Thinking about a USED FR-S
 

Same as title above, I'm thinking about getting a used FR-S after accruing 3k for the down payment. Been looking around and seeing many for up to 15k to 19k with, on average, 50k miles on the odometer. Ive never bought or financed a car before and I dont have any prior experience with it and I was wondering if any on here could share their experiences and share any tips when buying a used FR-S

If you plan on mod'ing it, I would forgo the rapey costs and buy a used FRS that has some work already done. Previous owner of mine dumped $10K into his and ultimately only reaped back $2K more than a stock vehicle at the same mileage.

not really planning on modding it... too much. most i was thinking was a new exhaust after driving for a while and thats it... so far lol Im really not sure what id want to do with it at the moment, just that I want the car.

To give you an example. I bought a 2013 Series 10 MT with 58k on the ODO for 14K+Tax that was mint being a 5 year old car.
This car has the HID Headlights, Dual Climate A/C as the main reason I wanted this one. BRZ's tend to hold there value better then their Scion FRS twin.

The earlier cars a few issues but chances are the well keep ones that are stock and look un-molested are the ones you want to look for. These should give you 4-5 more years of enjoyment with just basic maint/care.

what kind of issues do the earlier cars have? are they severe in any way?

Mostly where Engine issues and few other minor ones. If the car has lasted this long chances it fine. The main thing you want to find one that looks bone stock and is well cared for. This gives you a better chance not to get a car that was abused, run with bad after market parts/tunes.

There is a short list going from leaky tail lights to engines blowing from oil starvation (rare but happens). Your best bet is to just get the newest model year with the lowest mileage that you can afford.

Subscribed. I’m shopping too! I’ve test driven 4 in 4 months. Each one has had something wrong with it. 2 had clean CarFaxes but were obviously damaged (bad repair jobs made it obvious). One was missing the back seat (I know it’s pretty useless but I’d like to have it anyway, just in case), and one was making grinding sounds whenever I turned the wheel left right left really quickly (or is that normal???)


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Awesome! ive only test driven one and that was at a dealership and it was the new 2017(8?) model. It was an automatic but hey, it was worth it trying it out. fell in love with it immediately and now ive been salivating at seeing everyone elses 86s.

Give these a read
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84657
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91911
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118383
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122462
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117630
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119897

These ARE really fun cars. I test drove a ‘13 and a ‘15 FR-S and two ‘15 BRZ Limiteds. All manual transmissions. My favorite is the limited BRZ. It has a lot of nice features.

I am attaching something that might be helpful for your shopping. Back in June I created a spreadsheet of all the KBB.com fair pricing values for FRS/BRZ, for mileage ranging from 20,000 to 50,000. I apologize in advance if my attachment is sized funny. This is my first post with an attachment!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5244f40bed.jpg




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Wow thanks for the spreadsheet, i'll definitely be using this. Oh and question, what is your guys opinion of buying a car online from a dealership? Especially if the dealership is states away from you?

Keep in mind that the KBB values can go way up or down by region. Don't get trapped looking for one to cheap or paying too much because of the book value.
If buying used I would strongly suggest checking it out in person before buying. Some of these cars have been pretty beat on and it is usually obvious in person but you may miss the signs if buying online.

I would advise against this. You always should at the very least inspect and test drive the car yourself before buying it. Buying a car in a different state is fine, as long as you go and physically see and drive the car before buying it.

Tcoat is right. The spreadsheet is pricing for my area but at least it can give you a rough idea. And I definitely agree with Tcoat that you should not buy the car site unseen. Based on the four I have looked at, I would never buy one of these without looking at it in person based on the damage not visible in photos but obvious in person.


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mmm ok, Just wanted a second opinion on that. I guess I should have seen that coming considering how much stress is put into most twins. I sort of thought about it how if you were ever buying a used lan evo, buckle up cause finding one that hasnt been pushed to its limits is rare like a unicorn.

I bought both of mine used. I would get a newer model, with the lowest mileage. Banks use NADA value to finance cars, NOT KBB! So make sure the car is a good deal using NADA values. Interest rates have gone up a bit, so your local credit union will have the best rates on car loans. Get as close to, or below, NADA trade in value, if you can. That will be a good deal. I have had no problems with my 2013 or my 2016. Good luck.

I'd never buy one of these from a dealer unseen, however if you find one from an individual and have lots of long conversations and get to know them very well you might. Still wouldn't finalize the deal without at least driving the car and seeing it in person, photoshop is just too good at this point at hiding flaws.

I went with the buy one that had good features and was newish, and I kind of regret it. Especially now with the 2013 models nearing $10k it is easy to overlook a lack of anything compared to a car that you paid double that, especially if you do decide you want to add some mods. Although the 2017 upgrades look like they are all really good, not sure an extra $15k is worth it.

