Other test drives before your FR-S purchase?
 

Just curious, was thinking about test driving a Ford Focus St but after I seen and test drove my FR-S I was hook line and sinker, anyone test drive the focus ST, ? and what were your impressions? seeing as how both cars start at about the same price.

Tested the following in order:
Miata:
It was a friend's with coilovers, wheels, roll bars, exhaust etc., harsher than a stock FRS but I don't like convertibles, lots of potentials but I'd rather a coupe.
Fiat Abarth
Fun, lots of fun, easiest manual I've ever driven, felt the front end go light on an on-ramp made me nervous. My second choice, preferred the Toyobaru because the Fiat has inherrent limitations in it's performance due to the packaging. I may pick one up in a couple years when they're cheap and completely abuse it (RWD conversion? it's dumb but it's been done). Oh, also; BEST SOUNDING FOUR CYLINDER EVER.
Mustang V6 w/ track pack:
Felt like a truck, handled like a truck, sounded like a truck. If I wanted to brag about the numbers associated with my car this is it, otherwise nothing left me wanting more.

All the other alternatives (Genesis, Focus ST, Camaro, Challenger, GTI, etc.) didn't strike my fancy and I would have test driven them if I wasn't sold on the FRS after the Mustang drive or if I had decided I wanted a hatch.

I had a MKV GTI before and cross shopped the FR-S with 987.1 Cayman, 2011 5.0 Mustang, and 135i.

There weren't any brand new cars I was interested in other than FR-S and 100K factory warranty won me over. I've already got 26K miles on the car and no regrets in choosing it... I just drive slower than I used to :D

http://ca.autoblog.com/2013/04/08/fi...ridiculousnes/

maybe oneday, but with a 458 motor

Perfectly happy with the four banger in there, by the time I do it I'm sure MOPAR will have already gotten it to 200+, after stripping it out that will be a monster of a car as it sits.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/f...ale-2011-05-27
:happy0180:

I test drove the FRS twice in 2012. Once on June 6, 2012 and a 2nd time in November.

In mid February, 2013 I test drove: 2013 Mazdaspeed 3, 2013 VW GTI, 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo, 2012 Lexus IS 250, 2012 Honda Civic Si.

After test driving all of those cars, I test drove the FRS a third time (same time, mid February) and I ordered it right after the third test drive, receiving it 3 weeks later.

The FRS is incomparable to those cars. However, I definitely did enjoy the Mazdaspeed 3, which was probably the car that was competing the most out of everything I tested. FRS for the win!

drove a 2012 gen coupe 2.0T and a 2013 gen coupe 3.8. I absolutely loved both cars. but the interior wasnt for me.

2011 (i think) 370z... it was meh....

In order of year made . . .

1993 Mazda Miata
1994 Chevrolet z28 Camaro
1996 Nissan 300zx
1999 Mazda Miata
2004 Mazda Miata
2001 Mustang GT
2004 Mach 1 Mustang
2006 Hyundai Tiburon GT
2006 VW GTI
2009 Mustang GT
2012 Hyundai Genesis
2012 Hyundai Veloster
2012 Mazda Miata
2012 Chevrolet Camaro

Plus other random odds and ends for the heck of it.

Only a '13 Cayman S. Couldn't justify spending almost double the amount though.

I bet you were still tempted though.

A lot of the usual suspects:

WRX, GTI, MazdaSpeed3
Mustang, Camaro, Genesis Coupe
Fiat Abarth, Miata, Civic SI

Golf R, Focust ST, BMW 135i and 335i, Subaru WRX, none of which felt as purpose-built as the BRZ/FR-S

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cT_Ulmcrys"]Ain't Nobody Got Time For That - YouTube[/ame]

V6 Mustang: Fast but...you know bout' that live rear axle? Yup...

Miata: New Miata was missing something from the old, maybe it was price tag that scared me. Great car but...i wanted a new car and if i bought the Miata new i'd kick myself everyday for not buying a used for mad cheap.

Genesis 2.0T: Ever drive a Minivan? Yeah...

GTI: Great automatic (GTI and FRS/BRZ have the greatest choice of transmissions ever), great car but still missing something.

BRZ: I hate that wing in the back (Sorry, looks really out of place!), i hate/love that fucking mustache. Practically the same car as the FRS but...heated seats and keeping the key in my pocket wasn't worth mucho money.

Honda Accord: Mediocre.

E90 3 series: good car, good everything, annoying face.

Those are all the cars i tested before buying the FRS, the FRS was the last car i test drove and it was simply the best in my eyes.


