Scion FR-S vs Mazda MX-5 Club Head-to-Head (Review and Video)

[M-17]

FT86CLUB Homepage Featured Story


http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._s_comparison/

Comparison:
2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club vs. 2013 Scion FR-S

Numbers Be Damned

Updated with video:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDYaSwd4mmk"]2013 Scion FR-S vs 2013 Mazda MX-5 Club! - Head 2 Head Episode 27 - YouTube[/ame]

Numbers have never really been my friend. I remember shamefully coming home from school one day in seventh grade with my first ever D, thanks to math. Algebra during my freshman year of high school did me no favors either, requiring more before and after school tutoring than I'd care to admit. The same could be said about geometry in sophomore year and trigonometry in junior year. Hell, I even just passed stats in college by the skin of my teeth -- well, the second time around, that is.

Numbers have never really been particularly kind to the 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club or 2013 Scion FR-S either.

Both cars have small horsepower and torque figures, low cylinder counts, and not particularly blistering performance numbers. If the internet is to be believed, both of these cars are stupid, and if you're considering one, you too are stupid. Instead, you should just buy a new Mustang V6 with the performance pack, because (as one of our esteemed readers pointed out), "The Mustang is faster, handles better, and is far less expensive." As many fine men have said before me, "Cool story, bro." If numbers were all that mattered in this segment we'd be driving secretary special Mustangs. What's the fun in that?

That word -- fun -- is why both the Mazda Miata and Scion FR-S exist. Neither car is built to be a barnstormer, or sleeper; they exist only to provide the subjective sensation of fun to their drivers. Last time these two sports cars graced these pages in our $28k two-door comparison, the Scion beat out the Miata, partially due to its on-track performance at the hands of hot shoe Randy Pobst. This time around, we're tossing numbers out the window; the Miata and FR-S are so evenly matched that the only numbers you need to concern yourself with are four, six, and two: each car is powered by a four-cylinder engine (I-4 in the Miata, F-4 in the Scion), has a six-speed manual, and drives the two rear wheels. The winner of this comparison then, won't necessarily be the fastest, nor will it pull the most average g, rather it's going to be the car that's most engaging, most rewarding, and most importantly, most fun to drive.

The Scion FR-S hasn't messed with the fun-formula since it was last here. The two-door hardtop is still not only one of the best driver's cars money can buy, but also one of the cheapest drift-machines on the market (thanks Prius tires!). The Miata Club on the other hand, is a new sport-oriented trim level for 2013. The MX-5 Club takes the very-capable roadster package and adds Bilstein shocks, a sport-tuned suspension, a mechanical limited-slip differential, a shock tower brace, and sticky summer rubber -- among quite a few visual flourishes, that my kid brother would refer to as "swag." At the track, these two cars are a wash. The Scion accelerates from 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and the Mazda in 6.1 seconds -- I've failed math tests faster than that. Quarter mile times for the two were also virtually identical, with the FR-S taking care of business in 14.7 seconds at 92.8 mph and the FR-S just trailing it at 14.8 seconds at 95.1 mph. Still don't believe me that numbers don't matter? Look at the figure eight figures for the two: the MX-5 went around our handling course in 26.0 seconds at 0.69 g (avg), while the FR-S did the same feat in 26.0 seconds at 0.70 g (avg). These cars couldn't be more equal. Though their times were nearly identical, the Scion and Mazda have different ways of going around a corner, both reflective of the type of person the car appeals to.

The FR-S follows the less-is-more approach to fun, "No active handling, no virtual diffs, no extravagance, just a peppy engine, a Torsen diff, and a good transmission," said my cohort, associate road test editor Carlos Lago, "It's this simplicity that makes the FR-S so pure, so engaging." The Scion is without a doubt the better driver's car of the two, with crisp turn in, excellent steering feel, and virtually no body roll. Though it's the more serious driver's car, the FR-S' boy-racer charm comes out around corners, where it becomes an exceptionally easy car to do full-opposite lock drifts with -- perfect for the Gran Turismo-playing and The Fast and the Furious-watching crowd that Scion is courting. While the FR-S drifts around corners, the Miata just sticks -- which is probably the way its more -- ahem -- mature buyer likes it. The roadster exhibited, "lots of body movement, roll, and dive, which isn't what you'd normally call ideal," said Lago, "But for some reason, somehow, it works." Work it does. Though turn-in isn't FR-S-sharp, the steering wheel still offers up exceptional feedback to the driver. The little Mazda also rotates, and is able to carry its speed throughout the corner better than the FR-S - sticky Bridgestone Potenza rubber likely has something to do it.

