WRX -> FR-S?

[wbradley]

I drive a Cobb tuned 2011 WRX hatch and an FR-S. Best of both worlds.

Both are very fun but polar opposites. The WRX feels cushy by comparison.

Sometimes I wish the FR-S had the WRX power.

[Jond63]

I had an '06 STi, and while the power was a lot of fun I really love driving the FR-S much more. Gas milage is way better for me too. People still always seem to want to race though...

[Jar]

I went from this (2005 WRX):





To this for about 11 months (2013 FR-S):





To this, which I've had for about 10 or 11 months now (2013 STi):







Probably the greatest conclusion I can draw is this:


The WRX and STi are essentially tuned versions of Subaru's economy platform. It's evolved over the years, but it is still just a souped up Impreza. Indeed that is part of the WRX's and STi's charm. An economy car with over 300HP, AWD, 4pot brembos, tight suspension, front, rear, and central diffs... it's almost a car that shouldn't even exist. In a lot of ways the STi is an absurdity, but here it is. A platform that's proved incredibly popular for over 15 years at this point.


The 86 was designed from the ground up to be a sports car, and you will notice this all over the place. Simple things like the seating position is a huge nod to this design. It's a cheap sports car, and I have my issues with some build quality concerns (minor gripes colored by my own experiences), but it's designed as a sports car from the ground up. Going from a WRX/STi, you may or may not notice those design subtleties, but once you go back you do notice their absence.


Thankfully, 15lbs of factory boost and a 3rd gear scream onto the 202 through a wide and lengthy onramp help make up for those absences


I love my STi, I preferred driving my FR-S. If just barely.


Both are fantastic.

[kdmBRZ]

hello,

i came from 13' STi limited sedan to my BRZ now and I love it! I've only had my STi for a year before I switched to BRZ due to fuel economy...STi is worse than WRX...surprisingly i was constantly getting 23~24mpg avg...one time i got it up to 33.6 mpg lol but tat's tat. definitely power is not there and but BRZ feels fast and doesn't feel all THAT slow. I like it's nimbleness, balance and handling. Sure i miss the turbo rush and torque, but if I can get way better mpg and superb handling then I'll take that over power feel any day. Plus, this car is super cheap to mod compared to my STi lol. Get the car. Just chiming in OP.

[serith]

I drove my buddies 2012 WRX 5-door while he was on a cruise for a week (he tossed me the keys). Coming from an anemic 160hp tC to this turbocharged AWD monster, I barely managed 150 miles on a full tank of gas (~$60). An absolute blast to drive, but damn it's a piggy.

[Imrac]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

There are definitely times when having my WRX hatch again would be useful. I need to get a new rolling garbage bin from Lowe's. It's only about five miles away, but there's no way I can fit it in my car. I'm going to have to rent one of their trucks to drive a garbage can for five miles.

If I had my choice, I'd have my twin and a Tacoma. Best of both worlds.

Lean the passenger seat all the way back and shove the garbage can in. As long as it's like 64 gallons or less, I think it will fit.

[yohan04]

I have both BRZ and 450whp STI.

Everytime I drive the sti, it has a dead battery.

That should say something.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by yohan04

I have both BRZ and 450whp STI.

Everytime I drive the sti, it has a dead battery.

That should say something.

You need a better battery?

[GTHachiRoku]

I went from this:

To this:

WRX had 394whp. The speed was a lot of fun on wide open straights. Yes it could take corners but it was so incommunicative that you never knew when you were at the limit and would lose it. Not a car I'd ever want to track.

Even with the power difference I very much prefer 86 on my commute. Now, it would be fun to have more power in the 86 one day

[yohan04]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

You need a better battery?

lol, that too.

I find myself driving the brz more and neglecting the sti

[Havsie]

Originally Posted by Jar

The 86 was designed from the ground up to be a sports car, and you will notice this all over the place. Simple things like the seating position is a huge nod to this design. It's a cheap sports car, and I have my issues with some build quality concerns (minor gripes colored by my own experiences), but it's designed as a sports car from the ground up. Going from a WRX/STi, you may or may not notice those design subtleties, but once you go back you do notice their absence

If you drive a 2012+ Impreza and then a FR-S/BRZ back to back you'll notice that they are very similar inside...even down to the extra little window in the front. Of course there are some differences, mainly seats and a few specific interior bits, but the overall feel is similar. The same goes for the new WRX/STi compared to the 2012+ Impreza/Forester/Crosstrek, they feel very similar inside. After all, they are all loosely based on the same platform and Subaru loves to slap the same parts into every single car they make.

[Jegan_V]

Originally Posted by Havsie

If you drive a 2012+ Impreza and then a FR-S/BRZ back to back you'll notice that they are very similar inside...even down to the extra little window in the front. Of course there are some differences, mainly seats and a few specific interior bits, but the overall feel is similar. The same goes for the new WRX/STi compared to the 2012+ Impreza/Forester/Crosstrek, they feel very similar inside. After all, they are all loosely based on the same platform and Subaru loves to slap the same parts into every single car they make.

Parts bin engineering is actually a good thing. I see few downsides for the consumer and the automaker when you can achieve excellent results from a part that's already developed and proven. Having common models share these parts with a lower volume model like our cars makes keeping these cars far far easier post warranty.

I've owned a car that didn't share too many parts and the only models it shared parts with...were rarer. I loved the car but it sucked every single time a 25+ year old part quit. Parts were uncommon making it not only expensive but the wait times grounded the car on average 2 weeks each time. Had my old car benefited from parts bin engineering with common stuff like Corollas and Camrys, I'd probably would've kept it as a weekend vehicle as I'd keep more money and the car would've been driven a lot more.

[Havsie]

Originally Posted by Jegan_V

Parts bin engineering is actually a good thing. I see few downsides for the consumer and the automaker when you can achieve excellent results from a part that's already developed and proven. Having common models share these parts with a lower volume model like our cars makes keeping these cars far far easier post warranty.

I've owned a car that didn't share too many parts and the only models it shared parts with...were rarer. I loved the car but it sucked every single time a 25+ year old part quit. Parts were uncommon making it not only expensive but the wait times grounded the car on average 2 weeks each time. Had my old car benefited from parts bin engineering with common stuff like Corollas and Camrys, I'd probably would've kept it as a weekend vehicle as I'd keep more money and the car would've been driven a lot more.

Of course it's a good thing, it simplifies things and it makes parts cheap and common. I think there must be over 100 different Toyotas with that infamous digital clock in them at this point. I'm just stating my observations.

However, I still think it's a bit weird to drive several completely different cars that feel nearly identical inside...

[blackhawkdown]

just do what I did. I liked the GC8 body style so I bought one to compliment my WRX. Just waiting on my BRZ now to compliment them both. Working on my 5th Subaru.