Enthusiast Impression:S2000,Scion TC,Civic CoupeEX
11-11-2006, 10:34 PM
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Enthusiast Impression:S2000,Scion TC,Civic CoupeEX
Well today i got to help my mom in her pursuit to find a sporty car, one that doesn't break the budget , but one that is still economical and still has a sporty image to it. Her choice, Scion TC 6 speed,Civic Ex 6 speed coupe....the S2000 was my bonus! 
Lets start off with the Tc... Looks wise, i have to say , the Tc is a attractive little coupe.The Black Cherry paint metallic is beautiful and of high grade for such a afforadable car. It has a bold look with not to much of a boy racer flare to it. It gives off," I am cool looking but yet smart ", appearance. The 17" enkie 7 spoke wheels adds a nice touch to the sporty image of the car. The interior is well....Toyota quality...meening fit and finish is superb! The black plastic is made of the finest plastic, its crazy, because one could ask, how can plastic be of fine quality....biggest example , go sit in a GM vehicle then come back and sit in a Toyota brand vehicle. Night and day diffrence....
The Tc has the sports cloth interior like the RX-8. Theres little gray accents scattered all over the cabin to seperate the cloth from the plastic components. Toyota did really well with the interior.The cluster gauge is very easy to see , and is very simple. You get a nice radio with a CD player and IPOD intergration,(something i wish my 05' RX-8 had) with a 6 speaker sound system. Once the radio is turned on, the sound is status quo, i heard better stock sound systems in other cars. The seats are comfortable, the rear seats are even nice! With my 6'2" , 225lbs athletic frame i sat comfortable in both the front and back seats with plenty of leg room especially in the back. Look up and you are greeted to a large sun/moon roof, with a horizontal sky light for the back passengers, very nice touch Toyota!
Performance:
Turn the Tc on and its wisper quiet, blip the gas pedal and engine has a nice vrroooom sound to it. One of the nicer stock 4 cylinder i have heard in a while.
For 161HP/162TRQ, 2900 lbs , the Tc is really peppy! Hit the gas, and the car scoots ,around 4500 to redine is where you feel the most pull out of the 2.4 liter.
0-60 is kind of ho-hum....but you have to expect it, its a low HP car, once going its easy to work the 5 speed manual and keep the Tc in its sweet spot.
Handleing, i really like this car, for a FWD car, it can handle pretty well...went around bends and long/short sweepers.... the car stuck pretty well, body roll was present when pushed . The salesman was getting a little scared so i backed off....The ride is solid, and road noise is average, going over bumps, the interior rattles a tad bit for my taste. Over smooth roads the car is very stable . Steering is responsive and feedback is predictable....overall feel is nice between driver and the road.
Overall:
I see why a lot of people like this car, especially the younger crowd. The Tc is a steal for 17,905! Its a good foundation for a enthusiast looking for a decent car to build up or leave in stock trim. You get power W/L/M and cruise, and a cool radio with a IPOD intergration. You get a car that is sporty,peppy performance,good handeling, cool looking exterior/interior, 17" enkie wheels and neat features, 23/31 mpg all in a neat package that won't break the budget.
Toyota has a winner here!
'07 Civic coupe EX
Well i must say in the looks department Honda went way out with this design, which isn't really a bad thing. Its very sleek and sporty ,short front end, short backend, long raked windshield. Its defnitely diffrent....
Interior:
Very plush, totally diffrent from the Tc, where the Tc focuses on more of a sporty image , the civic is trying focus on a image more of a luxury car. Once agin , inside materials are superb! Fit and finish is perfect, attention to detail is noticed right away. Like the Tc, the civic has faux aluminum pieces here and there, but not so much as the Tc. The seats are nice, but not sporty at all, to be honest, it seems like Honda made them for fat people. Supportive they are, sporty there not. Rear end room was less then the Tc, and the rear seats felt uncomfortable for my frame, i felt like i was sitting upright, and no matter how much i tried to slouch to get comfortable i couldn't, it forced you to sit upright, almost like sitting in the back seats of a truck.The Radio was nice , like the Tc, it had everything that the Tc had. The speedo guage i did not like at all.... the split face digital speedo/tach in the far front of the windshielf and the tach closer to you , i did not like, in matter of fact its HOKEY! Maybe i am used to the traditional Speedo/tach cluster, but i really don't think i could get use to the split design. It would have made more sense to do a HUD in the windshield like the Corvette Z-06. Honda what were you thinking??? Other than that, driver and passengers will be pampered to a nice interior.