Track performance at the limit is fun, sure, but the place Miata and FR-S owners will enjoy their cheap and cheerful sports cars most is out on public roads. Luckily for Lago and I, the two people tasked with the world's toughest decision, the two contenders begin to further differentiate themselves in the real world.

Out on the street the Scion's athleticism shines -- the coupe is quick, comfortable, and just an absolute pleasure to drive. The Scion's shifter welcomes both aggressive and relaxed shifts, and its pedals are perfectly placed to allow quick heel-toe downshifts. The superb tactile feel offered by the FR-S makes up a bit for the dip in the middle of the power band because it makes it easy and enjoyable to keep the engine high up in the power. As Lago pointed out, "This thing needs a supercharger!" Agreed -- make it so TRD.

The FR-S' other great triumph is that it succeeds in making boring, menial tasks fun, thanks to its back seat and large (relatively speaking) trunk. Take my last weekend for instance -- I needed some groceries, and instead of just going to the store down the block, I went 20 miles out of my way just so I could exercise the Scion a bit on Malibu's canyon roads. In a pinch, the FR-S will also seat four people, as evidenced by a late-night Target run to buy Risk. The new-for-2013 go-fast bits on the Miata Club make the roadster that much more of a delight out on the streets. The Miata wants nothing more than to please its driver. Its shifter is phenomenal, offering short, crisp, mechanical snicks, and its four-banger is just such a sweetheart when allowed to really sing. When the sun's shining, the top's down, and you're behind the wheel of the Miata nothing else matters. The Miata is so entertaining to drive that I didn't even mind smashing my groceries in the trunk after again going 20 miles out of my way to get them. The Miata is a total toy -- the whole car exists for the sole purpose of putting a big, dumb smile on its driver's face. So which is more fun then? Carlos and I went back and forth for a good week over which car is more fun -- they're both so rewarding. Ultimately, it's Los Angeles' best canyon roads that helped us pick a winner.

The FR-S attacks the canyons and wants you to drive it as if you were outrunning Ray Lewis in the dark. It's just not as happy cruising along at anything less than a frantic pace. The Scion is more focused, more serious, and wants to be pushed at the limit, nothing less. That may sound like the recipe for a good time, but given the car's tendency to oversteer it can result in pant-staining moments, and that's never fun. Unlike the Scion, the Mazda doesn't take itself too seriously in the tight, twisty canyons. The roadster allows the driver to set his or her own pace -- it's just as fun and rewarding to drive at two-tenths as it is at the limit. Everything, from its engine, to its small size, worked to make the Miata a blast on the back roads. Even the body roll we first noticed on the figure eight helped make the experience that much more enjoyable for the driver because, as Lago pointed out, it makes the driver feel like they're on the world's driest waterslide. Ultimately, the FR-S is the better driver's tool, while the Miata is the better driver's toy. The Scion is perfect for autocross and track days, or alternatively for someone who wants a ton of fun, but who can only afford one car. For someone who's looking for nothing but fun, with practicality a non-issue, the Miata would be tough to beat. It's the toy-like Miata that takes the win on this one though by a nose, thanks to its singular focus on fun. "I greatly enjoy the FR-S," said Lago, "It offers fabulous control and precision. While the Miata doesn't have that finesse, to me it makes up more with the overall experience it delivers. It's a more expressive machine (not that the FR-S lacks emotion) that elicits emotion in me that the FR-S doesn't." I couldn't have said it better myself. The Mazda MX-5 Miata Club may be the winner of this comparison, but it's you and me -- the enthusiast -- that's the true winner here. As I once tried in vain to explain to my high school math teacher, numbers don't matter, and numbers be damned, both the Miata and Scion FR-S are fantastic machines that ought to be on the short list for anyone looking for pure driver's delight.

By Christian Seabaugh | Photos By Robert Guio | From the May 2013 issue of Motor Trend

[Sonolin]

Great review of two equally awesome cars. I love my FR-S and wouldn't give it away for any other car :happy0180:

The comments are funny. I don't think you can really understand this car until you drive it through the twisties. 200 bhp doesn't sound like a lot, but when your revving it out through the canyon roads, it sure feels like a lot - especially when you look at the speed limit!

