Used 2013 Scion tC Consumer Reviews
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Great for the money!
Bought this car for it's reliability and good looks, and it delivers all that I wanted and then some. Keyless entry/ignition is awesome and the shiftable 6-speed automatic livens things up. Great ipod integration and a decent sound system.
Best car ever!
Ok, so i've owned 4 cars in my life and probably test driven hundreds....why? because i love cars, and not just the awesome sports that "everybody" loves...but i love all cars. I recently bought a 2013 Scion tC...and let me tell ya this car is amazing to look at and to drive. I've had te 2010 Scion tC before i moved into this one....and i could'nt help but wonder that they could've made it better than what it was. It was pretty to look at and the after market parts for it were cheep and made it look and run better. But it is nothing like the 2013....the tC i have now is just so awesome, it hugs the corners, handles very well in the snow and its a game changer in the car industry.
- Base 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,23759 mi away
- Base 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,875175 mi away
- Base 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,999176 mi away
SCION tC x3 @ 56yrs old
I've had a 2005, a 2007 and now a 2011, Magnetic Gray Metallic. The 2nd gen is RADICALLY different from the 1st! Some things std on 1st gen are gone replaced by others. The std 18" wheels are STUNNING! The new seats and fabric are AWESOME! 6 spd transmission (mine's auto) with std on/off trac control, 'conventional' dash design but TASTEFULLY done with a thicker flat bottom steering wheel. The optional rear spoiler is an awesome MUST have, it finishes the more aggressive looking car PERFECTLY! Mileage so far has been better than the ratings and I DON'T drive like your Grandma.
Its a "Sport-ish" Car
I bought this car used after a leasee returned it to the dealer. My initial impressions of the car were favorable. The seats are supportive and the 6spd is smooth. This achieves exactly what I think Toyota set out to achieve with this car being a "my first sports car" type car. After putting some long highway miles on it there are a number of things that started to creep up on me that wouldn't have been apparent to me in the test drive. The first is the quality of the interior build. The bass from the radio rattles the panels around the window control buttons. I'm not sure I'b a big fan of the vinyl sunroof cover either. The exhaust note may or may not be your thing during a long drive.
Excellent quality, price, & fun to drive
I purchased this 2011 w/6 manual in magnetic gray with rear spoiler (spoiler made the purchase point for me). After looking at a 2010 & 2011, the interior blew me away for quality, and style for the new 11 vs the 10. The new engine and drive train and hands down better than the 10. Driving the 10' seemed to be like a driving a turd. And the while the 11' is most certainly full of power, it still isn't a SPORTS car. The improved width made comfort hands down top notch, and while I'm 6'1" and a huge dude, i feel comfortable in the back seat, something rare for a two door. The 6 speed manual is smooth, and the gears fall into place naturally, without fumbling.
A new tC
I've had my 2011 tC for about two weeks and there are some significant changes from the two previous tCs I've owned. The 2011 is a bit larger with more interior room and the six speed automatic transmission makes it more fun to drive in the sport mode. However, it does not seem as responsive as the previous tCs, perhaps because of its larger size. One big improvement is the gas mileage. I've been averaging between 30 to 31 miles per gallon around town. On my other tCs I never exceeded 30 MPG even on the highway.
scion2012
Traded 2003 RSX Acura. Have had it since Sep. 2012, have driven it 9000 miles. Best bang for the buck considering the 180hp smooth reving engine. incredible value: panoramic sunroof, 300 watts blue tooth pioneer, 18in alloys, flat bottom thick steering, six speed auto...Very comfortable, roomy inside, leg room is incredible in the back, cargo room huge, comfortable ride for a coupe, handling is prdictable and sharp. huge brake calibers. This car is begging to be driven cross country. looks expensive, you donn't see many on the roads. Yes the interior is plasticy as others have mentioned, but it's only $20k.
Love my yellow tc!
We love our TC! It is fun to drive, easy on the eyes, and has all the safety features that we were looking for. I love that the backseat is large and that the passenger and driver seats move all the way to the dashboard for easy entrance and to and from the back seat. My husband loves to drive this car and also loves the fact that he is 6'9 (all legs) and fits comfortably!
love my scion!
