My friend has a tC and she really likes it. This is a girl that knows plenty about cars. Not only does she like it, but her fiance is always wanting to drive it. She's had it for a year and has had no problems with it.
In a sense, this is Toyota's new Celica, if you think about it.
From what I hear, it has plenty of pull for what you would expect.
Definitely worth looking into, especially because you could get one new and under warranty.