2010 Scion Tc Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
The tC is a sharp little car, offering a compelling blend of standard equipment, style, performance and reliability. Even a 'base' (non-Spec model) tC provides a healthy complement of standard equipment, including power windows, locks, mirrors, a healthy 160W sound system and god's own sunroof overhead. Performance is strong for the class, with plenty of power available from fairly low RPMs and fairly short gearing in the manual model - a strong contrast to many of the 'peakier' engines in the segment (e.g.: Honda Civic), and provides great off-the line thrust and passing power. While the engine lacks the character of more high-revving engines, it's far better suited to real-world city driving. Unfortunately, the short gearing means you'll be turning right around 4K RPM at 85 MPH. A sixth gear for better fuel economy and somewhat more relaxed (though you'll never hear the engine above the tire and wind noise at anything over 75 MPH) highway driving would have been appreciated. Handling is good, but not great - the tC corners fairly sharply, but rolls more than I'd like. In exchange for this, you get a great ride, with well-controlled responses to uneven pavement, even mid-corner. Fit and finish are excellent both inside and out. Inside, matte silver plastics and the large spun-aluminum HVAC knob are set against a backdrop of soft-touch material on the dash and side panels (with an unusual texture that helps prevent light from reflecting off the rather long dash in the steeply raked windscreen) and a grippy (and durable) black fabric on the seating surfaces to create an upscale 'modern/technical' look. Wheel-mounted stereo controls are a nice touch, but the wheel rim is a bit thinner than I'd like, save for the palm swells at 10 and 2 o'clock. The only real downsides are the high door sill and low seating position, which combine to create a feeling of sitting in a bathtub. Externally, the tC combines a pastiche of other makes' ideas with good proportions to good effect. A Volvo S40 nose/front clip, BMW-ish headlights, taillights that look stolen from an A4 and even the BMW 'Hofmeister kink' in the C-pillar all make a showing, but they all blend well with the somewhat slab-sided body, short overhangs and slick-looking dark-chrome 17" wheels to create a car that you'll look forward to seeing in the garage. My ownership experience has been flawless, with the tC proving to be a dependable and fairly economical traveling companion. The interior is a quiet, comfortable place to while away miles, with great seats and the aforementioned comfortable and controlled ride making miles disappear in seemingly short order. Fuel economy is decent, with my example averaging around 25 mpg in city driving and 30-35 on the interstates over the 15 months I've owned it. In summary, the tC is a stellar value, offering 'a lot of car' for around $17K. Toyota reliability and resale value add a little extra to the equation, and the 'no-haggle' pricing at Scion dealers is a refreshing change from the usual back and forth at purchase time. Buyers interested in a stylish, sporty coupe would be remiss in not giving it a chance, though for pure sporting intent, the Civic Si may be a better (if somewhat more expensive) choice.
VS
Critical Review
I purchased this tC as a commuter car. It already had high mileage ~150k, but was priced well. When I first drove it I knew I would be doing some work to get it back to it's original condition. I started with tires which can expensive because of the size, but I found stepping up the side aspect of the tire to a 50 series lowered the tire cost considerably. I also replaced the struts and went through a full tuneup. The 2.4 2azfe is a great mechanics car, as it has a lot engineering to make servicing easier. Such as; The oil drain and filter located in a clear area and right next to each other making oil changes a breeze. A antifreeze block drain in an easily accessible area. A timing chain versus belt which will usually last the life of the vehicle. 4 wheel disc brakes with a separate system for the emergency brake. What this means to the average consumer is far lower repair costs than other vehicles in its class. Now for the things to be beware of. Although it is difficult sometimes to determine whether you will buying someones headache, be vigilant of some key things. Previous crashes, which may or may not be reported to car fax. Look for distortions in body panels, water leakage, rust, or paint color/sheen changes. The car I purchased had no mention of a crash, but I found key indicators that it had been in one. The owner fessed up only after I grilled them with facts. The next expensive mistake on this car is that the catalytic converter is integrated into the exhaust manifold making it a very expensive repair ~$600. This will be a concern mostly to California drivers. The biggest let down for me has been that I discovered that my vehicle is actively burning oil. I purchased the car from a graduating college student and should have known she was keeping up on oil changes like she should have. Toyota's are very sensitive to oil changes and once the piston rings wear prematurely there is no going back. I currently burning about 1 1/2 quart every 1000 miles. I tried to simply replace the valve stems but no luck, still burning oil. Removing the engine on the tC requires the sub frame to be dropped, so I'm just going to run till she dies. All and all this is still a good car and when properly taken care of, will last you years and years.
2010 tC Reviews
Showing 8 of 712 reviews.
Fun, reliable, sporty, Japanese, lots of after market parts, easy to work on, a lot of power when you need it. But these engines burn oil, it's normal says it in the owners manual, every 600 miles you add a quart of oil. So you have to check your oil weekly depending on how much you drive. The underbodies rust a lot and the car is very slippery in the rain, slow down on the curves and turns or you will crash. But I love these cars, this is my second one.
