According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary,

Scion means “a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family.”  This seems appropriate, as the Scion model line is the youth-oriented division of parent company Toyota.

Starting in 2004, Scion was tasked with attracting a younger demographic to the Toyota family seeing the average age of new Toyota buyers was well above 40.  With the demise of the Celica and MR2 Spyder in 2005, Toyota needed something sporty to attract the 18-25 demographic.

Enter the Scion tC, one of three models offered through the Scion line.  Currently it is the only true two-door model offered in any Toyota division (the Toyota Yaris is available as either a 2-door or 4-door hatchback), and aside from maybe the Toyota Matrix, it is decidedly the most exciting vehicle offered.

While the tC may be the more sporting model in the Scion line, it is more utilitarian in nature than anything else.  The rear seats actually recline, and while our six-foot-two tester’s head was scraping the rear glass, average-sized people will be decently comfortable in the back.

Headroom was average throughout the car,

but taller testers had to use the multiple adjustments to lower the driver’s seat to a comfortable position.  The driver’s seat can be adjusted for position, angle, height and recline, and both front seats can recline all the way back to take full advantage of the panoramic glass roof.

There is plenty room for four people to travel relatively comfortably.  Legroom is decent throughout the car, and you don’t have to be a child to fit in the back seat.  One issue we noticed, though, is the placement of the rear curtain air bag.  When we sat in the back seat we noticed this was uncomfortably close to our head, which makes us wonder if rear passengers would be in more or less danger in the event these deploy.

Speaking of air bags, the tC comes with driver and passenger front airbags, side torso airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag. In 2006 the tC received 4-star and 5-star crash test ratings from the NHTSA, and the IIHS gave the tC an “Acceptable” overall score in both frontal offset and side impact crash tests.

One note of concern: there was a 2006 recall that dealt with curtain air bags deploying when the doors are forcefully shut, so if you buy a used model make sure this issue has been addressed.

When you aren’t carrying passengers around in the back seat, you can fold them forward to maximize storage space in the rear.  Also found in the rear are a compact spare tire, tools kit, first aid kit, jumper cables and a tire bag to keep your interior clean in the event you have to carry a flat tire around.

The interior is average for a compact sedan. The dash is black and featureless, the AC vents are simple but not aesthetically unpleasant, and the seats are supportive without being too firm.  The tC comes with a number of standard features like power windows, doors and mirrors, dual power outlets, a dedicated iPod port, and an auxiliary port for other audio devices to listen to through a Pioneer sound system.

While there is nothing wrong with the tC’s interior, it seems more like a blank canvas in stock form than a finished product.  It’s a good thing then that there is an extensive accessories list to customize your vehicle, from shift knobs and sports pedals to color steering wheels, carbon fiber treatments and much more.

Propelling the tC is the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine

that can be found in the pedestrian Toyota Camry.  In this application it is good for 161 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque.  Mated to the engine is a 5-speed manual transmission as standard, with a 4-speed automatic available as an $800 option.

Our test car came with the automatic. The combination had decent pick-up and good throttle response, but there was some minor torque steer.  Expect to complete the 0-60 mile-per-hour sprint in 8.5 seconds.

One reason for the less than stellar acceleration is the tC's weight.  While 3,300 pounds is not very heavy, it is a little excessive for a 2-door compact.  Keeping all that weight in check is an inexpensive but effective MacPherson strut setup in the front and double wishbone layout in the rear.

Overall, the suspension is fairly competent, allowing nimble moves in traffic and decent overall handling.  That said, our test vehicle had a somewhat choppy ride that could be attributed to the bigger, optional 18-inch TRD wheels.  Since we were unable to test a fully stock vehicle, we can only hope ride quality is better without these wheels.

There are disc brakes at all four wheels, a welcome touch in an inexpensive vehicle, and surrounding those brakes are 17-inch alloy wheels.  The brakes do a decent job of bringing the tC to a standstill, but some thought the pedal felt a little mushy under hard braking.

Our test vehicle came with the aforementioned

18-inch TRD wheels and TRD ground effects kit.  While these touches are intended to make the car look sportier, they add very little to the driving experience and send mixed messages to the driver.  It seems Scion is trying too hard to get the message across that this can be an exciting car, because at least one tester commented that this car would be perfect in bone stock form.

Another unnecessary effect we noticed was the LED bars in the front footwells and cup holders.  While the intention is to give the car a sense of individuality, the bars seem to be positioned where they may get kicked and damaged, not to mention they were held on by zip ties in our test car.

While we have heard the sound systems are decent in the tC, we had no chance to test this as our vehicle had NO system installed.  The reason for this is that some customers choose the optional Pioneer Premium Audio System over the standard Pioneer unit, so some models get sent to dealerships with nothing pre-installed to make customization easier.

Our Final Take

In everyday driving the tC doesn't feel slow, but it isn't a track star either.  Nor should it try to be in our opinion.  The tC is a wonderful compact car that looks like a lot of fun even when performing mundane tasks like hauling groceries or a semester's worth of laundry around.

While the $17,670 base price may be on the high end of a student's price range, one can take comfort in the knowledge that the tC is flexible enough to grow up along with you through the years.  Just stay away from the pricy options list unless you're dedicated to really turning this into a sports car (see Tanner Foust's NASCAR stock engine-powered tC drift car).