Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
22 -23 City / 29 -30 HWY
Horsepower
160
Seats
5
Front angle view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle John B
Scion TC is a great car for the price.
The 2005 Scion TC is an excellent vehicle at its price point. The body is sleek and classy and the interior includes all the necessary amenities one needs for a vehicle of this type. I have had my vehicle for 13 years and it still looks and drives brand new.
accountCircle Olivia C
Is that it's a good car and great on gas.
I like my vehicle because it is cheaper in gas unlike my other car. It is easier to wash and keep clean inside unlike my other car. I love how cheap it is to insure through my car insurance.
accountCircle Luis Almeida
Good old Toyota reliability
This was my first brand new car purchased in December of 2004 for a little less than $18k. I wrecked the car on a deer at full speed few months ago and that completely broke my heart. I had less than 130K miles on it and never had any maintenance issues prior to this. The brakes were changed for the first time late in 2018 and other than new tires and oil changes it never needed anything else. The back seats fully reclined so I was able to move so many large items on my own. The vehicle was so agile driving around traffic and acceleration was great. The old 2.4 liter Camry engine it had was bullet proof. I guess the only knock was the fact it was a coupe, and over time one gets older and have kids and requires 4 doors. The visibility when turning was partially blocked by the thick location of the side curtain airbags. I was easily annoyed by the beeping sound whenever the vehicle was driven with seat belts unbuckled. It was easy to control over snowy roads and rain puddles due to how wide and low it was. The car was built in Japan and workmanship felt so solid. I will forever miss it.
accountCircle Karli M
The handling is wonderful. It drives with ease. Hugs curves grest
Comfortable,great on gas, the time I've had the car only problem is I have had to do brakes twice in a year
accountCircle Erica S
Great on gas and very sporty. Great wheels.
Very sporty looking. Absolutely great on gas, great mileage. Parts are easy to find. Love the sunroof since I am not crazy for air conditioning. Opening the hatch back allows for lots or room. Unfortunately they have discontinued the scion product accept they very expensive sports model.
accountCircle Autumn H
It is a very nice little car!
The performance is great, is fast, zooms around, love the way it takes corners and glides. It is 100% reliable! It is so comfortable and compact! I love its double moon roof and its radio is loud, the way I like it!
accountCircle Andrew S
My car has run very well for the past thirteen years.
My car has run very well ever since I got it. I have had minimal issues. I wish the gas mileage was better though.
accountCircle Albert S
It is a very reliable car, I haven't had to do anything other than regular maintenance to keep it running
It is a small vehicle, but surprisingly roomy. I have had it for over 10 years and it has been very reliable with very few issues. I like It's reliability. I don't really have any complaints about it.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Anastasia C
Don't buy a car off of Craigslist
I got the car from Craigslist back in 2016 and it has given me nothing but problems and has costed me money. The car itself is nice but it needs a lot of repairs. For example, my trunk button is hanging off and apparently it's costs $400 to fix it because they have to replace the whole thing.
accountCircle RON H
That I bought it brand new and have taken care of it to the present day.
My vehicle is so old and is on Its last legs as the acceleration has gone down dramatically and the engine is sluggish, slow, and makes a lot of noise. I definitely do not enjoy driving it as much as before.
accountCircle Janel B
It's durable and you can count on it to last a while.
It has lasted a long time with minimal maintenance and survived many accidents.
accountCircle jordi c
Great design and great to drive with style all over long distance and short drive
Great design and comfortable to drive, the sound system is good, the MPG is good and the motor runs great I have no issues with the car
accountCircle Amanda H
I like that the car has good gas mileage and runs very smoothly. I do not like that it is extremely low to the ground, is a two-door vehicle, and has little legroom for the driver and passengers.
The most important thing that people should know about my car is that it is reliable and runs well despite its age.
accountCircle Mr Warren M
Excellent buy for the $. No major problems at 220, 000 miles.
This has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. The only thing I have had to have done or it is have new tires a few times and regular oil changes. It is absolutely amazing how well it has held up. I have drove it in the Midwest during the winter no problems I have drove it in Florida in searing heat and no problems. It is really been a great vehicle all around. I am still amazed at how well it has held up see it has 220, 000 miles on it.
accountCircle Josh P
Toyota reliability with enough trunk space to carry anything you may need.
The car has a very reliable engine, however the body work is less sturdy and often has to be repaired or replaced. The CD player that is factory standard is flawed and will short out and quit working, this usually occurs when at full capacity. The car rides comfortably if a bit low to the ground and gets good gas mileage. The styling is not bad, and the hatchback allows for a lot of room in the back when the seats are down, despite the small size of the car.
accountCircle Sabrina L
Good first car I ever had.
I enjoy having my scion. Its fuel efficient and performs great. It's not too comfortable and the interior is cheap. The great feature I love is the bluetooth and the sports mode.

