Cost of Ownership Scion Fr-S vs Subaru BRZ
 

I know this will be a weird factor in deciding which one I am going to get..
while I do want the Subaru brz limited because of all the stuff that comes
ready to go ... I am reminded by the fact that it might cost me a bit more..

Those who own Subaru / Toyotas which cost less to maintain ?
from oil changes to 5k service cost... which cost less ?
I know for a fact the near by city toyota dealership sends us in the mail
" $29.99 oil changes " ...

Dollar per dollar running cost ? should I even care .. ? is it that marginal
I live in San Francisco Bay area .. the closest Subaru place is in Putnam Subaru ...
where-as to service the Scion I can go to City Toyota in Daily city.

I can't get this silly issue out of my mind. :bonk:
[[cuz @40k my cars first major service maintenance will be $800-1000]]:thanks:

For my Toyota, they were enough for me to do everything myself ($80)ish.

It's the exact same car, with the exact same parts.

Routine maintainance will cost the exact same price. You don't want to have the dealer do this stuff because dealers always price gouge, relying on the "captive audience" sheeple who think they need to go to the dealer for service.

Do the normal stuff yourself. Brake pads, engine oil, coolant, fluids, etc are all EXTREMELY easy to do and you will save a lot of money. Take the car to the dealer for maintainance that's fully covered by warranty only.

Other than that, just look at the service schedule included in the vehicle's manual and have a reputable shop do that stuff. It will cost less than the dealer, and since they will be the same exact parts, there will be no difference in cost between the two cars.

Only true if performing the work yourself. A gas cap at one dealer can cost nearly double at another for example.

Hence the very next sentence where I said do the routine stuff yourself...

You can source little parts like that at places other than the dealership as well...not that losing a gas-cap, which is tethered to the vehicle, is very likely with a modern car.

Odd question. Already said, but same exact car. I'm sure you can get most service done at either a Subaru or a Toyota dealer, so go to the one that you trust and/or is more convenient.

Can't you take it to either dealer? Since they are identicle under the sheetmetal and fiber glass

it'll be great if true.
 

If Ican roll up in a WRBlue Subaru at my local toyota dealership n get stuff done... I simply rather do that... the closest Subaru dealership is like 20-50 miles away.

I doubt they'll allow it even though it's a good point and very true.

Don't get maintenance at a dealer. Maybe just oil changes because sometimes they have them for $20. But the interval services are WAYYYY overpriced and 90% of it is "visual inspections".

FRS service at Subaru
 

I asked the Scion Sales manager about getting the FRS serviced at a Subaru dealer and he said probably not, especially for warranty work.

find a race shop that builds rally cars with a strong history and have them do visual inspections for you (cracks, leaks, play, etc) for the once a year for the "maintenance" if you're paranoid.

for oil changes, buy your own oil and drive into places like midas or pepboys or whatever it is you ahve in the states. THey drain and pour YOUR oil, control the process and you'll be okay (plus it's like a billion times faster than going to a dealer)

keep records and you should be good to go

Dealerships are only for warranty, i wouldn't trust them to roll my windows down.

also a good thing, is to read forums. Particulary trouble-shooting topics so that you understand what types of noises lead to what types of problems, that way you don't get screwed at a dealership.

certain cars will develop specific habits due to specific components. So instead of having the dealership tell you that you need a new engine you just replace a little wire somewhere.

remember that 90% of a mechanic's job is trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with your car, because no one ever really knows until they start to poke their noses around the car. If you can diagnose or at least eliminate most of the possible reasons, your mechanic will spend less time doing it for you, therefore less $$$

also dealerships charge for BOOK VALUE, so if in their book it says that a clutch change takes 10 hours, but any competent mechanic can do it in 5, they will bill you for 10 and spend the cash on booze and hookers.

Most of the dealerships around me will service about any make of vehicle. However, you're going to have a hard time bringing it to a different manufacturer service center if you want warranty work done.

is it possible for a dealer to void your warranty because you dont get their regular maintenance like oil changes every 3k etc?