Tips for Toyota for the next tC

[DougDangger]

Give it a 6th gear
Freeway driving would get greater mpg with a taller gear. I hate getting 24mpg. My wife who has a larger heavier car, Solara 4 banger, gets 27mpg.

The next one might be pushing it, but how about a clamshell door.

A-la RX8
They could make a 2nd tC trim costing more. I wouldn't mind paying $18,000 for a tC with RX8 doors.

[BLUEMEANIE]

I'm not a big fan of the rear door.

6spd would be nice ... the rest of the gears are good just need a better cruising gear.
an LSD option would be nice too, as would HID and Navi.

[touringcamry]

Unless another car gets a 6sp transmission the tC won't get one either. I drive a Camry 2.4 and I have the same engine and transmission as you aside from the final drive and 5th gear ratio and I can get over 34 MPG highway easy. My car is about 500 lbs heavier also. I drove 528mi on 15.3 gal of fuel once mostly highway.

Mixed however, I probably get about 28-32 MPG

[HATEnFATE]

Really-6th gear isn't going to solve your MPG issues. It's all about gear ratios. I only get about 28 mpg on the interstate with my spec-v and it's a 6 speed.

What's funny though is all the people who want a 6 speed for acceleration, you've got the same people complaining that it takes longer to get through the gears so it's a lose, lose situation.

[DougDangger]

Originally Posted by HATEnFATE

Really-6th gear isn't going to solve your MPG issues. It's all about gear ratios.

Ummm... Yes, a taller 6th gear would help solve MPG issues. The tC's lard arse and thirsty 2.4L doesn't help, but buzzing at 3,800rpm at 80mph only makes it worse. By having a taller 6th gear (say 3,000rpm at 80mph) it would certainly help. Everytime the piston goes up and down, fuel is being burned. The fewer times it has to do this in a minute = better mpg. Tall final gears really help cars get great hwy mpg, why do you think a car like the Vette with a big guzzling 7.0L V8 can get 27mpg on the highway.

[Driver]

Here are some things i would like to see in the next tC.

1- Sliding arm rest on the center console. When i was in the market for another car, i also tested the accord and it had the sliding arm rest in the center console. I love that feature. It's no rocket science, but it's nice to have.

2- A different radio than the xA and the xB. I am sorry, but this is too GMish/Fordish to put the same radio in all their cars. It's one of the reasons that the Ford and GM interiors do not appeal to me so much. In the famous words of Cartman "weak".

3- Have remote start standard on all tCs. ( yes i am too spoiled)

There are probably more things but they are escaping me right now.

[BLUEMEANIE]

I agree about the radio thing but all car makers use the same models in all cars ...just different levels come as standard on different models until you opt for a "name brand" top of the line factory option. All toyotas have always had similar radio configs with in a given period of time.

What they should have done is keep the base and iPod hu's the same and offer a Navi upgrade option (i.e. the 08 xB and xD ... not sure why its not available on the 08 tC tho???)

[HATEnFATE]

why do you think a car like the Vette with a big guzzling 7.0L V8 can get 27mpg on the highway

because it isn't working very hard.

I've talked about it many, MANY times.

It's not how fast the engine is spinning that makes the major difference although it does make a slight difference. How hard your engine is working makes a HUGE difference in your mileage.

My 91 sentra SE-R is a GREAT example of this. 197k on the odometer, cruising at 65 mph i get about 25 mpg. my engine is turning at about 3300-3400 rpm. now if I cruise at 80-85 mph, i can and do easily get 35 mpg even though my engine is spinning about 4000-4100 rpm. This is because my engine is sitting in it's powerband. It might be spinning faster but it isn't working as hard to keep my car at it's current speed.

A 5 speed corolla can attain 38mpg and a 5 speed yaris gets almost 41 mpg. My 6 speed spec-v gets about 25 mpg average bewteen in town and highway.

Just changing the gear ratios to better suit the tC would be plenty. Adding another gear just ups the cost and the sale price.

[Driver]

Originally Posted by BLUEMEANIE

I agree about the radio thing but all car makers use the same models in all cars ...just different levels come as standard on different models until you opt for a "name brand" top of the line factory option. All toyotas have always had similar radio configs with in a given period of time.

What they should have done is keep the base and iPod hu's the same and offer a Navi upgrade option (i.e. the 08 xB and xD ... not sure why its not available on the 08 tC tho???)

I know what you are saying, but let's just use toyota as an example here. The radio of a camry doesn't look anything like the radio of a corolla, or the Rav4. But all the scions have the exact same unit. I would appreciate it if it atleast looked different.
It's kinda funny though, because chances are the first thing i would do with the new tC is install a carputer so the stock radio would go buy buy anyways, yet i still want a unique radio.

[BLUEMEANIE]

the Toyota usdm HU's of the 90's thru the early 00's were the exact same, there were about 5 or 6 (maybe 7 if you include the navs) in various configurations with various updates over about 12-15 years.
You either had a single din am/fm with the possibility of an add on tape or cd the higher models had either a single din am/fm/tape with the possibility of an add on cd or a single din am/fm/cd and the highest end had a double din am/fm/tape/cd. later on disc based nav was introduced.
It wasn't untill the later early to mid 00's that they began to look unique (intigrated in to the dash) in any way. ...I know what you're saying tho. I mean even the current FJ has a variation of our HU's in its own distinct 'rugged' look.

...tho this current trend of unique/intigrated in to the dash does make it harder to get an aftermarket kit that flows well and looks factory.

[iheartboost]

The tC should come with a LSD and a Taller Final drive... 6th gear isnt needed. A dimmer switch that controls the dash lights and all interior lights. And this is a long shot but All Wheel Drive would be nice. Those option would most likely bump the price up alot but it would be worth it.

[BLUEMEANIE]

There is a dimmer switch that controls the dash and console lights.

[iheartboost]

I know there is one for the dash.. but im talking about one that when turned all the way it turns on both dome lights.

[Driver]

Who here wants a power driver seat? My camry has spoiled me with that. I wish the tC had it as well.

[BLUEMEANIE]

My truck has power seats ... I miss the heated seats and mirrors when I'm in the tC more tho.

Keyless ignition with a push button start (like the Mini) would be dope too