Workhorse
Small Cabin
Got one of these from a neighbor that hadn't seen action for roughly 13 years or so, about 50k miles at the beginning. It was certainly showing age, cabin insulation wearing away, foggy headlights, some plastic equipment missing, but typical timeline stuff. Drove it another 70k in four years, at least 10 trips from Central Cali to Arizona, 8 hour marathons, LA traffic, valley dust, Phoenix heat, not a single problem. Can't tell you how many times I probably kicked the transmission wrong, no complaints from the car. Only failure was me leaving a light on at an airport and killing the alternator. Not one flat tire, no engine failure, regular maintenance the whole way through. I could fit everything I owned in the trunk. Spent a whole pandemic summer running Postmates in it. No matter how badly you treat this vehicle, it will not die. I took it to a mechanic to check its vitals and they told me 'if the axle cracks, there's no fixing it. But that's an age thing, and the only thing that'll kill it.' The car is literally too lightweight to break down, and you can feel it in the acceleration. I loved this car, and it never let me down. Bad HVAC though. It is from 2007, you're not getting a rear cam or bluetooth speakers or anything fancy. But for my priorities at the time, this is the gold standard of dependability.
Japanese, reliable, dependable, easy to find parts
not very pretty, kind of tight interior
Love this car, 225,000 miles, 5 speed manual transmission, reliable, dependable, fun, and very sporty.. Car has a lot of power, very strong..a joy to drive.. So many after market parts for this car, order parts online they are like half price compared to your local auto parts store.
fun to drive, awesome sunroof, lots of leg room
needs a v6 or turbo.
Bought my Tc brand new off the lot. Love it. Really has a lot of room on the inside considering it's a small car. It's really fun to drive. I love the styling. It has been a very reliable car, regular maintenance and that's it. We've made a lot of trips in it also and never gave me any problems. The only thing I would change is put a v6 in it or turbo and it would be the perfect car. Really!
Very fun to drive! Very stylish still 17 yrs later
I don’t really know… I have no complaints.
My father bought this car new in 2005 until I bought it from him in 2016. He was reluctant to give it up because he loved it so much! It has been very reliable. Has never left me stranded! I replaced my AC compressor in 2017 (we lived in florida and it’s very hot down there) and the clutch as well. I believe that was the first time the clutch ever needed to be replaced. That was at about 150k miles. She’s quick to the start and has great handling! The hatch with the sunroof makes a great open feel in the car. The seats in the back fold down to give you great space if needing to transport things. I have moved twice with this car and able to fit what I needed in it.
Good value, reliable, decent drive, cargo space
Quality, maintenance, mediocre power, cold weather
I've been a Tc owner for over 10 years. When the Tc came out in 2005, it was an amazing deal, and I bought mine used, for another great deal. The Tc came equipped with extra features that cars of that tier usually didn't get and even tried new things of the era, like jacks for ipods. The Scion Tc was the successor to the Celica, and the Scion brand was supposed to appeal to the younger crowd looking for something cool and sporty, affordable and different from their mothers Civic or Corolla. It was hailed as a "sports coupe", though ironically it really wasn't a sports car at all, it just appeared as one. All Toyota did was accentuate the styling, pulling styles from different brands like BMW, and slap a Camry engine on the thing and call it a day. Yep! The Scion tc actually uses a 160hp Camry engine. It's a good decent, solid drive, nothing fancy, the handling solid, with adequate pep and passing power. But don't get me wrong - this is not a sports car, and not a driver's car. Yeah, its peppy at the lower RPM's, but the car really is begging for some kind of real power, and though Toyota did offer a supercharger, it still was at a paltry 40hp, and soon discontinued. Though maybe not so much today, at the time its package offered things that cars of that price point simply didn't have. Sunroof, premium Pioneer sound, cruise control, leather wrapped steering wheel, these are great extra features for 2005-2010. Yeah, if you're looking for power and speed, this isn't it, but you're getting Toyota reliability instead. The coupe is decently sized, actually a bit larger than other coupes, the hatchback gives pretty great cargo space especially if you lower the back seats. The inside design is mostly cheap plastics, but the cloth seating is pretty good quality. And who really cares for the amount of features you get? Not bad Toyota. Not bad at all. However, as the years go by, time has revealed some minor flaws with the Tc - some design flaws, some are quality, corners that Toyota cut to get the right price point. It's flaws become especially apparent in cold weather. Over the time of my ownership, I had to replace several items like the battery and alternator, and then other minor things like the rear lifts. - The Tc does require more frequent maintenance and check ups than other similar models. - The Tc gobbles down oil. Be prepared to frequently add oil to the engine. - The lock to the rear hatchback door has issues and can freeze up in cold weather - The tire pressure light is very sensitive and may give false readings in cold weather - Can't handle any snow - The car sits a little too low, an attempt by Scion/Toyota to make it ride "Sportier". The driver's seat also sits kinda low. Though it can be adjusted to sit higher, it can still feel as if you're sitting in some kind of gap at times. Despite these issues, the car is phenomenal. The Tc inherited Toyota's reliability and endurance, and I've been using it for over a decade. Though soon I'm probably going to trade it in, and though nowadays some of its features come standard, it's still a pretty good deal for people looking for a cheap, entry level ride with a few extra bonuses. It's not a sports car, but it's very enjoyable to drive all the same.
Super reliable. Quick. Pretty good on gas.
I have an 06 Scion tC and would recommend to anyone as long as it was well maintained . Mines is at 298k miles still running strong. One of my fave cars and has pretty good pickup as well as being decent on gas.
Reliable bad on gas it seems 15 miles tomthe gallon. 5 speed fun to drive.problems opening hatchback alot
