Evo/Celica driver thinking of a FR-S/BRZ
 

Hey everybody,

So I'm doing what I do before I buy a car, I cruise the forums over a period of time to see what people are talking about. I did this with the STI and the ringland issue scared me. I did this with my Evo X and it sold me on it (well that and a test drive).

Currently, I own a 1996 Toyota Celica ST and a 2010 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR. My Celica has about 258,000 miles on it and I'm slowly saving up for its replacement. I'm actually at a point where I could afford the FR-S/BRZ and not affect my budget.

Just yesterday, I finally decided to go to a dealership and take a test drive. I've sat in one quickly before, but didn't take a realistic look at it. I'm 6'5'' and fit in my Celica well enough. The FR-S is smaller, but not too much. (Oddly, I don't fit in a Ford Fiesta). So the interior is smaller, but I think I can easily live with. It does have a smaller truck, but not too much of a concern, usually its just me hauling myself.

So onto the test drive. First thing I notice, the clutch is short and light as a feather (Funny considering people want to shorten it more). My Celica and Evo are both very similar in resistance with the Evo being slightly longer in pedal travel. So I stalled it a little, or would rev it more than I would wish. It definitely takes off well and has plenty of get-up and go, especially compared to my 100-hp, 2500lb Celica. It also makes my shifters feel like row boats, its very short, but I think I could get used to it.

So has anyone here owned a Celica or Evo and can compare it to the FR-S? I would say I'm still deciding between the FR-S and BRZ.

The one thing that holds me back from the FR-S is the lack of HIDs. How do people feel about the halogen projectors?

As for the feather light clutch, I think I could get used to it, and from the Evo X, I worry about putting in an aftermarket clutch/flywheel to stiffen it, since changing it on the Evo X causes the master cylinder to fail (though I'm sure the Evo is more a minority in this type of failure). Plus I'd just wait for others to try it before me.

I've seen some CEL issue threads for the BRZ/FR-S, is there any consistency between the failures, or very random?

Of course, if I don't get this, I may just end up with something more practical like a Civic or Fit.


Any input is appreciated, thanks.


Lee

I traded a 96 celica for the FR-S and couldn't be happier with the decision.

So far I have had zero issues (daily driver since 10/30). I am right at 6' and find I sit closer to the wheel than I did in the celica.

I picked the fr-s over the brz because of price and availability.

If you want to know anything else just let me know

Was your Celica also a manual? If so, have you gotten used to it? I feel my Celica is super easy to drive as a manual around town, where as my Evo is sometimes inconsistent in shifting.

i have 3 celica's, 1 heavily modified, the others are stock,
91 gt4, 91 184 with v6 conversion and a stock 94,

also new to my stable is an 86/fr-s, loving it to bits,

i loved my celica so much. the frs feels like a great successor for me. (miss VVT-i though) no regrets.

Yup, 100hp 5MT.

I am mostly use to it. I still have times in the fr-s when I over rev for first but this car is hands down the most fun I have had in 17 years of driving.

Very easy shifting for a daily drive in Raleigh, NC's version of rush hour.

I had an '87 Celica GT and I was surprised by how "hard" the shifting was on the FR-S at first when the old Celica rowed like a hot knife through butter. After a month though, I'm getting used to the clutch and throw and it's never a nuisance. That Celica was also the most comfortable car I've ever owned and I think this FR-S will easily match up for long rides ones I get my arse-print firmly molded into the seat.

Obviously, mechanically and technologically, the FR-S is so far beyond that old Celica there isn't much comparison. It's clearly superior (except for no auto off headlights of course :S ). This is the car I've been waiting for - no regrets and I can't wait to put 200+ thousand miles on it over the next decade and then some.

I picked the FR-S over the BRZ for a couple reasons. I drove both and felt more comfortablein the FR-S. The FR-S is cheaper and I don't like the look of the front on the BRZ.

Thanks for all the comments, was anyone in a similar situation about wanting HIDs?

I really wanted HIDs too. I tried a PnP kit and it works very well. Some 5000 k will look stock, very good projectors IMO... You won't have the reliability of oem though.

However don't let that be the dealbreaker, I had a 1990 celica GT and 94 GT-S and the FR-S is everything I wanted the celica to be...minus the sunroof :D

I wouldn't stress the HIDs too much...I enjoy having them in my BRZ (with the car being so low they really provide a wider field of vision but with a focused center) and I'm sure in a year or so there will be a decent aftermarket kit (there are plenty of people that want them so I'm sure they're in development) or the subaru lights will be accessible at a better price.

I sort of did, but given the incentives I could get on the FRS (MSRP with a short order time, and $1000 off the purchase price for being a recent college grad) I chose the FR-S.

Now, I have never had HID lights myself. However, my previous vehicle was a 2006 Tacoma, well-known for having damn bright headlights that A) shine for miles and B) Blind the piss out of everyone else.

I personally find the halogen projectors to be more effective than those lights at doing what they need to do, which is lighting my path. The cutoff is sharp, the beam width is perfectly fine, and I can definitely see everything I need to.

Keep in mind that at this time there are no fog lights available for the FR-S, and some people are saying that the connectors are not taped off in the wiring harness. But there is a good set of brake cooling ducts in development to take up that space, and the high-beams + projectors do just fine.

In my opinion, the BRZ is not worth it. The navigation isn't anywhere near as good as your smart phone, the heated seats aren't very powerful (rumor), the seats in the FR-S are super comfy, and if you aren't going to have passengers then you don't need the dual-zone climate control!

My only gripe is the lack of heated side mirrors. That said, I drive to work so early that there's normally nobody behind me to not see :D

Coming from a car with HIDs I'd actaully say the projectors leave a lot to be desired, but I couldn't get a BR-Z without a huge mark-up so here we are.

Here's $0.02

I have the same 10 EVO X and just added the FRS to mix in October.

Your observations about the clutch and shifter are the same as mine. What I can add, is that after driving both for about two months now, I find that the FRS is more fun to drive. I got used to the light clutch quickly, the shifter feels great, and there is less roll than even the EVO.

Granted, I love them both. The Evo is fast. The FRS is fun. I don't have a lot of trunk space in either but apart from an Ikea run, I haven't had much issue.

I got the SSS package on the Evo so I'm attached to the HID's, so I picked up the JDM version during my last Japan trip. They're pricey though.

Ultimately, I don't think you will be disappointed. I drive a lot of cars because of my job, and I've had the most fun in the FRS (considering price).