Zack, Rather than being a sort of "coupe Camry,"' 1:24 the Scion tC is actually a Toyota Avensis coupe. The Avensis also served as a base for the short lived Lexus HS 250h. Many would say the greatest Avensis of all was the wagon sold in Europe.🥳🥳 Today in Japan there is a car that is more 'Sciony' than just about any Scion ever sold here. It is called the Toyota Probox .
Easter eggs: - This car is called tC because Scions naming scheme was “x” + the ABCs (xA, xB, xD). However they couldn’t use xC because of the Volvo XC -lineup, so they picked a lowercase “t”, because if you rotate it slightly it becomes an x, making it the xC. - You can remove both headrests and fold the front seats completely flat, while also reclining the backseats backwards. This much flat space gives you just enough room to create essentially a bed for two people…Scion called it a “social space”. And I definitely utilized it to “socialize” with a few young ladies back in college. Disclaimer: FR-S doesn’t follow the naming scheme because Scion wasn’t really tracking the development of that car and it almost arrived in the U.S. as a Toyota model, until Scion’s CEO begged for Scion to get the car instead at the last minute.
Scions were interesting. They might not have gotten youth buyers (who usually can't afford new cars) but they were interesting, fun little cars. For Toyota to come out with a new brand in the 2000s and for it to do fairly well was impressive. These weren't bad cars. It always bothered me that 2/3 of the center brake light was fake. The whole thing looks like it should light up.
I got a 2010 tc as my first manual car in 2022. Put more money into it then i would like to admit. Mostly performance mods and oem options. Trd exhaust, air filter, coilovers, strut brace, and short shifter. Oem ground fx kit and wing and a couple other subtle aftermarket cosmetics. Enkei ts5 wheels and performance summer tires. Also very underrated is a professionally done alignment. I take it on canyon runs and to work. I've used it on road trips. I've used it for small furniture. It's extremely versatile and fun. It's just horribly slow. But despite that i still love it.
Nice mod list! I had an 08 xB with the same engine. I did the same, dropped in TRD intake, exhaust, springs and rear sway bar. It did well for what it was in the handling department but honestly a Matrix XRS was a better performer for the same money. TRD did make a great sounding intake and exhaust though!
1:24, no, it's not. Toyota was selling the Solara at the same time, with both engines (this 2.4 and the 3.3 V6) from the Camry. This Scion TC platform was based on the 2nd generation Toyota Avensis (2003-2009) which was sold in Europe and Africa.
it was a smart decision. toyota had been progressively lowering the quality of scion products through the years. also, scions brand was towards people who would modify cars, but there was never enough aftermarket support to keep scion alive. You cant create a product that requires someone elses products in order to succeed.
@@Banom7aAgreed, the FR-S really ruined any chances for the tC to live on. Too much overlap and FR-S was just a better performing chassis for the money.
i have had my 05 tc for a little over five years and it runs great! the mentioned oil burning issue is annoying but you get used to it. its never let me down and that is why i keep driving it!!
The Scion TC was the first car I preordered off the internet in 2004. Purchased the manual version for I think $16,495 and got it in June or July of 2004. I remember the glass roof would make a shaking sound when I drove and I was going to take it back to the dealership to fix but the glass seemed to fix itself after a few months and the rattle was gone.
I remember when these were brand hammer new. Hard to believe almost 20 years ago. Nowadays a kid around the corner from me has a maroon one and its in typical salt belt condition...rot holes in the rockers, around the rear wheel arches, sagging rear bumper cover and the typical exhaust leak in the flex pipe. Not saying bad cars, my cousin bought one in 05 new complete with the TRD supercharger and exhaust, just sad to see em in that condition Nowadays
I have stock TC with few dings but still shiny. It's parked in the garage sometimes. One of my motor mounts did rust out but the rest of the car is in better condition than the one in the video.
The best damn thing about Toyota coupes is they never needed special "sport suspension", hi-rev engine, etc to be a plain fun car (unlike Chevrolet, Pontiac or Saturn).
