When comparing any two cars, like the turbocharged Scion tC and the Honda Civic, you should start from big to small, working from unique parts of each car to more general elements. For example, the first feature to consider that the Scion tC may come with is the turbo package. If you get the turbo, it won’t add a lot of power, but you will definitely notice a difference from the Civics’ cigarette lighter power, even though the Civic Si is V-tech.
So what is better? Well it all depends on your tuning styles and the selection of parts available for that car. Scion came out with a car that was basic and attractive, much like the Honda Civic that it always had been. However, when the turbo tC came out, they opened the doors to new autotuners for them to come and buy their way to another tuner car that has just started. This appealed to many young children who were always drawn to Honda Civics and are now of legal age to buy their own cars. The Scion tC turbo provided an easier route for people looking for Civics, simply because there are very limited sources on clean, old Civics. The newer Civics recently have been a bit pricey and many auto tuners who work on a daily basis want something cheaper, but still be able to customize it.
If you are comparing the Honda Civic to the Scion tC, regarding the number of parts and upgrades each car can have, I would say that the Scion tC has outperformed the newer Civics. However, if you look at each generation of the Civic in regards to the Scion tC numbers, it would be obvious that the Honda Civic tuner industry is much deeper, bigger and older, and has more recognition than that of the Scion tC. .
It also depends on how much you want to customize. If you want to make a Honda Civic V-tech turbo, you can build it to outperform any Scion tC turbo. Both styles of cars have become very different. The Civic has acquired some of the characteristics of the Accord, such as the longer body. The Scion tC is still the most basic and boxier type of style. They’re kind of like old-style Honda Civics, with a new edge.
I must say that I have seen many older Civics, such as the EG and EK styles driving at night, on the well-known cruise streets. This was probably due to the low economy and people are looking for cheaper and more durable cars. At car shows, it’s a different story. There’s a lot more money and more connections, resulting in a better selection of customizations. With this, both the turbo Scion tC and the Honda Civic can be adjusted to a great extent. In the end, it all comes down to your resources and connections for the parts. The more you can get, the bigger and better your car will be.