Ive owned a 2006 release series 2.0 and recently decided to upgrade to the 2012 scion tc..and i LOVE it! i bought the base model with an manual transmission and i have been getting inbetween 31-33 IN TOWN. no exageration on that either. the new model has much more room, in the front and back and has a sleeker look. It has Plenty of horsepower for a car that only cost me $18500! great reliability and great design. i recently added foglights which i love and a K&N intake and it gives the engine a good bark! long story short, couldnt be more happy with my purchase and i recommend this car to everyone!
I own one
Can't stand when people review a car that aren't driving it everyday, so I thought I would add a few comments. Don't buy this car if you are looking for a sports car. It's not. Buy this car if you are looking for a much more attractive looking 2-door Corolla with a tiny bit more juice and a lot of extras. For only a couple thousand dollars more than the Corolla, the decision was easy for me. The only reason I gave it a 4 performance wise is that it seems like Toyota markets the car as 'sporty'. Sporty looking/feeling yes, but not a sports car. For commuters, the performance would easily be a 5. Nothing wrong with it.
Great coupe
Just had it one day. It is a very roomy coupe, comfortable with supportive seats. I may look into upgrading or replacing the center armrest with a padded version. The dealer installed fog lights and it dresses it up. I also had blue tooth installed and have the Alpine head unit which is upgradeable with nav. and has a good size touch screen display. Dealer installed options seem fairly priced. The manual shifts well, the hydraulic clutch will take me a few drives for me to get used to. The uptake is numb. Steering is on center but can easily veer into oncoming traffic if you are not focused on your driving. All in all, a nice sporty coupe for a retired guy.
Love my tC!
I work at a Toyota/Scion dealership and after a few months, I purchased my tC. I absolutely love it! It's fun to drive, great stereo, comfortable interior, love the moonroof. I'm getting an average of around 30 mpg in my manual transmission tC. I had a civic si before and the tC is a lot more comfortable and just all around feels better. I love that it has 8 air bags and is an IIHS top safety pick. I'm definitely happy with my car.
decent car for the money
Bought TC'11 1 month ago, now have >3,000 miles on it. After having driven RSX for almost 8 years, needed to adjust to TC. TC feels larger and heavier than RSX, steering is lighter. Turns need to be initiated, while RSX turned effortlessly. That said, TC seems to to be quite a decent H-back, even tossable, with plenty of room in the back, and good gas mileage.
Commuter Alternative
I finally decided to get economical and go with a commuter. Since my wife and I ride together to work and the kids are grown, we decided on a coupe. Choices were the TC, Honda Civic and Hyundai Veloster. The Civic was comparable in gas mileage but was $3K higher. The Veloster was better in gas mileage by 5 miles/gal and was comparable in price for the base. But the TC had much more power due to its 2.5L 4-cyl. The front passenger seat has so much room it leaves ample space for a rear passenger up to 6' (my wife is 5'6"). In my opinion, it also looked better than the Civic and the Veloster. Our avg. mileage in the city and highway has been 28 mpg. UPDATE: After 2 1/2 years of owning the car, the materials proved to be inferior. The front shroud of the engine bay came loose and rattled and chattered. The dealer was never able to fix. I ended up using 6 self tapping screws. The water pump went out at 30K but can still smell antifreeze to this day. Dealer says it is residual from the leak but still smell after engine cleaning. Interior plastics have scuff marks everywhere and wont come off, even with Wipe New. The condensation reservoir for the ac gets clogged every few months and leaked into the passenger front carpet. The drain hose must be disconnected and cleaned every few months. Dealer says this is normal. Traded the car for a Silverado pichup last month since gas is cheaper now.
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2012 tC is my Baby Boy, Hoss!
