Toronto test drive impressions
 

A Whiteout MT was made available at Ken Shaw for a quick test drive this morning for those who pre-ordered. Drives were basically glorified around-the-block excursions lasting 7-8 minutes but were enough to get some initial impressions. As I live fairly near the dealership I was able to drive roads I know well and assess how the FR-S handled and rode them in comparison to my 1st-gen Tiburon. My first thoughts:

Pros:

• solid solid solid. Car feels like it has been carved out of a big block of
  granite, vault-like rigidity and incredibly well planted.
• Whiteout is an absolute knockout on this car.
• steering weight seems just right, as does steering ratio
• turn-in is immediate and responsive, no nose-heavy ploughing
• brakes were simply outstanding on panic stop test - feel, smoothness, control
• clutch has just the right weight, quick take-up
• no lag in throttle response, and no throttle hanging
• power is solid throughout the torque range in my view, no noticeable hole, certainly more than enough there to get you in serious trouble with the law very, very quickly.
• engine note surprisingly quiet at idle, pleasant and not too intrusive at low /part throttle, really livens up at higher rpm, sounds strong even though the tone does not have the nth degree of refinement - Porsche still wins here. But definitely not blatty or ricey.
• perfect size for its mission
• great driving ergonomics for all controls; seat wonderfully body hugging (5'11", 150 lbs)
• tail can cut loose a little bit even with full TC/VSC on
• fabulous balance between handling and suspension compliance requirements, rides smoother than the current Corolla XR-S over irregularities. An Integra GS is a kidney masher by comparison.

Cons:

• not quite as light or lively feeling as a MX-5 at slower speeds (probably will be much better in this regard on highway)
• steering feel not quite up to a 70's Porsche - has a more damped feel
• bad blind spots, even over-the shoulder looks will not be enough - use mirrors!
• hood level and bottom of windshield quite high relative to older sporty cars like Prelude, Integra, 1st gen Tiburon - a slight feeling you are being swallowed/cocooned in car, visibility not as good. Raising the seat to fully compensate cuts off forward upward vision too much.
• shifter more notchy than an MX-5, a little too notchy IMO, but I can imagine it would be easy to get used to
• front hood line has a black rubber gasket that peers through, makes the line too distinct - why did they not put the lid edge further forward at the lights?

And here I thought it was going to be a review of Toronto... disappointed I am ;-)

good review

Well, that's pretty hard to work with... We're not in 1990's here. We're in 2012, so gotta work w more safety than 90's

Other than that, how you like it. 90% of the time on the forum, you were so anti against this car. tq this hp that. Engine still lacking for your personal preference?

Hmm... visibility issues. Interesting...

The rubber at the front is pretty bad. But worse then that I would say the fact that a person sitting in the back can't slide the front seat forward from the rear...

I suppose it isn't too big of a deal but would have been nice if you could.

I'm uploading pics from the event now. If you were there and want me to remove some pics PM me.

Yeah, a high hood level and lower visability is something I dislike about new cars. Even though they claim they tried to make it low with the advantage of the boxer, I still think it will be higher than any sports car from the 90's.

But how are the A-pillars? I nearly ran into a car once because my view was blocked out by a massive a-pillar! I guess that's a pretty subjective thing though...

Anyway, thanks for the review. I so want to test drive one now. :sigh:

Right on about the safety thing, I was certainly aware of that element, but I thought people would want to hear about someone's experience coming from those older cars.

As to the negativity on the power - I think you are mistaking me for someone else, all my comments have been about the fact that I am coming from a 140 HP vehicle and to me 200 HP with only 150 more pounds of weight will be a huge boost in performance and more than enough for me. Check some of my other posts!

Edit: OK I do seem to recall now that I may have made a comment somewhere that an extra 20-30 hp would not be remiss. But certainly in-city after my drive I don't see it as needed by any sane driver. As to power on the highway, that assessment awaits a fuller test drive in a few weeks.

I agree but considering how little the back seats will actually be used, it is not as big a minus as the fact that there is no seat memory so when you put cargo in the back seats and then return the seat to position it is now fully upright (IIRC)!

Not great, but not bad in my view, although I do not have much experience with "current" cars beyond a relative's Corolla XR-S. They are not as thin as on my Tiburon but then I'm sure the Tib is nowhere near as rigid/safe. At least they did not fill up the front lower corner of the side window with a triangular plastic piece or mount the mirror there, but have actual glass.

Nice capsule review, thanks for your impressions. With regard to the above point, do you mean lively in terms of acceleration or willingness to change direction or ??? I used to own a 2nd-gen Miata, so I'm curious how the FR-S compares.

One question regarding seating position: if you brace yourself in a brisk corner by putting your left knee against the door panel, do you recall if it rests against a soft piece of trim or a hard bit of plastic? The latter can become a pain (literally) after several laps of a track or an autocross course.

Hoping I can get a test drive this week!

cant wait to drive a MT i have only had the pleasure to fool around with the AT. great review i appreciate your feedback!

As long as you don't identify who is who no problem here lol...

Thanks. I'd say the NC MX-5 may be a little more lively in terms of the finest degree of road feel and quick slow-speed directional change. But this comparison is based on a pretty stale memory of a test drive of a couple of NC MX-5s taken a few years ago, so it needs confirmation from others with more extensive MX-5 experience.

Sorry, forgot to check that. There are nice soft-touch plastics on the upper door and dash, felt very good. Not sure if it extends far enough down the door for knee protection.