Well after 5 years of waiting I've finally got myself one! As some of you may know, I held out on the Scion FR-S mostly due to limited options and uncertainties about the power being sufficient for me. When the 2017 Toyota 86 was announced, I was devastated by the looks of the thing. But my hopes were renewed when I saw the 2017 Subaru BRZ refresh. And when they announced the Performance Package, I knew it was meant to be!
Initial Impressions:
So today I purchased my red 2017 Subaru BRZ with the Performance Package (after placing an order back in September) and it's more impressive than I thought! The car seems lower than I remember and the aggressive lines and wing scream "aerodynamic!" And even though I've only driven it a little bit with caution due to it being cold and wet out (and the car being brand new), it makes me smile because I can still hear some whining and chattering and snarling noises from the car like you can in older sports cars. I think these things give the car more character and help you pretend that you are in a race car even if it's not that fast.
The Brembo brakes look nice and have minimal pedal travel and a fairly aggressive bite (but are still easy to modulate). The ZF Sachs dampers are responsive while giving good feedback without being too jolting. However, at 85mph it did feel a little floaty, which is something I remember on a previous test drive. The front seemed to wallow around a bit but that may be due to a number of factors like tires or the light weight (without much downforce). But nothing too bad... I need more time to assess this.
As for the wheels, originally Subaru said they'd be black for the US market but they're actually gunmetal like the Japanese models. I had very mixed feelings about the wheel design and color but now that I've seen it in person, I like it. The color/tone is unique and they appear high quality without looking too aftermarket or attractive to thieves (hopefully).
I really like the new interior. The leather/microsuede seats look similar to Recaros and are comfortable/plush while keeping you in place. I prefer the new steering wheel to the old one. I think the old one felt a bit odd with the thicker and perforated middle section while the new one is smoother and more consistent feeling but this is totally a preference thing. The steering wheel controls are handy and I appreciate the updated dash. The new HomeLink mirror design is nice too with minimal bezel.
So yeah, my first impressions are very good. Frankly, I was starting to think that I was losing passion for cars and wouldn't even find it worth it. But after being with it today, I think it has and will reignite my passion for a long time to come.
Thank you Toyota, Subaru, and Subaru of Jacksonville, FL, and to all those on the forums who shared their information over the years!
First (kind of crappy) pic:
