FRS First Drive Fort Mill SC

[luxmn]

Originally Posted by terrypm

Gmfossett, thanks for the review, even though some may have wished it would have been better.
After coming out of a Miata for 4 years a small backseat is better than no backseat. I would also believe insurance costs should be better for a 4 passenger car vs a 2 passenger.

i agree, i think the 2+2 arrangement is solely for the purpose of not making this into a pricey to insured and attracting too much attention (cops, thieves...) and occasional convenience of having cramp (no argument here) seats. i don't think they were half-ass about it.

[gmfossett]

Originally Posted by luxmn

first 86 winner here, i sat and drove it before you did, i didn't say it because it would make me sounds like a douche but since you asked.

again no offense, i (and many others) will buy it for the handling alone because adding HP later on is easier than lowering center gravity. if you can't justify it, buy some other car and share us the photos i've seen plenty of interesting choices around.

The sad truth is Ive wanted to buy this car for so long I still kinda want to buy it. Im gonna wait till a BRZ hits the dealer, maybe a nicer interior and possibly more room, doubt it though. Adding HP should be easy, there is plenty of room under the hood too. The engine is very strong for its size even though torque numbers dont show on paper. The handling is what thi car is all about, it compares to many more expensive cars Ive driven before, that being said we did not have an opp to sustain high speeds and see how it would behave on uneven roads during stress of cornering at high speeds. Thats the main reason I still want to drive one still. Ive been involved in many police chases, in many different cars and some are just dangerous above 100mph but awesome below and some the other way around. Had a Police Camaro once, was awesome till 120, then it became a kite haha. No comparison though because what I do know about the FRS is that its bulit to be raced and it should do well above average when pushed.

[gmfossett]

I agree with the insurance aspect, it does make a difference. You know what they say about first impressions though,,,and its very small. The plastic I could live with, afterall I have a plastic TC ...But its also expected to have plastic in sports cars, for weight and structure too,,,my biggest problem is I stepped outta my TC and into a smaller one, same layouts. I guess I was expecting something different, not so much better but I just didnt expect all the same knobs and looks inside, maybe more stylish, newave looking,,something

[speedrye]

I'm in agreement with the OP on several items here. I'm also 5'-7" and the backseats are truly useless. The car is much smaller than you realize and I see no way you could get kids back there, even behind myself and my short legs. I only have to worry about my 50lb dog, but he's even gonna be tight back there. I don't see how you could possibly get a child's seat back there either. My wife is also 5'-7" and we tried putting her in the front passenger seat, as far forward as she could go (knee's just touching the dash/glovebox and I certainly did not have enough room back there unless I turned sideways. The OP is right in stressing this point, because I don't feel the majority of people realize how small it really is.

The overall interior feel doesn't feel expensive and the general layout doesn't help, but I disagree with the OP on material quality. The materials are nicer than my BMW and most cars that I've seen anywhere near the FR-S price range. Also keep in mind that the TC2 was praised for it's high quality interior materials.

[Subie]

Originally Posted by speedrye

I'm in agreement with the OP on several items here. I'm also 5'-7" and the backseats are truly useless. The car is much smaller than you realize and I see no way you could get kids back there, even behind myself and my short legs. I only have to worry about my 50lb dog, but he's even gonna be tight back there. I don't see how you could possibly get a child's seat back there either. My wife is also 5'-7" and we tried putting her in the front passenger seat, as far forward as she could go (knee's just touching the dash/glovebox and I certainly did not have enough room back there unless I turned sideways. The OP is right in stressing this point, because I don't feel the majority of people realize how small it really is.

The overall interior feel doesn't feel expensive and the general layout doesn't help, but I disagree with the OP on material quality. The materials are nicer than my BMW and most cars that I've seen anywhere near the FR-S price range. Also keep in mind that the TC2 was praised for it's high quality interior materials.

I don't see how that could be. I own one and there is absolutely nothing praiseworthy about them. It's all cheap, hard, ill-fitting plastic inside.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by gmfossett

The sad truth is Ive wanted to buy this car for so long I still kinda want to buy it. Im gonna wait till a BRZ hits the dealer, maybe a nicer interior and possibly more room, doubt it though. ....

The BRZ has some nicer materials in it in some locations. However. the BRZ won't have any more interior room. They are, for all purposes, different trim levels of the same car.

I've sat in both, and have driven the FR-S. To me, it looks like a car designed to be a $35K car that they then scaled back on items that don't matter for a "driver's car". They had a price point to meet, and that required sacrifics. Fortunately for me, I'm OK on areas where they sacrificed because it wasn't around handling.

As far as the back seat, yes it's small. I've seen 4 adult males get in and out of the car, and ride in it. It would not have been great for anything other than a short ride, but its doable.

I wouldn't be buying the car if it didn't have a back seat. That's why a Corvette is not on my list of possible new cars but the Camaro and FR-S was.

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by Subie

I don't see how that could be. I own one and there is absolutely nothing praiseworthy about them. It's all cheap, hard, ill-fitting plastic inside.

Its better than Yaris though IMO.
Ive have a 2006 Corolla, which i kind of use as an interior benchmark. Its not super high grade, but it doesnt feel like a cheap pos. Its a pretty solid feeling.

Step into a Yaris, and THAT is low grade, horrible feeling, horrible textured plastic.
Step into a 2009+ Corolla, THAT is low grade as well. Horribly thin and hollow feeling.
the second gen tC feels above that but is it high grade? nahh not really. It still felt cheap but it definately felt better than the Corolla and Yaris. I'd say it ranks somewhere between the Yaris/2009 Corolla and my 2006 Corolla.

