Is this the car for me?

[dura1198]

I owned a '13 FR-S which I traded in for a '15 WRX (FR-S had about 32k miles on it). The only reasons I traded in the car were...

1) I desperately needed a functional back seat. The back seat of the twins is an absolute joke. Anyone who says otherwise is delusional and is subjecting the people in the back seat to cruel and unusual punishment.

2) Wanted some more power!

(plus I didn't feel like repairing it after hitting a fox)

To me the FR-S was the more "fun" car to drive, however, for me and my family the WRX is a much better fit.

Not sure with the cars you have mentioned there is a bad choice. Good luck!

[GreenMonster]

Originally Posted by rxlynn

OP - I drove the Accord Coupe MT when shopping, but ended up with the BRZ. Similar to you, I felt the drive was boring. Also, I HATED the interior - too many buttons and screens.

Yeah, that's one of the drawbacks to the accords... the dash is too darn busy. I want to drive a car, not a spaceship.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by GreenMonster

Yeah, that's one of the drawbacks to the accords... the dash is too darn busy. I want to drive a car, not a spaceship.

How I felt when test driving a Focus SR

[torqdork]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

SI (with HFP pack) vs. BRZ comparison
http://www.autoguide.com/car-compari...-hfp-2165.html

2015 WRX vs. BRZ comparison:

Really well done comparos, especially the BRZ/WRX video.

Interesting that both comparos said that all that was needed to complete the BRZ was to replace "the crappy Prius tires". Spot on, IMO.

However, I'm on my way to the Subie dealer later today to test a WRX, hopefully an Sti, to see what the hype is about.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by torqdork

Really well done comparos, especially the BRZ/WRX video.

Interesting that both comparos said that all that was needed to complete the BRZ was to replace "the crappy Prius tires". Spot on, IMO.

However, I'm on my way to the Subie dealer later today to test a WRX, hopefully an Sti, to see what the hype is about.

Let us know the results!

[torqdork]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Let us know the results!

Exec Summary (leaving for dinner soon):

I went in with low expectations based on my last drive of a previous gen WRX Sti with it's poor quality fit, finish and paint, horrendous turbo lag, barstool seats, rubber banding driveline and John Deere sound.

After driving a 2015 WRX Limited, I've done a complete turnaround. Except for a couple shortcomings, it would be on my list of all-weather sport sedans. This was a daylight drive so couldn't judge the interior/exterior lighting, something I always do before committing to purchase.

The interior and drivetrain are the biggest areas of improvement. I thought the soft trim dash and fake cf trim were tasteful and more upscale than any Subie ever, an easy call to make there. The power heated leather sport seats were an appreciated luxury touch. Visibility was clear in all directions and the car was easy to place accurately on a narrow back road. The 6M/T AWD driveline kept the car planted on the rain slick two-lane back road running at 75% (I don't beat new cars on demos), turbo lag was minimal but there, shifting action direct and notchy, steering firm and quick enough for a heavy sedan, brakes about average but the Sti comes with upgraded Brembos and the biggest improvement is chassis rigidity and the retuned suspension that kept roll under control.

The few shortcomings are the rental car styling from every angle except the rear with the quad outlets and diffuser and the $32,500 MSRP. The Sti inbound to the dealership lists for $39,000 before dealer adds. They won't budge on the Sti price but the excellent, knowledgable salesman was ready to follow me home and hand over the WRX for an overnight demo. I passed.

I see the WRX/FR-S comparison similar to a Kershaw Multi-Tool vs. Emerson CQC-10 knife comparison. One does everything well without being outstanding at any one thing while the other is focused on a special purpose and ready to deploy at the flick of a wrist. It's an almost unfair comparison to group the two together, they're designed for different driver's needs and wants but also understand the appeal of both.

That said, if I were looking for an all-weather 4-door DD sedan in the $32K-$34K range, I'd have to consider going even a little larger, smoother, quieter, luxurious and less expensive and check out the substantially improved 2015 Camry XLE V6. I have one in the fleet and would choose it over any other 4-door sport sedan in the segment well, because IMO let's be honest, they're all still sedans no matter how many performance improvements one has over the other. Yes, there are some other more desireable sedans out there (at a price), but the WRX price/performance misses the mark. It's no wonder the small town dealership had 11 on the ground with 9 more inbound soon in the hottest Subaru market in the US.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by torqdork

Yes, there are some other more desireable sedans out there (at a price), but the WRX price/performance misses the mark. It's no wonder the small town dealership had 11 on the ground with 9 more inbound soon in the hottest Subaru market in the US.

Thank you sir!
Not looking for one but was very, very curious to hear an unbiased review after all the hype and glowing comments from people that went to them!
Pretty much what I would have guessed.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

How I felt when test driving a Focus SR

Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

Well I am not exactly new at driving and it took me 5 minutes to find the headlight switch. Not only did it look like that but it was so unintuitive the manual would be your best friend for a long time.

[InspGadgt]

Sounds like the things you are looking for are the same things I was looking for when I bought my FRS.

Depending where you are at pricing can be an issue...from what I've read here it sounds like there are areas that really mark up the car. Out here the Scion dealer sticks strictly to the MSRP which I feel is very reasonable considering what you are getting. Pretty much every dealer out here other than Scion has a dealer mark up of 5k to 8k over MSRP. They say to compensate for the cost of shipping...but that's total bs. If you can get a dealer out here to come down to MSRP you've just pulled off the impossible. So for me it was a really nice change to go into the dealer and not have to haggle because the price they are asking is a good one. This is the 2nd Scion I've purchased and as long as I live in Hawaii I doubt I'll ever buy another brand.

As for trunk space...I know you said it isn't a big deal...but it isn't so bad as some people make out. I am an avid RC hobbiest and travel to the track and airfield often carrying a lot of equipment. When I go flying I load 2 planes in the trunk, 1 has a 5' wingspan and the other a 4' wingspan. Sure I have to put the rear seats down but I would have to do that with any other car to fit the planes too.