BRZ or FR-S....What's The Difference?

[Draco-REX]

Just a tiny nit-pick: The BRZ halo does not come on with the DRLs. It turns on as the parking lights and with the headlights.

[Ess Vee]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

Just a tiny nit-pick: The BRZ halo does not come on with the DRLs. It turns on as the parking lights and with the headlights.

is there some kind of mod to always have them on with the drls?

[MVJ1975]

Originally Posted by maxdriver

Great review! Thank-you for posting.

What are your thoughts on the audio quality of the 2 cars? I know that the base F-RS has a 300 watt Pioneer unit and the upgrade is the Bespoke- I-phone friendly and 340 watts.

How does the audio in the Subaru compare performance wise?

If anyone can chime in that would be great - thanks

Given the reputation of the Pioneer head units Scion uses (not flashy but excellent sound quality) I wouldn't be surprised if the audio in the FR-S is better.

[maxdriver]

Originally Posted by MVJ1975

Given the reputation of the Pioneer head units Scion uses (not flashy but excellent sound quality) I wouldn't be surprised if the audio in the FR-S is better.

That's what I'm thinking too. I've heard the base unit in the Scion and liked it. I would be interested in who makes the Suby unit and what the specs are. Thank-you for your reply.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by maxdriver

That's what I'm thinking too. I've heard the base unit in the Scion and liked it. I would be interested in who makes the Suby unit and what the specs are. Thank-you for your reply.

BRZ head unit is a Pioneer also. Subaru used to use Clarion, but recently switched to Pioneer. It's the same Nav unit used in the new 2012+ Impreza and Outbacks.

[Ess Vee]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

BRZ head unit is a Pioneer also. Subaru used to use Clarion, but recently switched to Pioneer. It's the same Nav unit used in the new 2012+ Impreza and Outbacks.

I know this is somewhat anecdotal, but I just sat 2012 WRX STi last friday and the sound system was definitely not up to par with even my brother's 2012 TC. I believe the STi used the same headunit, I don't know about the speaker setup though.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by Ess Vee

I know this is somewhat anecdotal, but I just sat 2012 WRX STi last friday and the sound system was definitely not up to par with even my brother's 2012 TC. I believe the STi used the same headunit, I don't know about the speaker setup though.

I'm not an audiophile, so I can't judge (my favorite wind instrument is a Ferrari V12). But I will say that my BRZ required quite a bit fiddling to get it to sound "right".

[DantKR]

Scion and Subaru sound almost identical as far as audio. For my recent vehicles sound goes like this.

2010 Legacy > 2014 BRZ > 2004 STi > 07 R6

For engine sound

07 R6 > 2004 STi > 2013 BRZ > 2010 Legacy

[Ess Vee]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

I'm not an audiophile, so I can't judge (my favorite wind instrument is a Ferrari V12). But I will say that my BRZ required quite a bit fiddling to get it to sound "right".

Right? You have a symphony in your car already, LOL.

Yeah, we messed with the equalizer a bit to make it sound better, but I really don't know. I doubt the speaker setup is the same anyways

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

...(my favorite wind instrument is a Ferrari V12). ...

This!

Although I consider the V12 a brass instrument. My favorite wind instrument is the sound of my cheeks and ears flapping when riding in an Ariel Atom!

[maxdriver]

I prefer the front end of the FR-S over the BRZ. Navigation is not a real asset to me...I have an I-Phone!:-) I concede the advantage of the BRZ seats over the Scion, but not significantly. Real advantage of the Suby, to me, are the HID lights. So I'm leaning towards the Scion.

Having said that...my time frame is next year. By that time the BRZ may be discounted and the Scion won't be because it's fixed pricing.....? (or is that urban legend and they eventually discount also....I don't know)

Again great thread and pictures by MR Perrin!! thanks

[bladesamurai]

Originally Posted by Ess Vee

is there some kind of mod to always have them on with the drls?

There's an option on the headlight stalk to turn on the Halos without the headlights, but it also turns on the rear lights and dash lighting.

[Sushi Boy]

Great thread, I am in the same boat as many of you stuck between the 2.. I am kinda wondering if and when the STi will be here and if in a few years there will be a front bumper change on either car (scion or subaru)..

[PERRIN_Jeff]

Originally Posted by Asphaltfrs1

When I switch the key to the on position on my fr-s the needle does go up than down. Is that what you are saying the fr-s doesn't do??

Interesting for sure. Our car doens't do this, but my guess is we haven't set the rev light warning. I will for sure be making a changed to the original post for that. Good catch!