It really depends on how much you might want to mod it, and what you are going for.

@DC86 I'd be wary of any looming maintenance items on the used 86. Spark plugs at a certain interval are expensive, clutch throw out bearing jobs, transmission and motor mounts needing replacing, worn-in suspension, replacing the wheel studs, etc. Just be aware you might need to set aside $2k for general maintenance items / refresh.

If buying used from a dealer make sure to get the true out of the door price (taxes + any dealer fees). Open the hood and check for rust, don't forget to check the tire tread, etc.

If you know someone who has the car it would really help to bring them along.

I bought my FR-S used and missed some things that I would now know to check (end of the day everything works fine, but I spent the first year or so slowly undoing everything the previous owner had modded - the only mod remaining from the previous owner on the car is the exhaust which is horribly aligned and in need of some fixing).

Finding one of these that has not been pushed hard really shouldn't be that hard. The forum makes them look like they get beat on more than they actually do. The enthusiasts would like you to believe they are something bought only by others with the same mindset but most are bought by "average" people. The problem with trying to find a straight Evo is that they have been around long enough to have gone through a few owners. As they get cheaper they tend to get beat on more by each consecutive owner. The Twins are still early enough in production that you can find unmolested ones. Or at least relatively unmolested ones.

Nice to find out that Carfax is quite useless. Just what I had expected all along.

I'd certainly not trust 'Certified' Used, on a new car dealer's lot either.

Best to have an independent mechanic check out a car for you.

Personally, I always want to know what the bottom of a car looks like, seen from car on a lift with a drop light in hand.

Sometimes the selling dealer might let you do this at their location.

You'd be surprised what they'll do to make the sale.

First time buyer? I would probably stay away from a twin, find a reasonably priced super practical car and build your credit up. Dont stretch yourself thin right off the bat. Credit is hard to build and easy to damage.

Not sure about the logic there Sum. The twins are reasonably priced, plenty practical for most people (suck if you installed drywall and wanted a work vehicle) and make as much sense to buy as a first car as any other car on the road.

Damnit, now you had to go and make sense. What is this forum coming to?

They are generally more expensive than some other cars of similar size and mileage though. But tooootaly worth it if anyone is on the fence.

Nope. Better values on new vehicles with apr / warranty (think versa or the like.)

As a used vehicle these are prone to abuse so incurred costs could be more as well.... which dealers love to sell the add ons ( warranty etc.)

To build credit I would (personally) consider a car under 10k to keep payments reasonable and not rely on co signers or anything.... you also have to consider insurance and registration costs.

sounds like you would want a mk1 MR2.

Credit is overrated. Save the cash in a bank account, find a bank that will give a good rate on an auto loan, and just let the bank take the payment automatically from the account. Best of both worlds. Car is already paid for and you are building credit.

I see no value in buying normal cars. Also note that while a small segment abuses the twins, most just use them like normal cars.

Besides warranties are overrated. Some have needed it on the twins but 2015 and after seem to have all the kinks worked out. A boring eco vehicle like a Yaris or a Versa has zero need for a warranty. My Yaris lasted 12 years before I sold it, and not once did I ever need to invoke the warranty, and from what I've seen on those forums no one else did either.

Telling an enthusiast to buy a versa, no matter how old, is just wrong on every level possible.

Banks can't get close to credit union auto loan rates. Not on used. And warranties are NOT overrated. The touch screen radio in a FRS/BRZ is 800-1000. Certified FRS/86's are the best used deals. They have full bumper to bumper warranties, and a 7 year, 100,000 mile warranty on the engine and transmission. Inspected from head to toe, and in between. And you had a Yaris, the most basic car in Toyota's range. I do this for a living. And credit is NOT overrated. Good credit scores mean you have the banks and credit unions at YOUR mercy. Bad credit is the other way around!

Warranties are a gamble at best. You are betting things will break and the dealer or warranty company is betting they won't. The dealer is the "house" and they will almost always win because they know and adjust based on the odds. In over 40 years of driving I've NEVER had a car under 100,000 miles need a major repair, and only a couple that needed one under 200,000 miles. Warranties are nice to have, but I'm perfectly OK self insuring on that.

A good credit score is only necessary if you decide to go into debt. It's an easy game to beat.

Just my 2c, IDK if it will help. :iono:

I bought mine used from a big car brand dealership. This was also my first self-owned car.

-Just as a family tradition, we always buy used cars from dealerships because they usually give it a full inspection and prep it like stock. Gives a better feel rather than buying private sale where you are really trusting the previous owner about the car. Some dealerships may have warranty included, which doesn't hurt.

