Chris Harris Drive: GT86 / FR-S vs 370z vs Cayman S
 

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Chris Harris reviews the GT86 again, this time putting it against the 370Z and Cayman S. :thumbup:

Here's his prior track review of the GT86 @ http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3639

He didn't say which one he would choose.

Im in Love:wub:

To me, it sounds like the 86/FR-S/BRZ occupies the soft spot in his heart out of this group, despite also loving the Cayman S.

"Fact is, I love this car! It's Brilliant"

From what I got out of the vid Chris is stating
Cayman > GT86 > 370Z

I think he inferred it by the ending. He talked about the Z, not so great, talked about the Cayman, great but it can get expensive to maintain and ended with super high praise for the GT86.

On a related note, what was the last car that so many automotive reviewers gushed about like this? I have seen so much praise for the car that it makes me wonder if Toyota is sending out checks.

I can't even think of one.

Gotta love Chris Harris. Best thing about Drive.

Me neither! Seriously impressive.

I definitely don't think they are giving out checks, and Chris Harris is one of the last people I would ever suspect of that. But, I do think they might be heaping praise on the car in hopes that other auto makers will build more like it. A lot of the reviews where they chose the BRZ/FRS/86 over the other cars is not because it's a great car on its own necessarily, but because it is a direction they want other auto makers to take and they are rewarding toyota/subaru for taking the first steps.

BTW, I am not accusing anyone of taking a bribe. Just making a joke.

Getting air!
http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/..._TURBO/Air.jpg

Yeah I got that, unfortunately there are a lot of YouTube commenters who are saying it seriously

I would like to know where he finds a Cayman S for 16K. I looked at Autotrader and the cheapest one I saw listed within 200 miles of me cost 29K. 29K upfront, no warranty, expensive German parts and German reliability versus Japanese reliability. FR-S/BRZ is a no brainer considering those points.

He is a brit. He is not talking about American $. But I still agree with you on that point (and he does, too, at the end of the video)

That's still ~25k (not 29k like you pointed out)

Also, the 370z in the US as far as I know is like 34k+ (about 10k above the FR-S)

Yea he must have been lucky. Here are the price ranges and next to it the numbers of cayman S found in that price range.

$20,001-$25,000 (1)
$25,001-$30,000 (14)
$30,001-$35,000 (29)
$35,001-$40,000 (75)
$40,001-$45,000 (34)
$45,001-$50,000 (23)
$50,001-$55,000 (11)
$55,001-$60,000 (11)
$60,001-$65,000 (3)
$65,001-$70,000 (2)

SUCH a good review, probably the best one ive seen yet.

I WANT A FR-S!

When I hear Chris Harris echoing my thoughts on a car, more so my car, it just makes me feel a bit smug tbh.. like maybe I'm not full of shit.

Also where is the 370Z $28,000? Every time I watch Top Gear UK the prices for the cars are more than US. In US the 370Z starts at $33,120.

I had a 911 Targa and the parts for that thing were CRAZY expensive. Even oil changes required a credit check.

http://www.nissan.co.uk/#vehicles/sp...gures/discover

Every market is different, so its hard to generalize about car prices relative to the US.

I assume the 28k number is saying that you could get one for that price.... not that it MSRP's for that.


Also hes talking pounds not $'s.

Thanks for sharing, OP. Very exciting video review. I could relate to the opinions shared within the review.

I have much respect for the 350 / 370Z, but I've never connected with the drive and never had that feel & connection with it... Therefore, I never had the courage to opt for one...

Putting in a used Cayman S reminded me of when I really wanted to pull the trigger on a new Cayman R... Though the price tag (especially with even some options) and the lack of back seats helped me in choosing a great value and sports car within the FR-S... And it came out for sale at the right time for myself, fortunately.

The 370 Z a "right lard ass"

I am thinking, get a FR-S and call it a day, then throw one of those turbo kits on it, and who cares about any other RWD coupes....

INB4 the 370z trolls come rolling through talking about how much more valid their opinion is than anyone elses.

