Low mi. Tradeins
 

My Daughter is. Very enthusiastic about the FR-S 13 or 14 me not so much:( I look at the recalls and tickey tack issues and see that these are a very high maint cars. One of the biggest things I notice is a very high rate of low mileage trade ins. I'm very aware that most cars of this caliber take some tlc and I'm a gear head so I get that. But are the buyers of these that fickle. Or are they having more probs then peeps want to admit. Anybody got any thoughts on the low mi. Issue. I'd love to be at ease about her buying. One:confused0068:77

They have only been out since 2012. Not going to be that many high milage cars. Mine had 43 thou when I bought it. Most folks trade them for bigger cars. We don't need bigger car. Only two of us. And my wife and I love this car we enjoy driving it but both of us had sports cars. Probably not the car for a young girl.

These cars were hyped to hell. Hottest thing to come out of China since sliced bread. The 240z of the 21st century. Little did everyone suspect...it was just a car. A Miata coupe. Everyone traded their car in the first time they lost to a Veloster.

I really wouldn't worry about it. :)

What he said^

People wanted something with more room or didn't like the "lack of power".

Even though I'm only 12k miles in, car hasn't asked for any extra maintenance from me besides basic stuff such as fluids and tire change.


Well ok, there was an issue with the TCM for the auto but it wasn't that big of a deal.

I have a very early VIN 2013. Id estimate maybe 2 dozen track days. Couple burnt out coil packs but no major issues.

Maintenance has just been many oil changes and brake fluid. Couple transmission and diff fluid changes.

If she just street driving it will be like any other basic car. Change the fluids per the manual and will be fine.

The real thing i would say is its got a stiffer ride and noisy cabin compared to more normal offerings like say a corolla. She may or may not he willing to live with that to have a cute car.

I imagine most low mileage tradeins are people who impulse buy this car and dont know what they are getting into. yes it handles well and i enjoy it on the track and street. But its not for everyone.

Upgrade the sound system...

My 21 year old loves my car...I let her drive it once and she fell in love.

Now to your question...yes, i agree with previous comments, i.e. unrealistic expectations, early model flaws and not a family car. She will love it, love the attention it will give her, make her feel special and you should have little to worry about. The BRZ is cheaper to ensure than the FRS, just a consideration.

Good luck.

I love my BRZ. Many people are obsessed with the numbers of the car and don't understand that in real world applications 400hp and 200hp don't really matter that much unless you track the car or do pulls in the street. All I know is that driving my car puts a smile on my face everytime, and I don't need to be going fast.

I haven't had any problems with my car ever since I bought it (knock on wood lol) and you shouldn't expect any major problems in the newer models. I believe either 2014 or 2015 models had slight revisions from the first models to eliminate some problems with the engine. I don't remember the specifics but someone can correct me if I'm wrong

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Welcome to posting to the forum, @oldfastman ..........:clap:

Having had a daughter, when she was just starting to drive, and me presently having a 2013 FR-S with 15,000 miles, would have I bought it for my daughter back then .. ??

Yes, if it was in good condition and hadn't been all messed up with "power mods" ..... real or not.

I would have preferred the auto for her, simply because there would be less of a chance the transmission would have been abused (intentionally or unintentionally).


humfrz

OP:

Do it. Get her a MY2014 if 2013 model. MY2014-present have had almost no issues. Imho stay away from a monogram due to more electrical parts=future issues sooner or later. She can learn how to work on these cars too! The twins are some of the most mechanic friendly cars out there!

Now to answer why so many:

1) car was blown out of proportion in terms of power.
2) mpg is barely 30 (stated by Toyota) in hwy. I get 32-36 on cruise control. Many don't drive like I do.
3) interior is comfy for 2 people and you can nap inside but spending more than a 4hrs sleeping (imo) hurts.
4) fits 2 legless midgets in rear.
5) has a boxer engine. (Im) many were confused as hell when I popped my hood and they read Subaru.
6) engine has some potential for aftermarket strong significant hp/tq gains, but not enough to challenge...say a STI or even a Ralley Lancer (imo)
7) build quality is pretty but not strong. In other words, paint is cheap, plastics are plasticky and delicate.
8) many also have families so lots of trade ins due to that.



All these are imho. No need to be salty and reply guys lol


Oh forgot, my maintenance has been $100>X. In other words I've spent less than $100 on maintenance out of my pocket. Car is at exactly 23,261 miles (I just say 25k). Had a throw out bearing issue and simple cosmetic things but I could have lived with them. Dealer replaced all.

Uhm, my sis is 11, and I've promised her this car in 6 years so I w/o hesitation pass this car to her. It is safe. Only issue is it is a one time. Meaning one bumper hit and bye bye car lol

I bought my 15' with 4k on it and since May 15 I've only put another 3k. I think the low mileage ones for sale are just people that got bored with it quick because it wasn't as fast as it looks, didn't research their purchases well enough or maybe like me, just don't drive it everyday.
I'll be lucky to be put 5k on it each year but unlike all the other low mileage ones out there, I think I will keep mine for a while.

Mine is a self styled "daily" driver. I drive it on the weekends and sometimes to work when I don't feel like driving my work truck.

