I went and test drove a Mazda 6s and a Scion tc today.

I test drove the 6s first and I was very very impressed with the power, v6 215 HP. However, the car felt heavy and there was a bit of lag from when I step on the gas and the car actually took off. The interior is pretty nice and modern. The red lights on the gauges and buttons give the car a nice sporty look. The front has plenty of room. The back, however, is a little tight on space. I was disappointed that alot of the luxury on the TSX are not on the 6s. I test drove the higher trim, the Grand Touring I think.

Next, I test drove the Scion tc. I wasn't expecting much from this $17k car. It's like a Toyota civic to me. The exterior is appealing. The front looks like the volvo s40 and the back looks like the Pontiac G6. The interior is oookkkk....it is a very small car, very small. I felt cramped and I am only 5'10; I felt like my head gonna hit the roof if I hit a little bump on the road. The gauges look nice and the center console is pretty cool. It has the wow factor but the material looks and feel kind of cheap. The car comes with the upgrade audio and I love how I can change the color on the audio display. Also, it has direct IPOD connection that allows song selection with the audio head unit. One thing that bugged me alot was that there was no power driver seat . Now, for the drive. All I can say is WOW. I can't believe this car has only 160hp. I was flying down the road and there was NO lag at all. I punch it and it goes. I felt like it was accelerating as fast as the 215hp v6 mazda 6. During the whole test drive, I was thinking...man, they got to have the supercharger in this car (the sales guy didn't come along for the drive). But when I got back, I learned it has the stock 160hp. I guess it must be the weight or maybe an intake or some other mod. But this car is sooo fun to drive; it has a sense of speed that I didn't find in the Volvo S40 or TSX testdrives. Sadly, I also felt like the car will fold up accordian style if I get into an accident. The sense of safety is really lacking.

So in short, in comparison to the TSX

Mazda 6
- V6, more power
- Lacking in features for a $27k car
- Nice, sporty interior and exterior


Scion tc
- Fast, little car; exhilarating drive
- Cute, sporty exterior
- Cheap but exciting interior
- No luxury features at all
- Two moonroofs

I may really consider getting the Scion tc instead of the TSX. I know they are completely different cars but the Scion is a blast to drive and the price is very attractive.

 

A souped up tC tried to race me today or something. It was loud but very fast, and where I stopped to observe a red light he kept going and made a left turn right as it turned red. Kinda interested in this car as well as two of my friends have tCs, but it's definitely a step down from the TSX in the luxury department.

 

yeah, my friend has one, and it looks really nice. esp she got the lip kit around it and in white.
on performance wise, i think it could be comparable with TSX.
ANYBODY RACE ONE YET??
but on luxury wise, def not comparable, two different class = )

 

my friend own a tC, got it when it just came out. He is very fast, his mods are Alpha headers, GReddy Evo2, custom S pipe, K&N CAI and it drop on Tein S tech. That thing beat a Civic Si with a type R motor.

 

raced a stock tc, it didnt keep up
embarresed the poor dude, he was so confident

 

stock tCs are slow, i raced one in my AT and beat it on highway. but i guess with some mod, it can be fast

 

As both a Toyota guy and a Honda guy... The tC has a really potent engine. Keep in mind, that engine isn't made for a light car it came straight from a camry 4cyl... but anyway people who say the car is slow, no way. off the show floor it has some pretty decent kick to it. I was actually considering buying a tC but picked a TSX because of a classier look and some other comforts (nav, SS, etc.)
The tC, with mods will really open up that engine to some power as mentioned above. For some reason, Toyota restricts engine power a lot, once you crack that thing open damn it's amazing.

 

They are about as fast as our car..maybe a few 10ths of a second slower..nothing blazing fast about the car..we have better handling and better styling..exterior...etc. but for the money its a good buy..but u get what u pay for..rattles and cheap plastic..but just like hondas, toyota motors last pretty long

 

a tC with a 160hp engine and simple boltons beat a lighter civic with 200hp engine probably with the same boltons? sounds a driver problem

 

I'd say if you like the tC just wait for the new Civic Si, that thing looks much much better and has better performance across the board, and only costs slightly more

 

I test drove a tC a while back. I wasn't that impressed with it. The steering feel felt like a Toyota (i.e. too light and not enough feedback) and the acceleration felt about the same as the TSX. The interior was ok, but nothing spectacular.

On the other hand, the new Civic has a stunning interior and the engine on the Si looks very promising. I am looking forward to test driving one of those.

 

To everyone that says the tC is slower or just as fast as the TSX, I do believe you. However, the tC got a lot more torque and it has the sense of speed that the TSX doesn't have. With the supercharger, the tC can kill the TSX and Si with no problem. Also, the tC looks SOOO much better than the new Civic Si, inside and out. Still, after I slept it, I can't live with a car that doesn't have power driver seat.

