FR-S owner dreaming of little BRZ-shaped sheep
 

I'm considering trading in my FR-S for a BRZ.

Like many of you, I was an admirer of the AE86 and excitedly followed the development of the GT86. I didn’t really consider getting one, since I’d never bought a new car. Also like many of you, I’m sure, my will eroded. I wanted a BRZ, but availability and the fact that all the Subaru dealerships wanted MSRP plus my left nut saw me buying an FR-S.

The car was made in 2012, has the crickets, the popping in the rear deck (fixed), the window squeak, and rattles a bit on some roads. I watched all the threads on the DI seal issues with some concern. It's my only car and I drive about 500 miles a week. I recently did my first Autocross and am now addicted. Now that I’ll be driving the car a little harder, the potential DI seal problem concerns me a little more.

I love my car. Maybe a little too much. But my problem is that I now have 30k miles on the odo and next year I’ll be well over 60 with a lot of hard driving mixed in. I started thinking about picking something up at around $6k for a daily driver… but then I remembered there was a dealership in Colorado with some great deals on the BRZ… and that I was going to be up that way soon to see some friends. I could get the car I originally wanted and any fixes that may have been made since production started. I’d put some miles on it and then maybe pick up a daily driver next year once the BRZ hit 30k.

Normally I’d be driving some decade old box and could just dispose of it and get another. The prospect of replacing my FR-S after just over a year is a bit discomforting. That said, I *really* like the BRZ. So I’m conflicted about all this and am interested to hear what everyone’s opinions are here. What do you think?

Personally, I'd wait for a 2016 model year.

not sure if you know this but they are the same car..............................

I think he likely wants all the interior upgrades. Quality of life improvement.

Pretty sure he was kidding.

Correct! I also like the headlamps, bumper and spoiler better. Also the fact that it comes with 30k less miles and any little stealth fixes that may have been made.

Just because you buy a newer car doesn't mean you'll automatically avoid the inherent issues the new model has. Some have issues, others don't. It's just the luck of the draw. I don't think Subaru/Toyota has made any major fixes since it first hit the market. I've had my BRZ for about 9 months now. Lately I've been putting 80 miles a day commuting to school. Even so I really haven't had any problems other than a brief span of crickets which was fixed under the warranty and hasn't come back since (knock on wood).

In my opinion, the BRZ is the better value. It looks a little more mature, it's better equipped, it's rarer (maybe that helps resale value?) and it really doesn't cost that much more than a FRS if there is no dealer markup. I called around for about a month before I found one (limited, white, MT) that I could put my name on. Whether or not it's worth the hassle and expense of trying to sell your car and find another one, when they're essentially the same exact car, is up to you.

If I were in your shoes I'd let the warranty cover any issues you have, and wait for a substantial change in the line before you make a change.

As long as you maintain your car well.... your car should last forever. Cars are meant to be driven.

If you get a new car, it won't guarantee DI failure. There are threads where people blow engines at 100-500 miles!

With the amount of miles you drive, keep the current car and wait a year or so to see what they do with a potential mid-cycle refresh. Your powertrain has a 60K warranty.

keep the car OP, it's the same car and besides you will be losing money on your car on the trade...

Headlights are amazing, and pretty sure I've read that the brz is holding value better than other cars. Exact same engine though I don't think they've been any stealth fixes for di. Don't expect this one not to rattle, don't expect it not to get crickets, and the windows squeek on mine too.

Does your state have sales tax? In CT I would never dream of swapping out because the sales tax alone (~$1600) would make it an immediate loss. If I were going to consider such a thing that money would be better spent on mods for autocross. *2 cents*

Many states allow you to deduct the complete trade-in value of the used car towards the new car purchase in terms of tax.

Example if your car was worth $20K and you were trading it in on a car worth $27K, you pay the tax on the $7K difference only.

Check your state laws to see if your state offers any incentive.

To OP: I was in your shoes... sorta. I bought the base FRS when it came out in 2012. A year later the Monograms came out. Since this was the spec that I really wanted, I did the trade. I lost money on the trade but I was willing to take the hit for the one I wanted in the first place.

As for your issues questions:
My first FRS I had the fuel pump replaced at 10k miles, 2k miles later crickets came back.
ECU was reflashed because of CEL. Forgot on the actual reason but it was around 700 miles when that happen.
Normal rattles
Traded in at 20K miles
Never tracked the car, some mountain driving

Currently have 3k on the monogram
Crickets is present but not as loud as my first car
No CEL thus far
More rattles than I remember in this car than the first
Possible third brake light rattle. Maybe, because I only hear the rattle when I brake hard
Not looking to track this car either

Even with these I don't regret the trade because I got spec/model that I was hoping for.

Like a few above posted, it's hit and miss with these cars.

If you're looking to trade for a newer model due to the issues then I would wait for the 2016 and later models.