Daily Driven FR-S Questions
 

Hello all. I've been lurking on this forum for awhile now and decided to join recently. I currently do not own a FR-S at the moment but I plan to within the next couple months or so. I've been doing my research heavily on this car of about couple months and man is it a beautiful machine. I just sold my 1st car which was a 98 corolla that was handed down to me. But it started to get maintainence issues regularly and is on its last limbs. I'm 21 years old and commute to work, school, and home on the daily. I have about a little more than 3k saved up for a down payment for the car but i want to save a couple more Ks so that my monthly won't be as much.

As much as i want a manual transmission my mom really wants me to get an automatic (i know.. i know), but i cannot really argue with her because she's paying for half of the car. I'm lucky she even fancied my idea of getting the FR-S. (I'm from a asian background -_-, and a mamas boy so i gotta listen to my mom).

Anyways I drive roughly about 30 miles a day. I don't really drive more than myself on a daily basis so i'm not really concerned with the seating on this car.

I'm looking to daily drive the FR-S. and i'm asking what're your experiences with it? What are the occurring problems that your having with the car, if any, in the drivers cabin or mechanically? What bugs you the most about the car , and what would you wanna change?

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond in advance!

do what's right for you, or you will regret it for the life of the car.

I have an auto and for a DD it's great, fun when you want, easy when traffic is heavy. The issues with the car are pointed out fairly well in the Issues/Warranty section. Since you're getting a 2014 i'm guess the main ones won't be issues for you. The biggest problem you'll have is the amount of money you'll spend on things like OFT, Wheels/Tires, Exhaust mods, etc. It's a great car.

I have a BRZ and I love it as a daily driver. Its is pretty comfortable for what it is and so far I don't really have any major complaints. Maybe one complaint would be the audio controls on the touchscreen but seeing as you are getting the FRS it wouldnt apply to you. It is a back road monster and always a fun experience to drive. Oh and you definitely should get the manual if you are really wanting one, you have to convince mom.

You and me are in nearly the same situation (put about 3k down for my down payment, am Asian, but since I'm paying for all of it, my mom didn't have a say in the matter...my girlfriend, on the other hand, is another story).

I commute 40 miles a day (20 miles each way), and I love it as a DD. Been doing it for a little over a full year now.

Cons:
-40 miles a day for a year means I have nearly 20,000 miles already. I'll have used all my free oil changes/inspections in under 14 months.
-Road noise at freeway speeds. I gotta crank my stereo fairly loud to compensate, and the stock speakers suck.
-The constant, and I mean CONSTANT, urge to drift every corner. It's pretty bad. I'll sometimes take it to the parking lot behind my work, time it so the security guards are changing shifts, and go sideways a bit.
-I have to fill up at least once a week, so make sure to factor that into your finances.

Pros:
-You'll step out of it with a smile every time, and a year later, I'm still gazing at it longingly before locking up the garage.
-My FRS is a manual, and I live in Los Angeles. Since I work retail, most of my work days aren't on traffic heavy days. However, on the rare occasion I am stuck in traffic, it's not so bad. It also makes it easier to downshift quickly and overtake someone.

After driving it during my first week, I realized I would've HEAVILY regretted it if I had bought an automatic. It just feels so alive when you're rowing through the gears, downshifting, etc. It also helps that I live near Angeles Crest Freeway, one of the best curvy roads to drive in SoCal.

The car is a great daily driver. I used to dread it in my other 4 door sedan... but this car makes it fun. Gas is great, especially from the 2.0L H4.

If I had to buy this car again... I would buy a manual... just so that all my friends can't drive my car LOLOL but I enjoy the automatic especially in the M mode... down shifting blip... musiicccccc :)

Actually, all 2014 FR-S's have touchscreen now

Get a GTI MKVII...

I just got mine less than a month ago and so far I don't have too many complaints.

1. It's been said many times but the stock stereo isn't very good. This is very subjective and really depends on your background with audio. Most of my friends think the stereo is fine because they don't really care about hi-fi. I have a degree in sound and I've always spoiled myself when it comes to audio so to me these speakers are just terrible.
2. Highway driving can be rough. The car does't have much sound deadening so the road noise can get pretty loud past 55. Also, depending on road conditions where you are, it can be uncomfortable at highway speeds. Louisiana roads are trash so a blast to NOLA and back did not do good things to my spine. I hear good things about highways in Cali so this one may also be irrelevant to you.
3. There's a button in the trunk that prevents the trunk from being opened with any of the buttons. I didn't know about it so when I had a bag hit the button and my trunk wouldn't open, I was terrified. I haven't run into any of the other common issues yet but that may be because it's a 2014 and Toyobaru worked them out.
Don't worry about your mom to much. Mine also hated the idea of this car at first. She was trying her hardest to get me to buy a Lexus, Infiniti, or Mercedes, even offering to help pay for them. She was really happy when I finally got my car though because she knew how much I wanted it and she really just wants to see me happy, as most mothers do.

