Hi ya EZ Shifter and
to this forum.
My "short" comments to your questions:
Being 55, you will fit right in here ..... most folks are younger, some are older ..... how to tell? The younger ones sometimes write in "code" and the older ones sometimes speak of the "old days".
I paid MSRP for my FR-S back in April. Many have gotten them at or below MSRP (for the 2013s).
For the most part, the cars are reliable. Many have the "crickets", some have dipping idle syndrome and some that are tracked real hard have DI seal "issues". The car's heads are just fine.
There is no difference in reliability between the FR-S and the BRZ ..... cause they were made in the same barn.
Yep, I've found it to be a GREAT, 2nd mid life crisis car .... relatively economical, sporty to look at, dependable, quick enough for the "mature" (read senior) drivers and just a bunch of fun .....
humfrz