-In hindsight, a lot of the FRS I found at dealers were lemons, ding'd up, chipped, repainted and repaired for various accidents. Mint ones are not easy to come by. I did some post-searching for private sale cars and some of them seem could just be as good of a deal if not better, so don't count them out. Also, dealerships tend to sell high... and some dealerships are quite shady!!! (even big name dealerships)

-When you see the right car, you will know it. You can tell when the car has been cared for. As much as you want the twin now, don't let the eagerness affect your purchase decision and be patient. Don't settle for a lesser car.

-My car was not mint, but for 2013 it was in really good condition and repaired pretty well. As long as you can accept it, take the risk go for it. My car has had absolutely 0 issues. You obviously want to be extra wary of things like bumpers repainted/unmatched, panel deformations, missing parts of car, bring someone who can really detect that sort of stuff for test drive.

-You will want to MOD this car when you get it. And this is coming from someone who likes the stock look. Stock allows you to appreciate the car even more as originally engineered and will make modding even more rewarding. If you buy a pre-modded car, you may feel like the car is not your own. If you don't mind that though, pre-modded car will save you $$$.

Debt is basically choosing to enslave yourself to the current banking system. Debt is never ever a good thing for a normal person. Unless a person knows how to earn money off of debt there is never a reason for anyone to choose to be in debt. It is really really easy to play the system to have a good credit score without becoming a debt slave.

There is very little differences between credit unions and banks at this point. I would assume anyone would look for the best rate they can find. That is basic common sense.

Warranties are overrated. Sorry but even on a twin the odds of using a warranty is slim to nothing. The stock touchscreen is garbage. A $300-$400 basic radio mp3 player from walmart will be better sound quality. The navigation is total garbage. I literally never use it, even crappy navigation apps on my phone are better. Not to mention anything that actually does break the dealer will fight tooth and nail not to cover. This isn't an six figure luxury car, 2015 and after cars are all on the solid side.

Certified used is the biggest scam going. Most dealers that are honest will tell you they have to charge you $1000 more on the same car to get that package, and the odds of needing the warranty are slim, they aren't going to certify anything that has any issues or any models that have a history of issues. Unless it is an expensive tech filled german car it is basically burning cash. Any actual good dealer does the same inspection on every used car on their lot.

Funny how you think you are the only one that could possibly know anything about anything.

Do you own a house and did you pay 100% up front?

If no to the first half, then you are wasting money on rent that you will never get back, unlike a house payment which has at least some portion you get back (home equity) If no to the second half, then you took on debt.

If yes to both, then you either paid rent longer than you needed to, or were born rich AF and shouldn't be telling normal people what to do.



The point is that properly managed debt is a very useful tool in many cases (including transportation). You have to spend money to make money and not everyone starts with money to spend. Banking, investment, and debt are capitalism's solution to social mobility.

A grand, is this true? You can grab a slick Sony headunit with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a larger and higher resolution screen for $300 nowadays.

Depends on the HU and what features it comes with, it can get up there in price. Usually if you wanted something with built in nav that would push It to the upper tier. If you don't and just want to rely on android auto/apple carplay you can save yourself a few bucks. The inconvenience of having to plug in the phone to get the nav function may be worth the extra cash to some.

OP sounds like someone on a fairly tight budget with no credit. Being fiscally responsible when you're first starting out is solid advice.

Correct on the warranty/ not needing it....great!!! You helped my point out on that.

Your bank account / loan idea is a great credit building tool. Often first time buyers have not saved up the money to do that, especially with a car 15k+ used.

First off, Certified cars ARE a good deal. All certified Toyota cars and trucks are as new. Right down to the brake pads and rotors. Everything is inspected, and if not perfect, made perfect. Sure, you can get a inspection done, and that is great. But things do break. I see warranty claims on 16,17 model cars all the time. And most people don't want a aftermarket radio. I don't. Your the same guy, who when offered a warranty, refuses, then calls back when something major breaks, and bitches. I see it ALL THE TIME! And while I don't know everything, I do know a little about certain things. And cars are one of those things. To each his own.
:thumbsup:

There's a huge difference between borrowing money for an appreciating asset and a depreciating one. Apples and oranges @Spuds (or would that be onions and potatoes?)

My point was that the statement that debt was NEVER a good thing was not true. It also applies to cars. If you don't have reliable transportation, it's hard to have a job. Reliable transportation is not cheap. Unreliable transportation, though less expensive, may even cost more in the long run than interest on a car loan, and expenses aren't as predictable. The whole connecting having a job to affording a car thing should be obvious.


Not defending the whole buying above one's means to pay back deal, just providing the counter-argument to 'debt is bad'.

Semantics, but I would say it is never a good thing, but may be a necessary evil at times, and getting a reliable car doesn't necessarily mean spending enough money you need a loan, (car prices are more a function of age then reliability, there are reliable $1000 cars and unreliable $50,000 cars) but I do understand your point.

Be very careful buying a used FRS. This is a great car but abused by idiots very frequently.
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