Originally Posted by MuseChaser
Not to be the only wet blanket here... but hey, it's my calling....
You didn't mention your age or your position within your family. If by family, you mean your wife or that you're an adult living on your own and supporting yourself and your parents/siblings still feel they have strong input on what kind of car you buy, well... then I'm with everyone else. Buy whatever car you want. The mainenance issue, as everyone else has said, is a non-issue. The badge is the only thing discontinued; there is no issue, AT ALL, getting an FR-S serviced anywhere.
HOWEVER... if by family you mean your parents and you're still living at home with them as a dependent or minor, then they absolutely have a say in how you spend your money. If this is your first car (and others on this group disagree with me.. that's fine.. we're all different), I would not recommend it as a parent. Too tempting to do very, VERY stupid things. All cars are tempting in that regard to many first time drivers... this one is worse than most. Parents may be using the "maintenance difficulty" as code for saying they love you and really would prefer you to start with a more sedate, "practical" vehicle.
As sports cars go, the FR-S IS relatively slow compared to more expensive "real" sports cars. It's also, for it's class, pretty safe, and pretty economical. I know I'm not helping my case with those observations, but I try to be truthful.
I've had three sons, and helped them out with each of their first cars. The oldest got our hand-me-down Celica w/ 220K miles on it, and we renovated two Volvo 240s (an '89 and a '92) for the other two sons. The 240s were MUCH better choices, and the kids loved them. One is STILL in the family and on the road almost ten years later, and pushing 300K.
Just guessing. If you ARE on your own as an adult, ignore this post. If you are a minor, as I'm guessing, respect your parents' wishes. Life, hopefully, will be very long, and you'll have MANY opportunities to drive the cars of your dreams. Enjoy your time with your folks, and respect their wishes while they care for you.
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