Should You Take the Scion tC Off Road?
The Scion tC sure is sporty, but it’s far more suited for paved highways than for off-roading adventures.
Written by Jacqulyn Graber
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The Scion tC is fun to drive and controls well, but it’s not meant for off-roading.
While you probably don’t consider sports cars aggressive off-road vehicles, it’s important to understand your car’s off-road chops, just in case you get stuck in a snowy driveway or need to park in a grassy lot.
Here to break down the key factors acting on your Scion tCs off-road abilities, including ground clearance, tires, torque, and drivetrain, is
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Can the Scion tC go off road?
We wouldn’t recommend the Scion tC for off-roading. In general, sports cars are built for speed and handling on paved roads, and simply don’t have the chops for the road less traveled.
Let’s take a look at the exact specs which dictate our verdict:
Ground clearance
The Scion tC has a ground clearance of 6.3 inches, which is well under the expert-recommended amount of 8.8 to 10.8 inches for off-roading.
Ground clearance refers to the amount of space between the lowest part of your vehicle’s chassis and the ground. The higher the ground clearance, the more confident you can be that bumps and rocks won’t damage your car’s undercarriage.
For reference, the
Jeep Wrangler
, an off-roader’s favorite, has a ground clearance of 9.7 inches. A few inches might not seem like much, but they make a big difference.Torque
The Scion tC’s engine delivers 172 lb-ft of torque at 4100 rpm. While this isn’t an embarrassingly low amount of torque by any means, the sedan needs to reach pretty high rpms to access it.
True off-road vehicles benefit from low-end torque because that turning power helps the engine power over obstacles at low speeds.
Tires
Your Scion sports car will come equipped with a set of P225/45WR18 all-season tires, which are built to last as long as possible when driving on the highway in a range of weather conditions.
Off-roaders generally opt for
all-terrain tires
, but adding them to your tC won’t increase its off-road chops by much. Additionally, A/T tires simply aren’t as long-lasting as all-season tires, so it’s probably not worth the expense.Drivetrain
All-wheel drive is a must when it comes to off-roading. Unfortunately, the tC has front-wheel drive. While this is more fuel efficient, it’s not a great drivetrain for when you’re stuck in the mud.
Angles
The final necessary spec to understand is your vehicle's approach and departure angles. The approach angle is the max angle at which our car can climb without interference from your vehicle’s chassis, and the departure angle is the max angle at which it can descend.
Since Scion doesn’t expect drivers to use the tC as an off-road vehicle, they don’t even publish the angles.
Off-road rating: Don’t Try It
We’ve rated the Scion tC using
Jerry’s
super-technical DIRT rating system, broken down in the table below: Rating | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
D | Don’t Try It | Vehicles better suited to highway conditions |
I | In a Pinch | Vehicles that can handle off-road conditions in certain circumstances |
R | Rough and Ready | Vehicles designed for casual off-roading |
T | Trail Boss | True off-road vehicles capable of tackling a range of terrain |
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversThe tC earns a D rating: this sports car is likely to get stuck in the mud. Keep your wheels on paved roads and enjoy smooth handling and exciting speeds.
The best off-road alternatives to the Scion tC
Do you want the best of both worlds? Perhaps a sports car that’s equipped with all-wheel drive, or offers better torque, so it can perform both on- and off-road?
Take a look at a few alternatives to the Scion tC:
Model | Original MSRP | Description |
|---|---|---|
2013 Toyota Matrix | $19,275 | While its ground clearance isn’t exactly impressive, the Matrix is available in all-wheel drive, which is incredibly useful for getting out of moderately snowy driveways or grassy parking lots. |
2004 Pontiac Vibe | $16,605 | This affordable option has 8.1 inches of ground clearance—much closer to the expertly recommended minimum! |
2013 Scion xD | $15,745 | You’ll save money with this Scion, plus enjoy great fuel efficiency. Keep in mind that it’s not really a sports car, however, and isn’t much better off-road than the tC. |
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