follow ft86club on our blog, twitter or facebook.
FT86CLUB
Ft86Club
Delicious Tuning
Register Garage Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB > 1st Gens: Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ > Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 GT86 General Forum

Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 GT86 General Forum The place to start for the Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 | GT86


User Tag List

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 06-21-2014, 09:30 AM   #57
dnieves
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Drives: FR-S 10 Series
Location: NY
Posts: 1,062
Thanks: 615
Thanked 347 Times in 251 Posts
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by irocz0r View Post
Hello everyone. I just placed a $500 (fully refundable) deposit on a 2015 raven, stripped-out base model, manual FR-S which should be arriving in a couple weeks. I am paying something like $27,663 cash for this car.

I am 25 years old and, for right now at least, barely making $40,000 a year. This will be my only car, and I would like to depend on it for the next 8 years or so. I base this on the fact that I have been driving my 2005 Cobalt SS Supercharged for the last 8 years, and it has hardly been a reliable car. I blew the engine in November, and the new one has never been the same. I hope I never blow another engine in any car, ever. I was hoping for my new Japanese car to be more reliable, but it's starting to look like maybe not.

The Cobalt SS, and say for instance, a VW GTI, are cars that are fast and fun, but require a lot of "love" from their owners to put up with the headaches that they give. I wasn't looking for something like that, I'm looking for something with typical Japanese bulletproof quality.

I've been reading a lot about oil leaks, seal failures, and even engine failures. Not to mention quality control issues like tail lights.

No doubt, this is a fantastic and fun car to drive. But is it a good car for me, at this point in my life?

It's not too late for me to back out and go with a Civic Si, which I'm sure will be much more dependable.


Having come from a Si and owning the FR-S for almost a year, I can say the FR-S has not given me a single problem except for the crickets but in your situation I'd go with the Si because (assuming the 9th gen is like my old 8th gen):
They are proven to last forever (compared to your Cobalt)/easy to upgrade/cost less to buy/similar performance/FWD for snow driving/cost less to insure (because they're lumped in with regular Civics) and the only issue I ever had was a slightly notchy 3rd gear (which I think they finally solved now) and slow Navi with craptastic resolution (that's been improved but I still like the FR-S' way more).
I'm putting the Civic over the FR-S only in regards to your situation which I feel is purely economical and not based on anything else. The seal failures and oil leaks you mention happen to the small percentage that push their cars to extreme or have bad luck/dud because if it were an inherent defect why aren't the rest of us suffering the same fate? Go to any car forum and the few that complain the loudest will convince you that their issues are widespread. The only inherent glitch are the crickets -I call it a glitch because it's just a noise that's noticeable when you're idling next to wall or with the hood open -it won't leave you stuck/it won't wake up the dead/it doesn't signal impending catastrophic failure. As the new kid on the block the FR-S long term reliability will have to be earned -I'd trust the product of a Toyota/Subaru partnership more than many of the automakers out there.
dnieves is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 09:35 AM   #58
dnieves
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Drives: FR-S 10 Series
Location: NY
Posts: 1,062
Thanks: 615
Thanked 347 Times in 251 Posts
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by MVJ1975 View Post
I've had my FR-S for two years. My car was built in the first month of production, so it's had all the little annoying issues; rear deck popping, condensation in both tail-lights, and it even threw a CEL at me.

It's never left me stranded. Yes, it was in limp mode when it had the CEL, but it got to the dealer under its own power and the dealer had me in a loaner Corolla almost immediately. The worst part about the whole experience was that I had to drive a Corolla for a few days.

The new cars; heck, most of those things are fixed.

You'll be fine.

A Corolla?!? I thought I had it bad when the dealership had to hold my tC overnight for a part and they gave me a grandpa Camry loaner (almost got a Prius).
dnieves is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 09:41 AM   #59
Yoniyama
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Drives: BRZ 2018
Location: California
Posts: 119
Thanks: 116
Thanked 65 Times in 38 Posts
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Subaru builds indestructible and economical cars, and Toyota is known for building reliable and efficient cars. Together, they design the most exciting sports car since the NSX, at a fraction of the price, for the masses. But the Toybaru seems to be built in China with fake FIAT parts, in terms of reliability.

