Newbie - decision time
 

Hi gang,


I'm looking to pull the trigger shortly on either an FR-S or a BRZ. Being in Toronto I am naturally gravitating towards a BRZ Tech vehicle - for the heated seats if nothing else, but also proper Xenons due to winter adverse weather conditions ;) Its also a little less to insure (apparently).


I was hoping to perhaps start off by doing a lease takeover on one with a couple of years left, just in case I hate it for my commute in winter. But whatever works best overall Ill entertain.


Would you guys be so kind as to mention reasons for choosing a BRZ over and FR-S please? I love both and will feel great choosing either, but I'm just curious as to your take!


Also what is the 'real world' economy of this car please? I would only ever be entertaining a 6MT not an Auto... I've seen ranges of 5.8 - 8.3 L/100 to 6.9 - 9.9 L/100 in printed press thus far!


Many thanks in advance


Best regards,


M

the fuel economy is all dependent on how you drive the car. you'll probably see 24 MPG city driving and somewhere around 28 MPG highway if you drive at a decent pace. some people get like 20 MPG city which is crazy, they must floor it at every light or something.

I was in the same boat as you, choosing between the FRS or BRZ. however, the BRZ wasn't that much more expensive than the FRS so I chose that. it has a more refined feel to it. plus the HID's are one of the best on the market (RX 350's) and can easily be a great performer if you just change out the lens to a clear lens. I just like the look of the BRZ better and it has more standard options than the FRS does.

although, I did get a 2015 which IMO is a lot nicer than the previous versions. it has a cf trim on the dash, shark fin antenna, and cool key fob. I believe the FRS gets the prius-looking key fob and no push to start

Choosing between the two is really just personal preference with the little extras the BRZ has so I will not comment on one over the other.
Real world:
Minimum of 12 hours and 6000 kms a month spent in in mine.
Lowered 1.4 inches and drove all winter with zero issue. Proper snow tires and you will leave "better suited" cars wondering why they are stuck and you are moving.
Mileage as steady as a rock at 7.3 average with about 95% driving on the 401 (not near TO so in the in the sections that actually move) with the cruise on.
Seats and driving ergonomics are wonderful.
Some people complain about road noise. I have the TRD exhaust and still have never had any issue except on the concrete crap they use in Michigan.

For the reasons you listed, I would go with the BRZ if I was in your shoes. HIDs for help in winter + less to insure + extra "goodies" = win in my book.

Thanks guys,


I guess in reality I'm a bigger fan of the 'fangs' front bumper than the BRZ's look with the protruding black nudge bar...but then I like everything about the BRZ more thereafter - like you say its really 6 of one and 1/2 a dozen of the other!

http://www.fuelly.com/car/subaru/brz

http://www.fuelly.com/car/scion/fr-s

It was the front end and exclusive colour that swayed me to the FRS. My last 3 cars had all the fancy doodads and gadgets and I rarely used them anyway so don't miss most of them. I do still try to start the car or go to lock it with a nonexistent button from time to time but there is nothing I can't live without.

Heated seats, and you're not sure? My wife wants to go in my car for that alone (during the winter.) To be honest, the dual climate control has been really nice to have as well (I fall asleep at the temps my wife likes, not good if I'm driving! And it seems to work well enough.)

I like the fact I could mount the front license plate bracket with some good magnets - easy to take off when I want. (there's a how-to here somewhere or other.) Makes that ugly grey strip be worth a little more.

Could have done without the rear spoiler, but that wasn't an option.

Get proper shoes for winter and it does quite well in the snow, but that doesn't change with the FR-S.

I don't actively track fuel economy, but the gauge in the car says 31.6mpg over the 6k miles I've driven (I got the car last May) and, while that's always a little off, it's close enough to know it's not bad at all. I'm curious to see how fast AutoX and summer tires ding that number.

C

Objective stuff:
1. The slightest tendency towards oversteer disqualified the FRS for me. The BRZ will have my back if and when I screw up on the road.

2. It has the cheaper MSRP if NAV/Bluetooth is a priority. I abandoned the heated leather seats.


Subj.:
Fewer BRZs on the road makes me feel more like a boss, and the car smiles back at me when I'm approaching in a parking lot. Not sure why the FRSs are so grumpy. Maybe they wish they were Subies...

I average 8.2 without thinking about it, and 7.9 when careful. 60/40 highway/city.

I spend 75% of my time on the highway, and get 32 mpg average per tank with my car. And that's having fun with it. I'm very happy with the mileage. I was in the same boat as you. I was not a huge fan of the black mustache on the BRZ, but it's grown on me. I like how it has that mean grin. Like it's done something wrong, haha. What really sealed the deal for me was Scion was not moving on price, which I think is ridiculous, and Subaru was. I ended up getting my BRZ limited with a few extra options ticked for 500 more than an FRS (If you can even find one with no "extras" tacked on). That's a no brainer in my book.

BRZ Sport Tech upgrades compare to FR-S

Heated Seats
Heated Mirrors
Alcantara seats
Proximity key and push button start
Dual Climate control
Upgraded audio & nav unit
Wing
HID headlights & led DRL
Fog lights
Vanity mirror lighting
Trunk liner

That's a win for the BRZ in my book.

If you like all the extra creature comforts, the BRZ Limted (Sport-tech in Canada) is a great value.

But if you want all of those features mentioned above in FR-S flavor, then try to look for a 'Monogram' edition. Might be harder to find though since they were only offered as a special edition for one year.

Personally, I went with the BRZ Premium (just a BRZ base model in Canada).
I could live without the heated seats, alcantara, spoiler, fog lights. Push/start Proximity key would've been nice though. lol

BRZ Base does offer these features compared to the base FRS:
Blacked out headlights w/ HIDs/LEDs, LED DRLs, Navi, slightly better cloth seats, heated side mirrors (Canadian feature)

I'm also averaging 7.9L/100km on Shell 91. 70/30 city/highway driving. Also, this figure is me not worrying about driving with a light foot all the time.

Good luck!

Very, very, very minor point of clarification:
All Canadian Twins have heated mirrors.

And...the very fact this is posted in the BRZ section of the forum is going to create responses that show a bias towards the features of the BRZ.

I'd check for a Monogram too. It's a 2014 and you might get a good deal as we're getting close to 2016 model year. Heated seats are great when it's 5 degrees out.