping. Great quality, let me tell ya!

Honestly, the tC is an excellent vehicle. Please stop complaining so much folks!

 

rivrtc

I totally agree with you. I have had approximatley 16 cars since I was 19. 3 of which I still currently own. Cars are cars....though we all love some more than others, they all have their "things". Before I purchased my Tacoma and tC I looked at everything from Toyota to Mercedes to Lexus to BMW. When it comes right down to it I asked myself this.....at the end of the day if I have a problem with a 65,000 car such as a rattle or squeek how would I feel about my money spent? Of all the cars I looked at I realized bang for the buck was the most crucial factor.....regarldless of a Mercedes sign or BMW roundell, cars are machines things happen and to me getting a car loaded with anything I can pretty much desire for 20g.....sign me up! Just adds icing on the cake that it turns out to be a Toyota! So no matter how much money you spend on a car it can and will still squeek, rattle and hopefully roll...... ;-)

 

The altima's fit and finish is very poor.

For the price I agree too that the tC is put together very well but if price weren't an issue then the first thing you would look at would be the dash and other cheap plastics. It is cheap, thus the car being inexpensive.

I have complained about the tC and that is on the seats....no lateral support, but that is well known. O well, I could just buy new seats.

 

bah! i love my tC.

yes it does rattle, but yet, that's what the exhaust is for!

 

people always expect more for less.

people want to pay dirt for gold.

the tc is a great car, i drive one. im happy, its solid and its fast(well mine is) =p

 

I agree with rivrtc. some cars are more expensive for some folk to maintain than they anticipated when they bought it, but classifying bmws as more "fragile" might be inappropriate, imo.

I loved my tC as well but I also understand it is marketed as an entry level coupe with potential to be pretty quick....it was not designed to compete with a BMW product, etc.
;)

 

don't believe what a wanna be scion owner, who's a hater in disguise.

the only opinion that counts is yours. if you like the car, enjoy it.

 

you get what you pay for. i found out the hard way. thats why i drive a civic si now. i still love my tc! i miss it a little bit sometimes

 

Good posting.

A lot of what's been said in here is very, very true.

That being said, I work around a lot of very, very nice cars. Cars of clients, as well as ones I pass on the way to work.

And still, I'm happy to drive what I drive. My car is the perfect balance for me.

I have a first model year tC, so I bought it expecting to have all the problems you have with first model year cars. That's why I have a warranty. And, as has already been said, how many people have had 'serious' problems with their tC?

 

Ding! ding! ding! ding!

That's what the tC is, a perfect balance.

Not everyone wants a car that handles like a go kart, but has a suspension made out of cement blocks.
Not everyone wants a car that accelerates like a ****, but gets 12mpg.

The tC is a perfect balance. It has a fairly comfortable suspension, while having decent handling. It has decent acceleration, yet you won't get your butt kicked by a bus, yet you can hang side by side with an IS300.

It has and engine that gets good power, yet you don't have to rev the motor to death to get it.

It's imbalance in one way, it's price. It really is plenty of car for the money.

 

This is true too, In my 00 celica GTS there were many major problems. One being that everyone and their mother were mishifting and blowing their motors. Synchros were always messing up and there were tons of rattles. My 01 Acura Cl-S had major transmission problems. Almost everyone had a new transmission put in before 40k miles.

 

My sister's civic went thru 3 transmissions before reaching 85,000 miles.