Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB

I'm not looking to start a flame-war here but I am posting my honest experience.

I test drove both the Focus ST and Scion FR-S. I might sound harsh in what I will say but this is my opinion. The Focus ST did have a usable rear seat and a very practical hatch. I also do like the exterior regardless of other's opinion of it. And that torque steer everyone keeps complaining about is very mild. I can totally live it. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Sadly that's where the positives end. The interior is as straight up as an SUV. You really do feel like you're sitting on the car rather than in it. The gearbox throws were so long. I was really disappointed. It wasn't fun changing gears. The throttle response was horrible thanks to the that turbo and I really hated the noises the turbo makes. To be fair to the ST, this is the fault of Turbo engines and there's nothing the ST can do about it. Even the new Ferrari 588 isn't as good as it's natural V8 predecessors. So not even Ferrari can make forced induction with good throttle response. And the biggest let down was the steering. It felt absolutely plastic. No feeling whatsoever to speak of. To me, steering is the biggest deal in a sports car and if it under-performs in that area, that's a big deal breaker.

I really wanted to love the Focus ST. I wanted a car that was both fun and practical. The ST is practical but at least for me I wouldn't call it fun. The Scion FR-S was a completely different animal. Immediately as soon as you sit in it, you know you're sitting in a sports car. Just by the seating and the instrument panel. The seats were perfect. The visibility was perfect, the instrument panel looked like the cockpit of a fighter plane just waiting for your commands. I really can't stress how perfect and purposeful the interior felt. When I popped up the hood, I couldn't believe how low the engine was. The rear seats and trunk were very small but oh well what can you do. As for the driving, I'd say almost perfect. The steering was perfect with a whole lot of feedback. You just instantly feel right about it. The gearbox was great. Nothing to complain about. The clutch was fine. I could so smoothly shift that even the salesman next to me complimented how smoothly I can change gears. The drive was rock solid. 70 MPH felt like 30. The engine was nicely revvy. I was hopping for better throttle response but it wasn't bad. These modern throttle by wire vehicles are more on the dull side in this department. Overall, I was very deeply impressed by the FR-S. They need to build more cars like this.