Daily Driven FR-S Questions

[ZionsWrath]

Just put in second gear and coast if you are in traffic. All you have to do is watch how a truck drives in traffic and do the same thing.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

As an initial point, get the car with a manual if you're considering. It's one of the easiest manuals to drive in traffic because of how absurdly light the clutch is. Manual is just more fun IMO.

To your main question, the FR-S is fine for daily driving.

Positives: Gets good gas mileage and is relatively practical. Good visibility, decent sized trunk, and folding rear seats when needed. It's light and has very good stock suspension, so the car is seriously agile, especially compared to cars like the 350/370z, Mustang, Gen Coupe, etc. Steering feels very sharp. The manual transmission is precise and intuitive to use. Seats are great (bolstered enough for track/autocross, but not restrictive in daily driving) and the seating position is perfect.

Negatives: Because of the relative lack of torque, you should expect to downshift often to pass or accelerate. Some may find that annoying. The ride can be firm/jarring over bumps. The road noise is moderate and makes the already weak stereo sound worse. The car is light weight, so there's not much sound deadening. Bluetooth connectivity is limited. 2nd gear is notchy when cold.

Overall I love this car, but understand it is a bit raw and light on both torque and creature comforts.

Rev matching third to pass on the highway is my favorite thing to do commuting. I think I'm addicted to it

[racecat]

I've never owned an automatic, so take this with a grain of salt I suppose.

I ordered the car with MT and while I was waiting for it, the dealership had an AT come in, so we took it for a test drive. The paddle shifters are pretty cool and responsive, but when my MT came in and I took it for a spin around the block, I knew I'd made the right choice. Like many have said, it gives you a connection to the car.

If you want a manual, get a manual! You can always argue that:

- it has a cheaper base price
- it's easier and cheaper to maintain
- you can use downshifting/engine braking to slow down in conditions where normal braking could be hazardous
- a surprising number of people don't know how to drive manuals, so it could prevent your car getting stolen (...okay, so that's kind of joke, but it has been argued!)

I only have about 5k on mine, but I've had no issues (and it was built in April 2013). Changing the oil and filter is a breeze too!

Whatever you decide, welcome to our dysfunctional family!

[Jegan_V]

Originally Posted by racecat

- a surprising number of people don't know how to drive manuals, so it could prevent your car getting stolen (...okay, so that's kind of joke, but it has been argued!)

That has happened. Manuals are truly impossible to steal if the thief has absolutely no clue about how to operate one. I recall an incident where a thief attempted to take a Corvette, even with some guidance from the owner(likely didn't want the thief to fry the clutch or kill the gearbox) said thief failed and was arrested.

As for driving this car with a manual...this car is remarkably easy. Its actually almost as easy and as forgiving as my sister's Civic. The only odd thing is the bite point but I've driven a BMW like that so that seems more like something to get used to. My Impreza...that was a tough car to start learning stick as it had nearly no tolerance for inaccuracy. Stalled it so many times that I'm glad it was built really tough.

[paddleshifter]

Different strokes for different folks; Whole-hearted respect for the 6MT crowd, but I personally really enjoy the flexibility of switching between manual mode and automatic. Shifts when I m not in the mood to, and allows me to shift when I'm feel like it (90% of the time). As such, I personally feel I am very connected to the car.
Because the OP is inquiring about an FRS being..daily driven.. I'll tell you that our torque converter is a marvel of engineering; not a dual clutch but for commuting around it might not have to be.

[Autocon]

Got a 2014 AT, main use is DD and fun windy road driving on the weekends. Couldn't be happier.

I live in LA where 5 miles can take you an hour in stop and go traffic depending on the time of day. Traffic is just one of those things that KILLS me, absolutely loath it and having to work a manual in LA was just not something I was too keen on. So I borrowed my buddy manual TC for 2 weeks and after driving to work and just all over the city I knew I would hate driving even more when there was traffic in a manual.

The Auto is great, 90% of the time I'm in manual sport mode but when traffic hits I switch to Auto and its fantastic. Love the paddle shifters and up/down shifting when using your shifter itself.



Pros

-Paddle shifters for the mountain roads allows me to keep both hands on the wheel giving me more control while still being able to shift.

-You can also push the shifter up and down to up-shift and down-shift when you pop it over to Manual mode. Which is phenomenal, it allows you to not rely solely on the paddles. Great for super tight turns when the wheel is spun and you cant tell which paddle is which (since there attached the the wheel)

-Every time I push the shifter up I feel like I am pushing my car to faster and it gives me that same connected feeling I felt when shifting with a MT.