Performance:
The civic comes with 140Hp/128Trq which makes the civic down by 21HP/34TRQ, weight for the civic 2698lbs, 202 lbs less than the Tc. Like the Tc, the Civic is wisper quiet, blip the throttle and the engine has a less aggressive note than the Tc. The ride in the Civic is very diffrent from the Tc, its very soft compared to the Tc,its almost like Honda has put all the sport features in the Si and left the lower models to be tame and plush . Ride is very comfortable , rides very much like a big luxury car, road noise is almost non existent. Its very easy to control, driving the Civic is almost boring because of how well it rides.
Stomp on the gas and be prepared to count sheep..... its gutless! Compared to my old '89 Prelude Si i had with almost identical Hp/Trq Numbers, my prelude felt like a rocket compared to this Civic. I hate to say this, but you really have to drive this car hard to feel like your moving.I love the 5 speed, very close and precise in movement. If your looking to buy a Civic for speed, look to the Si for power bliss. Handleing was average, took the Civic on the same stretch of road as the Tc, since both dealers were directley across the street from one another. It seemed not as crisp and confident as the Tc, some corners that i took in the Tc, i really had to let off because it felt like the Civic wasn't going to be able to hold on unfortuantely..... Maybe the 16" wheels/ tires had something to do with it, but body roll was very present in the civic. Its just didn't handel as the car looks....which is sporty. It wasn't like a Caddilac Deville , but it wasn't what i was expecting from a Honda.
Overall:
The Civic coupe Ex, is a nice car if your looking for a car to take long trips in,it has everything that the Tc has in it, but its more of a plush ride. The Civic has a sporty exterior, but that where the sportiness stops.For a enthusiast car, i think the Civic Ex is a poor choice of car , the Si, would be the better foundation of car to build upon. The EX, LX,DX are way to soft , and the engine level as far as a performance capablility are poor in my opinion . I am sure a I/E/H and a flash could do wonders for the the Ex civic, but for the extra cash , IMO , i would rather spring for an Si.And i am sorry for 21,000 dollars that alot of cash to be spending on a car that just has a pretty exterior ad loads of saftey and creature comforts. Civic buyers that can't afford a Si, head over to your Scion dealership, and buy yourself a Tc, way more bang for your buck!
06' S2000
Well i'll make this short and sweet.
Looks, well your would have to be blind not to notice the attractive body stylng.Clean and sweet....
Interior:
Typical honda, excellent fit and finish,soft leather , great seats but one thing...i couldn't fit comfortably in the car. I know some of you may think i am crazy, but i really could not fit in the car comfortably. Being 6'2" with a 225lbs athletic build, with the seats all the way back, my knees were touching the steering wheel like i was in a go-cart. I adjusted the 4 way seat so that the seat part was all the way back and the back part of the seat was 90 degree vertical. That worked but i was uncomfortable in that position. Even the sales guy felt bad for me and repeatedly told me that i looked uncomfortable... This was not like my RX-8 at all where my seat is in a lounge chair position. I was more upright, felt like an old folgie at the wheel. Its also noisy, road noise is very present with the soft top.
Performance:
Well for 237HP/162TRQ and the weight somewhere in the upper 2900lbs .The car... was well....very quick,not really that much faster than the 8 as some of you have made it out to be. In all honesty, the biggest diffrence is that i feel the S2000 starts to pull harder sooner than the 8 down low in the rpm spectrum. Around 3000ish for the S2000 compared to the 4-4500 for the Rx8. Yes the S2000 is a tad faster, but not by much, and to be honest, the Rx-8 seems to pull a little harder on top. The S2000 up top seems to run out of breath just a little ,where the Rx-8 seems like its wants to keep on pulling for another 3k rpms. The 6 speed is silk...period!