Originally Posted by Mr.Jay

one mention is that it isn't faux cf but the t symbol thats on the grill and floor mats that are on the panel and gauges of the FRS

I can see why the panel looks like cf but the gauges look more like some chainlink more than cf

thanks for this tho hopefully it gets rid of all the new threads about which to choose

Yes, if you look really close its a T/Mushroom/space invader shape over and over again. I think the idea is that its a carbon fiber look from far away, but up close that pattern starts to shop up.



Here is a good upclose pic. I added this to the first post as well.

Originally Posted by Ess Vee

First off, thanks a bunch for making this thread! VERY helpful!

I'm confused though, the ac-control units are the same?? Does the limited BRZ have the GT86's ac-control unit?

So the US FR-S and BRZ Premium share the same mechanical type heater controls. The BRZ Limited gets you the digital type dual climate control options. These seem really nice, but personally I like the simplicity of the mechanical controls. You can actually feel the rods pushing and pulling the heater and doors under the dash.

I didn't put this in the comparison because this isn't available for the FR-S and then it bumps the price way up. The idea was to show the real differences in the base cars.

Regarding the GT 86. It seems as though only the RC model of the GT86 has the mechanical controls. I searched for some interior shots of the car and all of them were the dual climate type.

Originally Posted by bryan

Although remarkably similar, each car definitely has it's high points. It's a bad thing we can't order one specifically to our tailored specifications from the factory. That would be perfect! Imagine an FRS with BRZ seats and those awesome HID headlights! But it's a great thing we are able to find and order parts from the other car, swap them, and personalize them the way we want.

By the way, since you have both cars, are the rearview mirrors the same? Specifically, the way they are mounted? Considering getting my hands on the frameless rearview mirror but not sure if the BRZ will accommodate them.

I agree, being able to order them any way you want would be cool! The problem is money. This adds to the cost of making this car. If you think about it, you are able to buy this car for $24000, because it shares all the same parts as the BRZ and it comes to the dealers one way. As soon as you start throwing big options at it (like NAV, HVAC controls, push start, seats....) those things require more time on everyone hands to sell/install/support/inventory....

Our BRZ Premium has the same mirror as the FR-S. The BRZ Limited we have, has the compass mirror, which is much larger. My guess is your frameless mirror should work just fine.

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Good read & review, just one correction. It's not really a fake CF... it's "T" emblem that kinda looks like CF

Not trying to sound argumentative at all, but fake carbon fiber to me covers all types, from the vinyl stickers, to textured plastic, to anything that isn't really carbon fiber. I still chalk it up to fake carbon fiber, or carbon fiber look. I don't really hate it, but its too bad there isn't an option for color matching this to the outside of the car, that would be cool!

Originally Posted by Moto-P

I agree on the BRZ's offering of Limited model. Those items like Dual Zone Auto AC, HIDs and, Alcantara seating is only available as an $6000 option pack in Japan as 86 GT-Limited or BRZ Limited... Pushing the starting price to well over $32,000 in the home market.

To get all those things on the USA car for $2500 over the Premium model is a STEAL...for $27,900.

It is the best deal, but I still feel my personal BRZ Premium was the best choice. After dealing with the dual climate for a day while dynoing our Limited BRZ, its just not that intuitive.

Originally Posted by maxdriver

Great review! Thank-you for posting.

What are your thoughts on the audio quality of the 2 cars? I know that the base F-RS has a 300 watt Pioneer unit and the upgrade is the Bespoke- I-phone friendly and 340 watts.

How does the audio in the Subaru compare performance wise?

If anyone can chime in that would be great - thanks

The wattage of the two cars must be very similar. I can't find where Subaru states this but they both have the same 8-speaker system and same basic radio/mp3/bluetooth features. Maybe I will pull the door cards off and see what the actual speakers are under them.

Originally Posted by F1point4

Confirmed. I set the shift light at 4100 rpm and the tach sweeps to just below that, and then comes down.

I believe the default shift light is around 6000 rpm.

I fixed my post as well, so thanks to everyone for pointing that out. The default for the shift like is off. That is why our FR-S didn't do that. It does now!

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

Just a tiny nit-pick: The BRZ halo does not come on with the DRLs. It turns on as the parking lights and with the headlights.

You are correct. With headlights on and parking lights are the only time they come on (fixed in first post) I will be modding this soon so we can have both the halo and DRL on at the same time. That would cure be cool!

Originally Posted by Ess Vee

I know this is somewhat anecdotal, but I just sat 2012 WRX STi last friday and the sound system was definitely not up to par with even my brother's 2012 TC. I believe the STi used the same headunit, I don't know about the speaker setup though.

The stock sound system in the WRX's suck. They are ok, but no base and they don't go very loud at all. They put more of that money into the drivetrain and other components instead of the stereo.

