2011 Scion tC Sneak Peek
03-26-2010, 06:31 AM
#21
I have a TC and it is a good car but Jesus is it one of the most boring cars I have ever driven. The seating position is good for little more than gangster leaning, the visibility is poor, and it dives like a boat. It's been very reliable and comfortable but I would hardly call it sporty. My 95 four door automatic Civic is considerably more fun to drive.
03-26-2010, 09:49 AM
#22
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Originally Posted by TRDLiquidSilver,Mar 25 2010, 04:07 PM
sporty compared to a corolla or matrix. when i drove it back in 2004 and again last month i thought it was fairly neutral at 7/10th spirited driving. when the car does lose grip its a light understeer that can be easily corrected. never experienced torque steer in the 2010 we drove for comparisons as the one poster mentioned.
03-26-2010, 03:39 PM
#23
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Mr.E.G.,Mar 26 2010, 06:31 AM
I have a TC and it is a good car but Jesus is it one of the most boring cars I have ever driven. The seating position is good for little more than gangster leaning, the visibility is poor, and it dives like a boat. It's been very reliable and comfortable but I would hardly call it sporty. My 95 four door automatic Civic is considerably more fun to drive.
http://www.insideline.com/features/1998-ac...a-civic-si.html
03-26-2010, 03:59 PM
#24
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Abdizzle,Mar 26 2010, 09:49 AM
No idea what you're talking about. The car understeers like a pig just like it's designed to and the 900LBS of panoramic sunroof/moonroof doesn't help with it's center of gravity either. It's a basic commuter car in my opinion, and it does a great job in doing that.
03-26-2010, 04:47 PM
#26
Originally Posted by TRDLiquidSilver,Mar 25 2010, 04:07 PM
sporty compared to a corolla or matrix. when i drove it back in 2004 and again last month i thought it was fairly neutral at 7/10th spirited driving. when the car does lose grip its a light understeer that can be easily corrected. never experienced torque steer in the 2010 we drove for comparisons as the one poster mentioned.
it's the perfect car for someone who wants a corolla but wants something sportier and snazzier, but it's def due for an update, well see how the new one turns out.
03-26-2010, 05:02 PM
#27
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by TheDonEffect,Mar 26 2010, 04:47 PM
yeah against cars like the corolla it's sporty but against a civic ex, it falls short despite being underpowered. It has a slow steering rack, numb and overly light like a camry, uninspiring shifter and pedals. Everything is really smooth and effortless and in that lies the problem. And yea it does understeer pretty badly and rolls more than I'd like it to.
it's the perfect car for someone who wants a corolla but wants something sportier and snazzier, but it's def due for an update, well see how the new one turns out.
it's the perfect car for someone who wants a corolla but wants something sportier and snazzier, but it's def due for an update, well see how the new one turns out.
insideline:http://www.insideline.com/scion/tc/2...-scion-tc.html
The five-speed manual transmission is equally impressive, thanks to a very smooth clutch and perfectly spaced gears that allow for comfortable around-town cruising in fourth gear without the need to constantly row the shifter around looking for extra power. Speaking of the shifter, it is mounted in the dash at a 45-degree angle similar to the way Alfa Romeo used to set up its Spyder. While an aftermarket unit with shorter throws would be a nice option, the standard unit feels very precise and is easy to operate.
There's no better way to really put a car's suspension to the test than to drive the twisty two-lane roads that carve up the mountains north of Los Angeles, and we did just that with the tC on a hot summer day. We found the brakes very strong and easy to modulate, offering excellent feedback through the firm pedal and minimal fade, even after repeated hard stops. The suspension is equally as impressive, benefiting from a combination of firm tuning and very sticky tires (the same tires that are available on the Lexus IS 300). We noticed very little body roll in the corners, yet the ride was surprisingly soft and compliant.
