rented an ecoboost stang then test drove a BRZ
 

i've been following the twins since they were announced and waiting until the time and finances are right to get a brz. however, i recently travelled out of town and had the chance to rent a base ecoboost mustang for the day, drove it from sacramento airport through sonoma and into oakland and the experience was pretty eye opening.

the fit and finish was impressive, even for a base model car with cloth interior. i had my girlfriend scoot the seat up and there was plenty of legroom behind her seat with her still comfortable up front to sit someone behind her. additionally the trunk was quite large and the cockpit felt massive and comfortable.

and boy, does that thing gets into illegal speeds super fast. there is basically no turbo lag and it pushes you forward extremely quickly. accelerating from 50 to 80+ on the highway couldn't have been more effortless.

I got home and really started doing some thinking about whether that might be a better car to get into once im ready to move ahead on getting a new car. but then i decided that i would go down to a local subaru dealer and test drive a BRZ again to rekindle the flame. (may i note on the side that every experience that i've had at my local subaru dealers have been great - they have been nice and not pushy at all)

the salesman directed me to a super curvy road in the hills where the speed limit was 50 and it took all of 2 minutes to remind myself why i've been wanting to buy a BRZ for so long.

while the ecoboost isn't an extremely large car it feels on the inside like it is. there is an acre of hood to look over and the flanks out back give the impression that you're taking up more room then you really are. the ecoboost felt like it was eager to push through turns, while the BRZ carves through them like youre cutting paper with an x-acto knife. the ecoboost felt like a car that was managing to hold its heft solid for you and the BRZ danced around like there wasn't any heft to hold in the first place.

also, perhaps its just me but i kind of like getting into a car and not having to decide between 3 driving modes and 4 steering modes, and seeing 12 buttons on my steering wheel - i just want to turn it on and instinctively start to drive and enjoy a car.

in either case, i'll still probably go with the brz once the time comes but the ecoboost sure makes a good impression for buyers that can take 70% of the driving experience in exchange for the size and speed.

Had a similar experience driving the new WRX. Loved the power, turbo fell, room, and practicality of it, but it definitely fell behind in the whole drive feel aspect. The seat sits so high up and they don't hold you in. The steering is precise but not as raw feeling. Both cars have their perks.

I was actually down to those two choices before I bought my BRZ last week. The Ecoboost Mustang is more of a really solid grand tourer, but I couldn't get over how big the car is - it's a few inches shorter than a Toyota Camry. It does hide the fact that it's gigantic with decent brakes and fairly sticky tires on the performance package, but the BRZ was more fun on a visceral level.

I'm actually thinking the EcoBoost Mustang might be a good next car for my dad. Nice refinement on the inside and should be comfortable even on rough roads. Looks sporty and has lots of power, especially with a tune. He used to have a Challenger and Mustang, so should bring back some fond memories too.

Same for me when i drove the new WRX. Power and turbo response was amazing, but all the inputs felt removed, when compared to the BRZ.

Plus I have no kids or wife, only a GF, and I barely drive my friends around, so I really didnt need the backseat.

I test drove two used mustangs,a '12 and '13, and at the time the new 2014 model. I drove the GT version of the 2014 and was mind blown by the power of it. I test drove it south of San Fran, and while not in lots of traffic I enjoyed it. But once in traffic I had the same realizations. It seems massive, and the V8 gets ok mileage, for a V8, but terrible when compared to the BRZ. I did not like the interior of the mustangs, and the gauge cluster bugged me the most. What I did like was Fords warranty, which was longer than the BRZs and they were willing to throw in opti-coating and chips/dings/ factory service for free, since my gf was buying a Ford at the time.

Once I test drove the BRZ there was no turning around. The Subaru dealership was right next to the Ford dealership, so I got to drive the same roads. Handling and feeling of the BRZ was above and beyond and made my decision after a short test drive.


Also, I decided the v8 would get me more speeding tickets, but seeing as I have gotten 4 with the little 2.0L boxer, I have proven my own theory wrong.

Hope you get a BRZ of your own and join the community!

I would say that the interior and ride refinement between the 2015s and up mustangs are miles ahead of the older ones. again, probably not going to sway my original opinion but I can see where a lot of potential brz/frs/86 owners could be swayed.

Everyday Driver on YouTube give a good review of the Ecoboost Mustang vs Ford Fiesta ST vs Subaru WRX vs Scion FRS. The results are surprising, but basically tell you that all the cars are great...it is just a matter of what means the most to you!

After reading so many people disliking the seats in the wrx, i started wondering if people would consider swapping old brz/frs seats. Just a thought, i wonder how different all of the factory connections would be?

But to OP, i would strongly consider the mustang! I think from a daily driver perspective it would probably be a better buy. Based on what ive read and assumed really, the frs is still a better "backroad/canyon carver" but its lacking in power for day to day driving. So really its about whats more important to you.

If I ever end up getting one, which I might be if I get this new position, then that would definitely be something I would look into ha ha. That and the Perrin shifter stop to eliminate the slop in the trans.

Someone over at NASIOC did it, and they said it was a night and day difference. That said it was not plug and play and required some modification to get it to work.

The WRX seat height is one of my biggest complaints, but you do get used to it. Going from a BRZ to just about any car makes you feel like you are sitting much higher whether it be a WRX, Focus ST, GTI, etc.

I agree with the OP, Ford has really done a solid job with the new Mustang, but it is still just too large and heavy feeling to me for a door coupe with limited backseat and trunk space. The fact that an AWD mid size sedan (WRX) feels more nimble and responsive than a Mustang tells you something..

very true lol all other cars feel off after sitting in the 86. Do you perhaps have a link for that seat swap? Very curious.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...postcount=5647

He goes into more detail in the thread. Tempting... :)

http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...F0B0B4B8DE.jpg

Thank you sir!