I am owning now such a scion tC 2006 the one and only in Germany 🇩🇪 it is such a great car for german autobahns it goes 210 km/h easily, making porsche and benz drivers moving back ! ❤love scion !
Great review! I have a 2010 and love it! About the back seats, if u pull up the lever by the head rest they actually recline. Also the front seats fold flat too
I miss this car so much. My 2006 scion tc lasted until September of 2021 when a flood ruined it…. 😭 It was 15 years old and only had 115,000 miles on it…. That car would have lasted until 2030 - I took such good care of it
I’m looking at a 2006 with 130xxx rn for 4k how was your experience with the vehicle? I’ve never driven one excited to go give it a look for the price, I always wanted one growing up
I remember really wanting one of these back in the day. By that point, the Celica had been discontinued for a few years and figured it would be a responsible car for a young private like myself. Then I saw the teasers of Toyota and Subaru teaming up for the FT86 project and decided to hold out for an FR-S. After a handful of years, the FR-S came out and I drove the tC and FR-S back to back and the choice was obvious. Still, I thought they were cool little cars!
My friend has a 2014 tC and I was genuinely surprised at how much room was in the back; it felt as big as my dads ‘15 corolla. Funnily enough we fit 6 people in the car once (2 front, 4 back) but I bet the 2.5 in it wasn’t happy 😭
These cars are definitely bigger on the inside. You wouldn't think one this size could comfortably seat four adults, but it can. With the rear seats folded, it also has just enough floor space for a full size Ikea desk (63" x 31 1/2") or a 65" TV, both of which I've managed to fit, even with a subwoofer installed (one of those Bazooka fiberglass units that bolts into the side). It's actually starting to be a problem because I need to replace this car soon, and the only modern vehicles with this kind of cargo capacity are big, bloated crossovers. Specifically, there aren't a lot of small cars with 65" of distance between the rear door and front seat backs needed to fit longer items. Edit: I should have watched the whole video first lol. Exact same example of a 65" TV (except I've never been able to do it in the original box).
After Scion was shut down, the Scion iA (actually a Mazda 2) became the Toyota Yaris and was canceled in 2020 and the Scion iM became the Corolla iM and was replaced with the redesigned 2020 Corolla Hatchback
I have a 05 rav4 manual with the same engine, it burns 1 liter of oil every couple months lol. It’s still a fun little whip, good for trips to the dog park.
The oil burning issue was ‘07-‘09 or ‘10 when they changed the piston rings. I’ve had my ‘05 (83k) since new and it doesn’t burn oil either, and I never plan to get rid of it.
"and one more thing hand over information on project Genesis " "Project Genesis ...whats that ?" "Dont insult my Intelligence Kirk ....you have ....60 seconds"
That driver seat isn’t in a naturally reclining position when you’re sitting behind it. It doesn’t look like you’d fit if you were to actually drive in front of yourself.
I've found that the back seats in my tC have more legroom than a lot of sedans. Most of my height is in my legs though, which means my head wasn't getting smashed into the rear glass like Zack's.
@@ChristopherT_ I would say I add two of the small bottles of oil before I hit 3,000 miles. I like to keep it at the top of the dot on the dip stick. I do get the oil changed every 3k miles.
I have a 2011, fun and reliable but yea the interior is pretty cheap. The back of my seats dont even have a board, you can feel all the metal through the cloth.
@@Brian_Eugene_Lee I don't remember the last time I played it was like 8-7 years ago not sure maybe I played it 3 years ago but wasn't focusing on the story
as I understand, the oil problems started in 2007 maybe? my 2006 never had issues personally, can't attest for other owners. When the scion enthusiast group was large, it wasn't an issue until later times. The Scion tC is based on the Euro Avensis sedan essentially. It was one of the first toyota products with the panoramic moonroof, they were trying to push Lexus goodies down to the plebians. Needless to say I fell for the advertising, great car, but I still can't afford a Lexus as a millenial.
I preordered one of these in 2003. The only thing I didn't like about it was how clunky the manual transmission was. I moved from Virginia to California and stuffed all my belongings in the back of the car.