The 2005 Scion tC does not drive like a typical Toyota — it feels extremely nimble and tight, and the harder you push it, the more it hunkers down and grabs the road. Road noise is minimal and wind noise is nonexistent, and the huge three-way adjustable panoramic sunroof is an extremely cool feature that lets in an amazing amount of scenery and a minimal amount of heat. The only odd aspect was the soft fabric retractable shade, but for $16 grand we're not going to make an issue out of it, especially considering a sunroof of any kind is an added expense on any other car in this class.
There's no better way to really put a car's suspension to the test than to drive the twisty two-lane roads that carve up the mountains north of Los Angeles, and we did just that with the tC on a hot summer day. We found the brakes very strong and easy to modulate, offering excellent feedback through the firm pedal and minimal fade, even after repeated hard stops. The suspension is equally as impressive, benefiting from a combination of firm tuning and very sticky tires (the same tires that are available on the Lexus IS 300). We noticed very little body roll in the corners, yet the ride was surprisingly soft and compliant.
The 2005 Scion tC does not drive like a typical Toyota — it feels extremely nimble and tight, and the harder you push it, the more it hunkers down and grabs the road. Road noise is minimal and wind noise is nonexistent, and the huge three-way adjustable panoramic sunroof is an extremely cool feature that lets in an amazing amount of scenery and a minimal amount of heat. The only odd aspect was the soft fabric retractable shade, but for $16 grand we're not going to make an issue out of it, especially considering a sunroof of any kind is an added expense on any other car in this class.
03-26-2010, 08:48 PM
#28
Registered User
Originally Posted by TheDonEffect,Mar 26 2010, 04:47 PM
It has a slow steering rack, numb and overly light like a camry
03-28-2010, 09:57 AM
#29
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by AutoSid,Mar 26 2010, 08:48 PM
wait, the steering is light?? honestly it might be my tC, but its not light at all..
we also had for a day a civic ex, golf, mazda3-sport and i thought for a 6yr old car the tC did very well. the sportiest in order was the 3, golf, tC and civic. the civic needed a better set of wheels and tires. it would squeal at 7/10th driving and i wasn't hitting road paint.
03-28-2010, 12:02 PM
#30
Actually, I'm not comparing the tC to sportscars. At the time I had an EP3 civic SI, which on paper was essentially the same kind of car. Fwd, 160hp, etc. Both cars were aimed at the same market, but I will say that the civic road a lot more stiffer benefitting from not having to draw in would be EX buyers.
The steering thing that I'm eluding to is not subjective, the tC turns lock to lock in 3.15 turns vs. 2.7ish for the civics (at almost every trim level). Sound trivial? Ask people who drove STIs vs. EVOs and report back. A lot of people judge turn in impressions (wrongfully) on that fact alone.
Every review I read said the the same thing I said, shifter was smooth and easy, pedals are easy to engage, etc etc. And it is subjective, which I constantly criticise on these boards. Me, I found the shifter effortless but somewhat rubbery, a lil long but on par with its rivals. Steering was a bit light and vague, the weight doesnt increase as you turn in more or at speeds like how civics do, it behaves for better or worse like a corolla/camry.
I spent a good amount of seat time in that car since my roommate at the time had one, and I thought it was a great car. Since then, I drove the current generation civic and found that to be better, and in SI form it wasnt even close.
The steering thing that I'm eluding to is not subjective, the tC turns lock to lock in 3.15 turns vs. 2.7ish for the civics (at almost every trim level). Sound trivial? Ask people who drove STIs vs. EVOs and report back. A lot of people judge turn in impressions (wrongfully) on that fact alone.
Every review I read said the the same thing I said, shifter was smooth and easy, pedals are easy to engage, etc etc. And it is subjective, which I constantly criticise on these boards. Me, I found the shifter effortless but somewhat rubbery, a lil long but on par with its rivals. Steering was a bit light and vague, the weight doesnt increase as you turn in more or at speeds like how civics do, it behaves for better or worse like a corolla/camry.
I spent a good amount of seat time in that car since my roommate at the time had one, and I thought it was a great car. Since then, I drove the current generation civic and found that to be better, and in SI form it wasnt even close.