I'm a 25 year old girl& a new mom I am in LOVE my 2012 Scion tC! His name is Hoss ❤️ I got him @30k miles &I'm the 2nd owner. We've been through A LOT! Best car for my $$ for sure! Long story short; I've driven cross country, up&down mountains, through snow&ice, Hot&cold weather, Slept in it, Ran it out of gas, Drove 130mph in an emergency, Ran over a boulder in it, Drove on the rim for 30miles, and even wrecked it..this car saved my life & after 130k miles, he is still going strong! I get decent gas, average @25mpg with a lead foot Lol I typically drive a little fast&hard... When I drive nice I get better gas. I have been on MANY 20hrs+ road trips, blasting that thumping stereo system all the way! This car is so comfy with a surprisingly spacious interior&trunk, I actually have never even had to get hotels! I can sleep in the front seat or even put down the back seats and make a bed in the trunk and since the whole top of the car is glass, it's almost like sleeping under the stars Lol. 130k miles on it& all I've had to do, besides obvious basics(oil, tires, brakes) Is change the battery! I've yet to have to do any 'real' mechanical repairs. But am I scared to work on it? NOPE! It's set up in a convenient way where you can easily work on/modify almost anything on your own! But most of us already know Toyota is pretty good about engine bay access😉 Also..super fun to drive!! Of course it's not a Subaru STI or something but Honestly, it's still pretty quick! Especially from a complete stop, I've had a lot of fun with people at stoplights...& a couple speeding tickets too Lol. It has excellent steering and can turn on a dime. I love how the steering wheel looks but FYI you will never be able to find a steering wheel cover without ordering it online. Now that I'm a mom, everyone told me I would hate my 2door....well I STILL LOVE IT! There is plenty of room in the back +the front seat leans all the way back so even if you have a baby, still super easy. I actually think it's faster to lean back &get a baby in a 2door vs a 4door &having to get in&out to put your kid in. Last thing, during my wreck, This car kept me SAFE. I was by myself and slid off the road(completely my fault for speeding on the poring rain) into a cement barrier@55mph on the passenger side...I was able to put a tire on it and drive home! NO INJURY. Had to get new rims&the dents fixed but Hoss is still going strong and I will do everything I can to keep him that way!❤️
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Good First Car but Wish I Had Taken a Different Route
I have had this car since the day it hit the lot back in September of 2011. While there are a lot of things I love about my car, there are also things that I don't. Overall it's a pretty good car but I wish I had done more research before buying it. For instance, by the time I added some options onto my car, the purchase price was well into the upper $20k range. For that amount of money I honestly wish I had went with something like the Subaru WRX, which is faster, AWD and has four doors. Scion makes lots of attractive points to buyers, but honestly the cars are a bit overpriced in my opinion. If you want a car for a new driver I'd look at the Dodge Dart or Subaru Impreza.
Great looking coupe
Had my tC for 5 days and, after driving my 05 Mini Cooper w/ sport suspension, I'm beginning to settle in with the Scion. Handling and ride are very good, the steering, though somewhat light, tracks right on center. Corners well, brakes are superb. Haven't pushed it too hard, but the reserve power is there if I need it. The manual trans shifts smooth and gear changes are easily executed. I appreciate the new style for its looks and practicality. Perfect vehicle for my wife and I who are both retired and love to do road trips as well as ski the North East mountains. I've received compliments on the car for its attractive lines and roomy interior.
Fun
This is a great car, feels like driving a race car with this suspension. This is my third tc and my favorite. Looking to get the 10.0 sometime. Just hate the fact Toyota killed the tc!
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A Great Little Car- but not Cadillac
This is a great little car. I have had it six months and have driven on 1200 mile trip, around town and 50 mile trip twice a week. The interior is about what you would expect for the money, no complaint. Plenty of power on the interstate and around town, fun to drive. Not as much fun as Mazda 3 speed but much cheaper price. Great backseat room, nice radio (little hard to learn how to use it at first.) Comfortable. I did drive it on the worst road I have driven on in 50 years and thought it would break, but it didn't. No car would have done well on that road. Well worth the money. I have never checked miles/gal but it seems to be pretty good. No complaints there, or I would have checked it.
TC For Toyota Coupe.
Aggressively styled exterior, although not sure what to make of the dash materials them coming off as a coated plastic, nothing felt cheap nor did I feel slighted in the least. This is a fun point a to point b vehicle with some extra curricular teases. This car was too easy to fall in love with for what it was and hard to hate for not being what would cost another 4-5 thousand green backs out of pocket to get. If youre looking for sporty DO NOT LOOK HERE. But if youre looking for a convenient, stylish way to get around without sacrificing efficiency or your pocket book this should be in your considerations. Overall this is a Toyota and its drive, comfort and lives to that name.
New 2011 Scion tC
Just traded our 2007 tC for the new 2011 tC and so far we are very pleased. Went with Concrete color. Happy with the performance, ride and gas mileage. Love the new interior look. Just a few things they changed that I am not happy with. The headlights do not shut-off automatically as they did before. The windows do not automatically go up and down with just a "flick" of the switch. You have to hold it the whole time you open/close it (safety issue?) Also found odd that there is only one (1) back-up light that works. This is the way it was manufactured - I am having people tell me one of my back-up lights is out now. These changes could not have been that big of "cost-savings"?