:popcorn: i can see the Z Forums saying he's been paid off already...
Also noted that he doesnt seem to like the leather seats so much, wonder if he would prefer the FR-S seats :iono: and if he did that may mean the FR-S>86 (i can dream right)?

???
???


I'm a Z owner. Reviews have never been friendly to my car, and the FT86 is a darling for magazines and auto reviewers. I'm ok with that.

I've driven both, and I preferred the Z. Your impressions/drives/results/opinions may vary. I have no problem with that.

If we all liked the same cars, this would be a much more boring world, imo.

Before go into flame war between z is better &/or 86 is better debate. Debate at "vs thread" instead of here.

& I'm not pointing at anyone.

:word:

Don't get me wrong, you are probably not one of the people I was referring to when I said that. I like the 370z as well, it just seems there is a select few 370z owners who chose to join the forum, and do nothing but bitch/moan/trash talk about the FRS.

Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. I've seen a few folks who've done that. It's disrespectful, considering that this forum is set up to discuss the FT86.

Edit: but we're going off topic. I think folks should cross-shop these definitely, drive them all, and pick the one that best suits them. Can't go wrong with these RWD coupes, imo.

Cross shopping
 

I will be cross shopping this category of vehicle in the near future but my one concern is that during the test drive how many dealers will actually let you rip it up and go to anywhere near 10/10ths in order to appreciate all cars equally? I mean we are looking at the Mustang, 370Z, Gen coupe, MX5 and of course the BRZ.

If the dealers only let you go to 80% then by this review the 370z should be tops along with the Gen coupe. Buyer beware indeed. :burnrubber:

VERY true, though I think it was pretty obvious. He's got the 86 nailed, as far as I am concerned. He literally personifies exactly how I feel about my car and why I bought it.

Chris Harris is awesome.

He had a few points where it felt like he took the words out of my driving soul.
[ 4:30 ] Talks about cornering and bashing the throttle just a little to get it to move a little bit.... I have found myself doing this for over a month now on every opportunity I get (almost got in trouble since I did it in front of a cop once LOL)

[ 5:05 ] We're enjoying performance because of it's nature not because of its quantity.

[ 8:03 ] ~~~ The Toyota is a smaller plate of expertly prepared flavors (vs large quantity of food that might not be very good)

How fun would it be to hang out with this guy at a cars and coffee event.

at my friends apartment, i always park next to a guys 370z we both have car covers, when im out for a smoke i see people staring at our covered cars wondering whats underneath lol, plus that way we both dont have people hitting our cars with doors :cry:

ive never had a problem with any 350z or 370z they seem to like my car in the real world and not in the interqwebzzsdfsdg

Yeah a used Cayman would've been my first choice but it was way out of my price range for a nice one. I didn't see any for less than 30 when I was looking. Cayman and 335i were the other cars I cross shopped but I couldn't find any deals.

I think if everyones posts were like this we wouldn't have BS drama in threads trying to prove what car is better than the other... it works both ways.

Sounded to me like he thought the used Cayman S would be the best car for the money. But if you're going to buy new he'd recommend the 86.

I honestly love a car where you don't have to push it to 10/10ths for it to be fun because in the real world we shouldn't be doing that anyways. I think what he said about the Z being great at 8/10ths on the street is actually a great thing for a daily driver but he never said how the 86 feels under 10/10ths.

I have found this to be incredibly inconsistent across dealerships.

And even across different dealer lots within the same brand.

A Subaru dealer recently told me he would have to run a credit check to let me test drive a base WRX. I said, "When I show up in my 370z that I bought new, will you still subject me to the credit check?" He held firm.

Conversely, I test drove a used Corvette Z06 last weekend. I was greeted by the sales manager, who informed me that the salesmen I had spoken to on the phone was engaged with other customers. He handed me the keys and encouraged me to sit in it while I wait. As it dragged on and took longer, he came back, took my license, and said, "Why don't you take it for a drive? He'll probably be free when you get back." And just like that I got a free test run with no salesman in a 505-hp sports car.

Again, no rhyme or reason as far as I can tell, it just seems to be differing policies at different dealerships.

#COTD


oops wrong site...:bellyroll: