The 2016 Scion tC is the Toyota youth brand's entry-level sports car offering. Fitting below the more sport-oriented FR-S and above the lower-cost iA and iM options, the tC fills a niche that seems to have no want for eager buyers. Combining the appeal of a sports coupe with the versatility of a hatchback, the tC brings the best of both worlds to the curb.
The 2016 tC has received some much needed interior trim upgrades and a great new 7-inch touchscreen infotainment interface as standard equipment. It is otherwise unchanged from the 2015 model year.
Most buyers in the entry-level compact coupe segment are looking for something affordable, sporty (at least in looks) and useful as a daily driver. The tC brings all of that to the table in a complete package.
The 2013 Scion tC is only in its second generation of production, debuting for the 2005 model year. This year's model features a brand new trim level but not much else is different from the previous year. It has an exterior that screams performance and an interior that remains pleasant. Being in the sports car/hatchback section it falls short of competitors in areas like fuel efficiency and economy, but it does possess some decent characteristics where rivals fall short.
Scion is a division of Toyota, which means the tC should possess all the reliability characteristics of any Toyota model, but don't expect all the glitz and glamour that comes on higher-end compacts. It is ranked at 32 out of 43 Affordable Small Cars by U.S.News.
The Scion tC is the 21st most reliable vehicle in the small car category, with a reliability score of 7.5.
Approximately 0.1% of all Scion tCs on the road have reached 200,000 miles or more, which compares to an average of 0.7% for the small car category
The best-ranked small car for reliability is the Toyota Yaris Sedan
See below for the reliability scores of various cars in the small car category:
Toyota Yaris Sedan
9.0
Honda Civic Coupe
8.7
Mitsubishi Lancer
8.2
Honda Civic Sedan
8.1
Toyota Corolla
8.1
Toyota Yaris Hatchback
8.0
Honda Fit
8.0
Mazda MAZDA3 Sedan
8.0
Ford Focus Sedan
8.0
Subaru Impreza
7.9
Volkswagen Jetta
7.9
Honda Civic Hatchback
7.9
Volkswagen Golf
7.8
Kia Rio
7.7
Ford Focus Hatchback
7.7
Hyundai Accent Hatchback
7.7
Hyundai Elantra
7.6
Nissan Sentra
7.6
Hyundai Accent Sedan
7.6
Chevrolet Cruze Sedan
7.5
Scion tC
7.5
Mazda MAZDA3 Hatchback
7.5
Chevrolet Sonic Sedan
7.5
Kia Forte Koup
7.5
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
7.5
Ford Fiesta Sedan
7.5
Ford Fiesta Hatchback
7.4
Nissan Versa
7.3
Volkswagen CC
7.2
Kia Forte
7.2
Kia Forte5
6.9
Hyundai Veloster
6.7
Scion iQ
6.6
Toyota Corolla Hatchback
6.5
MINI Paceman
6.5
Chevrolet Spark
6.4
Dodge Dart
6.4
Chevrolet Sonic Hatchback
6.4
Mitsubishi Mirage
6.3
Volkswagen Beetle
6.2
Mitsubishi Mirage G4
6.2
FIAT 500
6.1
Nissan Versa Note
6.1
Scion iA
6.1
Volkswagen Golf R
6.0
Toyota Corolla iM
6.0
Scion iM
6.0
FIAT 500L
6.0
Smart fortwo
6.0
Toyota Yaris iA
5.9
Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback
5.7
Volkswagen Golf GTI
5.7
Subaru WRX
5.6
Hyundai Elantra GT
5.6
Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Is the Scion tC a good car?
Scion tC
The Scion tC earns an ISC quality score of 8.7 based on its reliability, value retention and safety ratings.
The Scion tC is ranked 8th in quality in the small car category,
with the Volkswagen Golf ranked just above it and the Mazda MAZDA3 Hatchback ranked just below it
The best-ranked small car for quality is the Honda Civic Coupe
