Scion-ara, Toyota Celica and MR2.

That's right -- Toyota will discontinue its Celica coupe and mid-engined MR2 convertible at the end of this model year. But the company's Scion division, which splashed on the scene earlier in 2004 with the cute little xA sports sedan and boxy-yet-funky xB, has come to the rescue.

But unlike the xA and xB, which were reworked versions of Japanese-market cars, the 2005 Scion tC was designed exclusively for the states in 13 months from finalization of blueprints to design, the fastest development time of any Toyota U.S. product.

The result is a sports coupe built on the Europe-only Avensis sedan platform, which means it ends up with honest room for four and another Scion trait -- affordability. It also has more standard features than even the best cost-cutting sports coupe we know of, the Hyundai Tiburon, with only 12-less horsepower than the Korean coupe's (,739 base) V-6 version, and 22 more than its (,999 base) four-cylinder.

Scions are Toyota's latest attempt to market cars aimed at 18- to 35-year-old buyers who probably would never drive a Corolla, out of niche operations that let a buyer research and customize their Scion without a salesman.

The tC premiered at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in January, Scion tC executive chief engineer Shigeyuki Hori saying they wanted to make a car that had a "new level of sophistication" for the compact sports coupe class, with the "upscale look and feel, fit-and-finish, and attention-to-detail that approached that of a Lexus." The result is a compact-sized 174-inch length with a long (for a compact) wheelbase of 106.3 inches that offers some pretty decent fit and finish.

We loved the quad-beam headlights that flow off the almost Volvo-esque nose and into the front fender's BMW 5-Series-like "eyebrows." Twin character lines run off the windshield pillars to merge at the nose, while the front bumper gets its own lower air intake and faux brake inlets. Stylish 12-spoke alloys wear Bridgestone Potenza P215/45Z R17-inch rubber under flat-edged flares, although it would look better with the optional 18- or 19-inch rubber available at Toyota/Scion dealers. A gentle character line runs off the front flares, rising up to the rounded tail, looking a bit like the wedgy Celica's top line, while our car had more aggressive sills as part of an optional lower body kit. We like the turn signal repeaters in the side mirrors, the big taillights that frame the hatchback rear, and the two big chrome exhaust tips popping out of the lower bumper valance, part of the optional TRD exhaust system.

The car doesn't look as radical as the xB, or as cute as the xA. Instead, it has a purposeful stance, longer and wider-looking than a Honda Civic coupe, with an almost elegant length emphasized by the wheelbase and arching roofline. But no matter where we went, it never got the same double-look as the Scion xA or xB did, with only a few folks in the age group Scions are aimed at ever looking at it.

The long wheelbase allows a nice long door, and easy access to a set of fabric bucket seats with black bolsters and a weaved cloth insert. They were supportive, although the bottoms need more cushion and another half-inch of rearward travel for long legs. The driver's seat gets a ratcheting height mechanism, plus a knob to raise the cushion front.

The gauges are parked under rounded binnacles that flare off the padded dash top, its surface and padded door caps done in an interesting texture like Japanese paper. Inset are a central 140-mph speedometer, 8,000-tachometer and gas and temperature gauges, done in brushed alloy-like finish plastic with orange needles. The meaty three-spoke steering wheel is a familiar Toyota design to grab and drive with. The dash's center stack waterfalls gracefully off the top, an alloy plastic-framed swoop that holds two large air vents with precision directional controls, a decent 160-watt, six-speaker Pioneer AM-FM-six-disc CD stereo with MP3 and XM satellite capability, with digital equalizer. It comes with Scion's trademark LCD screen that changes colors, or hides under a silvery door.

That's a real aluminum temperature knob center-stage on the a/c system, with plastic buttons for the rest of the functions. A rubber-coated storage nook underneath is bathed in yellow-amber light like the rest of the dash, with a 12-volt outlet. The optional alloy OBX Speed Star gearshift knob heats up in the sun, while a small, square nook behind it fits a cellular telephone. There are two cup holders and a deep double-deck storage area under the padded cloth center armrest, plus map pockets and a big glove box. Overhead, a standard power moonroof, and a smoked glass panel over the rear passengers, both with sunshades.

Access to the rear seats, with three, three-point seat belts, is easy with front seats that slide forward quickly. Our ("Look at all the room!") son had good leg room back there, and loved that the seat backs recline up to 45 degrees and adjust to 10 different positions. Two adults back there will find head room a bit tight, but could live there for a while. The seat backs split 60/40 for an almost flat load floor. Under the load floor are shallow storage areas big enough for a camera or sandals.

OK, we've seen the plethora of riches the Scion tC offers its driver and passenger inside. We also found the driving experience pretty nifty, starting with the aluminum 2.4-liter, DOHC, four-cylinder VVT-i in-line four with 160 hp, borrowed from the Camry SE. That relatively large Camry got to 60 mph in 9 seconds. Our 1,800-mile-old tC did it in 7.8 seconds, the front wheels burning rubber easily (no traction control), the optional sport exhaust just snarling enough. We loved the slick five-speed manual, although a four-speed () automatic is available. We managed about 20 mpg, but the "Check Engine" light popped on a few times with no ill effects. A dealer-installed Toyota Racing Development supercharger can bump power to about 200 hp.

The tC's four-wheel independent suspension and long wheelbase make for a supple-yet-just-firm-enough ride that handles pretty well in turns, with good grip and control on par with some of the sportier compacts out there. Our test car's Hotchkis Tuning bar between the front strut towers made for an even tighter ride, the car tracking well with minimal understeer and body roll when you start playing. It was a lot of fun when you wanted to push it, or just fine as daily transport. The four-wheel disc brakes get standard ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution for solid stops with no fade after repeated hard use.

Performance options available from the Scion dealer include stiffer/shorter springs, a shock kit, performance clutch, quick shifter and special wide-lip Racing Hart 19-inch wheels with high-performance Pirelli P Zero tires.

The base Scion tC is ,465 with freight, and is well-equipped with moonroof, marker lamps in the mirrors, four-wheel disc brakes, 17-inch alloys, cruise control, rear cargo cover, auto up/down front windows, remote keyless entry, security system, auto-off headlamps, air conditioning, power door locks and mirrors, chrome-plated exhaust tip and 160-watt AM-FM-CD Pioneer sound system. Our options included side and head curtain air bags (), floor and cargo mats (), upgraded alarm (), strut bar (), OBX shift knob (), six-disc changer (), TRD performance exhaust (), rear spoiler () and ground effects. Add it all up and the manufacturer's suggested price as optioned is ,313.

Bottom line -- except for a bit of wind noise from the sunroof, the tC is a deal for the looks, power, ride, handling and equipment you get, plus room for four in a sports coupe. We assume it will have Toyota's reliability, and that many will be optioned with some of the 40 go-fast/look-cool goodies available at the dealer, making it even cooler and sportier.