Toronto test drive impressions

[Saibot]

Just thought id add some insight into my test drive with the AUTO FR-S in st catharines today. It was a Silver A/T with Scion stickers all around it. odo had 2.2k on it.

The "scion rep" that brought it was the same guy who was at Kennedy Commons earlier in april. When he saw me, he instantly recoginsied me and said "WHAT are you doing here!?!?!" LOL.

I had a full hour with the auto for myself because the dealership didn't have any other test drives for 1hr15 min. The sales guy guided me to some craazy twisty back country niagara roads, and on the highway (QEW). The only catch was we were not allowed to turn off traction control. I did brake the back wheels lose (for like 2 seconds, even with TC still on) when doing a left turn though.

Paddle shifters were fine. Very natural feeling. Exhaust was OK. Its a bit too quiet for me, and so is the engine noise inside the cabin. Doesnt sound agressive at all when at low RPMs. When you bring it up above 5000, still doesnt sound that great. At idle, it sounds like my 2001 corolla when its in need of an oil change lol ( i guess this is how the boxer is supposed to sound o_O).

I was taking small twisty back country niagara roads with a limit of 10kmph at 50 and 60 with this car. Felt VERY solid, planted and literally no body roll. Not once did i feel like i needed to brake or was going to not make it through the turn or flip or even slide. Balance on this car is great as every other review says. Feels like im riding on rollercoaster tracks when taking really tight corners at high speeds.

amazingly, bumps were not a problem at all! we went over quite afew train tracks and i have no complaints whatsoever.

I do have a slight complaint about throttle response and power for the auto. Accelleration and the "suck you into the seat" factor simply was not there. Maybe because im used to riding in my buddy's M3's. Hopefully the manual feels better in terms of acceleration. (hence why i said feels like im on rollercoaster tracks when taking turns. Acceleration kinda sucks, its more momentum vs power that will push you through corners at high speeds). Throughout the entire test drive, every time i stopped at a stop sign or light, i kept wanting to dump the clutch at 4krpm to feel more power... but then realized it was auto T_T

If the manual ends up with dissapointing acceleration as well, bring on the mods! as it stands now, i feel like it deff needs more power. It is possible though that the stiff suspension is what makes me feel like i want more power. My hunch is with the subaru, since it has softer rear spring rates, the car raises its front more when accelerating, making the passengers feel like they're gaining speed alot faster?

Space in the back: I sat there. It was fine. I have no complaints. But then again; im 5' 7", 135lbs. I could sit there for hours and not complain. not too much of a hassle to get in or out like some other 2+2's.

Cupholders were moveable to accomdate people in the front or people in the back. I see huge potential for an after market armrest that also keeps the cupholders useful.

Windows seem really thin and lightweight; but were ok. Audio was nothing spectacular. Same as what Id expect in any other stock compact car. HVAC knobs were absolute crap though.

Visibility wise I had no problems. Sure i had less visibility than the civic i usually drive, but bleh; I didnt expect to be looking out of a fish tank. There was a huge blindspot as everyone else has mentioned in the rear corners but I just solved that by going 20-30km faster than everyone else when changing lanes LOL.

- Toby

[Sport-Tech]

^ Interesting, thanks Toby. Guess I am lucky I have not been driving any M3s lately lol. When I do my long test drive power is definitely one thing I am going to check out carefully, if it's subjectively not much different from my current ride, which has a 0-60 of 8 - 8.2 sec, I may wait for a more high-powered version. I'll be doing a short drive in an auto FR-S in a few days, and will then drive over to Hyundai for a test of an auto 2013 GC 2.0t for comparison.

[pastuch]

Originally Posted by Scion FR-S

^ Interesting, thanks Toby. Guess I am lucky I have not been driving any M3s lately lol. When I do my long test drive power is definitely one thing I am going to check out carefully, if it's subjectively not much different from my current ride, which has a 0-60 of 8 - 8.2 sec, I may wait for a more high-powered version. I'll be doing a short drive in an auto FR-S in a few days, and will then drive over to Hyundai for a test of an auto 2013 GC 2.0t for comparison.

The 2013 GC is a waste of time unless it's an R-Spec. The 2.0T Premium M6 I drove was nice but the R-spec is needed for the sport suspension. The interior on the GC Premium makes the FR-S look totally ghetto. The 2013 GC has a fantastic interior, it's quite impressive.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by pastuch

The 2013 GC is a waste of time unless it's an R-Spec. The 2.0T Premium M6 I drove was nice but the R-spec is needed for the sport suspension. The interior on the GC Premium makes the FR-S look totally ghetto. The 2013 GC has a fantastic interior, it's quite impressive.

obviously you have never been in a ghetto car

[pastuch]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

obviously you have never been in a ghetto car

Oh I'll be buying an FR-S despite the interior, not because of it.