Handleing is very precise....the same road that we took the Tc and Civic on, the S2000 had no problem carving up the corners , handleing was razor sharp like a scalpel,no body roll was present at all, it was point and go , it definitely put a smile on my face, like driving my rx8. Although the handeling of the S2000 which many of you have boasted as being ultimate is true, the Rx-8 comes very close in this department. The S2000 is a blast to drive!
Overall:
This car is a enthusiast dream car, its light, nimble, good looks, its a true roadster, handleing out of this world,indy car like sound from the motor, its a very balanced package for the money. If your over 6'-1", with a athletic build or your sporting serious poundage, the S2000 may or may not be the car for you.If you really have to have this car as most enthusiast will definitely want it after a test drive, i sure hope you have another car to drive as your main daily driver, as it will get uncomfortable very quickly. Other than that, i am very jealous of you guys that own this car and the 8, you get to drive in bliss all the time!
This is the car for a enthusiast, that wants a slight edge over an 8, but wants the balance that the power house 350Z doesn't have.
One word describes this car! AWESOME!
Lets start off with the Tc... Looks wise, i have to say , the Tc is a attractive little coupe.The Black Cherry paint metallic is beautiful and of high grade for such a afforadable car. It has a bold look with not to much of a boy racer flare to it. It gives off," I am cool looking but yet smart ", appearance. The 17" enkie 7 spoke wheels adds a nice touch to the sporty image of the car. The interior is well....Toyota quality...meening fit and finish is superb! The black plastic is made of the finest plastic, its crazy, because one could ask, how can plastic be of fine quality....biggest example , go sit in a GM vehicle then come back and sit in a Toyota brand vehicle. Night and day diffrence....
The Tc has the sports cloth interior like the RX-8. Theres little gray accents scattered all over the cabin to seperate the cloth from the plastic components. Toyota did really well with the interior.The cluster gauge is very easy to see , and is very simple. You get a nice radio with a CD player and IPOD intergration,(something i wish my 05' RX-8 had) with a 6 speaker sound system. Once the radio is turned on, the sound is status quo, i heard better stock sound systems in other cars. The seats are comfortable, the rear seats are even nice! With my 6'2" , 225lbs athletic frame i sat comfortable in both the front and back seats with plenty of leg room especially in the back. Look up and you are greeted to a large sun/moon roof, with a horizontal sky light for the back passengers, very nice touch Toyota!
Performance:
Turn the Tc on and its wisper quiet, blip the gas pedal and engine has a nice vrroooom sound to it. One of the nicer stock 4 cylinder i have heard in a while.
For 161HP/162TRQ, 2900 lbs , the Tc is really peppy! Hit the gas, and the car scoots ,around 4500 to redine is where you feel the most pull out of the 2.4 liter.
0-60 is kind of ho-hum....but you have to expect it, its a low HP car, once going its easy to work the 5 speed manual and keep the Tc in its sweet spot.
Handleing, i really like this car, for a FWD car, it can handle pretty well...went around bends and long/short sweepers.... the car stuck pretty well, body roll was present when pushed . The salesman was getting a little scared so i backed off....The ride is solid, and road noise is average, going over bumps, the interior rattles a tad bit for my taste. Over smooth roads the car is very stable . Steering is responsive and feedback is predictable....overall feel is nice between driver and the road.
Overall:
I see why a lot of people like this car, especially the younger crowd. The Tc is a steal for 17,905! Its a good foundation for a enthusiast looking for a decent car to build up or leave in stock trim. You get power W/L/M and cruise, and a cool radio with a IPOD intergration. You get a car that is sporty,peppy performance,good handeling, cool looking exterior/interior, 17" enkie wheels and neat features, 23/31 mpg all in a neat package that won't break the budget.
Toyota has a winner here!
'07 Civic coupe EX
Well i must say in the looks department Honda went way out with this design, which isn't really a bad thing. Its very sleek and sporty ,short front end, short backend, long raked windshield. Its defnitely diffrent....
