I posted a while ago about my interest in an FR-S, coming from a 2003 Protege. I finally got around to actual car shopping - with my schedule it's hard to find the time.
Anyway, I went out yesterday and test drove a few cars. I went in to a Toyota dealer thinking I'd try the new 2017, but they were out of stock and told me they won't be getting any all winter.
SO, the first one I drove was a brand new 2015 FR-S (yeah, they still had it sitting on the lot!) It was in automatic, unfortunately, as I'm looking to buy a manual. But, they were the only ones in the strip of car dealers I was at that had one, so I decided to try it just to get a feel for the car.
Initial thoughts:
- Getting in the car felt really comfortable for me. I'm 5'10". Getting OUT of the car was a little more difficult, but didn't seem uncomfortable either.
- I'm a slender guy, but even so, I was impressed with how much room my legs had in the drivers seat. In pictures it looked like I'd be cramped up there. Speaking of room, the passenger side has leg room for days.
- The fake carbon fiber stuff was a lot higher quality than I imagined, I actually kinda liked it.
- The seats in this car are the best stock seats I think I've ever sat in, in my life. It's like you're in a cockpit. They hug me perfectly and the back support was fantastic. It was extremely comfortable while being sporty. When I got back into my car (which I always thought had pretty comfy seats compared to other cars I've been in) I felt like I was on a hard wooden bench in comparison.
- Everything about the buttons/screen/controls etc was bigger and better than I expected. The only thing I found fiddly was the side mirror adjuster.
- The drive itself was great. I definitely need to test it more, but my first impression was really positive. The car isn't a speed demon like many have said. It doesn't get anywhere close to accelerating as fast as the tuned v8 charger I drive at work. I know I'm echoing what has been said a million times already, but... the car is a lot more fun. The handling was amazing, and I actually was able to kick the back end out around a corner. What a feeling. Low speeds felt fast to me. I was cruising at 30mph at one point and thought I was going like 45+. The car has some pretty good pickup and go when I needed it to, though. Breaks felt really good too.
- The storage space is insane for a small car. My gf told me I could sleep in it when she saw it, LOL. I checked and measured and checked again, and some of you may remember I asked about putting a drumkit in this car - believe it or not, all of MY equipment WILL fit. It's a tight fit, but it will fit none the less. I'll make sure to post a picture whenever I pickup my FRS
- Last of all, and most important
: my girlfriend took the test drive with me, and she LOVED it. She told me to buy it on the spot, especially because the guy was trying to give me a really good deal to get it off the lot. I really want a manual though, so I'm holding out.
Although I know I'm not providing any new info for you guys, I had to gush about it. I've been wanting to get inside one of these since 2013 and I finally did... and man was it good. The car feels really special and I'm hooked more than I was before. Can't wait to find one that fits my bill.