[gabeh]

After sitting in an FRS with the seat at max height I found that the forward visibility just didn't cut it for me (I"m 5-6") and cancelled my order. If anyone is looking for a red base M/T it's coming soon to Yorkdale Toyota. Ask for Eddy.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by pastuch

Oh I'll be buying an FR-S despite the interior, not because of it.

but according to all your posts the Genesis is far superior in all regards.

[veewonwon]

Originally Posted by Saibot

...
I had a full hour with the auto for myself because the dealership didn't have any other test drives for 1hr15 min.

Envy you've got the extended ride treatment.

I do have a slight complaint about throttle response and power for the auto. Accelleration and the "suck you into the seat" factor simply was not there. Maybe because im used to riding in my buddy's M3's.

If you're looking for the muscle car feel, the 6MT will not get you there.

My hunch is with the subaru, since it has softer rear spring rates, the car raises its front more when accelerating, making the passengers feel like they're gaining speed alot faster?

No, the suspension trick can't do that magic. You've to get power mod or choose a different car.

There was a huge blindspot as everyone else has mentioned in the rear corners but I just solved that by going 20-30km faster than everyone else when changing lanes LOL.

but you still need more power?

[Khyron686]

Originally Posted by Saibot

Just thought id add some insight into my test drive with the AUTO FR-S in st catharines today. It was a Silver A/T with Scion stickers all around it. odo had 2.2k on it.

The "scion rep" that brought it was the same guy who was at Kennedy Commons earlier in april. When he saw me, he instantly recoginsied me and said "WHAT are you doing here!?!?!" LOL.

I had a full hour with the auto for myself because the dealership didn't have any other test drives for 1hr15 min. The sales guy guided me to some craazy twisty back country niagara roads, and on the highway (QEW). The only catch was we were not allowed to turn off traction control. I did brake the back wheels lose (for like 2 seconds, even with TC still on) when doing a left turn though.

Paddle shifters were fine. Very natural feeling. Exhaust was OK. Its a bit too quiet for me, and so is the engine noise inside the cabin. Doesnt sound agressive at all when at low RPMs. When you bring it up above 5000, still doesnt sound that great. At idle, it sounds like my 2001 corolla when its in need of an oil change lol ( i guess this is how the boxer is supposed to sound o_O).

I was taking small twisty back country niagara roads with a limit of 10kmph at 50 and 60 with this car. Felt VERY solid, planted and literally no body roll. Not once did i feel like i needed to brake or was going to not make it through the turn or flip or even slide. Balance on this car is great as every other review says. Feels like im riding on rollercoaster tracks when taking really tight corners at high speeds.

amazingly, bumps were not a problem at all! we went over quite afew train tracks and i have no complaints whatsoever.

I do have a slight complaint about throttle response and power for the auto. Accelleration and the "suck you into the seat" factor simply was not there. Maybe because im used to riding in my buddy's M3's. Hopefully the manual feels better in terms of acceleration. (hence why i said feels like im on rollercoaster tracks when taking turns. Acceleration kinda sucks, its more momentum vs power that will push you through corners at high speeds). Throughout the entire test drive, every time i stopped at a stop sign or light, i kept wanting to dump the clutch at 4krpm to feel more power... but then realized it was auto T_T

If the manual ends up with dissapointing acceleration as well, bring on the mods! as it stands now, i feel like it deff needs more power. It is possible though that the stiff suspension is what makes me feel like i want more power. My hunch is with the subaru, since it has softer rear spring rates, the car raises its front more when accelerating, making the passengers feel like they're gaining speed alot faster?

Space in the back: I sat there. It was fine. I have no complaints. But then again; im 5' 7", 135lbs. I could sit there for hours and not complain. not too much of a hassle to get in or out like some other 2+2's.

Cupholders were moveable to accomdate people in the front or people in the back. I see huge potential for an after market armrest that also keeps the cupholders useful.

Windows seem really thin and lightweight; but were ok. Audio was nothing spectacular. Same as what Id expect in any other stock compact car. HVAC knobs were absolute crap though.

Visibility wise I had no problems. Sure i had less visibility than the civic i usually drive, but bleh; I didnt expect to be looking out of a fish tank. There was a huge blindspot as everyone else has mentioned in the rear corners but I just solved that by going 20-30km faster than everyone else when changing lanes LOL.