Interior:
Very plush, totally diffrent from the Tc, where the Tc focuses on more of a sporty image , the civic is trying focus on a image more of a luxury car. Once agin , inside materials are superb! Fit and finish is perfect, attention to detail is noticed right away. Like the Tc, the civic has faux aluminum pieces here and there, but not so much as the Tc. The seats are nice, but not sporty at all, to be honest, it seems like Honda made them for fat people. Supportive they are, sporty there not. Rear end room was less then the Tc, and the rear seats felt uncomfortable for my frame, i felt like i was sitting upright, and no matter how much i tried to slouch to get comfortable i couldn't, it forced you to sit upright, almost like sitting in the back seats of a truck.The Radio was nice , like the Tc, it had everything that the Tc had. The speedo guage i did not like at all.... the split face digital speedo/tach in the far front of the windshielf and the tach closer to you , i did not like, in matter of fact its HOKEY! Maybe i am used to the traditional Speedo/tach cluster, but i really don't think i could get use to the split design. It would have made more sense to do a HUD in the windshield like the Corvette Z-06. Honda what were you thinking??? Other than that, driver and passengers will be pampered to a nice interior.
Performance:
The civic comes with 140Hp/128Trq which makes the civic down by 21HP/34TRQ, weight for the civic 2698lbs, 202 lbs less than the Tc. Like the Tc, the Civic is wisper quiet, blip the throttle and the engine has a less aggressive note than the Tc. The ride in the Civic is very diffrent from the Tc, its very soft compared to the Tc,its almost like Honda has put all the sport features in the Si and left the lower models to be tame and plush . Ride is very comfortable , rides very much like a big luxury car, road noise is almost non existent. Its very easy to control, driving the Civic is almost boring because of how well it rides.
Stomp on the gas and be prepared to count sheep..... its gutless! Compared to my old '89 Prelude Si i had with almost identical Hp/Trq Numbers, my prelude felt like a rocket compared to this Civic. I hate to say this, but you really have to drive this car hard to feel like your moving.I love the 5 speed, very close and precise in movement. If your looking to buy a Civic for speed, look to the Si for power bliss. Handleing was average, took the Civic on the same stretch of road as the Tc, since both dealers were directley across the street from one another. It seemed not as crisp and confident as the Tc, some corners that i took in the Tc, i really had to let off because it felt like the Civic wasn't going to be able to hold on unfortuantely..... Maybe the 16" wheels/ tires had something to do with it, but body roll was very present in the civic. Its just didn't handel as the car looks....which is sporty. It wasn't like a Caddilac Deville , but it wasn't what i was expecting from a Honda.
Overall:
The Civic coupe Ex, is a nice car if your looking for a car to take long trips in,it has everything that the Tc has in it, but its more of a plush ride. The Civic has a sporty exterior, but that where the sportiness stops.For a enthusiast car, i think the Civic Ex is a poor choice of car , the Si, would be the better foundation of car to build upon. The EX, LX,DX are way to soft , and the engine level as far as a performance capablility are poor in my opinion . I am sure a I/E/H and a flash could do wonders for the the Ex civic, but for the extra cash , IMO , i would rather spring for an Si.And i am sorry for 21,000 dollars that alot of cash to be spending on a car that just has a pretty exterior ad loads of saftey and creature comforts. Civic buyers that can't afford a Si, head over to your Scion dealership, and buy yourself a Tc, way more bang for your buck!
06' S2000
Well i'll make this short and sweet.
Looks, well your would have to be blind not to notice the attractive body stylng.Clean and sweet....
Interior:
Typical honda, excellent fit and finish,soft leather , great seats but one thing...i couldn't fit comfortably in the car. I know some of you may think i am crazy, but i really could not fit in the car comfortably. Being 6'2" with a 225lbs athletic build, with the seats all the way back, my knees were touching the steering wheel like i was in a go-cart. I adjusted the 4 way seat so that the seat part was all the way back and the back part of the seat was 90 degree vertical. That worked but i was uncomfortable in that position. Even the sales guy felt bad for me and repeatedly told me that i looked uncomfortable... This was not like my RX-8 at all where my seat is in a lounge chair position. I was more upright, felt like an old folgie at the wheel. Its also noisy, road noise is very present with the soft top.