Tell ur mom u save a grand if u get manual ;P

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I DD my manual BRZ. It's ideal for my circumstances. Daily driving a car with a manual tranny never gets old and the FRS/BRZ is particularly well suited for DD duty utility- and fun-wise.

However, you should respect your mother's wishes. You can buy whatever you want later when you're on your own.

Got my BRZ MT as a daily as well. What can I say... it just put a smile on every single corner. I actually hit a traffic only once a week, the only thing to be concern are the blind spots. My mom wanted me to get AT also and the only reason is so she can drive it....I was like I'd definitely get something else if I have to buy this car in AT

I have an auto 86GTS for my daily and while I originally wanted a manual, I got too good of a deal to pass it up.
I regret nothing.
The suspension is firm but comfortable, and I found no issue with road noise, even though I never have the stereo cranking.
I have started modifying it more towards track, yet I still put 400km per week.
I like the AT because in traffic nothing could be easier, yet going through the mountains it is still quick and does what I want it to all the time.
Well thats how I feel anyways...flame my AT all you want guys, just as everyone did when I bought it, but at the end of the day, I love my car.

Go MT!
 

Unless your mom is going to be driving the FRS and can't handle a MT... try and get the MT... it makes "daily driving" a whole lot more fun!! (But don't tell her that! My guess is that she doesn't REALLY want you having too much fun with the car.)

Which begs the question... WHY even consider the FRS if you're not trying to have some fun?? If she's looking for "sensible and safe.." get a Corolla, Civic, Fit or Versa. Going FRS and NOT going with MT is just wrong...

i daily drive mine and i love it, i chose auto with no regrets
my only complaint is... it looks good stock, but once u take it home and stare at it theres TONS of things that can be improved... my bank account is feeling that right now haha

Wow wasn't really expecting all this feedback! Thanks for sharing your experiences guys. I'm glad i'm not alone haha. I'm going to keep this car stock for the most part besides probably some exterior mods.

I just bought mine last week. It's my first MT and I just moved to a bigger city. My takeaways so far:

- first manual car? You're gonna stall in traffic. Accept it. Part of the fun is guessing whether or not the guy behind you at the light is gonna get to go thru :p
- Stock speakers suck. I have the Monogram, which has the Bespoke 5.1 system and it still sucks. Oh well, the engine noise more than compensates for it.
- the touchscreen can be slow to load on start up. That becomes an issue when you start stalling in traffic and have to drive in quiet shame for 30 seconds with no music as Bluetooth reconnects haha.

Other than that I really love this car. The clutch is a lot easier to learn on than other cars I've driven (98 Mustang, 240SX). My mom didn't really want me to get a MT, but I bought this car myself and figured if I didn't do it now, I never would.

I've got the AT 2014 Frs. I drive it everyday highway and local. Feels real nice and sporty when you want it to. Sometimes when I drive regular highway speeds I forget im in a sports car. Real smooth and honestly I haven't noticed it being loud at highway speeds. Did I mention it shifts freaking fast.. my friends and I had no idea. I got a muffler delete and when I shift at like 4k rpm it sounds amazing like race car amazing. Overall get the car! All cars generally have problems. I haven't experienced anything bad so far.

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Maybe I can help you out a little bit as well.

So I'm 20 now, but I was 19 when I get the car 7 months ago. My parents paid for half of it but I wasn't forced into buying a specific transmission. I got to pick the manual like I wanted, and the main reason I wasn't forced to buy an automatic is because no one else is going to drive my car anyway.

Is your mom making you pick automatic because she wants to drive it, or is it another reason? If it's not because she wants to drive it, try to convince her to let you get the manual, especially since it's cheaper to buy, and cheaper to maintain in the long run.

I'm not saying the automatic sucks or anything, but you said you want the manual. The problem isn't with the automatic, but the problem is that if you get the automatic, once the honeymoon phase is over, you're going to wish you had the manual like you originally wanted. It'll be one of those "what if" type situations. You'll learn to love your car but there will always be something nagging you in the back of your mind, thinking MAYBE you should have gotten the manual.

