Frs as mini replacement?
 

So my poor old mini needs replacing (2006 r53). I can't exactly trust it to get me to work on time and it's stressing me out. I went to look at new cars cars today and stumbled onto a 2014 frs manual w/ 30,000 mi for $18500. Its a tiny bit more fun to drive then the mini and a lot less practicle.
Slight problem I tested a 2016 Miata and :bow: it's in a whole new league of fun to drive (and impracticality).

So how reliable is the FRS? I keep cars for the long haul and the mini has been a major dissapointment in reliability these past 10yr 110k mi. This site is giving me a bad feeling about reliability especially since there is no real long term history for the frs/brz.

I was thinking with these 2 seater rwd sports cars I could hold on to the mini as a winter beater and hauler but insuring both doesn't look as cheap as I guessed.

The wrx and the Mazda 3 are looking like more practical options but the Mazda isn't as fun and wrx fuel economy is terrible...

Honestly I want to keep my mini but with a so far an undiagnosable issue where on rare occasions it doesn't start in the morning and Increasing demand for general repairs. (Seriously 4 power steering pumps and 3 engine mounts) I'm afraid I have no choice.

As far as reliability goes, there's quite a handful of complaints that you can read up in the Issues section of the forums.

As for mine, with the exception of the horrid window squeak, mine hasn't developed any significant issues.

Oh yeah I live in ct. I'm worried snow will be a major issue

I actually replaced my 2003 Mini S R53 with the BRZ I have now. The Mini had already had a menagerie of issues and problems (cracked head, shifter linkage snapping, coolant system issues, heater core leaks). The BRZ seems way more reliable than the mini was, as well as much more comfortable. The maintenance may be a little more involved than other cars, but blows my Mini out of the water. Kinda miss the supercharger whining its *** off... Bridgestone Blizzaks are my defense strategy against the white stuff.

Winter tires. Stick to the main roads that get plowed(ploughed?) and you'll be fine. (I live in the mountains of Utah and spent two FRS winters here.)

Practicality depends entirely on the user's needs. Honestly I find it hard to comprehend how a mini Cooper is more "practical". Lets start with what do you need out of your car, and what do you want out of your car. Do you need to seat 5 passengers? Do you need to tow a trailer or carry bikes and equipment? Or do you just need room for your lap dog and a set of track wheels to fit in your trunk on the way to a racetrack?

For snow in ct... I'd love a 4wd 4runner. Then it could tow a racecar in the summers too!

Practicality wise, the mini's hatch made it easier to fit taller things in my car, but the BRZ with the seats down is longer and wider albeit shorter cargo-wise. I get my car parts and golf clubs and suitcases in there just fine.

The hatch back comes in really handy on Home Depot runs. I've moved a couple trees, 2x4's, snowboard, foosball table, all 4 snow wheels, Costco size fill in the blank...

More importantly I have a 45lb fox terrier mix that rides in the car 2-3 times a week. I think the frs can work for him ok but rear hatch entry was nice.

Also do you actually recommend a different car for an only daily driver?

One of the primary reasons I went with the BRZ rather than waiting for the ND Miata is that the BRZ can hold a full set of tires. It's pretty useful if/when you might need to transport winter/summer tires. If you don't mind tetris'ing a little, they're surprisingly practical cars.

Nice, that just might have to be my next addition.

And as for dogs in the car, its a bit harder than just popping the hatch, but then again, my dog doesn't really like to get in on his own. If he was the kind to get in on his own, there wouldn't be a problem embarking on BRZ.

These cars are fine as daily drivers, but I also have a Jeep Cherokee for when my BRZ is not fine. I think an SUV and a sports car complement each other perfectly. I wouldn't see the point in keeping the Mini, since you can buy an older SUV or small pickup for less than you're going to pay to keep the Mini running.

If it were me, I'd buy a used BRZ and look for a $1500 '97-'99 Cherokee or a sub-$2500 Tahoe as a backup/dog hauler/snow truck. But then, I can wrench on the Cherokee myself, so if you don't do your own repairs, you might not want a teenage vehicle no matter how reliable they are.

If you're worried about snow and the FR-S, you're going to need to invest in some snow tires and cheap steel rims. I would recommend waiting till spring if such is the case, because you have around 5-6 months to save up for them.

From all the stories I've heard of mini owners, the twins are like a corolla in terms of reliability compared to the mini. I've had a few issues, but nothing expensive, let alone detrimental.