No leaks no oil burn in my first gen TC with easy to remember 5k oil changes. Do not wait 10k or you will burn oil. Roof motor stopped working after 17 years. Motor mounts started rattling after 10 years. Paint quality is better than Corolla. Automatic is reliable but feels cheap and boring.
That was probably a wise choice. My manual 2007 tC has been nothing but trouble. I've had the exact same clutch pressure plate and master/slave cylinder failure twice in three years in mine and I'm already starting to see warning signs that it's about to happen a third time at only 134,000 miles. I think the lesson learned here is: if you want a manual, get a Honda.
This man zack did two videos on two cars that are currently in my side of the fleet (my girl has a 2nd gen IS) a 1st gen tC and…. a 560 w126 😂. Thanks man.
Toyotas of this era had horrid plastics in general. My mom's 2014 Sienna has the exact same dash material as this tC (same pattern and everything, except in beige). In a $40,000 minivan.
Car companies pay to have good ratings, you do realize this? A 2003 f150 gets a 0/5, but a 2020 smart car gets 5/5, despite both having the same test results - damage to head... But in the smart car one, the company reviewing it was obviously paid. He glossed over that issue as if it didn't matter, and gave it a 5/5. Ford doesn't miss payments nowadays so they get 5/5
@TheRealCatof "even though the dummy's head suffered major injury from hitting the steering wheel, we still choose to give it a 5 star" It's right there in the 5/5 "government" rating. The government is the most corrupt organ of this country so please don't joke
Another great review Zack! Appreciate you reviewing my tC!
Looks so well maintained good job man
Zack, Rather than being a sort of "coupe Camry,"' 1:24 the Scion tC is actually a Toyota Avensis coupe. The Avensis also served as a base for the short lived Lexus HS 250h. Many would say the greatest Avensis of all was the wagon sold in Europe.🥳🥳 Today in Japan there is a car that is more 'Sciony' than just about any Scion ever sold here. It is called the Toyota Probox .
If I recall correctly, the Solara is the Camry coupe.
@@daylightman8459 Correct!!!
Thanks for the info but I really hope Zack is gonna reply to you 😂
Always someone reviewing a car they hate.
Easter eggs:
- This car is called tC because Scions naming scheme was “x” + the ABCs (xA, xB, xD). However they couldn’t use xC because of the Volvo XC -lineup, so they picked a lowercase “t”, because if you rotate it slightly it becomes an x, making it the xC.
- You can remove both headrests and fold the front seats completely flat, while also reclining the backseats backwards. This much flat space gives you just enough room to create essentially a bed for two people…Scion called it a “social space”. And I definitely utilized it to “socialize” with a few young ladies back in college.
Disclaimer: FR-S doesn’t follow the naming scheme because Scion wasn’t really tracking the development of that car and it almost arrived in the U.S. as a Toyota model, until Scion’s CEO begged for Scion to get the car instead at the last minute.
Ayo🤨
@@alexcuevas5633 @moldyrefrigerator *tc literally stands for "touring coupe"
Can the second gen front seats also fold down completely flat? Actually, I'm going to try it tomorrow. I have a 2012.
Scions were interesting. They might not have gotten youth buyers (who usually can't afford new cars) but they were interesting, fun little cars. For Toyota to come out with a new brand in the 2000s and for it to do fairly well was impressive. These weren't bad cars.
It always bothered me that 2/3 of the center brake light was fake. The whole thing looks like it should light up.
I got a 2010 tc as my first manual car in 2022. Put more money into it then i would like to admit. Mostly performance mods and oem options. Trd exhaust, air filter, coilovers, strut brace, and short shifter. Oem ground fx kit and wing and a couple other subtle aftermarket cosmetics. Enkei ts5 wheels and performance summer tires. Also very underrated is a professionally done alignment. I take it on canyon runs and to work. I've used it on road trips. I've used it for small furniture. It's extremely versatile and fun. It's just horribly slow. But despite that i still love it.
Real.
Nice mod list! I had an 08 xB with the same engine. I did the same, dropped in TRD intake, exhaust, springs and rear sway bar. It did well for what it was in the handling department but honestly a Matrix XRS was a better performer for the same money. TRD did make a great sounding intake and exhaust though!