You could talk to your mom about why you want a manual, and try to convince her. Maybe even offer to teach her how to drive a manual if that's the reason she wants you to get an automatic.

Either way, hope you get your car soon, and hope you enjoy it! :thumbsup:

Edit: I forgot to mention that I do daily drive my FR-S. I drive about 40 miles every day, going to university, and work, and sometimes even more than that if I have plans to go somewhere on the weekends and stuff. My schedule is mostly quite nice and I manage to avoid both the morning and evening rush hours so I'm never really in stop-and-go traffic anymore, so driving a manual is quite fun with open roads. When I am stuck in traffic, it does get a little tiresome to continue riding the clutch to make the car move an inch at a time, but you get used to it after a while.

:burn rubber: Manual transmission is definitely the way to go. Automatics are boring to drive.

If you decide to get the FR-S and have a limited budget you better stay off this board because if you don't you will likely catch the mod bug. lol Seriously, this car is great fun to drive and it's my belief that the major bugs have been worked out in the 2014 model.

Automatic is way fun to drive.

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i have an AT 10series, i always wanted MT. cant complain because its a present from my wife and she can drive it too... lol AT has grown on me and it doesn't suck at all, remember it has dual clutch (or feel? no flamin!lol) it shifts faster.

anyways, one thing good with an AT
is that yoy can put it on M and sport mode on open/back road or spirited driving. when you hit traffic, simply put it in D.

my 2 cents

edit: get what you like, i suggest you test drive both MT and AT. i know asian parents im coming from one too.

LOL. This is actually my first manual car. I can report that when your listening to a CD it will start playing again before the splash screens finish loading, so it's more like 5 seconds of quite shame.

I've started listening to radio more to fix this problem, but somehow commercials just make me angrier after stalling.

Get whatever you truly want, I got manual because I knew that I would regret automatic everyday because I sissyed out. I would think I was missing out. I don't regret it.

To me, these are the big 2 about manuals. I never knew manual until FR-S, 1st it's not as difficult as my parents said. It's pretty easy, but it is another commitment. 2nd, it's not that great honesty. I've been reading that manuals are the greatest thing since sliced bread on the internet since I was 2 years old. Now that I'm actually driving my FR-S that supposedly has a nice shifting action. It's just moving around a stick and playing some pedals. Not a deeper dimension or anything. So don't go in thinking it is.

Fun yes, but your really not missing to much. Nevertheless, I'm glad I went manual.

As an initial point, get the car with a manual if you're considering. It's one of the easiest manuals to drive in traffic because of how absurdly light the clutch is. Manual is just more fun IMO.

To your main question, the FR-S is fine for daily driving.

Positives: Gets good gas mileage and is relatively practical. Good visibility, decent sized trunk, and folding rear seats when needed. It's light and has very good stock suspension, so the car is seriously agile, especially compared to cars like the 350/370z, Mustang, Gen Coupe, etc. Steering feels very sharp. The manual transmission is precise and intuitive to use. Seats are great (bolstered enough for track/autocross, but not restrictive in daily driving) and the seating position is perfect.

Negatives: Because of the relative lack of torque, you should expect to downshift often to pass or accelerate. Some may find that annoying. The ride can be firm/jarring over bumps. The road noise is moderate and makes the already weak stereo sound worse. The car is light weight, so there's not much sound deadening. Bluetooth connectivity is limited. 2nd gear is notchy when cold.

Overall I love this car, but understand it is a bit raw and light on both torque and creature comforts.

bahahaha. funny stuff.

OP, if you're like most asian families, then your mom is also probably helping you with school, food, and home.

so you're not "really" paying for half the car.

i haven't driven the automatic version, but it probably is just as fun as the manual.

it's not the gearbox that is fun. and actually, the manual gearbox is just mediocre. the fun is the car balance and feel.

My question is this: Would this be your first manual? I ask this because, in all honesty, this really isn't the best car to learn on. The clutch is "odd" and the car is very spiky, especially during take off. Not to mention that you will probably wear down the clutch fairly quickly, which can be costly for someone still in school to replace.

With that said, I remember being your age and I doubt you will listen to anything we say anyway. :P (Hell, the fact that you even asked shows that you are more rational than the average kid. ;) )

Get exactly what you want or not at all. Regretting a decision on something this big would suck.

Just my advice though, do whatever.

I daily drive my AT BRZ. About 30 kms a day.
My only complaint so far is the wind noise from highway driving.

One word of advice, if you plan on driving more than 50km. Make sure you take your wallet out of your back pocket.