- Toby

You seem like a torque guy. This is not the right motor. Go try a GTI 2.0T or a BMW 328i - or even a Mustang. I enjoyed the GT, just too big for me.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Saibot

Just thought id add some insight into my test drive with the AUTO FR-S in st catharines today. It was a Silver A/T with Scion stickers all around it. odo had 2.2k on it.
...- Toby

Great, honest insight and input Toby. Thanks!

[jimmillion]

Thanks Toby for the review,

An hour in the FRS with all those great rolling roads of the Niagara region?! wow talk about lucky.

I agree, those HVAC knobs were complete garbage - dollar store Tonka wheels are made with higher grade plastic....hopefully there's a aftermarket replacement for them.

[TheJuggernaut]

Just took the silver AT out for an extended drive in Oakville.

Ok the auto sucks, it's horrible. I don't care what any of the reviews say. It's just another slushbox. Yeah it revmatches when you paddle shift and reacts quickly, big deal. During normal driving it's the same garbage as any other underpowered compact with an auto. Always fetching the highest gear it can reach (which possibly explains the fuel economy numbers) and never holding a gear. I also find it kicks down unnecessarily going up grades - the engine is perfectly capable of holding the speed but it kicks down and buzzes up the hill.

Now that I've got that off my chest... I can start off by saying that if there is any issues with my BRZ purchase whatsoever, I now have zero reservations about getting the FRS. The interior materials are very nice, the stereo is fine.

General thoughts:

First glance, I agree with everything that's been said about it's stance. Especially with people inside, it sits perfectly. And the car generally presents itself infinitely better than on pictures (to me, on pictures it looks "neat", in person, it looks pretty badass!)

I'm a 300lb 6' powerlifter, I did not expect to feel happy inside this car. I have a racecar and this is a fun/track car for my wife but she couldn't come during the hours it was available. But to my amazement, the seats really feel quite nice even under my frame. Getting into the car is pretty painless if you mind the doorstep - reminds me of the Corvettes (good thing for me).

I loved how close I could get the steering wheel, I have no idea why steering wheels are so far away on most cars. The upgraded Pioneer headunit has a non-trivial interface and as far as I can tell, doesn't provide much functionality. But oh well, there's no stock headunit that's as good as what the aftermarket offers anyway.

The ride quality is very surprising. I was expecting one of two things - a harsh rattly soupcan like some track prepped Civics, or a RWD Corolla.

After pulling out initially, I feared it was the latter. The road around the dealer is at best crappy, and the ride wasn't jarring in the least. You could feel the bumps but you could feel the suspension was being compliant over all of them, even raised manhole covers.

Then I decided to slowly start squeezing it on. When the salesman noticed it, he casually mentioned how one was crashed during a testdrive recently... I hear ya.

I didn't get a chance to try anything too interesting but at the end I did take the west qew offramp to Bronte at a rather douchey speed. In other street cars, to take this series quickly you have to be smooth on turn in and wait for a hump before the first apex as it will unsettle the car quite a lot. But even without slicks and tooth rattling suspension, it was absolutely unfazed. Then braking for the second half, you can feel the weight transfer but never in a way that will unpredictably make either end feel light.

I think the engine is wonderful, I hesitate to rave about it since it was backed by that horrid transmission. But it has plenty of power and it's actually pretty quick if you let it sing over 6k (the slushbox won't do it on its own). I suspect people disappointed with the power are just not revving it out. It was a common problem with people first getting their TypeRs since the engine sounds like it's going to blow up just when it's starting to make good power. Either that or they're expecting rocketships, in which case it's the wrong car.

One last thing - it's really neat driving this thing on the highway, especially around trucks. It's literally like being in a bee going through a herd of elephants and hippos (cars). Everything is taller than you yet you're quick and stable. I've never ridden a sportbike but it must feel sorta like this. It was also a very windy day and most people were having a hard time staying in the middle of their lane and I could let go of the wheel if I wanted to.

Well done, Toyota/Subaru. I had high but nervous expectations and I was extremely pleased.

[pastuch]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

but according to all your posts the Genesis is far superior in all regards.

I don't know where you get this shit. I'm the most objective driver in the world. Brands mean nothing to me and the Genesis Coupe is an excellent car. I think if you're looking for a GT style car with a nice interior then the 2013 GC is a much better choice than an FR-S. I'm looking for a small, sports car that handles like my NA Miata, so the FR-S is a better fit for me.

My argument has always been for value per dollar and both cars excel. Unlike many people on this forum I don't think the FR-S or BRZ are the only good sports cars on the market. But then, I think brand loyalty is for retarded people that can't read.

[Sport-Tech]

Hmmm...after Juggernaut's comments I am not sure if I will even bother test driving the auto, it's a long drive to get there. But then again if the auto is used in manual mode none of his complaints would really apply.