Toyota has a long and storied history of creating some incredible enthusiast machines at budget prices, with machines like the MR2, AE86 Carolla and the Celica carrying forth the torch of fun and tomfoolery. Sadly, all of those machines are now dead and gone. In the entire portfolio of the Toyota family, there is really only car that still looks to fill that gap of stylish, sporty and affordable transportation. That car wears a scion badge and goes by the title of tC. This funky coupe promises speed, fun and space all in a stylish and funky package. For 2014 the Scion tC gets a refreshed exterior design that makes it look more menacing than ever before. But is this car any good, and does it revive the sporty nature of so many cars form Toyota’s past? I spent a week and nearly 1100 miles trying to figure it out..
Here is a detailed review of the 2014 Scion tC.
Starting with the new exterior design, the 2014 Scion tC certainly looks stunning. The signature features of the car like its low profile, flat roof, blacked A-pillars and kinked C-pillar all remain intact, but the front end has been completely restyled to look much more like the RWD drift maniac of the Scion line, the FR-S. The trapezoidal grille, vertical LED foglamps and pointy chin spoiler are all direct pulls from the style guide of the FR-S. To bring these new design touches together with the rest of the car, the tC has a new lower hood and angular headlamps that pull the weight of the new nose into the rest of the cars body.
Tucked under all four corners, the tC has new 18-inch alloy wheels that come standard across the board. The split-spoke design is modern and it looks great with the rest of the car. The back of the car is much more generic than the nose, but our optional rear spoiler couples with the car’s clear taillamps and various horizontal lines help to keep things interesting. The best part of the exterior has to be that paint, though. The color is new for 2014, and Scion calls it Blue Streak Metallic. In certain light it has a subtle sheen that makes it look like a satin finish, but when the sun hits it directly it becomes deep and glossy.
Inside the tC sees some extra equipment for 2014, such as the new Scion Standard Display Audio system that features a 6.1-inch screen. This will soon make its way into every Scion product, but the 2104 tC is the first. Our car didn’t have that new stereo though. Instead this tester came equipped with the all-new BeSpoke Premium Audio upgrade. The stereo has three speakers in each door for maximum sound, and the quality is above par for anything in this class. This upgrade also adds navigation.
The actual interior itself is a nice place to hand out thanks to an outstanding amount of space, comfy seats and a dual sunroof. The sunroof is large up front and opens, while rear passengers get their own smaller sheet of glass. It seems like a small detail, but it really serves to brighten the cabin and make rear passengers more comfortable. If there is a complaint to be had about the inside, it comes down to cheap feeling materials and lack of storage space. Many of the pieces that make up the dash look great with varying textures and colors, but they are constructed of hard plastic and don’t feel very good to the touch. Considering the car’s price-point and segment, it is better than some competitors.
Under to hood of the new tC you will find Toytota’s familiar 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is found across the lineup from the Camry to the Rav4. For the tC it has been tuned to produce 179 horsepower and 174 pounds of twist. With a relatively light curb weight of 3,100 pounds the tC feels sprightly, but not fast. 60 mph arrives from a dead stop in the 7.5 second range, and the car can reach a top speed of about 120 mph. Shuffling the power from the engine to the front wheels is a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission itself is a solid unit with smooth shifts, and it will downshift quickly with a solid stab of the pedal. There is a select-shift mode for sportier driving, but the car refuses to hold a gear to redline, so in most cases it’s not worth messing with. Just leave the car in auto mode and it will sort itself out well enough. Fuel economy gets rated at 23 city, 31 highway and 26 combined. During my time, I saw an average of 29 with mostly highway driving on the clock.
Scion has promised that the new 2014 car will provide enhanced and sporty handling thanks to a revised suspension setup and a stiffer chassis. If you were hoping that this would be the magic piece of the puzzle for making the tC a truly good driver’s toy, I am sad to say you will be disappointed. The tC does stay flat in the corners, and the 225 series rubber on the 18-inch alloys provide plenty of grip, but the car constantly feels a bit twitchy and a bit nervous. Even on straight stretches of highway, it always feels like the car is jittering about slightly. It makes it hard to push the card hard because it is difficult to trust the car to stay planted. At least steering is good. The weight is solid and the nose precisely follows instructions. Feel is lacking, but there are very few cars with solid steering feel now that electric power steering is the norm.
Regardless of how it actually feels to drive, it is still capable of behaving like a hooligan if you so desire. A real hand brake and light steering make it easy to execute graceful sliding turns in your local high-school parking lot. Video evidence can be found in the video review above.
The price of the Scion tC is probably one of its most appealing selling points. Despite the optional stereo upgrade, navigation system, self-dimming mirror and rear spoiler, the total sticker price of our tC after destination is only $23,112. That is $3,000 less than my Volkswagen Golf TDI cost when it was new, and they have nearly identical equipment lists.
The Scion tC may not live up to the performance heritage of Toyota’s past, but the little car is stylish, spacious, practical and affordable. I can see a lot of reasons while someone would choose this over the competition. I am not sure I could give up my German ways and trade in my Golf for a tC, but it still is a pretty solid buy for those younger hooligans in the market.
2014 Scion tC Review Pictures Gallery
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