2009 Scion tC Sports Coupe 5-Spd MT

Pros

Excellent Performance, Handling, Stereo, Great Mileage

Cons

Engine noise is noticable during highway driving. 6' Tall+ may have legroom issues

Purchased As New

I bought my 2005 tC in Oct of 2004. I ordered it from Toyota and had it personalized to my specs. I Love it. It has been one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. I've already put 80,000+ miles on it and have never had a problem. Extremely reliable, great handling, FUN TO DRIVE. I have a 5 speed and would not have it any other way. All glass roof gives you the feel of a convertable, feels very open. Rear seats drop down, you have room for fishing poles, surfboard and your dog. Great beach cruiser too. I wouldn't trade this car for anything....read morehide

Pros

Everything about this car is awesome

Cons

No hybrid available

Purchased As New

I had a BMW Z3 too small.
I had a Chryler Sebring too big.
This car is just right!!! (I got the baby blue one)
It's cool it's quick, it's compact yet roomy enough for me and I am just over 6 feet. It also has a killer sound system. I love the open feel with all the windows and dual moon roofs....read morehide

Pros

Great Fuel Economy

Cons

Not So Spacious

Purchased As New

I was in the market for a new car in Spring of '05. I was in limbo... at the time all cars looked the same to me. I was aching for a car that stood out, that was unlike any other. So there I am cruising on a local freeway and I spot a car I've never seen before. It looked like quite possibly the offspring of a BMW and a Corolla. So eye catching. The next day, I visited the local Toyota dealer and I was sold. The MPG was too good to be true... I took it upon myself to set my trip miles and from the time the tank was Full, to the time it went Empty, it hit over 330 miles. Not to mention the price! I was a student at the time and it amazed me that I was able to afford it! It has the engine of a Camry, and from my experience, Camrys are very reliable. To this day, not once has it given me any headaches. It has a modern day style. I've had this car for 4 yrs and I still get compliments for my car from complete strangers. Hint: The Black Cherry color mesmorizes the on-lookers. The tC lacks the spaciousness but that's what gives it its cozyness. The features were insane... mine came with XM radio & a 6 CD changer capable of playing MP3 files. Unfortunately, I bought it before the iPod craze so it doesn't have the hook up for MP3 players.
Also, the entire roof of the car is made of tinted glass giving it a sleek look! I got my sunroof, which I can open/close. And my rear seat passengers have their own panoramic sunroof, as well as reclyning seats. What other coupe do know of with reclyning seats?! It drives so comfortably and smoothly. When it comes down to it, this baby corners like its on rails!

The only thing I wish it did have was more space. That's all... I forget that it's a coupe though. The trunk has good space. Not once have I had any passengers complain.

All in all it is a dope ride... very practical, economical and stylish.

I LOVE MY CAR....read morehide

Pros

None

Cons

sunroof, electrical sysytem, door looks

Sunroof will never close right.

Locks stopped working.

Blind spots.

DO NOT BUY! Never try and drive it in the snow!

Pros

Appearance, Standard Features, Rear Leg Room

Cons

Body dents extremely easily, tracking is sub-par, rear end bounces with large bumps

I bought my car new in 2006. I still love it but there are some serious flaws that can get on my nerves on a day to day basis. First, the body on these cars is paper thin. I find a new dent just about every week! Just today I found one on the body above the door panel near the roof. How it got there I have no idea, but that seems like it should be fairly thick steel but it is not. I've also got many other dents in peculiar places such as the top of the fender. If you hit a speed bump at anything less than 3mph, the rear end will max out its suspension travel and make a really rough bump. The seats are pretty poor quality, as mine are already fraying at the seams. My car is only 2 years old and has less than 30k miles on it. The speakers are also pretty bad (as with most Toyotas I have seen). I have also noticed that the car loves to follow uneven patterns in the roads. If there is a slight rut in the road it takes two hands and a fair amount of strength just to keep the car straight. This is more than just an annoyance. It is a serious driving hazard when in wet/icy driving conditions. On the up side, the car performs very well with its relatively small 2.4L 4 cylinder engine. Lots of passing power and highway speed is a breeze. There is a lot of legroom in the vehicle, especially for the passengers in the back seat. Fuel efficiency is decent. I have seen my mileage vary wildly from 18mpg city to 23mpg. It seems pretty dependent on the amount of ethanol that is in the fuel. All in all this is a good vehicle for the price, with some minor flaws....read morehide

Pros

Lots of standard features that would be upgrades in other cars

Cons

Maintenance cost can be expensive and handling is coarse

I have an 05 tC that I bought new in Apr. 05. The buy-in cost of the car is almost irresistible; you get airbags, ABS, CD, AC all for the base sticker. The only real upgrades are side curtain airbags, AT and maybe by now the upgraded engine. Another good point is the use of a timing chain. That eliminates the need to replace the timing belt (tho this assumes your water pump wont need to be swapped out anyway).
HOWEVER...For a car of this size there's very little vertical clearance everywhere. I'm 5'11" and i have maybe 2" of headroom. If you are or have friends 6' or taller, best to look elsewhere. The rear hatch, with the hatch cover in place gives a very shallow 16" of height, i.e. the height of a wine case. The service intervals are every 5k miles. This can be a real pain if you tend to change your oil more frequently. Initially I was allowed to adhere to the Toyota 7500 mi intervals. Not anymore. Tires are expensive too, owing to their speed rating and ultra low profile. Average cost for a set of 4 is about 800 bucks. Paint chips if you look at it wrong. Handling is pretty crude owing mostly to the nose heavy weight distribution (69/31). On the upside, it's got lots torque up front and more than decent hp. The interior is nice and comfy and firm enough for those slaloms the suspension can't handle (drr). With the seats down, it can swallow a lot of cargo too. The design was pretty forward thinking back in 05. Oh yeah, another gotcha is a high insurance. Early on, the tC played outside it's target demographic, attracting a lot of 30-45 yr olds. No more. It's target demo (18-26 probably) has found the car and has similarly driven the insurance rate for this beast into the top 10%. I average 27mpg stop and go freeway. If I keep it below 75mph I get decent mileage. Above that and the mpg falls like a rock. Which I guess helps keep me right with the law....read morehide

Pros

Excellent performance, good fuel economy, great value.

Cons

Intstruments difficult to read.

Purchased new in 2005, vehicle has performed faultlessly during 33,00 miles, averaging about 25 mpg.
The best value coupe on the market. Superb engine/transmission, looks great too.