TFLcar.com was part of the group of journalists who were recently invited to scorching Las Vegas, Nevada to test the new Scion tC and chill at the Hard Rock Hotel. We were forced to hang out with bubbly, bikini-clad tourists, drive the fun-as-hell 2011 Scion tC and relive the movie, The Hangover.
Our job ROCKS!
Best of all, some of us were still there when Paris Hilton was busted on a cocaine charge.
Had I known she was there, I would have phoned in the tip for the cops. Why? Well, aside from her being a friggin’ obnoxious snob and for the sheer pleasure of the spectacle – it was a GREAT way to get Las Vegas’ finest (the feared Las Vegas Sheriff’s Department) to overcompensate a simple bust and get the hell out of our way.
Click HERE to watch a fisrt look video of the all new 2011 Scion tC.
The Scion tC wanted to play – and so did we.
I like this car – a lot. You can get one in October for about 18K and change for the 6-speed manual (which is the one cool people get) and a little over 19K for the new, 6-speed automatic (the one your mother gets). All joking aside, the 6-speed automatic is smooth, efficient and saps only some of the fun, but it works well for folks who are afraid of a 3rd petal.
Here’s the big news:
• The 2011 Scion tC has 19 more ponies for a round figure of 180 horsepower and a healthy 173 lbs of torque.
• The car is bigger and slightly heavier (3,060 lbs manual and 3,102 lbs for the automatic) – but the Camry-sourced 4-banger compensates and feels a bit beefier.
• It’s still a hatchback disguised as a 2-door sedan.
• Standard goodies like A/C, cruise control, one touch driver’s window, tilt/telescoping wheel, 300 watt (max output) 160 watt Pioneer head unit with 8-speakers and disc brakes at all corners is standard.
• Its visual updates are subtle, but look good (ESPECIALLY with the slick TRD wheels).
• Stereo head units are sourced from Lexus.
• The very roomy rear seats recline 10-degrees.
• The interior is still cheap-ish with some hard plastics and obvious parts-bin additions (from the Yaris no less), but then what were you expecting for so little? A Mini’s interior? Screw the cheap bits – it’s the ride that matters homeboy!
• The ride is real good, both in highway and overall performance. Get the TRD goodies and out corner most cars in this class.
• New colors are okay, but the blue is especially nice on the tC.
• AND – Paris Hilton got busted again! HA! Wait, I can’t publicly lambast her for my benefit… Ha, ha, ha! Oh my god! HA! Wait – just wait, I have to catch my breath… that’s better… HA!
• I blew Paris a kiss and thanked her for diverting so many Jon-Laws from our testing routes.
Sorry, if you’re a Paris Hilton fan – I do apologize. I’m nothing but an overfed adolescent. Then again, if you are a fan of hers, you probably can’t read a full sentence or comprehend anything more than a 2-syllable word – so I take it back.
I loved the rear seats and their ability to recline 10-degrees. It was a great spot to sleep off my hangover (Gin, Rum, Coke – [but not cocaine “Coke” – ‘cuz I’m smarter than Paris] – mixed with cigars and late night gambling make for a splitting headache the next day). It’s quiet in there too, even when running on the fat 19-inch rubber, instead of the standards 18-inchers. The split moon/sun roof thing is still available and helps wake up the sober, all dark interior. The front seats were comfortable, even for my big booty.
As for the rest of 2011 Scion tC – it’s a great little car targeted towards punk-ass young, male adults. It succeeds, thank god. Still, just like other “youth oriented” Scions, I’m willing to bet more than a few get purchased by older folk (sorry Roman) looking for a fun, economical (26-ish mpg combined), well made car – the 2011 Scion tC might find a home in their garage too.
Just like Paris found a new home behind bars (apparently, she can’t WAIT to get re-incarcerated).
Hell, if Paris Hilton hung out with one of us, she would have had so much fun in the new 2011 Scion tC, she may have opted NOT to shove nostril candy up her beak. Oh well – c’est la vie.
On our TFLcar recommendation scale of:
– Buy it
– Lease it
– Rent it or
– Forget it
I say…
but only if you cough up the extra bread to add the well made TRD parts to make this thing zoom. Even without – it’s a great car.
Automotive media, racing, vehicle evaluation, wrecking yards, and car sales are just a part of Nathan Adlen’s vehicular past. He writes out of high octane passion! To read more reviews by Nathan Adlen or just to enjoy more of excellent writing please visit him on at his examiner.com page HERE.
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