Performance:
Well for 237HP/162TRQ and the weight somewhere in the upper 2900lbs .The car... was well....very quick,not really that much faster than the 8 as some of you have made it out to be. In all honesty, the biggest diffrence is that i feel the S2000 starts to pull harder sooner than the 8 down low in the rpm spectrum. Around 3000ish for the S2000 compared to the 4-4500 for the Rx8. Yes the S2000 is a tad faster, but not by much, and to be honest, the Rx-8 seems to pull a little harder on top. The S2000 up top seems to run out of breath just a little ,where the Rx-8 seems like its wants to keep on pulling for another 3k rpms. The 6 speed is silk...period!
Handleing is very precise....the same road that we took the Tc and Civic on, the S2000 had no problem carving up the corners , handleing was razor sharp like a scalpel,no body roll was present at all, it was point and go , it definitely put a smile on my face, like driving my rx8. Although the handeling of the S2000 which many of you have boasted as being ultimate is true, the Rx-8 comes very close in this department. The S2000 is a blast to drive!
Overall:
This car is a enthusiast dream car, its light, nimble, good looks, its a true roadster, handleing out of this world,indy car like sound from the motor, its a very balanced package for the money. If your over 6'-1", with a athletic build or your sporting serious poundage, the S2000 may or may not be the car for you.If you really have to have this car as most enthusiast will definitely want it after a test drive, i sure hope you have another car to drive as your main daily driver, as it will get uncomfortable very quickly. Other than that, i am very jealous of you guys that own this car and the 8, you get to drive in bliss all the time!
This is the car for a enthusiast, that wants a slight edge over an 8, but wants the balance that the power house 350Z doesn't have.
One word describes this car! AWESOME!
Last edited by DailyDriver2k5; 11-11-2006 at 10:41 PM.
11-12-2006, 10:54 AM
#4
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Interesting about the Scion Tc. A major mag compro review said that the Tc with even with the TRD S/C was outclassed by the Civic Si and GTI. Personally... I'd take the Tc over the Si anyday... I don't care much for the exterior styling, need more room than Prelude backseats and I utterly have that new dash. The dash is the ultimate deal breaker for me... well that and I generally hate Honda cars anyway. 
11-14-2006, 12:47 AM
#8
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actually if you get a package 0 GTI (base stereo and no sunroof) with 17" rims... you can get probably pick one up for under $20k. Everyone, except maybe So Cal, gets GTI's at invoice. Some managed to cut a good deal for less than invoice... a few people a LOT under invoice.
Package 1 will add stereo with sat. radio, sunroof and dual zone climate controls.
Package 2 is package 1 + leather interior.
All models come with HID headlights.
NOTE: this is all for 3dr GTI's... which I prefer to the 5dr.
Package 1 will add stereo with sat. radio, sunroof and dual zone climate controls.
Package 2 is package 1 + leather interior.
All models come with HID headlights.
NOTE: this is all for 3dr GTI's... which I prefer to the 5dr.
11-14-2006, 12:02 PM
#9
2005 Black RX-8 GT 6M
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If one wants a sporty car, they should like a Civic Si or get something else entirely. Civic EX is for drivers who want a loaded Civic not a loaded sporty Civic.
Last edited by CarAndDriver; 11-14-2006 at 12:08 PM.
11-14-2006, 03:08 PM
#11
But the TC Scion is not that bad looking....... and the XC is much better than the uglist car on the road the Scion XB
Now my 65 Econoline doesn't look so bad after all.
By they way the SC 2000 is too noisy and too expensive and a stiff ride as compared to the other cars on your mom's list.
Now my 65 Econoline doesn't look so bad after all.
By they way the SC 2000 is too noisy and too expensive and a stiff ride as compared to the other cars on your mom's list.
Last edited by Razz1; 11-14-2006 at 03:10 PM.
11-14-2006, 03:15 PM
#12
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+1 for Razz's comments on the S2K.