I'm learning on this car. It's not too bad compared to maybe an STi or S2K (comparable price range when buying used). After finding the DIY on here for adjusting the engagement point, I'd argue if the high clutch engagement is too weird, there's an easy solution to it!

just wanted to correct this, as i suspect a salesperson gave you that info..

the bespoke unit is an upgraded head unit for the 86, but there is zero allotment for a center channel in these cars, and no oem-installed sub (there is a dealer-installed sub option, but i'm not aware of it being automatically included with any model). also, because the source material is always 2 channel audio split to the front and rear speakers, that makes it a 2.0 channel stereo system.

if you had a sub installed, then it would be a 2.1 channel sound system.



back on topic, i dd my manual brz and love it. it's no substitute for the pickup truck i'd rather take some days if i had one, but it does alright hauling my tools and misc materials when needed. i take the long way to work not because any aspect of the route is faster, but it is more enjoyable.. it's hard to appreciate this car until you understand that it's not the speed that's important..

everyone asks me how fast it is, and i really don't know how to answer them even after so many have asked me-- if i wanted speed, i would have grabbed up a used v8 mustang/camaro which would have been cheaper... imo those are 'destination'cars(when can we get there we need to get there how fast can we get there), where this is more of a 'journey' car(if i turn left here, it'll take 30 minutes longer, but there's 5 miles of curvy roads)..

it's one of those things you either get or don't get, and i'm not really sure it's explainable to those that don't get it when so many are all about horsepower numbers and 1/4 mile times..

for me, there's only one way to sum up what this car is all about:
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps46629caa.jpg

I have the automatic. It's fun for an automatic. When in manual mode, I usually shift with the paddles unless I am really working the steering wheel. Then I use the "slap shift."

You lose about a second 0-60. But you gain MPGs. It's a trade off I gladly made; since a back injury, a MT is no longer an option.

Driven carefully, you will easily exceed the stated gas mileage figures.

The handling is magic. And I've owned some nice handling cars.

And I get daily compliments on the looks of the car. It is just the right balance between beauty and aggressiveness. It is as good looking as a glass bowl of tits. Too small to get laid in, but you get laid the minute you get out.

I suggest the silver. It shows off the curves of the sheetmetal nicely in the sun.

Enjoy.

Not a single thing.

That is good info, thanks. I was disappointed a "5.1" system could sound so terrible since my 2008 4Runner has the JBL sound system package and it sounds worlds better. Guess I will look into replacing the stock speakers sometime. :threadjacked:

Comfort is absolutely relative and as you mentioned, the car your coming from makes a huge impact on your feeling toward it. I also believe that your own personal shape has a lot to do with it too. I have metabolism issues so I'm basically a skeleton, so the road may be more harsh on me than it is on others. My old man was with me on the mentioned Nola trip and he felt fine afterwards, and he has more body mass than I do. My last car was boring comfort sedan so that's what I have to compare the FR-S to. That car also had a lot of sound deadening so that makes my comparison for cabin noise as well. Still, I wouldn't trade my new daily driver for pretty much anything.

The stock sound system is fine, especially with it off and the windows down.

I completely agree with this. I also bought the manual because it was said to be so much better and now that I know how to drive it, I don't see why automatic gets all the hate. I test drove the auto before I bought the car and I don't feel like it was that much less fun than I'm having now. It might even have been better when traffic gets congested. That being said, I am glad that I got the manual and I have no regrets, but I don't think I would have regretted getting the auto either. Really this car is a blast no matter which badge, trim, color, or transmission you get.

Well, NateNasty, first off, it sounds like the FR-S would be a good car to suit your transportation needs and desires.

Have you driven (or know how to drive) a car with a manual transmission .. ??

Will your Mom ever drive your FR-S .. ??

Does she know how to drive a manual .. ??

If you are comfortable with a MT and your Mom knows how to drive a manual if she will ever drive it, I would suggest you attempt to convince your Mom that a manual transmission would be a better choice.

Why .. ??

* It's less expensive (calculate out the difference ($1,000) over the life of your loan).

* Transmission repairs (if ever needed) are less expensive with a MT.

* Most MTs will get better gas mileage than ATs.

* Insurance is less (because initial automobile cost is less).

* Higher resale value with a MT.

* It's safer (you will be less tempted to text/hold a phone while driving, because you have to keep at least one hand on the wheel, the other one will be busy shifting.

* and ...... it's what YOU want ... !!

There ya go .... :)


humfrz