I'm considering trading it, or just selling it because it doesn't suit my lifestyle perfectly. BUT, at the same time, it fits enough that I'm not desperate to trade it in at a large loss. Anything it doesn't do, my truck does.

I've owned my car for just over 13 months now. There's a lot of great things about it, and I've had zero issues that haven't been fixed (minus the TCM reflash, because Canada doesn't have that as a TSB yet). Any issues I've had have been self inflicted. Such as alignment stuff after suspension changes. Apart from that, I've had 4 or 5 oil changes (my car has just over 17000km).

It's noisy while driving, the suspension is firm and it doesn't get the greatest fuel mileage, even though it's a small engine in a light car and even though its a 27k car, you know you didn't pay for a nice interior and its "slow" (situation dependant of course, I can't outhandle or outspeed the car in a track environment, but it lacks the grunt for some situations in day to day driving, but that's not a big issue to me).

I'd not buy this car again, but its a great car to own once in your life. A GT car or a quick, sporty sedan will be my next purchase as I want some more comfort and more practicality.

For a young person, this is a great car. If it's being compared to other small coupes that have been produced in the past 5 years, I'd take this one over a Cobalt, civic, whatever in the "economy" class.

1. Is this your daughter's 1st car? If so .... I'm not sure this is the car for her. The car is very active and likes to oversteer (FRS >BRZ). Most cars under steer for safety. The car sits very low and as a result ... Tends to be in other drivers blind spots.

2. lots of maintenance? This isn't a Ferrari. It's a dependable Toyobaru.

3. Low mileage examples? Car was very hyped up. The concept was amazing. Many early buyers thought the car was underpowered. Also ... Lots of lease cars returning with 36K miles or less.

Stay away from the 2013 models (first year with a majority of the issues you have heard about) and you'll be fine...

hello Im a 14' owner, biggest downsides to this car is the massive blind spot on both sides. Any sensible person would be okay with this issue but if this is for your daughter depending on her driving habits I would recommend you to take it for a test drive yourself and see what I mean. other than that my old 04 pulsar feels like a 22' wheeled Bentley compared to my 86(its really bumpy).

Still f@#$n love it tho.

There's also a TON of low mileage camry's and corollas out there. The car is now 3 years old so you are probably seeing a ton of lease returns as well as just cars that people trade in because they get bored. For the most part, it seems like most people have enjoyed this car for what it is. If you are in an area that has weather nice enough to put your daughter in this car, do it.

If possible you can make a short list of say two or three cars and then see if they can be rented for a day or two. Its one thing to take it for a spin round the block, but a completely different thing to live with a purchase.

Not sure if you have ever had a moment, when test driving a car, where the moment you jumped in you were immediately relaxed and comfortable? Everything fell easily to hand, had great visibility and simply drove like you had already owned the car for a short time? Had that happen to me with my first test drive of a twin. It all just felt right and was the oddest feeling.

Know that the MY15+ twins ride smoother due to revised dampers. Its worth a test drive to see how much of a difference that alone is and whether the ride is comfortable enough to live with what is, after all, a firm riding light sports car.

Also be safe in the knowledge that the twins are a very safe car loaded with air bags and world wide 5 star crash ratings.

What he said (except the China part, it's actually Gunma, Japan). :)


1. They're good looking cars that handle great but aren't as fast as they look so resulted in those buying them based on looks to trade in. Keep in mind this car appeals to enthusiasts, import enthusiasts are especially fickled and always move on the next thing as soon as they get bored.


2. The issues that have arisen are not show stoppers (nothing that'll leave you stuck unless you race them hard 24/7):


a. Condensation in tail lights (Altimas have that too) due to gaskets/fitment was a popular one. -seems to have gone away
b. Crickets are an annoyance but something you'd notice if you were in a drive through with the radio off and windows down (-even then it's not end of the world -check for yourself at YouTube). This should have been dealt better. -sometimes it goes away on its own.
c. Burning oil smell at high speed caused by MT car with a leaky cam plate cover (Subaru used a flat plate with tons of RTV -super easy fix) -not everybody got this.
d. Squeaks and rattles are typical of first gens and anything made by Subaru -not everybody has it (I don't) but easily remedied.


3. Idle dip (easy fix for first batch of FR-S/BRZs involves a 10 minute reflash at the dealer).


To me, this car has been typical of other 2k+ Toyotas and Hondas I've owned in reliability and quality. I'd buy her again (only if she still have HIDs or upgraded to LED). Look up the reviews/recalls/campaigns, for a first gen car this one has done pretty well -want something to worry about read what's up with Chrysler.

Low-mileage trade-ins don't mean the car broke or anything. It really means people's needs or desires changed sooner than anticipated.

I know of one person who traded in a '13 FR-S for a '15 FR-S Release Series 1.0, and another who traded in a '14 BRZ for a '15 Jeep Renegade.

Also, a very common thread would come up...every now and then...regarding the need to sell the vehicle because the owner was expecting to have a child.

If this is your daughter's first car I'm not sure this is the car you should be buying her... Granted if she's a gearhead like yourself, she may be fine it's just that...

