The 2011 tC is Scion’s second attempt at creating a sporty, fun to drive coupe for the Gen Y drivers. The first generation did well, selling for about seven years, and reaching a sales volume of around 310,000. But after driving the second generation, I can whole-heartedly say that the redesigned tC is at last a truly youth-oriented vehicle. It’s fun to drive, has amazingly well bolstered seats, and offers more space and versatility all around to make it even more appealing to more young drivers, and separating itself from the image of a cool two door Camry.

The Scion tC’s body lines are all new for 2011, but it does retain some similarities to the first tC. Overall, exterior dimensions have remained the same, but width has grown by a minimal 1.6 inches.

Designers made sure to take the tC to the gym; its body is now more toned and cut up, with a low, bulldog stance, flat roofline, and wraparound windshield that mimics the visor of a motorcycle helmet.

The rear end gets leaner as well, with sharp corners surrounding the tail lights, and a short overhang. A TRD Sport Muffler on our Sizzling Crimson Mica painted tC adds some visual interest: overall a very sleek and conservative rear end.

The 2011 tC looks more masculine than the model it replaces, but it could spend a bit more time to get more defined.

The redesigned tC with a manual transmission was a blast to drive. Rowing through the six gears was relatively precise, if a bit toyish feeling, and the clutch had a springy yet linear feel once and contribute that to a well balanced clutch and manual gearbox combination. With firm steering and minimal body roll thanks to a sport-tuned suspension with 18” wheels and rubber, the manual version was the most fun to drive.

Not everyone can live with a manual from day-to-day, so Scion offers a 6-speed automatic pulled directly from the 2011 Toyota Camry. In fully automatic mode, the transmission logic shifts up through the gears pretty early to help the tC attain better fuel economy; but if passing or lane merging is needed, a good push half way on the throttle wakes up the engine and the transmission shifts down.

If you want the best of both worlds, don’t look to the automatic. I found the manumatic function adequate for holding gears while upshifting, but the tC isn’t too risky with redline and doesn’t like downshifting when asked.

All Scion tC coupes come with a 2.5L, four-cylinder engine that produces 180 horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque that are available around 4,000 RPM. Toyota times 0-60 for the manual at 7.6 seconds while the automatic takes a blink longer at 8.3 seconds. Amazingly, fuel economy is rated at a respectable 23 MPG in the city, 31 MPG on the highway for both transmissions!

The interior of the 2011 tC continues to shine with Scion’s effort to turn the tC into an affordable sporty coupe. The design is unique to the tC, with a cockpit-like instrument cluster and center console.

Sport front seats feature a cool mesh fabric designed to add some excitement to the otherwise black and gray interior. The seats are very well bolstered to support the body in fast turns, but can get a bit uncomfortable after a few hours of highway driving.

The flat-bottom perforated leather steering wheel felt secure and comfortable in the hands, and made the tC feel even sportier.

The dash and door panels are covered in a wavy textured plastic that looks and feels premium, while silver painted components like the door grabs break up the sea of black plastic.

Scion retained the standard panoramic sunroof from the previous tC, which features a glass panel over the front seats that tilts and slides back over a glass panel above the rear seats. With glass covering such a large portion of the the vehicle, the tC feels airy and roomy.

Manual HVAC controls are logically placed and were easy to operate without having to look down, something rarely seen in today’s sea of complicated controls. Cruise control is also standard on the tC.

Rear head and legroom is quite spacious thanks to a well-designed rear seat and ceiling. Six-foot tall passengers had no issues entering through the large front doors and staying comfortable, though as with many coupes a small gymnastic act is required. When more cargo room is needed in the hatchback area, the 60/40-split seats fold flat and create a large flat cargo area.

The tC is geared toward younger drivers by offering the latest infotainment features. Standard on all tC coupes is a 300-watt Pioneer sound system pumping out decibels through eight speakers, using AM/FM/CD/AUX/USB or optional satellite for the tunes.

Remote steering wheel-mounted audio controls helped make station and track far easier than fiddling with the small buttons on the Pioneer head-unit. Navigation units are available as well as factory-installed Bluetooth, though I found the BluLogic accessory option to be of zero value. Callers could not comprehend my speech, making the system a bit archaic for an otherwise modern coupe.

Safety in the tC is far from outdated, however, as it comes with a Star Safety System. The package includes computer-controlled active systems such as vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS, EBA, BA, and Smart Stop which overrides the throttle if the brakes are applied.

Passive systems are plentiful in the tC as well, with eight airbags available to protect occupants in any situation. Dual front, front side, front knee, and side curtain airbags inflate in various accidents to help keep the driver and passengers safe.

The redesigned Scion tC brings much value to the coupe segment. Starting at $18,275, most of what our automatic and manual transmission test cars had was standard. Opting for an automatic will cost $1k more, and unless you absolutely must have it, I’d recommend the manual. The tC mates a unique masculine design to a capable powertrain and chassis, wrapped together to create one amazingly fun -to-drive coupe!