Edit: I would also like to add that the Fiat Abarth which i test drove after i bought the FRS would of been the car to get if the FRS/BRZ didn't exist. What a fun car that is, it's like a FWD Miata on cocaine and spray paint.

I was waiting for the Dart GT but they kept pushing it back and they still haven't released almost a year after I was waiting for it.

I also drove the BRZ but it just wasn't for me so I got the FR-S

test drove an 2013 genesis coupe 3.8 rspec and brought it! it was only 26,500!
better bang for your buck! FRS auto cost like 26,000 already

I'm gonna say this in the nicest way possible...

Why are you here?

V6 Mustang w/ performance package: ALMOST bought one because of value for money, and I was starting to get impatient. Enjoyed the power, but figured I would eventually get bored with it.

Camaro: Sat in one, and got out. The interior layout and visibility and downright dangerous. Didn't even bother driving it.

Updated Gen coupe was too ugly for me to even consider stopping by the dealership.

I still love the FRS and still have interest in this car. Ive been keeping up with this car since FT86 and the genesis was last min choice. I also made an account at gencoupe.com :)

I test drove my FR-S and a 2013 Prius Sport, yes they make those. This is kind of my thing. My previous car was a Civic Hybrid and a test drove 350z on the same lot. The Prius made to many funny sounds for me. This is before I knew about the engine chirping in the FR-S.

To explain this the best I can; I am fascinated by the technology and engineering behind high mpg and and sports cars.

So you must shit yourself with this car.

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-cont.../04/918-.1.jpg

Yes, all over the place. It smells bad but there is so much of it onlookers can not help but be impressed.

Subaru WRX - Car handled a lot worse than my old 06 Civic Si... And the interior was about on par with my old 2008 Hyundai Accent. Turbo was cool, but everything about the car felt uninspired.

2013 Civic Si - Boring and noncompetitive in its class. If I wanted a worse version of my old Civic Si I'd probably just have kept it.

I was going to go give the Mazdaspeed 3 a test drive, but I drove the FRS first... So you can guess what happened.

I was. But I ended up buying more house instead :)

Better investment in the long run.

Abarth - hilarious and awesome, but a bit too cheap feeling (grab the door handle and feel that molded seam, ugh)

GTI - DSG OMG! But in the end, not that exciting.

Acura ILX - I so wanted to love this car, has the smoothest manual shifter in the galaxy beautiful interior and civic si engine; but also the steering feel of a prius - awful.

BMW 335d - torques to rival a Cummings, well almost. But in the end too grown up for me.

The Scion worked for me, won over my wife, and had the kids - scrunched up in back - begging for me to buy it. Well, ok, if I have to.

I figured I had to do a minimum of due diligence, so I started at the Honda dealer next door and drove an Accord coupe. It's a very comfy living room! Then I went next door to Scion and drove a car.

The end.

I looked around at a few cars before I decided on the FR-S:
Audi A4
Acura TSX
Lexus IS250
BMW 328i

Yes the FR-S is not like the others, but it was significantly cheaper and easier to work on than the others.

Mustang GT 5.0 - Stout, sweet-sounding engine and surprising grip, but overall too heavy and large. More steering feel welcome.

370z - Coarse NVH from the engine, tires, and drivetrain and poor visibility ruin an otherwise strong all-around performer.

Mini Cooper S - Surprisingly agile and fun, until power-on understeer ruins the party.

Porsche Cayman S - Best car I tested, but not the best value. Loved hearing the flat 6 singing directly behind my ear.

Evo X GSR - Best performing, practical car I've driven. Hate to admit it, but I liked this better than my old STI hatch. How can a heavy, AWD car have such good steering and handling balance?

I drove a BMW for 7 years before the frs so i really wanted to go with the 135i The cost of maintenance over time was a concern though. I actually found my ideal 135i at a toyota dealership an hour away and tried to buy it, but they wouldn't finance me. So I watched them drop the price $3k over a month and sold it to someone else. Ended up looking for a new car and found the FRS - no regrets.

Test drove before FRS:
BMW 328i
BMW 135i
BMW 335i
BMW 128i
VW GTI

Considered an ISF used for about $35k, but I wanted something new and with good gas mileage. I will have one someday.

Audi tt quattro
Genesis coupe trac and gt.

2012 Civic Si: Same barf inducing interior as the previous gen(double dash, offset digital speedo), but with 2x the nausea, same lack of double wishbone suspension. Where's the 6th gen with upgraded motor?