On this forum, even one owner came out to proclaim to have a trouble-free example. This is a rare minority. Everyone knows the Toybaru suffers from many big and small problems. Are you feeling lucky today? If you really believe in your luck, perhaps you should take a trip to Las Vegas, instead.

The 2015 model is supposed to fix some of the many faults. If you insist on testing your luck, you may want to get a 2015 model.

As the sole vehicle and a daily driver, and if you are not madly in love with the service mechanic, the Honda Civic Si may suit your preference better.
Yoniyama is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 02:51 PM   #60
SubieNubie
Senior Member
 
SubieNubie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Drives: 2013 WRB BRZ
Location: LanGcaster, PA
Posts: 157
Thanks: 8
Thanked 28 Times in 19 Posts
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mooseknuckle44 View Post
Oh yeah. No one seems to have mentioned,
NEVER PUT A DOWN PAYMENT ON A CAR. Money wasted. If your credit will permit, don't throw money away. Someone mentioned depreciating asset. $27K out the door, all the way to the curb. As soon as you hit surface streets, BOOM, $20-22K TOPS is now the value. Buy the gap insurance, pay extra for the first year. Then, when value meets amount owed, cancel your Gap and get a check back from Toyota. Keep your down payment in your emergency stash.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is the worst advice. Any financial advisor would whole heartily disagree with you.
__________________
Daily Driven 2013 6MT Subaru BRZ Premium in WRB
SubieNubie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 03:19 PM   #61
86-tundra
Troll Hunter
 
86-tundra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Drives: fr-s, tundra
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 1,424
Thanks: 1,695
Thanked 922 Times in 470 Posts
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
oh this thread again

so many smart guys in these threads
__________________
86-tundra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 03:26 PM   #62
noodleface
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Drives: '13 BRZ Ltd WRB/'17 STI CWP
Location: Boston
Posts: 51
Thanks: 8
Thanked 32 Times in 21 Posts
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by SubieNubie View Post
But it doesn't "feel" like a Honda and I do miss that.


Because your transmission hasn't blown yet?


JK
noodleface is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 03:56 PM   #63
strat61caster
-
 
strat61caster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Drives: '13 FRS - STX
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 10,360
Thanks: 13,724
Thanked 9,470 Times in 4,993 Posts
Mentioned: 94 Post(s)
Tagged: 3 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yoniyama View Post
On this forum, even one owner came out to proclaim to have a trouble-free example. This is a rare minority. Everyone knows the Toybaru suffers from many big and small problems. Are you feeling lucky today?
Make that 2 owners. 27k miles, 18 months, 12/12 build date driven every day and a couple of really hard days through some hills and tracks. Not even a hiccup.

__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guff View Post
ineedyourdiddly
strat61caster is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to strat61caster For This Useful Post:
Karigan (06-25-2014)
Old 06-21-2014, 04:49 PM   #64
noobcake
Senior Member
 
noobcake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Drives: EVO X
Location: Orange County
Posts: 181
Thanks: 6
Thanked 101 Times in 41 Posts
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
why not lease for a couple years and then give it back?
unless your going to turbo charge it, i guess reliability might go down but with basic bolt ons it should be okay to lease. I guess if anything the mileage restriction might hold you from doing that..
noobcake is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 05:31 PM   #65
tdoggy57
Senior Member
 
tdoggy57's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Drives: Asphalt Scion FR-S
Location: Delaware
Posts: 447
Thanks: 134
Thanked 127 Times in 80 Posts
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pacific Auto View Post
I'm 22 and make $75k but if had a chance to do it over. I wouldn't!

60 payments is a long time!!!! If you have to buy it, get a year old one!

I wish I just bought a fun $10k car.

Since I want to buy a condo/house soon.
I agree...

I only make about 40k, but if I could go back again I might not make the same decision. I really want a condo myself and I'll be 22 in September so I'm kinda in the same position.

