Rent a Scion TC
Let’s be honest here, the entry level sports coupe market isn’t exactly saturated as of now, with the likes of Mazda with their MX-5 Miata, Honda with their Civic Si, Ford with their Mustang and even Hyundai, with their Veloster Turbo. One brand managed to stand out and make their name, namely Scion, a division under Toyota.
You might know them as they manufacture the popular sporty coupe, GT86’s cousin, the FR-S. But Scion manufactures another sports coupe, known as the TC. It’s less capable and nowhere as fun to drive than the rear wheel drive, loss of traction oriented FR-S. But the TC still has it’s own cult following and appeal.
It’s a front wheel drive layout powered by a 2.5 liter inline four putting out 179 horsepower and 172 lb/ft of torque. With the manual version, which is undoubtedly the one that most go for, 0-100 km/h is disposed off in 7.3 seconds, however, should you go for the automatic transmission, it will take .5 more seconds. Which, surprisingly, is respectably quick for this class of car.
The interior design is also as sharp and snazzy as the exterior. It’s all put together to give a sporty feel, the seat is designed to hug you tight so that you don’t move around while attacking corners to corners, you will find it comforting that you have a thick, flat bottom steering and all the controls are faced towards the driver, it reminds you of one of Toyota’s most celebrated legend, the Supra.
It is also practical as it’s a 2+2 design, which means that it’s a coupe with four seats. And it differs from the ordinary as well, as the rear seats actually provide usable legroom and it’s relatively easy to access, for a coupe. If you go for the BeSpoke audio trim, you will enjoy the exceptional stereo quality, which is one of the TC’s strong point. The whole stereo system is easy to understand as well, with a big and clear colour touchscreen comes with impressive connectivity.
What you’ll find the most impressive though is the TC’s driving characteristics. It’s 179 horsepower inline four is definitely down on power, especially at the low end. However, what you’ll find entertaining is the handling. The weight of the car is spot on and the steering is precise. The car is also very planted, and throwing the shifter from one gear to another is satisfying, it feels as if the car pounces from corner to corner.
The car is also very reliable, although it’s under Scion’s name, it’s still technically speaking under Toyota. And with a very pleasing safety rating and record the car is perfect for a weekend’s fun. If you’re looking for a good, robust and well-made coupe that will happily explore your own car control. And with traction control and ABS, it’s easy to learn as well. For a good, basic sports coupe, you can’t do better.