Earlier this year I was able to test drive the all-inclusive 2012 Scion tC. I say it is all-inclusive because Scion makes their cars come standard with items most car companies make optional. While other car companies charge an arm and a leg for these optional features, Scion will not raise the ticket price of the car. The slogan for the tC speaks for itself, “The Anything-But-Standard tC”.
I was in the market for a new car, but I was not sure exactly what I wanted. That is until my husband’s friend had a rental car until his truck was fixed. He was able to rent a new tC for a couple of weeks. The rental was very presentable. It was sleek and still smelled like a new car. Also, it had very little miles on it, so I knew it would be a smooth ride. The tC was also something else that I did not expect. Quick.
The Scion tC comes with 180 horsepower stock. Though this does not sound like a lot, it is enough to give the car some pep. I was grateful when my husband’s friend let me drive the rental tC around the city for a little while. I took it up on the freeway and was surprised how quick I was able to get up to 60 mph. To be honest, I did not realize I had reached 60 mph until I looked at the speedometer and was already doing 80. After I slowed it down a little bit, I exited the freeway to a hairpin turn. The recommended speed on the turn was 10 mph; however, with the tight handling I was able to take the turn at twice the speed with no signs of slipping.
Other than the smooth handling and the tC’s ability to get up and go, many of the car’s standard features were what I found to be superior. For looks, the tC comes with chrome-tipped exhaust, 18” alloy wheels, projector beam headlights, and a sleek panoramic glass roof with a slide moon roof. And when it comes to music, I like to listen to more than just the radio. I guess the people at Scion felt the same way because they included a USB port with iPod connectivity as well as an auxiliary audio jack.
Its standard safety features were also impressive. Not only does the tC have driver/passenger airbags and front/rear side curtain airbags, it also comes with driver and passenger knee airbags. I’m sure the creators of the tC realized that this feature would help prevent legs being broken during a collision. The tC also has a tire pressure monitoring system that lights up on your display if one of your tires are running low on air. Also, it comes standard with a first aid kit. I believe this is the first time I had driven a car that has a first aid kit sitting in the trunk just in case I need it.
Needless to say, I was quite impressed with the car. So much that my husband and I were very tempted to buy one. However, the payments were a little more than we were able to afford. And because Scion has a “no-hassle” gimmick, we were not able to have the dealership move much on the price. Instead, we ended with a 2012 Kia Forte which is just as nice; just not as much flash. Although, if money was of no concern, I would have jumped on buying a Scion tC after my 15 minutes of driving around town had been exhausted.