2013 Accord EX Coupe: too heavy/big, too much shit going on in the interior(HATE proprietary dashes/radios), push button start(prefer key), black exterior only(EX coupes), chrome trim inside and out.

2012 Kia Forte Koup: never actually found one to test drive, oh well.

2012/2013 Genesis Coupe: never got around to testing one, decided the reviews were enough and it didn't sound like it fit my previous choices being so damn heavy. I also prefer naturally aspirated engines.

I knew I wanted(needed) the FR-S when I first heard about it in late 2008. Test drove an auto then the manual 6 months apart. I had no intention of buynig an auto and just wanted to drive it(was a demo, relax).

Based on looks alone, the FR-S wins hands down over anything up to and including $40k IMO. It doesn't hurt that it drives awesomely too, much more like my 6th gen Si at high speeds versus the floaty feel of the RSX at the same speeds.

test drove the BMW Z4. such a sweet car, but double the price almost. bleh.

Settled for the FRS since the car was 'affordable' and handles very well because I like to drive...shall we say, 'spiritedly'. Just not fast. I've gotten flack from family members, but I know my limits and the car somewhat. No tickets yet and no 'oh shit' moments. Been scanned by many officers, but none chased me down yet, only followed for a short distance.

The ride is a bit rough but what do you expect from a sports car. Everything about it is about saving weight and balance for optimal handling and driving experience. Can't ask for anything more. I LOVE it! :wub:

Once I'm driving, everything else just melts away.

EVOX, STI, Honda civic.

2013 Civic Si-Boring, didn't care much for the interior.

2013 VW GTI-Nice interior but meh, boring.

2013 Fusion 2.0L Ecoboost-Handled okay, a bit heavy. First experience with paddle shifters, not as fun as I'd hoped.

2013 Mustang GT 5.0-Awesome sound, fast but felt very heavy.

2013 Ford Focus ST-Liked it alot, very quick and handled well. Probably would've bought one if the dealership had the color I wanted as thier website listed. Luckily they didn't.

2013 Scion FR-S-Drove last, and knew within the first couple minutes of the test drive I would be buying it. Originally hadn't planned on driving one as I'm 6'8"/300lbs. and assumed I wouldn't fit. Once in and settled it fits like a glove, perfect driving position. Only con is I'll never be able to get a helmet on in it.

I test drove the Z4 too.. The 4 cyl turbo is quick for sure... Enjoyed the car for the most part... Don't think I would enjoy it twice as much as the FRS.. So why pay that much for one..

Getting a BRZ but same difference, right?

2007 Audi S4 - awesome car but gas mileage was horrendous

2012 Audi TT - y u no offer manual gearbox anymore? Also, it was getting long-in-the-tooth. Very rewarding to drive, though.

2010 Nissan 370Z - engine was extremely coarse and loud, gearbox was mediocre at best, didn't feel that fast. Risqué styling probably won't age well, either.

2005 Lotus Elise - great car to trailer to the track and thrash, then put back in the trailer and bring home. Not a good car for street driving.

2007 Porsche Cayman - great car, brilliant to drive. Shifter didn't feel too precise, but otherwise very nice. IMS bearing issues, limited aftermarket support and costliness of parts turned me away.

2011 Mini Cooper S - torque steer up the yin yang and quirky interior, but fun to drive nonetheless.

2007 Honda S2000 - engine made great power up high, but it had a rough engine note similar to the 370Z which I didn't like. Very cramped cabin, too.

2011 Mazda MX-5 - loved this car, but I'm sadly too tall for it. Would be my second choice easily. I liked it more than the S2000, which I didn't think I would in a million years.

2013 Subaru WRX - lots of fun, power and grip, but it's still a tarted-up economy sedan.

I don't trust VW reliability.. I did test drive one last year.. And found it
To handle ok.. For FWD.. And it was nice inside.. Wasn't impressed with its power either.. Maybe the power was descent.. But the weight saps it all..
As far as BMW goes... I just sold mine recently... Good cars..
But too pricey for what it is.. My son has a 335i Twin turbo 6 speed manual..
Nice car and all.. Laden with gadgets and stuff.. 3600+ pounds, no dip stick... Can't even check the oil.. Wtf are they thinking...
I keep coming back to the FRS...

2013 Genesis 2.0t - too big, little road feel through the wheel, and worst clutch ever made - bite-point transition was non-existent, virtually impossible to shift smoothly

2012 MX-5 ragtop and collapsible hardtop - fun on the side streets, but even the hardtop was very noisy on the highway; too limited storage; don't really want a convertible