The HVAC knobs though, yeah they all felt like cheap pos among all three (since they all felt the same, and well they're pretty much all the same anyways). I dont expect the FRS knobs to be any different than these.
My car doenst have the round lid type its more of a rotating switch.

I thought the top part of the FRS dash was supposed to be some softish touch material?

[Subie]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

Its better than Yaris though IMO.
Ive have a 2006 Corolla, which i kind of use as an interior benchmark. Its not super high grade, but it doesnt feel like a cheap pos. Its a pretty solid feeling.

Step into a Yaris, and THAT is low grade, horrible feeling, horrible textured plastic.
Step into a 2009+ Corolla, THAT is low grade as well. Horribly thin and hollow feeling.
the second gen tC feels above that but is it high grade? nahh not really. It still felt cheap but it definately felt better than the Corolla and Yaris. I'd say it ranks somewhere between the Yaris/2009 Corolla and my 2006 Corolla.

The HVAC knobs though, yeah they all felt like cheap pos among all three (since they all felt the same, and well they're pretty much all the same anyways). I dont expect the FRS knobs to be any different than these.
My car doenst have the round lid type its more of a rotating switch.

I thought the top part of the FRS dash was supposed to be some softish touch material?

I sat in a 2012 redesigned Yaris and the plastic they're using now is the same textured plastic as the tC. I also rented a 2011 or 2012 Corolla recently and found the interior to be of higher quality than the tC. I just can't see the FR-S being as bad as a tC2, but part of the reason I'm buying a BRZ is due to the improved center stack.

[Torquesteered]

This is the first time I've heard of the car being cramped in the front seat too. This worries me... I am a litttle under 6ft but I am a very big guy width wise. Will I fit? I was lead to believe there is a decent amout of room in the front. So whats the truth of it? I want one of these cars but if its that small I may have to rethink buying one. Wasn't there a post(Titusdrake I think) where he said he was 6'5 and 330lbs and he fit and was comfortable? So confused. Can somebody else who is big and sat in it chime in please?

[luxmn]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

Its better than Yaris though IMO.
Ive have a 2006 Corolla, which i kind of use as an interior benchmark. Its not super high grade, but it doesnt feel like a cheap pos. Its a pretty solid feeling.

Step into a Yaris, and THAT is low grade, horrible feeling, horrible textured plastic.
Step into a 2009+ Corolla, THAT is low grade as well. Horribly thin and hollow feeling.
the second gen tC feels above that but is it high grade? nahh not really. It still felt cheap but it definately felt better than the Corolla and Yaris. I'd say it ranks somewhere between the Yaris/2009 Corolla and my 2006 Corolla.

The HVAC knobs though, yeah they all felt like cheap pos among all three (since they all felt the same, and well they're pretty much all the same anyways). I dont expect the FRS knobs to be any different than these.
My car doenst have the round lid type its more of a rotating switch.

I thought the top part of the FRS dash was supposed to be some softish touch material?

yup, any parts that have the "leather" look: top of dash, door arm rest... they are soft leather (with cushion) so to me that's not cheapos, just not Jaguar, better than my bud's bmw328 IMO.

[luxmn]

Originally Posted by Torquesteered

This is the first time I've heard of the car being cramped in the front seat too. This worries me... I am a litttle under 6ft but I am a very big guy width wise. Will I fit? I was lead to believe there is a decent amout of room in the front. So whats the truth of it? I want one of these cars but if its that small I may have to rethink buying one. Wasn't there a post(Titusdrake I think) where he said he was 6'5 and 330lbs and he fit and was comfortable? So confused. Can somebody else who is big and sat in it chime in please?

will you fit? yes. will you feel comfortable? depends on you. sense of space is a personal thing, fit or not is fact.

[gmfossett]

I agree, sense of space is a personal thing, I had a friend with me that is 6 2, he drove as well, he said he loved the car but felt like a circus clown in a Vw. He had a hard time getting in and out but saud he was ok once in but cramped. I looked at my video of me driving and I take up the whole drivers side window. I was comfortable enough to drive but I wouldnt say completely comfortable...but I didnt have 30 minutes to adjust my seats and get them just right. An earlier poster said he say four people get out of one,,I beleive him but that would have to be an incredible and rehearsed act. The front seats go back like all front seats do, but the difference in the FRS is that the furthest back position is stopped by the front seat resting against the rear seat bottom. Not a big deal if you will never nead or want a back seat,,definately an insurance plus but I can assure you the rates on the FRS will be skyrocket anyhow due to being manufactured in Japan and all parts being first year production, my TC2 rates doubled from my previous Impala ss. Im sure the FRS will also have high symbols associated with it but the four seats will help. They didnt have any crash test results available yesterday, that will make a difference too. I personally wouldnt want to be in a FRS in any type crash but from what I could see with my eyes (no internal structures) the doors looked slightly thinner and were light weight and considering ur body is pressed against them and snuggly fit in the ****pit it may not be pretty in a wreck, that being said Ill bet anything that its all been designed as well as any other car out there for impact.

[Exhaust]

Thanks for the honest review! Appreciate the feedback and wish you well on whichever vehicle you decide to purchase

[csaba]

Originally Posted by tripjammer

Your the first one that really hates the interior. But is the interior better than the tC interior? I know they went cheap on the AC controls and the seats vs the BRZ, but other than that the interiors are the same between the BRZ and the FR-S. There is a lot more hard plastic in the tC vs the fRS\BRZ.

A good review non-the-less

The interior is much better than the TC. I have the TC and I saw the FRS in person the OP asking for too much this is not a luxury sports car its a low budget affordable sports car period. If he want that than buy a infinity G37.

They did a great job with the interior for the money ! they call it compromise !!
The car is lite weight build around the driver for a great driving experience.