Scion tC - Recapture Your Youth

I must admit I’m not in my 30’s, or 40’s for that matter however, I will admit driving this sporty little coupe made me drift slightly back in time. And did I mention this feeling can be had at the starting price of $17,800. Not a bad price for a trip down memory lane. Don’t think for a minute that you can’t add a ton of nifty upgrades to trick out this “cute” tC, however they can add up quickly.

My test vehicle had a rear spoiler, Scion Security and a navigation system, which is a must, making my vehicle still less than $21,500. The car was sufficiently equipped and had everything I needed. Of course that could bring us back to the age issue, but let’s not go there. While I’m not a fan of two door cars the third door Liftback came in really handy when loading and unloading groceries. Much easier than loading and unloading passengers in the back seat, I might add, but with only 31.6 inches of rear legroom it tended to feel a bit cramped. The 60/40 split rear seats were a plus when hauling larger items.

I liked the interior. The rich appearance and mix of textures added to its overall appeal. Sitting in the driver’s seat had a cockpit feeling and I felt in control of the car. The sunroof that covers both the first and second row seats adds an element of the outdoors and makes the interior feel bigger and more open. The 160-watt Pioneer audio stereo system with iPod connectivity and auxiliary port also provided great audio capabilities.

Along with the price, the appeal of this car is the many, many choices and options a buyer can add. Kind of like a blank artist’s canvas, you can even add purple neon light under the dash, although I’m not sure that would add to the ride. Scion engineers also included a wide variety of safety features such as Four-wheel antilock brakes, Seat mounted side-impact airbags, first and second row side curtain airbags and driver’s knee airbags. Add all this up and a sleek exterior design, which differs from the other more funky boxy Scion’s, and I think I’d safely say they have a winning vehicle.

I have come to the realization that when I get into a vehicle for the first time, I immediately look at the cup holder options. Call me shallow or just an avid coffee drinker who is seldom without a cup, but I found in talking to other people, women in particular, that this is a very important aspect of how we feel about the vehicle.

On a scale of 1-10
Cup holders – 5½

The tC had four total cup holders which were one size.

By Sandi Pedersen
Car Data Co.