2nd Car and it will last a while
This is my second car, now be it the first one was a 2006 Corolla and this car will last awhile. I have had this car for over two years now and have only had a minor fix on my sunroof. This car isn't that sport, but it is exactly what you get for the price. The back seats have surprisingly a lot of room. I have fit two people at the same time that where 6 '5 and they where comfortable. The speakers are very nice stock. Most people invest money into speakers that sound worse.
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Young mans perfect car
This car is great. Its really spacious and has plenty of cargo space for a 2 door. For the sporty look it is inexpensive but quality. Its not as gas effecient as i would have thought unless you really watch your throttle control but delivers on the 23 city, 30 highway MPG. Highly recommended for young guys who spend lots of time in their vehicle like myself 👍.
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Great value for a fun car!
Love the interior and exterior. Got a 2012 used with 100,000 miles on it for under 8k out the door. This is the first car that the dash wraps slightly toward the driver for easier radio and climate controls. They call it cockpit seating and I love it. Purchased from a Toyota dealership and had been detailed plus new tires, fluid check, oil change and full safety inspection. Standard dual sunroof and long hatch gives the car tons of natural light and a roomy feel. So far so good for this TC owner.
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Fraley's Review
I took several trips in this car. I love the way it handles curves and turns on a dime. The car also has some pep that i really admire.
Super TC
This is one of the most fun cars I have ever driven. I have owned BMW Infiniti and a host of others and the TC holds up to the more expensive brands. I have had this car over a month and it is excellent. Gas mileage so far is 27 mpg which is excellent. It is superb in handling, acceleration and overall performance. My friends cannot believe the quality of this car for a small price, it looks more expensive than it is. People don't believe me when I tell them the price. Scion has a winner with this car.
2013 scion tc
2013 scion tc Best car I ever owned. I've had it for 10 years and its still going
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tC = terrible choice
The new Scion tC seems to be the same car in a new wrapper. The 2.5L inline-4 doesn't provide enough power to make this car feel sporty. The huge C-pillars present the driver with large blind spots. The large rear quarter panels also make the car look longer and heavier than it needs to be.
Worst car ive ever driven
This car was constantly breaking down and always had a new issue. I am so happy I don't have this car anymore and was able to get rid of it before I got hurt because of it.
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Amazing Car!
I absolutely love this car! I've owned 6 of them in my lifetime. I bought my first scion TC in 2012, right off of the lot. I was one of the first people in my state to get the Cement Gray color. I got that one how I wanted, fog lights, spoiler etc. Unfortunately, I was only 19 at the time and I should've treated it better. I bought a dark grey 2011 one after that, sold it a couple of years later. No issues. I bought a 2012 white one a few years later, no issues. Sold that one as well. It seems as if I always go back to the TC. I now 4 cars, two of which are TCs (2011 & 2012). I have no issues with them. I tinted them out and add a backup camera and they instantly become my most comfortable/practical cars! I get great gas mileage with them, and I have no mechanical issues to date. Maintenance is very cheap. I bought the 2012 Scion in January 2023. Since then, I've driven it to LA from Phoenix 3 times, to Las Vegas and back once, all around New Mexico and Mexico... It's my road trip car. It's currently in Texas and I drive it back and forth to Austin and Dallas once a week. I have 138k miles on it and I picked it up for $6500. It's an unbeatable value. Finding a car with a panoramic roof, excessive space, amazing sound system, good styling in conjunction with exceptional reliability in that price range is unheard of! Literally, the only car for me is the Scion TC when it comes to a daily driver, bar none! I highly recommend this vehicle.
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Dependable Fun to Drive
This car is peppy and handles like a high dollar sports car. Decent mpg too!
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tC......rivals expensive sports cars!
You need to be able to see outside well; need a test drive. The car is an amazing ride for those who have driven expensive sports cars.
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Two and a half years of ownership
I like the mpg I currently get which is around the 23-25 and has good bass, have installed aftermarket parts which won’t make crazy numbers but in the 195-200 hp range, handling is pretty good as I have the release series which came with better suspension and the body kit, interior is ok but could be better, the engine is reliable and had nothing go wrong, now for the transmissions that these cars came with are not that great(only for the manual ones). Another thing that might come in handy would be soundproofing the car because it is just the carpet and metal all around the vehicle.
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