2011 Scion tC (900)

Overview:

This week we’re looking at the All-new Scion tC compact sports coupe a favorite among tuners, from the view of colleague Vince Bodiford. Other columns can be seen at his website www.theweekenddrive.com.

Scion is Toyota’s youth brand, and it continues to excite interest in their cars, especially with the introduction of the all-new Scion tC. It’s the second-generation of the tC coupe, and it’s a hands-down favorite among import tuners.

The impact of the youth and tuner market on the car business is significant. Scion exists today because Toyota listened to Gen X’rs in the US and Japan who were demanding radically different cars. The result is the full line of Scion – as well as other cool competing brands like the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul. The spark even influences hybrids and all-electric cars, like the Nissan Leaf.

So it’s no surprise this new Scion tC is the result of a collaborative design with input from real customers. Those customers asked for and got this new tC, which adds new styling, enhanced performance, and technologies that add to the driver’s experience. It delivers all that, and it’s a great value with more power, better fuel efficiency, great driving dynamics, and lots of safety features.

The all-new 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine offers the latest in efficient, lightweight technology. It makes 180-bhp, 19 more than the previous model, and 11 additional lbs.-ft of torque. There are two all-new six-speed transmissions. The manual transmission features tight shifts that are direct and precise. The automatic transmission boasts sequential shifting, providing an additional fun-to-drive element.

The 2011 tC is fun to drive, with plenty of road handling ability. It rides on an enhanced platform, including a MacPherson strut front-suspension and a double-wishbone rear-suspension that were specially tuned to offer the driver a sporty ride that is both nimble and confident.

The tC’s all-new design projects a bolder, more aggressive stance. Inspired by the Calty-designed Scion FUSE concept, the tC is a visually high-impact sports coupe with simple and unique elements. The designers took inspiration from the athletic look of a racing helmet. As a result, one of the boldest design features of the new tC is the sleek cabin shape with wrap-around window graphics that add to its sporty profile.

The sporty design of the new tC carries over to the interior with a look and feel that is sophisticated, sporty and functional. The front cabin design provides a driver-centered cockpit with spaciousness and freedom for the front passenger. The sporty new tC does not sacrifice driver and passenger comfort. As part of the redesign, engineers made significant interior upgrades in the area of driver and passenger comfort and convenience.

In keeping with the needs of youthful buyers, the tC features powerful standard and optional audio systems – some of which are shared with the Lexus LX570. Standard is a Pioneer AM/FM/CD unit with USB iPod® connectivity, with an optional Alpine unit.

Well worth the cost is the optional Scion Navigation System, featuring an audio/video/navigation unit with a seven-inch LCD touch screen. The system also has iPod® connectivity, Bluetooth® Hands-free mobile phone communication and Bluetooth® Streaming Audio.

The all-new Scion tC is positioned to attract a youthful buyer that demands a high level of standard equipment and quality at an affordable price. The tC starts with a suggested retail price of $18,275 with manual transmission, and $19,275 with the automatic transmission. Options and destination charges are extra. Coupled with Toyota’s legendary life-span and reliability, it’s a great value.

It’s that affordable price range that helps all Scion models enjoy sales success. All models come with Scion’s 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle warranty, and complimentary maintenance services at the first 5,000 mile and 10,000 mile intervals, to be performed by an authorized Scion or Toyota dealership.

Recognized Competition:

Scion tC $19,000, Chevrolet Cruze $17,000, Dodge Caliber $17,000, Ford Focus $17,000, Honda Civic $16,000, Honda CR-Z $20,000, Hyundai Genesis Coupe $22,000, Hyundai Veloster $17,000, Kia Forte Koup $17,000, Mazda 3 $15,000, Mini Cooper $19,000, Mitsubishi Eclipse $19,000, Nissan Versa $14,000, Subaru Impreza $20,000, Toyota Corolla $18,000, Volkswagen Beetle $18,000.

Gas Stats:

$3.47/ Gal avg. December 26, 2011

www.fueleconomy.gov

for more information.

23 City and 31 Highway MPG

Pricing:

MSRP $18,275.