1:24, no, it's not. Toyota was selling the Solara at the same time, with both engines (this 2.4 and the 3.3 V6) from the Camry. This Scion TC platform was based on the 2nd generation Toyota Avensis (2003-2009) which was sold in Europe and Africa.
I felt toyota did a huge disservice when they discontinued the tc. IMO They could’ve carried on and brought back the celica name
it was a smart decision. toyota had been progressively lowering the quality of scion products through the years. also, scions brand was towards people who would modify cars, but there was never enough aftermarket support to keep scion alive. You cant create a product that requires someone elses products in order to succeed.
it overlapped with the FR-S/86/BR-Z which is a smart move from them to stop there.
@@Banom7aAgreed, the FR-S really ruined any chances for the tC to live on. Too much overlap and FR-S was just a better performing chassis for the money.
Able to carry a TV is a big advantage that hatchbacks have over sedans like the Corolla
I carried a big TV in my 2016 VW Jetta sedan. It has fold down rear seats.
i have had my 05 tc for a little over five years and it runs great! the mentioned oil burning issue is annoying but you get used to it. its never let me down and that is why i keep driving it!!
How many miles on it now?
I Wish they would have put the 2zz from the Celica /matrix Xrs in this.also, surprised the XB first gen wasn’t the sales leader at that time .
The Scion TC was the first car I preordered off the internet in 2004. Purchased the manual version for I think $16,495 and got it in June or July of 2004. I remember the glass roof would make a shaking sound when I drove and I was going to take it back to the dealership to fix but the glass seemed to fix itself after a few months and the rattle was gone.
Nice to see an older Japanese HB/coupe that isn't riced out like the same vintage Civic would be. Still looks good.
I remember this car in Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition Remix on the PS2 lmao. Time flies man
I remember when these were brand hammer new. Hard to believe almost 20 years ago. Nowadays a kid around the corner from me has a maroon one and its in typical salt belt condition...rot holes in the rockers, around the rear wheel arches, sagging rear bumper cover and the typical exhaust leak in the flex pipe. Not saying bad cars, my cousin bought one in 05 new complete with the TRD supercharger and exhaust, just sad to see em in that condition Nowadays
I have stock TC with few dings but still shiny. It's parked in the garage sometimes. One of my motor mounts did rust out but the rest of the car is in better condition than the one in the video.
The best damn thing about Toyota coupes is they never needed special "sport suspension", hi-rev engine, etc to be a plain fun car (unlike Chevrolet, Pontiac or Saturn).
I know opinions do vary, but my Saturn SC2 is a dang fun car to drive.
I can also see that the Scion tC looks just as fun.
I know you're thinking about the J body cars hahaha. I daily drive a 97 sunfire coupe.
@@Brennan-c5o
Someone needs to swap an LS4 into one
FWD 5.3 liter V8 ..
Your reviews are solid and entertaining keep it up! 🔥
they really are
I am owning now such a scion tC 2006 the one and only in Germany 🇩🇪 it is such a great car for german autobahns it goes 210 km/h easily, making porsche and benz drivers moving back !
❤love scion !
1:22 -[narrator voice] It is not a coupe Camry. Toyota sold a coupe Camry named Solara.
Absolutely loving your channel
Great review! I have a 2010 and love it! About the back seats, if u pull up the lever by the head rest they actually recline.
Also the front seats fold flat too
These really were cute little cars. My coworker had one. She loved it.
I miss this car so much. My 2006 scion tc lasted until September of 2021 when a flood ruined it…. 😭
It was 15 years old and only had 115,000 miles on it…. That car would have lasted until 2030 - I took such good care of it
I’m looking at a 2006 with 130xxx rn for 4k how was your experience with the vehicle? I’ve never driven one excited to go give it a look for the price, I always wanted one growing up
It was the first review of this car that brought me to this channel.
