Calling Captain Hindsight: Regrets/Satisfactions With Your Purchase
 

Hi all,

I'm about to order an FR-S at the local dealer (in the next week or so). I already have some options in mind, even though they're few and far between.

What I wondered is, were there any regrets/satisfactions you made when you purchased your car? Basically, are there any options I shouldn't forgo? ("Damn, I wish I had gotten that ashtray and it's been pissing me off ever since") .. I wanna avoid saying anything like that if I can help it.

Currently I plan on getting the manual FR-S in Whiteout (since its Pearl white and looks pretty sweet), and I plan on getting the TRD exhaust option (since it provides a mild performance increase, sounds better, and I don't have to screw around with aftermarket stuff just yet ... at least not while Toyota Financial Services still owns the car.)

Is the paint film actually worth it? Should I worry about getting rust/underbody protection? (I'm gonna be moving to Michigan). Also, although some might describe it as blasphemy, is there something you've noticed having had the car for 5,000+ that you wish you knew earlier? 25k will get you pretty far in the fun-car market.

Please let me know what you guys have experienced in your past x months of ownership. (Also, has there been any word on whether or not the 2014 FR-S will be n-times better than the first year model? Anything killer that needs to be addressed?) I've read a good deal of the problems everyone has posted, and I hope to avoid the crickets if possible :P . . . Thanks for your help!

No regrets. Set some money aside for snow tires and separate rims. Some sort of rust protection is in order in the the northern states and Canada. I did one of the rust modules (I hope it works), but, if you prefer the spray and are getting the car opti-coated - do the opti-coat first.

I have had mine for 7.5 months (hard to believe it has been that long), just shy of 8K on the Odometer and I have NO regrets. There are minor issues, the chirping and window seal are the biggest but mechanically she has been a dream. I have not suffered the tail light condensation issue or CEL issue.

I haven't seen anything concrete about the 2014 release, I expect we will see the first limited edition FR-S once the TRD package is fully rolled out but that will run you a good deal more.

I will be the first to express my regrets.

The dealership I purchased from marked my vehicle up, and added some ugly as sin pinstripes. They also installed the license plate bracket.

Let me say that when I finally got around to taking off the pinstripes I was less than pleased to discover my paint had been cut when they cut the pinstriping tape ON THE CAR.

Also, they used screws that were too long to install the front plate, and tore up my paint on the bumper behind the bracket.

So, no regrets at ALL with the car itself, but do yourself a favor, and don't become impatient, make sure you look the car over from head to tail, and be picky as crap. If they drilled the bumper, don't buy it. If they added stuff to the car, at your cost, don't buy it. If it's not everything you want it to be, don't buy it.

Regarding your actual questions, don't pay for the dealership to add ANYTHING, other than radio or that exhaust. No paint films, no paint protection, no interior spray protectant sealer that will protect your carpet from nuclear bombs. It's all junk, and you pay more than you should.

Once you have your car, find an Opti-coat / Optiguard dealer, and get your car professionally coated.
The Toyota stuff sucks, I know because I figure'd I'd try it out, and it lasted all of two car washes before I'm seeing it worn off in places on my car.

My pain, your gain buddy!

I got my M/T FR-S with no options in whiteout. No regrets (except color when I see a firestorm red pass by). I'm glad I went with minimal options. The base stereo sounds surprisingly good and does a decent job with BT.

That sucks wrt the pinstripes. I went for all the extra crap (and I usually don't (because I was just going to do the rust module), but I wanted to protect this car more than others that I have owned). That being said, I might try to get it opti-coated if I can find a guy to do it (something about it being in a syringe kinda scares me).

My only regret was taking the upgraded stereo because between the time I ordered it and the time it arrived I realized I was swapping the whole stereo out anyways but oh well. Will try and sell the unit to recover some of the cost.

I hear the upgraded stereo does not sound better than the base. It's basically for looks.

I bought mine plain and added my own stuff.

I have zero regret with the car. Don't get anything extra from the dealer, it's their profit center and you can get anything they offer better for less later.

My only regret is believing them when they said they should be competitive with the financing, they couldn't, so I refied through the credit union a couple of weeks later for 1.49%. It took 15 minutes.

My salesman knew nothing about the car which made it fun, really.

i think the paint film will be a good long term investment, i wish i waited for one that had it installed for only 300 more for the front bumper,fender,hood... Instead my car is in the shop now getting it installed for 800, but i get front bumper, fender, hood, door cuffs, side view mirrors, and the trunk part.

This is my daily Driver for now, i sometime regret it when i have to carry people, and look at the trunk space.

It's been 7 months and no regret.

Tail light condensation and hpfp chirping are the only two things that piss me off.. other than that i love my car

The Bespoke stereo seems unpopular with the people who have them, so you might be better off saving the money for a new aftermarket head unit.

I feel like there aren't really any options on the car to regret. When I was shopping for mine, the only choice I had was color. I ended up going for asphalt. Sometimes I think the argento looks better, but every time I look at my own car, I am happy with my choice.

If your moving to a northern state u want the undercoat. Winter means salt on the roads and at least with it on you have the warranty for it. As for regrets. I was smart enough to get winter tires or I WOULD have regretted that for sure. And some weight in the back is essential for snow covered streets. Get the arm rest if they have the option but beyond that. Have fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk