2015 WRX vs. FR-S/BRZ

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Twin4Life

The twins are, frankly, a bargain basement, sports car. IMO, a bit over priced too. But what isnt? What they do offer is a FANTASTIC, and fun driving experience on a budget. Its not fast, its not flashy but it is VERY fun. If you need to haul a family around, this car isnt for you. If you need luggage space, look elsewhere. If youre really worried about MPG, why would you get a 2 door, RWD coupe? If you want a stop light to stop light champ...keep looking. If you want an orgasmic platform to scapel assault some twisties with a shit eating grin and not dropping $80 large of a Porsche....this chassis and platform is THE benchmark. Not my cup of tea, like others have said, its a niche platform. You wont be winning any races but fun factor is off the charts. Should be about $4K cheaper IMO but thats with everything.

Damn it Twin I agree with most of what you said as well! I must be getting soft.
Only things I would debate is the fact it is a "sports car" and the overpriced. It is a sports "coupe" yes (not gonna make any friends here) but not a sports "car". I know there are a billion different ways to define a sports car and nobody can ever agree which one but to me a true sports car seats two only and as bad as the back seat can be you can indeed seat 4.
As far as price point goes I think they nailed it right on for the quantities made. Sure if they were selling 80,000 a year then they would be expensive at the current price but they aren't so they cost a little more. Just imagine what a 'Stang would cost you if they were made in the same numbers as the 86. Volume sets price as much as materials and manufacturing costs do. Quite frankly if they made them in the volume of the Mustang or Camaro I would not have one as I like the rarer breeds and am willing to pay the premium for that (relative) rarity.

[Twin4Life]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Damn it Twin I agree with most of what you said as well! I must be getting soft.
Only things I would debate is the fact it is a "sports car" and the overpriced. It is a sports "coupe" yes (not gonna make any friends here) but not a sports "car". I know there are a billion different ways to define a sports car and nobody can ever agree which one but to me a true sports car seats two only and as bad as the back seat can be you can indeed seat 4.
As far as price point goes I think they nailed it right on for the quantities made. Sure if they were selling 80,000 a year then they would be expensive at the current price but they aren't so they cost a little more. Just imagine what a 'Stang would cost you if they were made in the same numbers as the 86. Volume sets price as much as materials and manufacturing costs do. Quite frankly if they made them in the volume of the Mustang or Camaro I would not have one as I like the rarer breeds and am willing to pay the premium for that (relative) rarity.

Well thats like saying a Porsche 911 isnt a Sports Car. It has 4 seats, pretty damn useless but its there. I think the Twins are the definition of a Sports Car, albeit, at a blue collar price. Nothing wrong with that, contrary, I think its awesome. Front engine, nice hoodline, RWD, two door coupe with a 6 speed manual. Its a Miata with a hardtop and more power. No, not too fast, but fast isnt what defines a sports car. Its a great little platform, that looks great, so fun to drive. Such a small market too. I hope they improve on an already great platform. Again, not my gig at this point but certainly has shown the buyers are there.

[tahdizzle]

The twins sent the benchmark for a lot of companies and what they "could" do. Its a good thing that companies try to one up eachother.

I just hope toyota/subaru either let the twins die, or one up their competition.

[malave7567]

Originally Posted by tahdizzle

Its a good thing that companies try to one up each other.

I just hope toyota/subaru either let the twins die, or one up their competition.

Agreed. I know not everyone here appreciates an american v8, but the recent horsepower wars have created a ton of selections for that market. Competition among manufacturers is always a good thing for the consumer.

[TylerLieberman]

Originally Posted by malave7567

The twins are, and always will be, a niche car. If you fit that niche, perfect! But with all niche cars, there will always be options for a similar price that get you more overall for the money. Back on the subject of the WRX, the only measurable it fails to beat the twins in is handling. For people who fit the niche of handling and driver feel above ALL ELSE, the twins win hands down. No one is arguing that. 2 door vs 4 door is subjective (styling choice), imo. Just so happens 4-door gives you more space to use your car for other things... but again, if you never will have to, a moot point.

Sounds like Tyler went back into the drift scene for a while, and now doesn't feel that itch anymore (I could be wrong, just guessing). I see no reason to blast him for switching his cars after two years. It's not like he had a gaudy build or kept complaining about the twins being too slow. That's a whole different situation.

Yep. The past 15 years of my automotive interest has been primarily drifting. Loved doing it and still love it. However, I'm moving back to California and will be finishing school (full time) as well as working full time. I don't really have the time to be going to drift events and stuff at that point. It's all about saving money and eliminating unnecessary expenses.

So why have a car that's not comfortable or practical if I don't get to enjoy driving it on the track like I intended? Doesn't seem logical to me. So I've parted the car out. Much better for every day use but I don't really enjoy the car much in stock form cruising around in traffic. It's just a little too bland for me.

The WRX on the other hand has a little more power which is nice as well as extra space and it's not comfortable. It'll also cost me less per month, which is another win. So FOR ME, switching to the Subaru just makes more sense as it will suit my daily needs better since I'm not focused on having a track prepped street car.

I don't have the FRS or anything like that. I love it. I've enjoyed the car. I still recommend the car to tons of people who ask about it, but it just simply falls short in the areas of my interest/focus in a car right now.

The end. (Yeah I said it)

[Twin4Life]

Originally Posted by TylerLieberman

Yep. The past 15 years of my automotive interest has been primarily drifting. Loved doing it and still love it. However, I'm moving back to California and will be finishing school (full time) as well as working full time. I don't really have the time to be going to drift events and stuff at that point. It's all about saving money and eliminating unnecessary expenses.

So why have a car that's not comfortable or practical if I don't get to enjoy driving it on the track like I intended? Doesn't seem logical to me. So I've parted the car out. Much better for every day use but I don't really enjoy the car much in stock form cruising around in traffic. It's just a little too bland for me.

The WRX on the other hand has a little more power which is nice as well as extra space and it's not comfortable. It'll also cost me less per month, which is another win. So FOR ME, switching to the Subaru just makes more sense as it will suit my daily needs better since I'm not focused on having a track prepped street car.

I don't have the FRS or anything like that. I love it. I've enjoyed the car. I still recommend the car to tons of people who ask about it, but it just simply falls short in the areas of my interest/focus in a car right now.

The end. (Yeah I said it)

Yea, but its a niche car at budget. Cant argue or complain. You grew out of it, pretty much what everybody does at some point. No harm, no foul.

[ckim]

This is a bit of a cross post from the FT86 subreddit.

I test drove a 2015 STi last Friday. It was awesome.

It's not as involved or raw, so maybe not quite as entertaining. But the flipside to that is that it felt more refined. Less NVH. Less road/wind noise. Less like my teeth were being vibrated out of my skull.

Seating position is OK. A bit more upright than the BRZ, but as I approach my late 30s maybe that's a good thing. Steering felt great. The pedal position was good. The trans (w/ the STi short shifter) felt great. The car felt very nimble and quite quick.

Turbo induction noises were fun. Exhaust sounds good.

I came home really wanting one. I even put down a refundable $300 deposit on a loaded one that should arrive by the end of the month.

Did 60 miles of canyon carving that night in the BRZ and my ears were ringing (OFH + Perrin catback). Was convinced that I wanted the STi.

Put $30 worth of Dynamat in the spare tire well and did 60 more miles of canyon carving and I'm not so sure anymore. Fired up some Initial D, and now I really don't know.

It's good to have options though.

[cdrazic93]

Originally Posted by P86RAVES

I wouldn't window shop a turbo for this car.

Not that hard to get raw data from turbo owners for specific brands, do research and become familiar with the results both good and bad......

[cdrazic93]

Originally Posted by ckim

This is a bit of a cross post from the FT86 subreddit.

I test drove a 2015 STi last Friday. It was awesome.

It's not as involved or raw, so maybe not quite as entertaining. But the flipside to that is that it felt more refined. Less NVH. Less road/wind noise. Less like my teeth were being vibrated out of my skull.

Seating position is OK. A bit more upright than the BRZ, but as I approach my late 30s maybe that's a good thing. Steering felt great. The pedal position was good. The trans (w/ the STi short shifter) felt great. The car felt very nimble and quite quick.

Turbo induction noises were fun. Exhaust sounds good.

I came home really wanting one. I even put down a refundable $300 deposit on a loaded one that should arrive by the end of the month.

Did 60 miles of canyon carving that night in the BRZ and my ears were ringing (OFH + Perrin catback). Was convinced that I wanted the STi.

Put $30 worth of Dynamat in the spare tire well and did 60 more miles of canyon carving and I'm not so sure anymore. Fired up some Initial D, and now I really don't know.

It's good to have options though.

Try bushings and shifter springs, not sure if you're willing to fork the cash over for FI but therrs always other proven methods of getting hp.

[P86RAVES]

Originally Posted by tahdizzle

I could until I was blue in the face and you still wouldn't understand.

Originally Posted by cdrazic93

Not that hard to get raw data from turbo owners for specific brands, do research and become familiar with the results both good and bad......

I'm saying the value per dollar to modify this car is not very good. The amount of money spent properly modifying this car could be spent on another platform that performs better out the factory door.

Because we're, assuming here, all working with a budget we have to make the most cost beneficial decisions we can. If this car pulls at your emotional heart strings, then spending $7k on properly sorted FI and $4k in suspension wouldn't be much of an issue as you'd be a person who sees this investment as making the platform ideal.

I take the perspective that that $11k on top of the price of the car can be put towards a platform whose performance exceeds what the modified version of my car would be. For example, before I had the STi I had a E46 with the ZHP pacakge. It would have cost me $7k to supercharge it, putting me close to 300hp. Instead, I traded E46 in for the STi because it had already better performance for that money.

[tahdizzle]

@P86RAVES, I really don't think you understand the meaning of driving at 6/10.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by tahdizzle

@P86RAVES, I really don't think you understand the meaning of driving at 6/10.

May as well give up dude!
The guys that know what they personally want in a car seem to figure that is what everybody else should want as well and there will be no convincing them otherwise anyway.

[tahdizzle]

Eh, you're right @Tcoat.

I understand different strokes for different folks, but its hard to just let it go when people impose their opinions like gosspel.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

May as well give up dude!
The guys that know what they personally want in a car seem to figure that is what everybody else should want as well and there will be no convincing them otherwise anyway.

I don't have a problem with someone desiring something different. I DO have a problem with people talking bullshit as an explanation for WHY they desire something different.

Saying that you will get more performance out of a car that weighs 700-1400 more lbs for less money falls into that category once you're talking about power and performance mods...

Jaden