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.