[husker741]

Did they not think at all of the looks of the car? Considering the FR-S is sex on wheels and the MX-5 looks like something out of the movie Cars.

[Ryephile]

From the May 2013 issue? It's still mid February!

A rare sunbeam of brilliant editorial from the otherwise well-oiled marketing machine.

If your definition of "fun" contains the words "serious" and/or "business", then of the two the FR-S is the obvious choice. If your take on life is more free-spirited and want a dance partner that communicates with you, the Miata is perfect in all its imperfection.

Originally Posted by husker741

Did they not think at all of the looks of the car? Considering the FR-S is sex on wheels and the MX-5 looks like something out of the movie Cars.

Kinda tough to see the cars exterior from behind the steering wheel. The whole point of the article is how they drive, not how they look.

[shawnperolis]

Great article and I completely agree with it.

[Starscream15]

Holy crap. The FRS looks so unhappy compared to the MX5 in that pic.

[Nitro]

I've owned both of these cars and I have to agree with the article. I had a 2007 MX-5 Touring PRHT and I think I overall liked it ever so slightly more than I like my FR-S. But my FR-S is far more livable as my daily driver and I haven't taken it to the track yet (I will in about 3 months though).

[wbradley]

I always picture a grey haired guy with an English tweed hat and tan driving gloves in the new Miata. Happy, mature and comfortable in the British throwback styling and form. Like a Mr.Peterman in Seinfeld.

On the other hand I see most FR-S drivers as younger and wanting a car that has great bones as-is but also has tons of potential.

[whaap]

A great read. I owned two Miatas before my FR-S and for me to make a comparison would be unfair because my last Miata was 11 years old. Saying that I will comment that I feel so much more a part of my FR-S than I ever did in my Miatas. It's the finest driving car I've ever owned.

[Turbowned]

Both are great cars indeed. However I am 6' 2" tall and I like being able to see out of the back of a car, so no convertibles for me. New England only gets nice weather 6 months out of the year, too

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

Both are great cars indeed. However I am 6' 2" tall and I like being able to see out of the back of a car, so no convertibles for me. New England only gets nice weather 6 months out of the year, too

im 6'2" as well and i daily drive a 90 miata and before that it was a 94. a hardtop will make the visability as good as any car on the road. there arent blind spots because there isnt enough car. with the top down there is obviously better rear visability than anything ever. granted i have to take my shoes off to fit but that inconvenience is almost offset by the advantages. in a miata, you can park anywhere and being able to pull up to the pump from either side is really neat. and all that for $3000

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by fatoni

im 6'2" as well and i daily drive a 90 miata and before that it was a 94. a hardtop will make the visability as good as any car on the road. there arent blind spots because there isnt enough car. with the top down there is obviously better rear visability than anything ever. granted i have to take my shoes off to fit but that inconvenience is almost offset by the advantages. in a miata, you can park anywhere and being able to pull up to the pump from either side is really neat. and all that for $3000

Yeah, I really can't fit well into a pre-06 Miata without the telescoping wheel. My friend Tim (also 6' 2") had one and I went auto-crossing in it. The 2hr drive to Ft. Devens was torture for me. I don't know how you guys do it. I know all about the parking thing though, having the MR2

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

Yeah, I really can't fit well into a pre-06 Miata without the telescoping wheel. My friend Tim (also 6' 2") had one and I went auto-crossing in it. The 2hr drive to Ft. Devens was torture for me. I don't know how you guys do it. I know all about the parking thing though, having the MR2

i bet your troubles were in the second gens. that put me off miatas the first time and i ended up with a corolla. once i realized that the miata kept the same dimensions but became more "luxurious" it clicked. i tried an early model because less interior means more interior room. the na is more spacious than the nb and depending on your build, more spacious than even the nc. either way its definitely a commitment. the only thing is i wish these cars (miata and frs) had smaller steering wheels as the whole heel toe motion is abrupt when my knee hits the wheel.

[SUB-FT86]

I always thought because the MX5 is 275 lbs lighter, 10 inches shorter,2 inches less wider,double wishbone front suspension and comes with 50/50 with distribution vs 55/45 in the FR-S that there was no way a MX5 could lose to the FR-S. Also the engine is completely behind in the MX5 too. And now Mazda is about to make it lighter? The FR-S reign against it I knew would be short.