The TC is an attractive looking car for such a modest price. She has the option of configuring it a million different way and it's fairly economical.
The TC is an attractive looking car for such a modest price. She has the option of configuring it a million different way and it's fairly economical.
11-14-2006, 06:07 PM
#13
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I was out car shopping with my gf about a month ago and I have to say we had the exact opposite opinion of the TC. Interior plastics felt and looked cheap to me, and they are everywhere. They have a really wierd grain to them too, almost like a faux wood grain. It is strange. I think the instrumentation is ugly, particularly the center stack with the rediculous silver plastic door over the radio. The seat material is rough and not pleasing to the touch or the eyes. I have a lot of experience in a variety of Toyotas, from Camrys to Corollas, and the interior in the TC does not live up to either of those in terms of materials or fit and finish.
As for the drive, I didn't drive it, but the gf had obvious trouble with the manual in the car. She missed numerous shifts, and she's been driving stick since she was 16 (it was not her). We went in expecting more and left disappointed. In fairness though the Dealer's demo seemed pretty beat, and it was the cheapest car we drove that day. It didn't stack up to the Jetta, or Acura RSX we took out. Personally in that price bracket I'd be in a rabbit (latest C&D has an article that agrees). Gf decided to spend more and get a TSX.
As for the drive, I didn't drive it, but the gf had obvious trouble with the manual in the car. She missed numerous shifts, and she's been driving stick since she was 16 (it was not her). We went in expecting more and left disappointed. In fairness though the Dealer's demo seemed pretty beat, and it was the cheapest car we drove that day. It didn't stack up to the Jetta, or Acura RSX we took out. Personally in that price bracket I'd be in a rabbit (latest C&D has an article that agrees). Gf decided to spend more and get a TSX.
Last edited by map; 11-14-2006 at 06:10 PM.
11-15-2006, 01:33 PM
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Ewww. Wannabe luxury Honda (sold as the JDM Accord)...
Having owned two Hondas... I'd never make it 3. Toyota might be dull, but I'd get one of them first.
Having owned two Hondas... I'd never make it 3. Toyota might be dull, but I'd get one of them first.
11-15-2006, 06:32 PM
#16
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I have always had a soft spot for the honda.. I drove(ripped its guts) an 05 s2k today.. I always liked this car and was expecting much more! the s2k I drove had intake, exhaust, coilovers and short shift. The engine sounded very impresive but it still felt slow!! I like everything else, styling ,handeling and feel!(Im 6'4'' 200lbs and the car was cozy but not crampt)
I drove an 04 evo and was very dissapointed. I really thought I was gonna break it! Everything felt so cheap that in the back of my mind I could see lots of things going wrong with this car down the road!(lots of torque..I think I ruined the tranny in 5 minutes)
I drove the 350z and was impressed. I really hate those giant door handles and the car is a bit too round for my taste, but the v6 had a nice rumble and 300hp was just as quick as the evo with a classier feel!
I enjoy the 8 because it looks like the s2k, and feels classy like the 350z. with excellent handeling. I figure a big turbo upgrade and this car could near perfection! Plus I just like having something special (rotary)
The tc sucks.. (I work for toyota so I am allowed to say that)
I had 5 civics. I spent alot of money on them until I realized that these things just were not meant to be sports cars!!!
I drove an 04 evo and was very dissapointed. I really thought I was gonna break it! Everything felt so cheap that in the back of my mind I could see lots of things going wrong with this car down the road!(lots of torque..I think I ruined the tranny in 5 minutes)
I drove the 350z and was impressed. I really hate those giant door handles and the car is a bit too round for my taste, but the v6 had a nice rumble and 300hp was just as quick as the evo with a classier feel!
I enjoy the 8 because it looks like the s2k, and feels classy like the 350z. with excellent handeling. I figure a big turbo upgrade and this car could near perfection! Plus I just like having something special (rotary)
The tc sucks.. (I work for toyota so I am allowed to say that)
I had 5 civics. I spent alot of money on them until I realized that these things just were not meant to be sports cars!!!
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