-You can use downshifting/engine braking to slow down in conditions where normal braking could be hazardous if you are in manual mode just like a manual car

-Traffic ha



Remember, the twins AT doesn't mean you have to stay in full auto the entire time. You have that option but you also have manual mode where you have to shift the car yourself.

Do what suits you best, and never let any one make you feel bad or in anyway like your a worse driver because you have an AT. Especially when its the six speed auto thats in the twins! Driving is more that just pushing a clutch peddle, which when it comes down to it, is the only difference.

edit: I take my car up into the mountains above Santa Monica/Malibu every other weekend, handles just like a MT on the super windy mountain roads when in manual mode. Which is the only fun way to drive up there

[Gilwith1l]

Originally Posted by NOHOME

I wrote:




You wrote:



correct me if I am wrong, but are we not saying the same thing with the only difference being one of us is a romantic and the other is a balloon bursting cynic?

If you want to convince me that a manual gearbox is some kind of an asset in a car that performs its main duty as a commuter vehicle, you need to bring numbers to the table. What exactly does a manual car do better on a commute?

Manual transmissions promote lower blood psi

[AznBRZer]

Only poor people shift their own gears. TRUE BALLERS have the car shift FOR them.

/thread

[TrackRider54]

I've had my fair share of manuals and have driven automatics since 2001. I prefer an automatic in most vehicles, but part of the feel of of the BRZ/FR-S is that "old school" vibe you get. I've not driven an auto twin, but the manual is extremely easy to drive and I love the simplistic feel the cars offer.

[Canadian Greg]

I feel sorry for all the poor bastards out there who own automatics.
Any idiot can drive one. You can even train a monkey to do it..
It takes a true "driver" to appreciate the fine art of manual bliss.

[iag48st]

Well then I guess I'm a "skilless, lazy, fake enthusiast driver". Owned a Civic Si and while it was fun when there was no traffic, 95% of the time I was stuck NYC traffic annoyed as shit. While not a DSG, this AT is fun! Blips the throttle for you as you downshift just like the manual, lets me shift when I want (unless its at an unsafe engine speed). No complaints here. Peace mighty manual driver gods.

[Karl07]

I cannot believe how many "holier-than-thou" "enthusiasts" are on this site.
I say "enthusiast" because no true enthusiast berates others for their personal choice. They may discuss but this site is full of people who see that someone has something against what they believe and they are wrong.
There is no "well you raise a good point"...just "you're wrong".
I have owned my fair share of cars 15 at last count, including supercharged mr2, 2x GT4 celicas (normal and Carlos saints), 4wd, family wagons, utes, luxury sedans, several sports cars, and so on.
I have also been heavily involved in motorsports most of my life, though nothing more than for fun, including karting, hillclimbs, autox, track days, etc.
Therefore I would consider myself quite an enthusiast.
My original choice for my 86GTS was manual, however after events ensued, I ended up with a 2012 6AT 86GTS just after release.
Does this truly make me any less of an enthusiast? No.
I love the manual, and will never say otherwise...however, in this case...I love my AT more. I was in the situation to swap over my AT for a MT, and the loss of a grand or whatever notwithstanding, i just didn't want to.
The AT is simply easier when you want, in traffic,etc., and it is more economical. Do I truly care about these things? No.
But I have seen no situation where I have been disadvantaged against manual drivers in performance, as the difference in acceleration is minor (and I don't waste my time drag racing).
I drive in manual mode 99% of the time. I do a lot of kms, and a lot of mountain runs.
It is a truly amazing bit of gear and I have never once thought I would prefer at to mt.
But in this case I do.
But because 90% of the people on this forum are "true enthusiasts" I guess I am wrong.
Sue me.

[mothespaceman]

This is a great choice for a car! I've owned many performance cars in the past, and this one continues to blow me away.

If you are really into getting the feeling of the car, and sports / performance cars in general... I think that an M/T will suit you quite well in the long run. I don't personally have any experience with the A/T in this car, so that will be something to really try to feel out in the test drive.

I came straight out of a 12' WRX into this car and have no regrets whatsoever! It's an excellent car, and you'll love it.

[dp1]

First learned to drive on manual...love manual transmission cars...have 6spd manual Lotus Elise for fun and FR-S AT as daily...love AT in NY traffic...just put on $20k+ worth of upgrades on AT FR-S...great first impressions from Supercharger/AP Racing BBK/Ohlins/exhaust/etc...will put up my Lotus Elise for sale soon...ready to take FR-S to at least 8 track days I already signed up for...