VIDEO: GT86/FR-S/BRZ Test Driver Reactions (Compilation)
 

A mashup of some of the best journalist reactions to the GT86 / FR-S / BRZ on the web that I've put together for your viewing enjoyment!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sayfD2CqSDY"]GT86/FR-S/BRZ Test Driver Reactions (Compilation) - YouTube[/ame]

Wow I'd hate to think how many copyright violations you just made...
Better keep one eye on your door for Harper's IP enforcement goons... :D

More seriously - Of course this car is a blast to drive, but it is a long way from perfect. Aside from the first-year bugs, two major deficiencies with the twins are holding me back:

(1) The torque hole which plateaus acceleration rates over the engine's mid-range and so takes away the building excitement of mid-range acceleration rates gradually rising that you get in sporty cars without this torque deficiency (I am not not talking about outright power or max acceleration here but the subjective feeling). Yes you can bypass this torque hole and its effects by driving with the engine screaming through the 5-7k band but that is going to get tiring if you have to resort to it all the time to have some sensation of building acceleration.

(2) Engine sound in-cabin. As some reviewers have noted, it's really crude-which makes applying the high-rev workaround for problem 1 even less feasible. And that lack of refinement is not just in comparison to high-dollar sports cars like Caymans etc. but to price-matched competition like the new GTI and the new Fiesta ST - visit Youtube to make some comparisons. That GTI sounds so incredibly sweet people are going to buy it just for the soundtrack.

I have some faith that Subieyota will address these two issues but based on what has been printed in Subaru's Drive mag about the 2014 changes it's not going to happen for the 2014 MY car unfortunately.

You're certainly opinionated for someone who doesn't own the car. Neither one of those problems, IMO, are something that makes me think twice about my purchase. All of the amazing positives far outweigh the small shortcomings. Besides, not every car is perfect, so I think you'll be waiting a long time to find your elusive unicorn.

^That's what test drives are for - forming opinions. I've taken them.

Current car only has 60k KM so I can wait a while. Not a question of waiting for perfection - there are new models about to come to market (Fiesta ST, Mk 7 GTI) I want to drive on the same day as a BRZ so I can make valid comparisons. Before someone jumps in on this, I am well aware these cars will have very different driving characteristics--I want to make sure I get the one that gives me the biggest grins. YMMV.

I never doubted that you had driven these cars, but a test drive is absolutely not enough (well in some cases it is) to form such a strong opinion. Although I guess that's exactly what it is, an opinion. I'm just telling you now, that those are such minor grips once you really adjust to the car, and see what it's fully capable of. They actually become pretty minor IMO.

The thing is, if something about a car strikes you as a negative in a couple of 1/2 hour drives, chances are good it's going to get more rather than less annoying with time. You see this constantly in the long-term tests the car rags run. Things they found to be "minor quirks" in a one week test loom larger over a year's worth of driving (see for example R&T's long-term test of the BRZ). But of course it's also possible you will adapt to certain traits initially perceived negatively. Personal cases in point: the BRZ's mouthguard, and the Sport-Tech's spoiler.

I agree that as a buyer with a modest budget at some point you have to roll the dice or you'll spend your life waiting for car nirvana. If it weren't for the GTI and Fiesta ST coming up I'd probably have a 2014 BRZ order in now, but for me it's worth the wait to cross-shop these as any car I get will be a long-term hold thanks to my limited annual mileage.