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2009 Scion tC Review

November 9, 2008

STYLING | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

looks more aggressive than its Toyota siblings
Cars.com

gets only revised interior fabrics
Motor Trend

styling has become a bit familiar
Car and Driver

At a certain age, you might think the interior is a little too hip
Kelley Blue Book

The youth-oriented 2009 Scion tC is getting a bit long in the tooth with nearly the same design that it had for its intro nearly five years ago, but it's still one of Toyota's more daring designs.

Except for a new face, grille, and projector headlamps for model year 2008, the 2009 Scion tC soldiers on with its generally well-liked styling. These are well received overall, with the exception of The New York Times, whose reviewers find the new grille, with a "fussy diagonal-oval mesh up top that fades to solid at the sides" mixed with "horizontal slats down below" to be "a bit busy to our eyes." They feel it spoils "the simplicity we admired in the previous design." "We like the tC's sophisticated look and assertive stance," compliments Car and Driver. Autoblog, talking about "the snub nose and tear-shaped headlights a la BMW," contends the tC offers "quite a striking look and [is] unlike anything else in the price range." Only MyRide.com goes negative, stating their wish for "a more compelling design." Those looking to make their tCs stand apart from the rest will no doubt appreciate that dealers offer "a wide array of...styling upgrades," notes Edmunds.

"The only change for 2009 happens inside," states Cars.com, "where the seat fabric is updated." Motor Trend regards the tC's insides as a "better-conceived, more feature-rich, interior than inside the other Scions" and comments on the "three-pod instrument panel with attractive, brushed metal faces. The silver center stack reminds of the Infiniti G35," they conclude. MyRide.com notes the dash and upper door panel textures "inspired by Japanese stationery," which they find "different, of good quality, and brings strong Scion brand character to the inside of the tC." "Overall, the interior has a nice mix of textures and a rich appearance for its price," asserts Cars.com.

Conclusion

The 2009 Scion tC has a youthful shape and interior design that may be personalized with a wide variety of high-quality customizations.

STYLING | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:looks more aggressive than its Toyota siblingsCars.comgets only revised interior fabricsMotor Trendstyling has become a bit familiarCar and DriverAt a certain age, you might think the interior is a little too hipKelley Blue Book The youth-oriented 2009 Scion tC is getting a bit long in the tooth with nearly the same design that it had for its intro nearly five years ago, but it's still one of Toyota's more daring designs. Except for a new face, grille, and projector headlamps for model year 2008, the 2009 Scion tC soldiers on with its generally well-liked styling. These are well received overall, with the exception of The New York Times, whose reviewers find the new grille, with a "fussy diagonal-oval mesh up top that fades to solid at the sides" mixed with "horizontal slats down below" to be "a bit busy to our eyes." They feel it spoils "the simplicity we admired in the previous design." "We like the tC's sophisticated look and assertive stance," compliments Car and Driver. Autoblog, talking about "the snub nose and tear-shaped headlights a la BMW," contends the tC offers "quite a striking look and [is] unlike anything else in the price range." Only MyRide.com goes negative, stating their wish for "a more compelling design." Those looking to make their tCs stand apart from the rest will no doubt appreciate that dealers offer "a wide array of...styling upgrades," notes Edmunds. "The only change for 2009 happens inside," states Cars.com, "where the seat fabric is updated." Motor Trend regards the tC's insides as a "better-conceived, more feature-rich, interior than inside the other Scions" and comments on the "three-pod instrument panel with attractive, brushed metal faces. The silver center stack reminds of the Infiniti G35," they conclude. MyRide.com notes the dash and upper door panel textures "inspired by Japanese stationery," which they find "different, of good quality, and brings strong Scion brand character to the inside of the tC." "Overall, the interior has a nice mix of textures and a rich appearance for its price," asserts Cars.com. ConclusionThe 2009 Scion tC has a youthful shape and interior design that may be personalized with a wide variety of high-quality customizations.  2009 SCION TC STYLING | [8 out of 10] Cars.com: "looks more aggressive than its Toyota siblings" Motor Trend: "gets only revised interior fabrics" Car and Driver: "styling has become a bit familiar" Kelley Blue Book: "At a certain age, you might think the interior is a little too ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Ford Focus came out with a new coupe body style for 2008; with a more distinctive, quieter interior than before and more available convenience features, such as the SYNC communications and entertainment interface, the Focus offers a very compelling package for the money, even if it isn't as much fun to drive as the 2009 Scion tC. The Honda Civic coupe feels sportier than the Focus and the tC, but its engine isn't as torquey for ordinary driving, and its interior feels a bit more cramped. Like the tC, it's also quite loud inside on coarse surfaces. The Pontiac G5 and Hyundai Tiburon might also be worth consideration, but both of them feel rather outdated for different reasons. The interior of the G5 feels subpar in appearance and quality, while the Tiburon sacrifices a lot of interior space for a curvaceous exterior shape that is no longer in vogue.

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See the Scion tC in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

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