Overview

The Scion tC is an affordably priced but well-equipped coupe that benefits from Toyota's attention to quality, durability and reliability. Though inexpensive, it is anything but cheap. The body panels fit tight and straight, and quality construction is evident.

The engine is quiet, smooth, and plenty powerful, and the car is surprisingly quiet underway. Its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine generates 160 horsepower and gets an EPA-rated 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Steering, ride quality and handling are commendable. Its four-wheel disc brakes are powerful, and ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution come standard. A full array of airbags is available to enhance safety.

Interior materials are first-rate, and attention to detail is evident. The bucket seats are comfortable and there's enough room to suit tall drivers. A 160-watt stereo is standard and, the 2006 tC gets a host of audio upgrades including compatibility with that latest must-have accessory: the Apple iPod. The tC offers a menu of options that allow owners to build cars unique to their tastes. The tC was launched as an all-new nameplate for 2005, so there are no major changes for 2006.

Model Lineup

The Scion tC ($16,200) comes with all the major comfort and convenience items built in, including air conditioning, power steering, brakes, locks and mirrors, a tilt wheel, a 160-watt Pioneer AM/FM/6CD, sport bucket seats with cloth seating and position memory, two-tiered console, reclining front and rear seats, keyless entry, engine immobilizer, cargo cover, and a dozen other items.

Scion tC is powered by a 160-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It comes standard with a five-speed manual; a four-speed automatic is optional ($17,000).

Safety features include an optional side-impact and curtain air bag system ($650) designed to provide torso and head protection in a side impact, the latter the leading cause of death in side impacts. A knee airbag is standard, along with the mandated dual front airbags. Anti-lock brakes and Electronic Brake-force Distribution are standard.

An optional upgrade for 2006 models allows iPod users to control song selection through the car's stereo head unit.

More than 40 freestanding options are available, ranging from shift knobs to a supercharger kit good for 200 horsepower. Special Toyota Racing Development (TRD) items include 18- and 19-inch wheels, a lowering kit, struts and shock absorbers, rear anti-roll bar, a high-performance clutch, a quick shifter, a stainless steel muffler, and a shift-point indicator light kit.

Walkaround

The look of the Scion tC is one of purposeful performance. The somewhat bland styling of the Scion tC was intentional as it's supposed to offer a blank canvas for hot-rodders and customizers. It doesn't come with spoilers, rocker moldings or wings, but all the ingredients are there.

The panorama glass roof is an unexpected bonus in this price class, designed without gaskets for a tight, no-creaks fit. It filters 97 percent of UV rays and 100 percent of infrared to avoid sunburned occupants.

The doors are quite long for such a small car, and the door handles are of the reach-around-and-pull variety that we like. The long rear side window suggests a two-door sedan more than a hatchback coupe, and makes the design flow from front to rear gracefully. Wheel arches are exaggerated, suggesting that larger tires and wheels will be fitted as soon as the car is bought (or the buyer can opt for the 18- or 19-inch factory wheels and tires).

The body panels fit tight and straight, and quality leaks from every pore.

The Scion tC was the first true Scion and it remains the best of the bunch. Incidentally, while the other Scion models are named xA and xB, the tC is so named because xC would have infringed on Volvo's naming system.

Interior Features

Inside the Scion tC are first-rate materials. There aren't a lot of different grains and textures, and the swoopy brushed-metal center stack housing vents, sound system and climate control system, is a marvel of modern design. Everything fits together beautifully, works intuitively and looks great.

The front bucket seats look and feel like they were designed for racing, but that doesn't mean to say they're too narrow or too hard. We found them very comfortable, with enough fore/aft adjustment to suit tall American drivers regardless of age (including our tall and, shall we say, experienced correspondent). The driver's and shotgun seats can be reclined all the way down into what Scion calls a sleep position.

The rear seats recline through 10 stops and 45 degrees of recline to convert the interior into a conversation bin. With seats up, there's more than 26 inches of cargo length there; with the second seats dropped, almost 60 inches; and with the front passenger seat folded over, almost 104 inches of cargo length available.