2008 Scion tC 2.4L from North America
Summary:
Perfectly practical car that feels fun
Faults:
Nothing that I care about has gone wrong.
A few very nit-picking things:
My seat belt buckle squeaks sometimes.
The sunroof rattles a little when opened on bumpy roads.
General Comments:
Very reliable, looks good, handles well, and is comfortable on 1,500 mile road trips with me as the only driver, driving straight through. Love the sunroof.
Not as "racey" feeling as its competitors, but the torquey engine has always had more power than I've needed, and I almost never have to rev over 4,000 RPM. I can pass most people with just a little pressure on the pedal. It can get down and go when I want it to.
Stereo isn't custom quality sound, but with a little fiddling, it sounds about as good as anyone can expect a factory stereo to sound. I, unlike many reviews I read, am impressed with the output of the tiny 6" factory sub that takes no trunk space away. I would like a little more tune-ability. The speakers can put out a lot sound, but I am pretty picky about what frequencies I hear.
Seat can feel a little weird at times, but like I said, I've spent 10 hours straight in that driver's seat, and felt fine at the end of the day.
It handles well. It doesn't have that nimble, playful kind of feel to it, but it sticks well, responds how you would expect, lets you know what's going on, and feels pretty well balanced for a front wheel drive car.
Oil changes are easy to do, and that is pretty much all you have to do on this car. 40,000 feels, sounds and looks exactly like 20,000 miles. I expect big things with the Camry drive train in it.
I think my only complaint is the torque converter. I guess Toyota wanted the tC to feel sporty, so it feels like it has a slightly higher stall torque converter. You start to ease on the gas pedal, and after a second, all of the sudden, wham, you lurch forward. Driving style can be adjusted to it, but still, every so often, I slip up and look like I'm learning to drive a stick or play boy racer.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd October, 2012
13th Oct 2016, 06:02
Thank you for the review and update; I found it very helpful.
22nd Feb 2017, 23:00
Agreed! This contained just about anything I'd think to ask.
3rd Oct 2016, 18:07
Update: 10/3/2016 - Still going strong. I have been commuting about 500 miles/week for a couple of years now, throw in a few more road trips and I'm up to 114,000 miles. I've also used it to tow a pair of jet skis through the mountains of TN for a family vacation, and a Harley Softail from OH to FL and back.
- I had the coolant and trans flushed, and new set of tires put on around 70k.
- The pins on one of the rear calipers stopped sliding, so I needed a new caliper. I used this as an opportunity to do new pads and rotors all around at about 80k.
- My rear swing-arm bushings are worn, and my sway bar clunks a little on speed bumps. Started around 100k.
- My sunroof switch started getting finicky for opening the sunroof around 90k, and stopped around 110k, but the close button always worked fine.
I'm getting worried about what I'll buy to replace this car when it's time. I can't find anything else on the market that will let me haul stuff and 4 passengers, get about 30 MPG for highway commuting at 80 mph, pull a trailer when needed, and pass people with ease this reliably.