2013-16 86 vs....2015 Corolla?? :D
 

While my FR-S is in the shop recovering from vehicular assault:brokenheart: I thought it would be fun to compare apples to oranges here for a bit in Lieu of the usual "86 vs wrx/86vs used cayman" discussion.

And for no other reason than the corolla being my rental for the time being, I wanted to just shoot the breeze about similarities and differences about these two because after all they both have four wheels and a motor. And the current 86 does, after all, draw its roots back to the older generation of Corollas.

Corolla S CVT
Horsepower: 132 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Engine: 1.8 L 4-cylinder
Curb weight: 2,865 lbs
Dimensions: 183″ L x 70″ W x 57″ H
Tire size: P215/45R17

2013 Scion FR-S
Horsepower: 200 hp @ 7,000 rpm
Engine: 2.0 L 4-cylinder
Curb weight: 2,806 lbs
Dimensions: 167″ L x 70″ W x 51″ H
Tire size: P215/45R17

Now before you throw your arms in the air let me give you my driving perspective: The FR-S is my 3rd vehicle, first sports car, first RWD vehicle and the only reason I became somewhat passionate about cars in the first place. I know most of you have driven better and worse cars, and everything in between, but to a car noob like me it's fun to compare the FR-S with the corolla simply because I don't have much else to compare in the first place.

Weight difference:
The corolla comes in at just a hair heavier than the FR-S it appears. While there is obviously more body roll and different handling characteristics in the Corolla you can feel a small bit of similarity. I will say that the FR-S has handled the absolute toughest, fastest turns I can throw at it but the Corolla is pretty light and fun also. I can hit some on-ramps at almost the same speeds as the FR-S but with a lot less confidence.

Features:
There are a lot of similar features in the S model Corolla. The S model with CVT has manny mode and paddle shifters just like the AT 86. I had to laugh when I saw the TRAC OFF and SPORT mode buttons just below the shifter but after playing with sport mode it does make my FR-S feel a little bit less unique in that they both have those features. I'm not sure though why you would want to take TRAC off on a FWD sedan and I'm not really trying to find out.
Also the Corolla is going to have a few more cabin features (at least the S model) than the base FR-S because it simply had nothing to begin with. I find myself loving the steering wheel radio controls as much as I gawked at the 17 model 86 acquiring it.

CVT:
If you don't have the AT 86 then this is useless info but to be honest the auto 7 speed trans in the Corolla was very surprising to me. The shifts are extremely light and quick, and seemingly twice as fast as the FR-S. It does feel a bit gimmicky at times because it is just so quick that you don't really get any of the small amount of drama that you will get shifting in the AT 86. The Corolla over time does feel actually faster than the 86. I can't really explain why but for starters there is absolutely no torque dip, and the shifts are so punchy that it seems like you have instant power with almost any gear change. Only in 6th and 7th gear do you feel a little bit of lag but that is to be expected anyways...In my FR-S I avoid 6th as much as possible because it just feels so dead on anything but the highway...not so with the corolla.

Obviously these two cars have completely different purposes and for those of you who read through I hope you can share the same ridiculous enthusiasm as I've picked up just by owning an 86. Of course the 86 gives us a special feeling when we drive that is hard to replace with most cars, but it's fun to translate the teachings and skills that I've picked up from the 86 and apply it to any other vehicles out there.

Cheers.

i used to have a 95 corolla back in the day, it was a hand me down from my mom when i was going to college and the first car i have ever owned. i always ragged on it cuz it was a slow grandma commuter car but then over time ive gone to appreciate it for what it was. as i see the newer models im very curious to see how they drive, the interior looks new and improved and the styling, although not my favorite, looks decent.

For added comparison... According to Motortrend testing 2014 Corolla S vs 2013 FR-S.

0-60 MPH 9.7 sec
QUARTER MILE 17.4 sec @ 81.8 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 135 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.81 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.5 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)

0-60 MPH 6.2 sec
QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 94.3 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 118 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.93 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.9 sec @ 0.67 g

There is definitely a greater discrepancy between the two when you look at the stats. However, what you note about how the car doesn't feel "all that different" from the seat of your pants shows how public roads are the great equalizer of cars.

