New to FR-S and some of my 2 pennies...

[Sivtec]

I just picked up a Raven FR-S. The only drive I have taken is the one home. Long day. Pretty excited. Before I list some things that have caught my eye, I want to say that my previous car was a 08 Honda Civic Si, and before that was a 00 Honda Civic Si, so as you can see its pretty tough switching company's. Most of the things I will notice will be based on what I have owned so yea....

- First off its really hard to describe what you feel when you drive this car. It just feels "fun". Every corner, every bump, every lane change... its just fun. Coming from a Civic everything was so smooth and it just felt like a pretty quick daily driver. This is a little different, it feels way more like a sports car.
- The Sound this car makes is just... epic... I love it, it was everything I thought it would be. Getting in the throttle (although I am babying it a little) just feels awesome.
- The Cornering feels exciting. I know this car is going to get all kinds of compliments on the cornering and it is every bit true. Just feels "fun".
- The Tach is awesome just for the fact that its not "just" digital, even though I look at that more than the gauge but the Si had nothing but digital so its a nice change.
- The Look is evil. It just looks like it's not gonna take $#@! from anyone. Even though its still not the fastest thing out there, it just looks the part. Its the only car I know that looks this aggressive for the price. Amazing.
- The Small Things really make me smile. For instance the fact that the windows bump when you open the door (like the Corvette) really make the car seem like its a real sports car. The body styling on the hood and roof really make it stand out as well. Headlights are bright and beautiful as well as the LED tail lights.
- The Interior is nice in some ways. Seats are even more comfortable than the Si's which I thought was hard to pull off.
- The Shifting takes a bit getting used just for the fact its so light and smooth. Takes some getting used to.

Some things that I don't like:

- The most problematic one for me at this time which is still kinda lame in some people's mind is the center console. I hate that I can't rest my arm on anything... It's just inconvienent but that's just me.
- The Stereo blows. Just know that going in. It's terrible. Miss the Si's for sure. But what makes up for it is the sexy motor.
- The overall feel of the interior is a bit disappointing. Just feels like there isnt alot of quality that I got from the Honda. One example that's just very minor, the center console lighting looks just old...and the three display buttons on the side of the Tach for ODO, MPG, etc don't even light up. Again just my opinion.

I do have some questions for you guys that have had the car for awhile.

- I know it's supposed to sound pretty deep but I am almost getting a "throaty" rattle from the motor and low RPM's. Is that normal?
- My car currently has like 70 miles on it, are you guys babying it up to 4000 RPM till you get to 1000 miles? I know alot of you are doing that but the dealer says it shouldnt matter.

All in all I feel I made the right decision and I'm excited to start sporting the FR-S around town. Still pretty EXCITED!!!

[Mitch]

I have an '07 Si, and the interior and sound quality seem vastly superior on the BRZ. Did they really improve the '08 over the '07, or is there that much of a difference between the FRS and the BRZ? Just curious because I love the BRZ interior, and it's mostly identical to the FRS one.

[Sivtec]

Hmmm.. I know there are small differences in the BRZ (especially the limited edition)and FRS but yea for the most part its the same. I don't know maybe its just me :P. Then again I have only had the car one day so any differences are going to be biast right away. I guess I'll give it some time to sink in, but I definietly miss my center console for sure!

[Lytheum]

i have never been a fan of stock audio, but the brz's sounds much better then the bose that my mazdaspeed 3 had. the brz headunit has a 7 band eq you can adjust to make it sound a bit better. not sure if there is anything like that on the fr-s.

i was worried about the lack of an armrest, but find that the center console works for me. i have my seat set at the lowest height and the console is just the right height.

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by Sivtec

Hmmm.. I know there are small differences in the BRZ (especially the limited edition)and FRS

There are noticeable differences in the BRZ Limited compared to the FR-S. The A/C controls change, the Audio Unit changes and includes navigation. Not even mentioning the outside....

[#87]

Originally Posted by Lytheum

i have never been a fan of stock audio, but the brz's sounds much better then the bose that my mazdaspeed 3 had. the brz headunit has a 7 band eq you can adjust to make it sound a bit better. not sure if there is anything like that on the fr-s.

i was worried about the lack of an armrest, but find that the center console works for me. i have my seat set at the lowest height and the console is just the right height.

lol yes, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized the center console was just about armrest height for me with the seat in lowest position. I think everyone should give this a try if they are having difficulty finding a place to rest their elbow.

[Sivtec]

Originally Posted by #87

lol yes, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized the center console was just about armrest height for me with the seat in lowest position. I think everyone should give this a try if they are having difficulty finding a place to rest their elbow.

Definitely will try this tomorrow... its sooo frustrating just for the fact that I've gotten used to it for 5+ years lol

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Sivtec

...- The Stereo blows. Just know that going in. It's terrible. Miss the Si's for sure. But what makes up for it is the sexy motor....

Care to elaborate? I realize I'm not auto audiophile by a long stretch, but I don't find that the stock HU "blows" at all. I've been very happy with it. Trying to figure out what I'm missing!

[tdoggy57]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Care to elaborate? I realize I'm not auto audiophile by a long stretch, but I don't find that the stock HU "blows" at all. I've been very happy with it. Trying to figure out what I'm missing!

Same here. It may just be because he hasn't changed the setting to FRS. I'm not an audiophile either, but I do usually end up changing my speakers and headunits in my cars. This system isn't bad at all though, doesn't make a change as imminent.

[Lytheum]

the door speakers start to sound strange if you crank the volume up. need to turn some of the low frequencies down.