- Driving this car in inclement weather is possible but it takes discipline / control which most people don't really have until after driving for a few years (despite the fact that they probably think they do).

- The blindspots take some getting used to (not much of an issue for an experienced driver, but looking back to when I first started driving I can see how something like this could have gotten me into trouble)

- The car is noisy... Even if you've test drove the car 2-3 times you won't realize how noisy it is until you've actually owned and daily drove the car for a good month. LONG TERM is your daughter going to be fine with how loud the car is / the fact you feel every bump?

- The car brings a lot of attention. Like most on here I've lost track of the number of times I've had:

1) A random douche want to race.
2) Someone (generally an older male) approach me just to talk about the car.

^If I had a daughter #2 above would worry me a bit - though to be fair every encounter I've had where someone has stopped to ask me about the car has been pleasant / an enjoyable conversation.^

===

Anyway - if you haven't already get your daughter to test drive the car / spend some time in it yourself.

From a reliability standpoint I think the car will do just fine there's just some quirks to it and it does require a little more effort to maintain...

edit: Hope I didn't come off trying to make owning a FR-S sound like owning a rocket ship... If you do go ahead and buy the FR-S just be sure to ease your daughter into it.

LmfaO! Legless is right! :bellyroll:

interstingly enough - I bought my FRS cuz I own a 240Z(my third 240). I also owned a Miata. That said, if I had to pick one, I'd pick my FRS.

Serious problems are rare, for every "oh no catastrophic failuer" you can see posted here, half of them were due to owner induced problems and for the other half there's probably 100 cars out there with no issues. Your level of enjoyment will be dictated by your tolerance for small "issues". Things that would have a BMW technician go "oh that's no good, we'll solve that right away sir" are going to be met with a shrug at a Scion/Subaru dealership. Noisy interior, noisy engine, noisy clutch/transmission, terrible touch screen unit (imo the non-touchscreen is far superior), zero amenities, high revving engine, condensate in taillights, etc.

Thumbs up to your daughter for wanting something different than a Mustang or Beetle or Jeep, this could be a good learning opportunity or just a footnote, but if she's got a decent head on her shoulders it won't be a bad experience.

Exactly this. I've got 15k and a significant amount of that is the same. *knocks on wood* Car has been rock solid and brings a huge smile out when used how it was designed.



That said, yes, there are those that ran out to buy the sports car of the new millenium and the minute they lost a drag race to a Honda Odyssey their next stop was the local dealer to ditch the car.


Likewise, people that found their first patch of gravel or sand and still haven't gotten the kink out of their neck from cringing so hard at the cacophony.


It's a great car with good gas mileage, cheap parts, and easy to work on. It even has a surprisingly good ride considering what the chassis/suspension are capable of. As long as she can look past a few issues, it would actually be a good car for her.


The other thing to look at is what happens to the trade-in market if an upgraded model comes out. Probably won't happen in the time frame you're looking but it's something to think about. ie, if they came out with a turbo model for '17, the earlier non-turbo models might take a decent hit and you could get one for even cheaper.

Simply put, a lot of people underestimate what it is like to live with a sports car. People that don't have access to a CUV or larger sedan/wagon/hatchback will particularly notice the pinch. If I didn't have a 4Runner 2 bays over, I certainly wouldn't be able to handle it as my only car as the father of 1.

Additonal info low mi tradein
 

Thanks to all for the encouraging input. After compiling all your comments and compairing notes with her reaserch we decided to go with a new one 2015. At least she will have the benefit of the warentee. And as far as the power thing she has nothing else to compair to so this will seem very fast and will make her look very sexy on the road lol I'll post a pic of her in it next weekend she gets it on tues. Thanks again to all here. Old fast man:thumbsup:

CONGRATULATIONS to your daughter.......... :thumbsup:

Yes, ask her to join the forum ....... lots of good information here and nice folks ..... :)


humfrz

If shes a first time driver, please teach her to drive a RWD car in the rain and in general. That's why insurance rates are so high on RWD cars, lack of experience in them. You are a gear head so I'm assuming shes had wheel time behind a RWD.

Make her respect the car too. That was my problem as a kid, I didn't respect the cars I had till I had to start buying them. Make her wash it, care for it, keep the fluid levels up on it and make her take it to service for maintenance and make her pay a lot of it.

Being a gear head I have a feeling you'll take the car from her. Its a FUN FUN FUN car. And I was actually thinking about this post this morning when I found one of the little rubber mud flaps lose, Okay so now I've got my first problem! I'll have to tinker with it at home. Other than that, All I saw on the car fax was two visits for trim pieces.

LOL probably same piece

Congrats! As others have said:

1. the blind spots are pretty bad on this car and it takes practice to merge or cross an intersection where the angle is not (close to) 90 degrees;

2. I can't stress enough how slippery the OEM tires are in the wet. I am not into drifting so replaced mine with Pilot Sport AS/3 a few months ago and can report that the improvement is massive.

If it were my kid, I'd have her learn how to deal with both items on roads where there is little traffic.

Good luck and enjoy!

13 and 14 cars coming in are probably mostly 24 and 36mo leases that weren't bought out.