I remember really wanting one of these back in the day. By that point, the Celica had been discontinued for a few years and figured it would be a responsible car for a young private like myself. Then I saw the teasers of Toyota and Subaru teaming up for the FT86 project and decided to hold out for an FR-S. After a handful of years, the FR-S came out and I drove the tC and FR-S back to back and the choice was obvious. Still, I thought they were cool little cars!
My friend has a 2014 tC and I was genuinely surprised at how much room was in the back; it felt as big as my dads ‘15 corolla. Funnily enough we fit 6 people in the car once (2 front, 4 back) but I bet the 2.5 in it wasn’t happy 😭
These cars are definitely bigger on the inside. You wouldn't think one this size could comfortably seat four adults, but it can. With the rear seats folded, it also has just enough floor space for a full size Ikea desk (63" x 31 1/2") or a 65" TV, both of which I've managed to fit, even with a subwoofer installed (one of those Bazooka fiberglass units that bolts into the side).
It's actually starting to be a problem because I need to replace this car soon, and the only modern vehicles with this kind of cargo capacity are big, bloated crossovers. Specifically, there aren't a lot of small cars with 65" of distance between the rear door and front seat backs needed to fit longer items.
Edit: I should have watched the whole video first lol. Exact same example of a 65" TV (except I've never been able to do it in the original box).
Yup, the second gen TC was hungry on gas mileage if you carry heavy passengers in the back.
@@dogie8c The gearing was set up for acceleration so highway mileage was poor compared to other cars using the 2.5 engine.
Surprisingly this channel has Nice detailed review.
After Scion was shut down, the Scion iA (actually a Mazda 2) became the Toyota Yaris and was canceled in 2020 and the Scion iM became the Corolla iM and was replaced with the redesigned 2020 Corolla Hatchback
This Scion used the same engine as the Toyota Camry
And the Celica
Such a shame Toyota killed this brand.
Scion 'style' lives on in the form of today's Prius.
I owned one of these and I hit a deer with it in 2017 and the insurance totaled it out.
Interesting fact; I used to have a diecast DubCity Scion tC from my first ever trip to the states (circa 2005).
I always thought the looks of those reminds me of a Volvo. I like it!
Somehow these still hold their value, great car tho, I can see why
Hold value? I can find these for like 4k lmao😂
Those things were everywhere!
How’d you neglect to mention the trick sunroof’s?
I have a 05 rav4 manual with the same engine, it burns 1 liter of oil every couple months lol. It’s still a fun little whip, good for trips to the dog park.
I have a 2006 auto tc. Absolutely love the car. Mine has low miles and doesn’t burn any oil. The back seats surprisingly have a good amount of room.
The oil burning issue was ‘07-‘09 or ‘10 when they changed the piston rings. I’ve had my ‘05 (83k) since new and it doesn’t burn oil either, and I never plan to get rid of it.
Have you had to do anything big maintenance wise?
@@ethanpope410 I haven't had to do anything to the car other than brakes, tires and battery.
@@chadb3363 I appreciate it man!
@@ethanpope410 I’ve only owned it for a year but the only thing I’ve had to do was replace the trunk lift supports
Loved this video
"and one more thing hand over information on project Genesis "
"Project Genesis ...whats that ?"
"Dont insult my Intelligence Kirk ....you have ....60 seconds"
That driver seat isn’t in a naturally reclining position when you’re sitting behind it. It doesn’t look like you’d fit if you were to actually drive in front of yourself.
I've found that the back seats in my tC have more legroom than a lot of sedans. Most of my height is in my legs though, which means my head wasn't getting smashed into the rear glass like Zack's.
Still driving my 2007 TC with 253k miles. No major repairs.
Ted, how much oil do you add in, say, 2500-5000 miles?
@@ChristopherT_ I would say I add two of the small bottles of oil before I hit 3,000 miles. I like to keep it at the top of the dot on the dip stick. I do get the oil changed every 3k miles.
Always someone reviewing a car they hate..
I love those thats my favorite scion I woud probably go for a 2016 or 15 scion tc 😊
I have a 2011, fun and reliable but yea the interior is pretty cheap. The back of my seats dont even have a board, you can feel all the metal through the cloth.
