FR-S vs Yaris/Tercel, yes you read that right

[regal]

Well this is a Toyota forum. In the 80's many a smart family bought a Camry or Corolla and drove it for 300k+ miles with minimal maintenance costs, Toyota made a reputation for building a drive-train that literally outlasted the sheetmetal.

Then the 90's EG civic came and Honda upped the ante, bullet proof reliability (as long as you changed the timing belt) plus a fun to drive double wishbone suspension on all for corners for $11k. It was such a good car that its popularity and "tuner scene" caused folks of this generation to overlook how nice these were for the money.

Then when Honda dropped the unique suspension it didn't make much sense to buy a civic, the boring Tercel/Yaris was the car to get if you wanted decent gas milage and a half a million trouble-free miles. Problem is they are not fun to drive, stock handling is down right dangerous for someone coming from a AE86 or EG Civic.

If it weren't for the exchange rates and funny things going on with currency/world banks the FR-S would have come in under $20k, so lets take the price out of the equation for this discussion and consider this is a car with a $400 monthly bill for most, which is still budget when you look back 3 decades and consider inflation.

The FR-S is similiar to an AE86 in a lot of ways, affordable, fun to drive with excellent handling, not a powerhouse, gets incredible gas milage (again looking over the last 3 decades.)

But the big question I may have been taking for granted is long term durability.

1. Direct Injection : I am not necessarily scared of direct injection, its been used in diesels for decades. But the compression ratio + a bad tank of gas (it happens) could cause serious damage depending on the reliability of the knock sensor/timing retard.

2. Boxer Engine - I have no idea the track record of these as most subarus are sent to the crusher from the complicated exspensive all wheel drive components before he engine fails.

3. Gearbox/clutch, being RWD is a big advantage here, much easier to replace a clutch/throwout bearing with a RWD car, u-joints are less hassel than CV joints.

4. LSD- its a torsen.

5. Traction control, if you disable it can it fail?

6. Cylinder head - definately a possible trouble spot, we have high compression, unique chamber/piston design and Subaru has a spotty record with premature cylinder head /gasket leaks

I've been waiting for an FR-S since they came out, seems supply gets lower and lower. You literally can't buy one where I live. To me this could be a sign of lack of confidence by Toyota, I am sure they don't want a repeat of the MR2 Spyder which was a serious tragedy as far as reliability.

[raz0rbladez909]

I don't get what you're really asking here? If you're asking if the FRS is more fun than the Yaris, the answer is yes. If you're asking if it is more reliable, not enough time has passed to determine that.

My wife has a Yaris sedan and I usually commute to work in it. Costs into it have been minimal and overall it is still reliable besides a few issues. The thing is the Yaris is an absolute bore to drive in stock form. I literally despise driving it right now, and probably would've gotten rid of it long ago if it weren't for the gas mileage and the fact that it's almost paid off. In the past I had one of my own(hatchback) for a reliable commuter for work and it was a bit better than the sedan, I threw on wheels, suspension and better tires and the handling was dramatically better, but in the end I still became bored lol.

[industrial]

I think these cars are rare because of Subaru's lack of confidence in sales numbers more than anything else. They got bit pretty hard in 2008 with the new model STI. They overproduced at a bad time and had to fire sale them. I got mine new for $8000 off MSRP and 0% for 63 months in a new model year if you can believe that. They did not want that to happen again so they underproduced a bit. Uncertain economy with bad exchange rates like you said.

As for reliability, nobody knows. New engine. Coming from Subaru and Toyota, it should be pretty good.