I would go back and ride my Prelude till the wheels fell off and banked all this money I've spent on my FRS. Love the car, but financial freedom brings as much happiness as anything.

This time next year I'll be about 14K in at the end of my lease wondering if I should spend another 17K to buy the car out...
__________________
tdoggy57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 08:43 PM   #66
Mr 286
Senior Member
 
Mr 286's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Drives: 2014 Camry SE V6 | 1991 MR2 Turbo
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 107
Thanks: 42
Thanked 32 Times in 18 Posts
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
If you're going to end up spending a large amount of your savings then I would say don't buy either car. EDIT: Make sure you get the GAP insurance if you finance it. You never know.

As far as reliability, mine had a blown engine, which could have been an ongoing defect, could have been accident related, could have been someone who serviced it. Who knows? Either way, it had a few issues before and after the accident, then the motor failed while cruising around 45 mph. The last straw for me was the fact that they got a brand new short block to put in the car, and still couldn't get it to run properly after about a month of several attempts. I would have stayed with it longer if the motor swap was more successful.

It's up to you in the end. From me, I'll say I simply don't know whether the car is as reliable as you need it to be. It wasn't for me, but a lot of people say they've had no issues. Performance-wise, there will be days where you will just smile and think "this is why I drive sports cars" and probably other days where you wish it had just a bit more power.

Good luck with your decision!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
2014 Camry SE V6 | 1991 MR2 Turbo
Mr 286 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 08:54 PM   #67
Mooseknuckle44
Senior Member
 
Mooseknuckle44's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Drives: 2013 FR-S
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 451
Thanks: 264
Thanked 117 Times in 81 Posts
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by strat61caster View Post
Make that 2 owners. 27k miles, 18 months, 12/12 build date driven every day and a couple of really hard days through some hills and tracks. Not even a hiccup.




Make that 3, minus chirps. But no operational problems.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
2013 FRS-Asphalt-M6-Invidia N1, K&N drop in, plasti dipped emblems, debadged FRS, Spyder II tails, 5000K Bi-xenon HID's, red demon eyes, Quad halo's, switchbacks w/Tapturn mod,Grimmspeed hood struts, led everything exterior, H&R 25mmF/15mmR spacers, Sportlines, SPC LCA's..(FUN car)
Mooseknuckle44 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Mooseknuckle44 For This Useful Post:
strat61caster (06-22-2014)
Old 06-21-2014, 09:16 PM   #68
jflogerzi
Senior Member
 
jflogerzi's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Drives: 2013 Series 10 6MT FR-S
Location: Moreno Valley, CA
Posts: 5,520
Thanks: 1,998
Thanked 2,004 Times in 1,452 Posts
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Garage
I can't help think paying cash for this car is a waste. I can't help thinking that you could put that money to invest somewhere and get a nice car for 5K. If you have to ask can I afford this car, you can't.
jflogerzi is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to jflogerzi For This Useful Post:
Karigan (06-25-2014)
Old 06-22-2014, 01:29 AM   #69
FRSBRZGT86FAN
Senior Member
 
FRSBRZGT86FAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Drives: 2023 GR SUPRA,15 FR-S (SOLD)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 4,235
Thanks: 3,086
Thanked 2,100 Times in 1,397 Posts
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by illicitstylz View Post
rule of thumb: monthly overhead expenses should not exceed 50% of your monthly income

I typically spend 20% of my monthly income on transportation but each person is different, you're the best judge of your financial standing.

eg.

I'm 26, I make 50k/year, so per month is roughly $4000 before tax. $4000 x 20% = $800.

That is more than enough to cover my monthly payment + insurance + gas. I keep the extra for savings.

