Sometimes it takes a redesign to remind you just how good a car's previous generation had been: the inaugural Ford Mustang, the E39 BMW 5 Series, the first Dodge SRT4.
Apropos of that, witness the passing of the original Scion tC, a car that brought premium features and unlikely cabin quality to a segment known for neither. With the redesigned tC set to hit dealerships this October, parent company Toyota traded much of that for a package that's high on style and low on substance. Hold vigils if you must.
The two-door 2011 Scion tC boasts a fresh look, generous room and an improved drivetrain, but cabin quality is just barely competitive — a few steps down from the class-leading original.
Available in one trim with most optional features installed as dealer accessories, the front-wheel-drive tC coupe comes with a four-cylinder engine and a manual or automatic transmission.
Evolutionary Design
The new tC still looks like a tC, so much so that one journalist asked why Toyota didn't update the styling more. I'm not sure the automaker needed to. The exterior is more mature, with an angular sweep to the taillights that emulates a lot of cars from Toyota's Lexus luxury division. The A-pillars are now black, creating the illusion of a wraparound windshield — a "helmet" look derived from Scion's Fuse concept shown at the 2006 New York International Auto Show. (The helmets are marching: Several cars, from the Chevrolet Corvette to the 2011 Ford Explorer, also employ this visual trick.)
With underpinnings from Europe's third-generation Toyota Avensis — and its platform sibling sold on our shores, the Lexus HS 250h — the new tC is 1.6 inches wider than the 2010. Length and wheelbase remain unchanged, so the new dimensions make for a more grounded look.
The taillights are straight off a BMW 1 Series. That's not a bad car to emulate, given that some tC buyers likely see themselves in a 135i a few job promotions down the road. Mirror-integrated turn signals, something the prior tC featured, are still standard, and the standard wheels move to 18-inch alloys, up from last year's 17-inchers. There still isn't a rear wiper, which a proper hatchback ought to have, but its absence makes for a cleaner rear deck. Form beats function, and saves some coin, too.
As with all Scions, the full slate of available accessories includes fog lights, faux carbon-fiber B-pillars, additional Scion insignia, 19-inch wheels and a rear spoiler. The spoiler is worth getting; the car's stubby tail drops off abruptly without it. Most of these are dealer-installed, which makes it easier to outfit the car to suit your tastes.
More Four, Less Banger
A new 180-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder teams with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. It provides palpably more get-up-and-go than the outgoing 161-hp tC, but it's not a seismic difference in the style of, say, the 2011 Ford Mustang's V-6 changeover.
The tC moves out quickly enough, with adequate low-end torque to scoot around slower traffic without needing to downshift. But it won't fool anyone about having two more cylinders or any sort of forced induction. Speaking of which: The last tC offered a supercharger from Toyota Racing Development that bumped engine output to 200 hp. Scion Vice President Jack Hollis said the brand is working with TRD on such upgrades, but it's not available as of now. Feh.
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