[Hanakuso]

Are you sure the BRZ and FR-S headlights are different sizes? It looks good to me here

[PERRIN_Jeff]

Originally Posted by maxdriver

I prefer the front end of the FR-S over the BRZ. Navigation is not a real asset to me...I have an I-Phone!:-) I concede the advantage of the BRZ seats over the Scion, but not significantly. Real advantage of the Suby, to me, are the HID lights. So I'm leaning towards the Scion.

Having said that...my time frame is next year. By that time the BRZ may be discounted and the Scion won't be because it's fixed pricing.....? (or is that urban legend and they eventually discount also....I don't know)

Again great thread and pictures by MR Perrin!! thanks

NAV to me isn't super useful, but the nicer display is nice. I still think that te FR-S will be the more popular car. The $1300 savings is still $1300. That goes a long way toward wheels and tire, or exhaust or whatever.

Originally Posted by Sushi Boy

Great thread, I am in the same boat as many of you stuck between the 2.. I am kinda wondering if and when the STi will be here and if in a few years there will be a front bumper change on either car (scion or subaru)..

Waiting is a tough one. IF there is an STI version, my guess is there will be a special Scion version as well. If not, expect that STI version to cost even more. Maybe into the $30K range. For me, waiting isn't an option. I was pretty bored with the same (basically the same) Subaru for the last 10 year, and now this!

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by PERRIN_Jeff

Not trying to sound argumentative at all, but fake carbon fiber to me covers all types, from the vinyl stickers, to textured plastic, to anything that isn't really carbon fiber. I still chalk it up to fake carbon fiber, or carbon fiber look. I don't really hate it, but its too bad there isn't an option for color matching this to the outside of the car, that would be cool!

Now, that one, I totally agree with. Yeah, it'll be cool if they did that... but I think, that'll bump another $500~$1k to the price tag

[PERRIN_Jeff]

Originally Posted by Hanakuso

Are you sure the BRZ and FR-S headlights are different sizes? It looks good to me here

I could be wrong?? That car above is a weird mixture of Subaru and Scion parts. It also appears as though there is a gap in the bumper where the light doesn't quite meet up to the inner edge. You can see in the other picture how there is a small added triangle where the Subaru bumper could be trimmed to fit the FR-S light. My guess is they physically fit the chassis, but the bumper cut out isn't the same. This leaves that gap as shown in the other picture.

Our FR-S is out being driven at the moment or I could measure the two really quick. Now I am second guessing what i wrote down last week!

[Hanakuso]

Originally Posted by PERRIN_Jeff

I could be wrong?? That car above is a weird mixture of Subaru and Scion parts. It also appears as though there is a gap in the bumper where the light doesn't quite meet up to the inner edge. You can see in the other picture how there is a small added triangle where the Subaru bumper could be trimmed to fit the FR-S light. My guess is they physically fit the chassis, but the bumper cut out isn't the same. This leaves that gap as shown in the other picture.

Our FR-S is out being driven at the moment or I could measure the two really quick. Now I am second guessing what i wrote down last week!

That would be awesome if you could get some measurements. I'm just going off pictures. It does look like the FR-S bumper overlaps the headlight a little where the curve is, while the BRZ doesnt have it. This might make the illusion the BRZ is more curved but infact the same?

[Hawaiian]

Originally Posted by PERRIN_Jeff

I could be wrong?? That car above is a weird mixture of Subaru and Scion parts. It also appears as though there is a gap in the bumper where the light doesn't quite meet up to the inner edge. You can see in the other picture how there is a small added triangle where the Subaru bumper could be trimmed to fit the FR-S light. My guess is they physically fit the chassis, but the bumper cut out isn't the same. This leaves that gap as shown in the other picture.

Our FR-S is out being driven at the moment or I could measure the two really quick. Now I am second guessing what i wrote down last week!

I feel the majority of the geometry of the lights are the same, however, if you were to put the BRZ lights into the FRS you would be missing that corner gap and have to find a way to fill it.

That's just a guess from looking over various cars. That Greddy photo uses the JDM lights.

[HotLeopardMama]

Originally Posted by PERRIN_Jeff

After dealing with the dual climate for a day while dynoing our Limited BRZ, its just not that intuitive.

This. I hate the the dual climate in my fiance's Suburu Outback--one of the reason's I shied away from the BRZ... the $5000 mark-ups in SoCal also didn't help, though.

[PERRIN_Jeff]

Ok one more update to the post!
For 100% the bumper area for the headlights is different. For 100% the headlights ARE the same shape!

With the bumper on, the headlights are different widths. You can see in that other picture that there is a difference about about 1.5". This is indicated by the little plastic lip on the BRZ.

I pulled the bumper off the BRZ and look what I found!



You can see with the bumper removed that there is a plastic piece covering up this corner. Removing this small piece makes both the FR-S and BRZ headlight the exact same shape! This also means, customers can do some swapping out of headlights!

Glad we got to the bottom of that!