 

You gotta be kidding me...the deciding factor is a power driver seat?

Some people have interesting priorities when it comes to buying cars...

 

Well, let me ask you a question. If your new TSX doesn't have power driver seat, would you still buy it?? The power driver seat is not the ONLY deciding factor but it's the one that's makes me not want to buy the car.

 

Yup. In fact, I have said many times before that on my 04 TSX, I would have preferred not to have the power seat since it didn't have the seat memory feature. Without seat memory, power seats are just excess weight.

 

I bought it for the direct injection synthetic blinker fluid.

 

my friend has one which I have driven several times before and after he started to mod it and an injen CAI is a madatory mod on that car as the power increase is amazing just like it is on our car.

 

Ok, you win then. But isn't having manual seats like having to roll up your windows manually??

 

No, because windows are something that you will likely use while driving. The seat is something that you set before you start driving. Plus, you need to access the three other windows in the car whereas you don't need to adjust the position of the other three seats in the car when you're driving.

 

Um..the tC doesnt have more torque than the TSX..i think they are both rated at 166.. the tC might even be alil lower than that.. Both cars about even in performance..but thats about it!

 

The Scion tC is rated at 163Tq @4000 rpms and 160Hp @5700 and 0-60 in 7.4 and 1/4mile in 15.7 redline is 6500rpms

The TSX is rated at 166Tq @4500 rpms and 200Hp @6800 and 0-60 in 7.2 and 1/4mile in 15.6 redline is 7100rpms

Pretty much equal.. A drivers race when it comes down to performance

 

Unless you have an 06.

 

lol CGTSX2004 is burning ninjamyst

 

 

You dont sound like you should get a tC or a TSX, what you really need is a IS350 or something like that

 

too bad canada doesn't have the scion yet.

it would be nice to see them on the road. i think they're nice cars. definitely an option if i were looking for a civic/tc/mazda3/sentra/golf/etc.

 

I can't afford the IS350. I really never considered the tC till I test drove one for fun. My eyes been set on the TSX; I am just waiting for the right time to pick one up at invoice or below.

 

That won't be for about a year...until the 2007s come out. The 2006s are selling like hot-cakes, the dealerships can't keep them on the lot and the orders are backed up in a lot of places. I just picked up a 2005 for below invoice, so it's possible to find one. Good luck.

 

Toyota advertised it as a girls car still... just something I would not drive cuz of its rep like a mazda is still a mazda heh.

Ill stick with my tsx =) im happy even if its an 05 =\

 

my brother has an 05 tc auto.

i agree that it is pretty sporty, and feels like its got some zip. its probably as fast as my 05 tsx possibly faster to 60.

i think it feels faster because well it is not as refinied, and well its noisier and the engine is setup to get more torque at the low end.

i used to drive an 01 nissan altima with a 2.4L i-4 with 150lb feet of torque and it was the same way, felt faster than the tsx, because all the torque was at lower range that and it was noisier and less insulated.


the tsx though, is much better than the tc. just look at that center console. it looks like a toy. my dad agreed that the plasticy door on the cd changer is by far that crappiest thing in that car.

the outside looks ok though. a lot better than say a corolla, and the rims are decent considering its such an inexpensive car.

 

If you think the tc has a problem with the interior, try test-driving a Mazda 3. The tc is a bit more expensive, but it does seem a lot better built. Both cars are pretty fun to drive on a budget. If I wanted to save money, I probably would have been pretty happy with the tc. Handling seemed pretty good, good acceleration. Like the others said, it seemed close to the TSX, but I can't say who's faster.

Luxury-wise, the TSX is a better choice. More room, more doors, plus all of the other extras...

 

I raced some punkass kid with a supercharged tc a few months ago. He thought he could keep up with me until I left him in the dust. Should have seen the look on his face. It was priceless. Looks like his car needs more mods

 

did i miss it or has no one mentioned that the tc only has 2 doors!lol....i dont know about everyone else....but i chose the tsx over alot of other cars..i.e. g35 coupe, tc because of the convenience of having 4 doors.i thought that the tsx looked alot nicer as a sedan then the g35 and that was another reason for picking it over the g....just an observation

 

That kid needs to learn how to drive...haha. I am pretty sure a tC with the supercharger can beat a TSX, unless you got lots of mods on yours.

 

Very true. I guess I shouldn't compare the Scion to the TSX since they are completely different cars. I was just pointing out the Scion is a pretty nice car for the money, kind of like how the TSX is a pretty good value in its class.

 

Were you in a S2K?

 

I don't own a TSX. Not yet at least

 

i agree with you....it is a great car for its price....truth is...if i wasnt looking for something in 4 doors....and i wanted a coupe...i really think i wouldve picked up a tc just for its value.i think its a great car....i would really debate long and hard between that and the new civic SI.....i just wanted to point out since no one else did that it was a coupe and the tsx is a 4 door