FRS vs. BRZ as a commuter car

[DrakeM]

I think both cars are great. They are surprisingly similar, yet remarkably different. One of the most significant differences: the suspension.



This brings me to my question. “Imagine” you’re commuting 90 miles a day, every day and that you’re not a hybrid fan. In fact, you’ve narrowed down your search to just these two cars. Which one is a better commuter car?

[Neziah]

Your not going to notice any real differences during "normal" driving. The differences that everyone likes to talk about from the reviews done by race car drivers are at the high end of the cars limits.

Pick out the model with the color/equipment you like the best and enjoy. Mine is a DD, and I enjoy it a lot. I have just gotten used to tossing my lunch box and coat in the truNk instead of sitting them on the seat next to me. Makes it easier to get in and out. =]

[registered4this]

BRZ limited because it has heated seats and climate control.

[whataboutbob]

I do about 90 miles a day in my FR-S and it works great for me.

[xwd]

Originally Posted by DrakeM

I think both cars are great. They are surprisingly similar, yet remarkably different. One of the most significant differences: the suspension.



This brings me to my question. “Imagine” you’re commuting 90 miles a day, every day and that you’re not a hybrid fan. In fact, you’ve narrowed down your search to just these two cars. Which one is a better commuter car?

I like the seats in the BRZ Limited better than the FR-S or Premium, but both cars would be fine.

Like someone else said, the suspension differences are nothing you would notice while commuting. The BRZ has stiffer front springs, the FR-S has stiffer rear springs.

[DrakeM]

So, more “creature comfort” in the BRZ (including better seats), but neither will break the spine.

The “spine” part is the most important to me, is BRZ a better commuter then?

Thank you for your feedback.

[hav0c]

I test drove both, ended up getting the BRZ. I did not notice a major difference in handling or ride quality. I think any differences in those areas are extremely subtle and, as people have said, only noticeable when pushing the car to it's limits.

Ultimately I chose the BRZ LTD for my commute (about 150miles round trip, a couple times a week) was for the extras - heated seats/mirrors (very nice on cold foggy mornings), HID, fog lights, etc.

[bneale]

Originally Posted by dwx

I like the seats in the BRZ Limited better than the FR-S or Premium, but both cars would be fine.

Like someone else said, the suspension differences are nothing you would notice while commuting. The BRZ has stiffer front springs, the FR-S has stiffer rear springs.

FAIL!!!

This is totally false. The BRZ has stiffer springs but softer dampeners. The FR-S is the exact opposite. Softer springs, stiffer dampeners. It has nothing to do with front or rear springs. Nothing at all.

If ride is a priority, then the FR-S would be better. The softer springs would mean a better overall ride of rough surfaces.

If you don't know where you're going and your ass is cold, then the BRZ is a better choice for you.

Price wise though, FR-S is the winner considering it has a slightly softer ride and is always cheaper then the BRZ. You have more money left over for gas if you buy the FRS.

So 2 out of 3 reasons to pick the FR-S over the BRZ.

bneale

[Laika]

Unless you are repulsed by the BRZ front bumper (many are) or you suspect subaru has raped your family and killed your dog, the BRZ is kind of a no-brainer. $1300 for HID's and the nav unit that I ended up using quite a bit even if it was just for the bluetooth phone connection because for some reason I only ever get phone calls after I get in my car. At least now I can answer them.

Plus a BRZ premium worked out @ $18 a month more than an FRS. Money well spent.

At the end of the day, if you're just trying to get into one car or another and don't care about features, there's no reason to get the BRZ (statement added to assert my neutrality on peoples choices in cars, they're both great but I just put my two cents in).

[ST185RC]

I test drove both the BRZ and FR-S around 15-20 km each. Under normal driving conditions, both feel identical going straight. I can't make a direct comparison since I didn't drive the same roads using both but both absorb bumps pretty well. I will say that there is a noticable difference in the responsiveness between this car and an ap2 (assuming that the age of the ap2 has a bit more give than a brand new car). The only thing I did notice was the BRZ being very very slightly more confident through a turn and tires weren't as easy to chirp.

I noticed in the FRS, the tires do chirp from a standstill at a light into a right turn very slightly easier than the BRZ. It's only in corners where you feel a difference when you're carving them aggressively that you begin to feel any significant difference. While my experience with the BRZ is short lived, this is simply my opinion and I don't claim that any of this is true or that I am a good driver so take it with a grain of salt.

Like some have said in the posts above, under reasonable daily-driving habits, the difference is negligible. I daily drive my FRS and the ride is comfortable enough and I don't feel exhausted after i get to my destination. Bottom line, both cars were designed to be livable as relatively comfortable (dollar for dollar comparison; can't compare this to landboat comfort) daily commuters with a few track days to slip under it's belt.

I chose the FR-S because it gave me what I need and nothing more, nothing less. I don't care about sat nav, nor do i care about HID and LED half-halos nor the trunk lining nor climate control nor heated seats. I can easily control the temperature myself. I got the FRS because it had the least amount of things that could go wrong some point down the road and the simplest driver interface that even my grandma can drive.

Oh, that and grad discount still worked and i received $1000 off my FR-S where as it was over 4 years since i got a degree and subaru didn't honor it. So yes, pricing is a bonus and I didn't have to wait months and months for the FR-S.

[industrial]

Brz limited was a pretty easy choice for me. Heated seats, nav, much better headlights/drls and just a nicer interior in general. Money wasn't really an issue for me. I was all set to upgrade to something in the 50-70k range and went with a BRZ instead. It felt very similar to my sti, just it was now a BRZ and the interior was slightly nicer. FRS is a great alternative if money is tight. If money isn't a big deal, get a BRZ in my opinion.

To put it another way, I feel the general package of the BRZ is just good enough where I don't feel like I'm making a huge downgrade from a luxury car (I used a late model Acura TL as a commuter). The FRS is lacking just enough stuff where it did feel like a huge downgrade. I don't know if that makes sense. The headlights and drls on the FRS drive me crazy. The plain black dash, a/c controls and colored seat inserts make the car look very cheap to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the BRZ is a luxo cruiser, it just doesn't remind me that it's an economy car as often as the FRS.

[blu_]

double post

[blu_]

Originally Posted by bneale

FAIL!!!

This is totally false. The BRZ has stiffer springs but softer dampeners. The FR-S is the exact opposite. Softer springs, stiffer dampeners. It has nothing to do with front or rear springs. Nothing at all.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8739

and

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10416

Also, as far as I know, nobody has actually dyno'd both dampers and made public the results.

[xcelir8brz]

Originally Posted by industrial

Brz limited was a pretty easy choice for me. Heated seats, nav, much better headlights/drls and just a nicer interior in general. Money wasn't really an issue for me. I was all set to upgrade to something in the 50-70k range and went with a BRZ instead. It felt very similar to my sti, just it was now a BRZ and the interior was slightly nicer. FRS is a great alternative if money is tight. If money isn't a big deal, get a BRZ in my opinion.

To put it another way, I feel the general package of the BRZ is just good enough where I don't feel like I'm making a huge downgrade from a luxury car (I used a late model Acura TL as a commuter). The FRS is lacking just enough stuff where it did feel like a huge downgrade. I don't know if that makes sense. The headlights and drls on the FRS drive me crazy. The plain black dash, a/c controls and colored seat inserts make the car look very cheap to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the BRZ is a luxo cruiser, it just doesn't remind me that it's an economy car as often as the FRS.

Totally agree.