The look of the Scion tC is one of purposeful performance. It's not blatant, and it doesn't come with spoilers, rocker moldings or wings, but all the ingredients are there. The somewhat bland overall look is meant to be "a blank canvas" for young hot-rodders and customizers. The standard panorama glass roof is an unexpected bonus in this price class, fitted without gaskets for a tight, no-creaks fit. It filters 97 percent of UV rays and 100 percent of infrared, to avoid damage to occupants.
The doors are quite long for such a small car, and the door handles of the reach-around-and-pull variety that we like. The long rear side window suggests a two-door sedan more than a hatchback coupe, and makes the design flow from front to rear gracefully. Wheel arches are exaggerated, suggesting that larger tires and wheels will be fitted as soon as the car is bought (or the buyer can opt for the 18- or 19-inch factory wheels and tires).
The body panel fits are typically Toyota, tight and straight, and quality leaks from every pore. The Scion tC is the first purpose-built Scion, the other two having been developed from concept vehicles, and although it is inexpensive, it is anything but cheap.
Inside the Scion tC, there are lots more positive surprises. Materials are first-rate, there aren't a whole lot of different grains and textures, and the swoopy brushed-metal center stack housing vents, sound system and climate control system, is a marvel of modern design. Everything fits together beautifully, works intuitively and looks great.
The front bucket seats look and feel like they were designed for racing, but that doesn't mean to say they're too narrow or too hard. Very comfortable, with enough fore/aft adjustment to suit very tall American drivers regardless of age. The driver's and shotgun seats can be reclined all the way down into what Scion calls a "sleep" position, and the rear seats recline through 10 stops and 45 degrees of recline to convert the interior into a conversation bin. With seats up, there's more than 26 inches of cargo length there; with the second seats dropped, almost 60 inches; and with the front passenger seat folded over, almost 104 inches of cargo length available.
There are lots of convincing little touches indoors, like the mechanical seat position memory on the front bucket seats, the 60/40 split folding rear seat, the very decent amount of storage space with the seats down, the dead pedal for the driver's left foot, fully closing vents, and a cover for the stereo system's faceplate. A knee airbag is standard, the first US Toyota to have this feature.
Speaking of stereos, the base Pioneer/Scion single-CD system packs a user-customizable welcome screen, MP3 capability, four speakers and 160 watts, with a 10-inch subwoofer optional and a 6-CD slot changer and XM satellite radio also available at extra cost. The three-pod instrument panel is amber-illuminated, deeply tunneled and easy to use, day or night, as are the balance of the instruments and controls.
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