Scion tC Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
3dr HB Manual
160 HP 26-26 MPG 5 Seats
car
3dr HB Auto
160 HP 27-27 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2005 Scion tC Owner Reviews

4.17
54 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 44%
4 stars 35%
3 stars 17%
2 stars 0%
1 star 4%
accountCircle Shannon B on May 8, 2021
It is very affordable to maintain and gets great gas mileage!
I love my scion because it has been my daily driver for 4 years now, I have never had a single issue with my car, and it is very affordable to maintain. I would recommend a scion to anyone.
accountCircle Amy C on April 3, 2021
Fun, sporty, get up and go tc. It likes to be driven like it was stolen.
The way the body of the car is the driver's seat is uncomfortable to get set up. Especially when it is a manual transmission. I am short/average height. The seatbelt is hard to turn around and get. It is a great car but for a younger person of course I did just purchase this car and haven't driven a newer year. I would definitely recommend it.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Susan C.

It looks sleek and sporty. It has held up well for nearly fifteen years with minimal repairs needed. It is good for local travel, even though you cannot use it for long trips. It has an easy to read panel instrument and is comfortable.

likeFilled Grace W.

It is a very easy to drive for everyone car, very simple and speedy. The brakes are great and love the cruise set option. I also love having 2 sunroofs to my car. It has great gas mileage and is very cost efficient.

likeFilled Libnis S.

Very good youth line because It does not spend a lot of gas, it is small but spacious and is also convenient. It has a large, spacious trunk, and it looks sporty. It also is a reliable brand through Toyota.

likeFilled Leann L.

It is reliable, comfortable for a smaller sized person. It is great for transporting bigger items. The look and design is very sleep and the car is very good on gas. Its very low maintenance and just needs routine check ups. Only major flaw is it requires low profile tires which could be a pain in the city.

likeFilled Justin B.

It maneuvers very well with the right wheels/tires. Oil changes are not hard if you have ramps. Lots of legroom. Feels sporty. The sunroof makes me feel a lot cooler when it is nice outside. The sound system is decently loud.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Susan C.

It is old. The brakes and headlights have had to be replaced. It is not appropriate for drivers of a greater distance than 40 miles. IT cannot go faster than 70 mph without it feeling unsafe. Highway driving is difficult.

dislikeFilled Grace W.

The cons are it is very old and has needed a lot of work done, other than that I do really love my vehicle. It runs smooth and is easy for everyone to drive. Another con, is the 2 door situation because the drivers side seat does not move forward anymore so that is a con.

dislikeFilled Libnis S.

The cons of my vehicle would include the lack of an aux cord connector. It also has an older version of a radio. The trunk door may also fall unless you have good suspenders to keep it up because it is so large.

dislikeFilled Leann L.

The cons are low profile tires. My sunroof stopped working years ago and is an expensive fix. The seats are good for short people but hard for anyone driving that is 6 foot or taller. Paint job gets dull over time and tint isn't great.

dislikeFilled Justin B.

With 2 doors, it is hard to access the backseat. The doors are very long so it is like airplanes wings when trying to close them. The hatch shocks need changing if you do not want to grunt when lifting it.

Ranks #7 Small Cars by Owners

The 2005 Scion tC has an average owner rating of 4.17 out of 5 which ranks it #7 of 22 other Small Cars.

1
car
4.67
2
car
4.56
7
Tie
car
4.17

Ranks #9 Small Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2005 Scion tC has a combined MPG of 34 which ranks it #9 of 23 other Small Cars.

1
Tie
car
42 MPG
1
Tie
car
43 MPG
9
Tie
car
30 MPG

Related Articles for 2005 Scion tC

From the Vehicle History blog

car
2008 Scion tC Review: A Comfortable, Practical, Fuel-Efficient Coupe
car
2007 Scion tC Review: A Surprisingly Capable Budget Compact

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Not Rated

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Not Rated

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety