There was a time when these little bastards were everywhere. Not the Scion tC, mind you, but small, front-wheel-drive coupes. Nearly every automaker had one. Nissan offered the boxy Sentra two-door; Chevrolet, the Cavalier; and Dodge, the Neon. You could snap up a Ford Escort with three doors for years, but nowadays, the field has narrowed. It's as if buyers woke up one morning, looked to their driveways, and thought, "Why the hell doesn't that thing have rear doors?"
Most automakers have responded by canning their two-doors altogether, but there are a few survivors. The Honda Civic, Kia Forte, Mini Coupe, and Hyundai Elantra are all that remain of the once-booming compact coupe market. It's against that meager field that Scion has positioned the 2013 tC. It's easy to be at the head of the class when everyone else is asleep.
Of the survivors, only the tC and the Mini Coupe offer styling that won't get mistaken for a rental refugee. Scion passed a few cues from the sassy FR-S to the refreshed tC, and the result is a striking front fascia with plenty of personality. The upcoming Corolla gets a dash of that family resemblance, too, and unlike other corporate efforts at hom*ogenization, the look works well for all parties involved.
Classy touches like projector headlamps, LED taillamps, and sharp 18-inch wheels give the car a more premium feel than other machines at this price point. That's not to say everything's rosy outdoors. The blacked-out A-pillars are slathered in matte vinyl instead of actual paint or plastic trim, and while the effect looks good enough from a distance, it loses its luster on closer examination.
Jump inside the Scion, and you'll find an attractive co*ckpit. Texturized faux-metal trim offsets the sea of dark plastics, and the driver-oriented nav screen and climate controls are easy to tweak. The flat-bottomed, vulcanized-rubber steering wheel feels like it belongs in something with a soul. With a generously sized sunroof and an additional glass section set into the ceiling, there's plenty of light in the cabin, and the back seat is large enough for full-grown adults.
That rear bench folds forward to serve up plenty of cargo space, making this semi-hatchback more functional than other small two-doors. As a result, the Scion tC capably tiptoes the line between stylish coupe and functional econobox.
Toyota stashes a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine underhood, which is good for 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque. Those are solid numbers, and the tC has no trouble getting out of its own way, even with the six-speed automatic bolted to this tester. Engineers managed to keep weight down to a fairly respectable 3124 pounds even with the slusher. A six-speed manual is also available, and the extra pedal adds a dose of playfulness to the recipe.
On the road, the Scion won't dampen anyone's undergarments. Get pushy through a spirited bit of back road, and the suspension shoves right back with plenty of understeer. The Toyo rubber gives up quickly, yielding lots of squall without much grip. The tC is comfortable on the highway, but the expanse of glass in the roof means you'll endure some wind and tire noise. Likewise, that big four-cylinder means there isn't much to brag about in terms of fuel economy. The EPA says you can expect 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. I saw around 27 mpg during my time with the car.
Those issues are forgivable given how little you have to spend here. The 2013 Scion tC starts at $20,210, and this tester came optioned up with an excellent six-speaker stereo, an auto-dimming mirror, and a few other goodies to put the final figure at $23,112 with destination. That's not bad, but it also puts the car within breathing distance of the infinitely more desirable FR-S, and those financial waters are also prowled by more engaging sheet metal like the Chevrolet Sonic RS, Ford Focus ST, and Ford Fiesta ST.
The kitted-up Scion's MSRP is also a whisker away from the Mini Cooper S Coupe in all of its turbocharged glory, though that machine is fraught with enough compromise to make it an unrealistic alternative. The Scion tC is getting on in years, and it may not be the go-to for lovers of sports cars and undulating tarmac, but it's functional, economical, and has legitimate style.
Zach Bowman
Associate Editor
Zach Bowman is an editor with Road & Track. He splits his time between building Project Ugly Horse, an EcoBoost Fox Body Mustang, and hoping his ancient Cummins stays together. He's covered the automotive industry since 2007, and digs anything weird or built in a shed. Bonus points for weird things built in sheds.