It was probably easier to push the Corolla to 8-9/10th on the street. With the same driving style in the FR-S, you were maybe pushing 5-6/10ths. Tires have a lot to do with it too. We all recognize that the stock Primacy tires give up a lot. Better tires on a Corolla aren't likely to improve "confidence" despite offering higher levels of grip. Better tires on the FR-S will improve the car across the board.

But yea, if you need a daily driver, the Corolla is inexpensive, will last forever and probably won't make you hate life if you sit in a lot of traffic. Basically, it gets the job done even when you are hurrying. It really isn't as bad as people like to make it out to be given how 99% of us use our cars on a daily basis.

Yea, since I ring my FR-S out daily it takes a lot more guts to rev out the little ole' Corolla but it still made me chuckle, and not to mention the thing even rev matches! Lol.

I also wonder about the torque, which is stated at up to 128ft lb for the corolla which is almost up to the FR-S's 150, with virtually the same curb weight. That could be responsible for my overall "speed" gauge.

Exactly, as far as convenience and practicality it's nice to have things like 4 doors and an engine that runs on 87 with better mileage. I will agree it's definitely not a stunning looking car especially compared to something like the newer civics/accords but it still gives you that reliable and comfortable feel like you could drive it for years and not have any issues.

What are these other cabin features you are talking about other than the steering wheel controls?

Cvt has simulated gears/7 speed because people didn't like the feel of having variable gears or the feeling of being in one long gear from the cvt.

Best time ever in a rental Corolla- drove a white one on the edge of muddy sugar cane fields in Kauai HI.
The car was basically all red with a few patches of white.Drove better than I expected, smoother than a Civic.
Good times!

Had a 1994 1.8 5speed corolla. With a 120hp engine and a fresh clutch; it was good little runner. I enjoyed the way the transmission shifted compared to all the honda cars I had.

What you feel is torque, and change in torque. The two engines are only 10% different in displacment, and torque is primarily a function of displacement.

I'm not surprised you don't feel much difference :)

Couple of years back I took a rental Corolla down the Tail of The Dragon in North Carolina. It certainly wasn't a FRS but was still a blast. Luckily after many years of driving Lancers I was able to use the understeer to my advantage instead of simply dying.

I suppose that if you want to take off fast especially when it's wet, modulating throttle may get you better acceleration that traction control which probably activates brakes to prevent wheelspin.


Not sure though, my Corolla did not have trac control (or even ABS).

That's a good observation, the Traction does light up the dash quite a bit from a standstill.

Now that I've had more time I can honestly say that's about the only extra feature haha but it's still more than a base 13 fr-s :bellyroll:. The hud in the speedo panel is garbage though, there's no digital speedo and you can't really adjust anything which is ashame since it's so cluttered with data.

Funny I looked at many cars before I bought my 2016 FR-S, New Honda Civic,Subaru Legacy,Sonata,Camry and Corolla.

I had settled on a Corolla LE ,it ticked 90 percent of what I was looking for,but with a 34" inseam with the seat all the way back it was just too cramped for me. Damn shame as I really liked that car. I had kind of settled on a Camry until I saw the FR-S and said to myself, there are few cars to day that really catch my eye.I thought with a bit of imagination that could be a Ferrari F12.

The wife said , what the hell go for it. So now I have a 2016 FR-s series 2.0 At 1/10th the cost of the F12 it's a bargain !!!!

My wife used to own a Corolla. After hearing about what shitty cars they were I was expecting the worst but after driving one, it was actually quite competent. I don't know how it got such a bad reputation, but in my experience it was a solid commuter car for the price. Great gas mileage and surprisingly responsive to inputs.

I test drove a current gen Corolla S with the 6 speed around the time I picked up my FRS. RPMs sat nice and low during highway speeds on 6th gear.


Only thing is, the shifter throws are a bit long and vague. Felt like I was moving plastic. I used to have a 2002 corolla S and the throws felt short and mechanical. Wonder what happened.