I had a 2nd gen and I regret trading it, such a fun car.
I love this car ! It's a very peppy commuter car really good torque
The back seats recline a bit and it a makes a difference!
I miss my ‘06 😭
You should do a 2014 - 2016 tc
I’ve always wanted one of these so bad lol
Hey I got the same BT cig lighter adapter for the phone!
I've never seen one! What does the digital readout denote?🤔🤔
This is my daily driver, same color but mines a 2009 with auto trans
One of my coworkers had that car. It was a nightmare to insure.
The Scion TC had dual moonroofs??
This my favourite FF car of all time I loved it alot in MIDNIGHT CLUB 3 (REMIX)
@@Brian_Eugene_Lee😅
It was slow in midnight club and one of the cheapest cars.
@@carsonac4163 yeah but it was cool the car doesn't have to be fast and expensive to be cool the SCION TC is so beautiful
@@Brian_Eugene_Lee I don't remember the last time I played it was like 8-7 years ago not sure maybe I played it 3 years ago but wasn't focusing on the story
as I understand, the oil problems started in 2007 maybe? my 2006 never had issues personally, can't attest for other owners. When the scion enthusiast group was large, it wasn't an issue until later times. The Scion tC is based on the Euro Avensis sedan essentially. It was one of the first toyota products with the panoramic moonroof, they were trying to push Lexus goodies down to the plebians. Needless to say I fell for the advertising, great car, but I still can't afford a Lexus as a millenial.
Love these
i always though tc ment toyota celica.... either way have had plenty of homies who had one.....good lil sport compacts
I preordered one of these in 2003. The only thing I didn't like about it was how clunky the manual transmission was. I moved from Virginia to California and stuffed all my belongings in the back of the car.
No leaks no oil burn in my first gen TC with easy to remember 5k oil changes. Do not wait 10k or you will burn oil. Roof motor stopped working after 17 years. Motor mounts started rattling after 10 years. Paint quality is better than Corolla. Automatic is reliable but feels cheap and boring.
I miss my tC so much sucks I lost it to someone else🤦🏽♂️
Had this car but sadly in automatic
I'm so sorry. Scion automatics are boring
That was probably a wise choice. My manual 2007 tC has been nothing but trouble. I've had the exact same clutch pressure plate and master/slave cylinder failure twice in three years in mine and I'm already starting to see warning signs that it's about to happen a third time at only 134,000 miles. I think the lesson learned here is: if you want a manual, get a Honda.
Xb is the best car they made, they are sneakily large
I see this car around really rare now
This man zack did two videos on two cars that are currently in my side of the fleet (my girl has a 2nd gen IS) a 1st gen tC and…. a 560 w126 😂. Thanks man.
The first gen tC is not a good buy due to the 2.4 liter having massive oil burning problems
No issues with mine. 5k oil changes are easy to remember. When I do it myself I use Mobil 1
The cloth looks cheaper then that of the Toyota Camry and the dash has hard plastics not as nice as the Camry
Toyotas of this era had horrid plastics in general. My mom's 2014 Sienna has the exact same dash material as this tC (same pattern and everything, except in beige). In a $40,000 minivan.
Corolla and Camry had better cloth fabric.
That’s not a coupe camry man. Come on
Love your content otherwise you do the best job
The big thing against these are the crash tests. These scored very very poorly!!
Car companies pay to have good ratings, you do realize this? A 2003 f150 gets a 0/5, but a 2020 smart car gets 5/5, despite both having the same test results - damage to head... But in the smart car one, the company reviewing it was obviously paid. He glossed over that issue as if it didn't matter, and gave it a 5/5. Ford doesn't miss payments nowadays so they get 5/5
Don't crash then.
@TheRealCatof please reread exactly what I said, and even watch the video for the 5/5 stars, where the crash dummy suffers a major concussion
@TheRealCatof is this sarcasm?
@TheRealCatof "even though the dummy's head suffered major injury from hitting the steering wheel, we still choose to give it a 5 star"
It's right there in the 5/5 "government" rating. The government is the most corrupt organ of this country so please don't joke