Impressions after 250 miles
 

Picked up my White Limited (6MT) this weekend and have already put 250 miles on the car. This car is replacing my 991.2 GTS, as I wanted something that I could actually drive without feeling guilty about putting miles on (or tracking). It's also the hardtop S2000 successor I always wanted as it makes the same amount of power with far better aero, safety, and usability.

Pros:

1. It rotates quite well under trailing throttle and braking, and feels planted under throttle
2. It's far more powerful than the first gen--feels about as strong as a bolt-on K24A2
3. The driving position is about as close to perfect as it gets
4. It's incredibly easy to drive near the limit compared to a lot of other FR cars
5. It looks gorgeous and very Japanese (in a good way)
6. It rides better than expected--and I'm driving on city streets in Boston
7. The audio system in the Limited is actually halfway decent--at a standstill. More below.

Cons:

1. It has a shocking amount of road noise. I'm benchmarking this against a 991.2 GTS (which has minimal sound deadening and 305 rear Pilot Sport Cup 2s) and an 8th gen Civic Si with a gutted trunk and 200TW tires. This is worse. I would have gladly traded off an additional 20lbs of sound insulation under the carpeting for a lower noise floor--it would drastically improve quality of life.
2. It needs a tune to improve throttle response
3. The trans mount needs improving--there's a substantial amount of shifter movement upon engine startup
4. I wish the rear seats were a little more usable--I knew this going into the purchase, but if there was about 2 more inches of legroom, it would be fine for me. For context, I'm about 5'10" and sit closer to the pedals/wheel than most, and I don't think I could sit behind myself.

I experienced the same thing regarding road noise. It has gotten better. My other half and I took my 6spd limited to their parents for Christmas.

When I purchased the car it was terrible. But the two front tires were at 40psi through the first 150mi home from the dealer.

What pressures are you at?

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Good point--I'll check this evening. I had the dealer install Pilot Sport A/S 4 tires as part of the dealer prep process, so it's possible they're overinflated.

How does the road noise compare to the first gen, or the s2000? Ive heard this complaint more and more, but wondered how it compares to those two. I DDed both of those before.

I had a 2016 Brz Limited 6 speed I put about 50k miles on with a stock exhaust, then a Perrin 2.5 resonated, and various wheel/tire combos.

I would put this car off the lot as significantly/uncomfortably louder on the stock 18in wheels with Pilot sport 4's compared to the 2016 oem 17in Primacies.

That being said in my experience this new car has gone from unacceptable to ok for a road trip but still a little on the loud side. Probably also why the stereo is regarded as lackluster.

In my experience with this new car pressures and the first 600mi have had a significant impact on noise. I think this will continue to get better, I also think this is most likely related to the factory Michelins.

Also, the rest of the cons were cons with the last generation too. The rear seat is plenty for a pup and a backpack. And as soon as I find a rear trans mount I'll buy one.

I went from the PS4 summer tires (stock) to to the PS4 A/S and will say the road noise dropped significantly from the summer tires. I’m sure you could find quieter tires still, but the real fix is probably sound dampening material.

Interesting... Michelins in my experience tend to be ok on noise vs say Bridgestones. But it sounds like they get better as they break in, I csnt imsgine this gen being louder than the 1st gen. One of the reasons I sold my ND2 RF was the cabin noise, and the first gen was notably quieter. And the s2k was just straight noisy.

I've only briefly driven a modified first gen and I honestly can't compare it. I have driven an S2000 far more extensively and the road noise on the 2022 BRZ is more...grating. The S2000 has more wind noise certainly, but the "quality" of the noise is slightly more bearable.

With the BRZ, I feel like I can distinctly hear every road surface, whereas with the S2000, there was more of a background wind/engine hum.

You're too poor.

You're too old.

Ding ding ding!

Hmm that is both surprising and concerning. I've owned 3 s2ks with hardtops, although not unbearable they were quite noisy inside. My nd2 RF was noisy but why I reduced was your head being so close to the door glass that the wind noise was a bit much. Whole it wasn't the sole rreaom I sold it, it was a something I was looking forward to avoiding in the new twins.

Having tried everything from all-seasons to summer tires to track tires on my FR-S, I've noticed it's the most tire-dependent car I've ever owned in terms of road noise. With fresh all-seasons, it's borderline quiet on the highway. With worn Hankook RS3's, I want to reach for earplugs. To put some numbers on it:

C&D 70-mph DB level:

2013 FR-S (with Primacy's): 71 db
2012 Cayman S: 74 db
2022 VW GTI: 74 db
2022 GR86/BRZ (with MPS4): 76 db
ND Miata ST: 80 db

If you intend to drive it on quiet tiers like the Primacy's or all-seasons, it'll be fine. Not exactly quiet, but way less noisy and less rattly than my friend's stock AP2, for example.

Okay so I’m not being crazy. Gen 2 on MPS4 is 40% louder than Gen 1 on Primacys.

Tire break in and pressure? Also cold weather makes for hard summer rubber? Curious how the tire noise changes in the warm weather.