My sister is looking to go the route of a car loan to get into a new vehicle as her 2012 Accord coupe was totaled. I found this 2011 Scion tC with 119K listed for $8,999. This seems like a fair price, but I don't know much about these. I assume it is a Camry drivetrain? I see it has a 2.5 which if I remember correctly have been known to be oil burners for certain model years.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
I have an 05 tC. Bought it brand new off the lot and has served me well for 16 years. 179K miles and running strong. Only parts I ever had to replace, other than maintenance items, was the AC compressor, master cylinder, headlights (faded) and will be replacing rear calipers soon. Fortunately I have the tools for HVAC so it only cost me $300 for OE. Flushed the trans at 80k and it shifts great.
The 2006 - 2008, had issues with the pistons rings and or oil pressure sensor IIRC. This resulted in a lot of spun bearings since the engine burned oil and with a malfunctioning oil pressure sensor, the oil light did not come on to alert the driver. If you were to get an 06 - 08 just make sure its low mileage and maintained regularly.
The 05 has the Camry drivetrain as does the second gen 2011 + tC.
I think $8999 is a little much for a the tC you are looking at. KBB is coming in at $6351 - $8420, but negotiating in todays market might be a little difficult. If you are not in a hurry to buy, tell the dealer you'll pay $7500 and see where it goes.
The tC is a great reliable car that served me well for 16 years. I am sure a second gen will do the same
The new Scion tCa sort of 40th Anniversary Edition Toyota Celicais a compelling alternative to the Ford Mustang.
www.popularmechanics.com
"The tC's new 2.5-liter engine is virtually identical to the four-cylinder engine offered in the 2010 Toyota Camry SE. It's all aluminum with dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, sequential fuel injection, dual variable valve timing and a 10.4:1 compression ratio. The Camry SE's engine is rated at 179 horsepower at 6000 rpm, with 171 lb-ft of peak torque at 4100 rpm. Thanks to slightly different engine-control computer programming and different intake and exhaust systems, the tC develops one extra horsepower at 6000 rpm and two more lb-ft of torque at 4100 rpm.
That may be a negligible advantage over the Camry SE, but it's a whopping improvement of 19 horsepower and 11 lb-ft of torque over the 2.4-liter four in last year's tC. Moreover, a new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions take advantage of the new engine's muscle. The automatic carries the same gear ratios and final drive as the four-cylinder Camry's transaxle, while the manual transmission has slightly tighter ratios than the Camry's, with both fifth and sixth overdrives."