Just remember, saving money is making money
The amount of fiscally responsible advice I've learned on this forum has been more than my entire short 18 years of living have taught me
__________________
*SOLD*OFT Stage 2 UEL E85/Nameless Performance 3 inch axleback with 5 inch mufflers/ TRD CAI / CNT UEL/ Cusco Strut BAR & LHD Brake Stop / "JDM" Toyota Badges / WinJet JDM headlights - DRL MOD from fteightysix.com - 5000K Diode Dynamics HID kit / Diode Dynamics LED interior Lights and sidemarker bulbs / JDM Clear Sidemarkers / Diode Dynamics LED switchbacks/ OLM LED rear turn signals / Tap Turn Relay*SOLD*
FRSBRZGT86FAN is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to FRSBRZGT86FAN For This Useful Post:
illicitstylz (06-22-2014), Mooseknuckle44 (06-24-2014)
Old 06-22-2014, 01:43 AM   #70
FRSBRZGT86FAN
Senior Member
 
FRSBRZGT86FAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Drives: 2023 GR SUPRA,15 FR-S (SOLD)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 4,235
Thanks: 3,086
Thanked 2,100 Times in 1,397 Posts
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by irocz0r View Post
For the record, I can afford the car. My reason for mentioning my salary was in regards to cost of maintenance and repairs. Yes, the car is under warranty, and yes, hopefully I will be getting paid more in three years when the warranty expires, but for the time being, I am imagining things three years, post warranty expiration, down the road like getting oil leaks fixed, CELs checked out, and god forbid engine failure, on my current salary out of pocket.

And as for "who told me that", I've driven both cars. I've test driven three Civic Si's and four FR-S's. Granted, Civic Si is less fun to drive than the FR-S or even my Cobalt, it does have comparable straight line power to the FR-S, and has better clutch feel in my opinion. The clutch feel in the FR-S is worse (softer, less responsive) than both the Civic and my Cobalt.

All in all, the Civic is slightly less fun to drive than the FR-S, but is hardly dull. The FR-S wins in the cool category by a mile, but dependability is my number one concern.

So right now, I'm leaning towards canceling my order and getting a Civic.

But I'm still torn. Please convince me otherwise. When the FR-S was released, I thought "wow, it's like God made a car just for me". But reliability is a deal killer
You have to realize you have been checking the "issues" section of the forum which is saturated with ISSUES!!!! This car is not unreliable, it has had similar teething issues in its infancy as other first gen new cars, my crappy 07 Honda CR-V included when it first came out had multiple TSBs and a single recall. The 2015 is supposed to fix most if not all the issues we've seen in the first two years completely build quality wise. The civic will not only make people laugh at you, but will also give you no where near the excitement or feel the FR-S does. If you want longevity and reliability, go the extra mile and pay for an extended warranty, GAP, and hell I've heard people saved money doing the whole scion service boost thing not paying for oil changes and such the first 30k+. The only reason I haven't bought one yet is due to the fact I just don't want to spend the money I have right before getting launched off to college, I'd rather save it all away in a high interest CD and when I'm done have the money to invest in the FR-S or the next great RWD cheap fun sports car.
__________________
*SOLD*OFT Stage 2 UEL E85/Nameless Performance 3 inch axleback with 5 inch mufflers/ TRD CAI / CNT UEL/ Cusco Strut BAR & LHD Brake Stop / "JDM" Toyota Badges / WinJet JDM headlights - DRL MOD from fteightysix.com - 5000K Diode Dynamics HID kit / Diode Dynamics LED interior Lights and sidemarker bulbs / JDM Clear Sidemarkers / Diode Dynamics LED switchbacks/ OLM LED rear turn signals / Tap Turn Relay*SOLD*
FRSBRZGT86FAN is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
An idea... ActionJackson Forced Induction 2 05-28-2014 03:01 AM
Idea for 10 Series Owner, but have no idea how to accomplish. IgnitionGundam Cosmetic Modification (Interior/Exterior/Lighting) 9 10-01-2013 12:29 AM
Any idea what this is? idreamofdrifting Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 GT86 General Forum 14 02-08-2013 10:50 PM
Best idea for a bed ever! dorifuto Off-Topic Lounge [WARNING: NO POLITICS] 9 11-19-2012 10:34 AM
What do you think about this idea... FRSowner Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 GT86 General Forum 10 07-20-2012 03:26 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Garage vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.