Test drove a '15 BRZ, bought a '13 FR-S ... WAY DIFFERENT - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

donoman · 03-11-2015, 05:20 AM

Decided I should get an '86 used, just in case the car turns out not to be my cup of tea. Boy was I surprised at the lack of ride quality in this FR-S after driving it around a little more.

Intended use: Daily driver, mixed city/fwy. Some days 10 minutes, some days 60 minutes each way. Grocery beater, something that I won't mind bringing to the gym as my other cars are just too rare to beat on.

I'm actually pretty APPALLED that the suspension is so dang brutal in the (older) FR-S. When I test drove the '15 BRZ it was firm but not rough. I actually LOVED it and that's saying a lot. The tire grip, the motor, the interior noise level, it's all to my satisfaction but wow that rear suspension reminds me of my lowered Miata on GC track suspension. It's totally different... set up for sharp handling and auto-x but probably not as good of a daily driver. Hats off to you guys (and your butts) that can handle this all day err day. Maybe I'm just getting old.

AM I CRAZY or is this drastic difference real?

Edit: Car has 22k miles and previous owner only drove it for 1.5 years... car was babied.

CoupedUpSubie · 03-11-2015, 05:52 AM

Are you sure it was babied? Private sale or from a dealer?

donoman · 03-11-2015, 06:20 AM

Barring having the previous owner swear on his mothers grave and take a blood oath yes, it was babied. I used to be a buyer for a car dealership and this car is legit.

donoman · 03-11-2015, 06:21 AM

One thing I didn't think about is perhaps the difference in seats. I test drove a '15 BRZ limited and this thing has cloth seats.

ntron1 · 03-11-2015, 06:42 AM

You did know that the FRS and BRZ suspensions are different spring rates right?

Tcoat · 03-11-2015, 07:12 AM

Are you sure it is on stock suspension??
The FRS aint no glide on a cloud ride but with stock suspension it shouldn't be as bad as you are describing either.

donoman · 03-11-2015, 07:13 AM

I knew but had no idea it would be so drastic. Lots of people talk about how the two cars feel almost the same. They feel very different. I feel like the front is good but the rear needs more rebound damping.

donoman · 03-11-2015, 07:14 AM

I need to also make a confession that I'm coming from very German cars so my butt is probably used to the luxury.

AJPG · 03-11-2015, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donoman

I knew but had no idea it would be so drastic. Lots of people talk about how the two cars feel almost the same. They feel very different. I feel like the front is good but the rear needs more rebound damping.

Mine (FRS2013) could use more damping on the rear, but that's above 80-90mph... At that speed also need brake upgrade to avoid heat soak/overheating.

PandaSPUR · 03-11-2015, 08:29 AM

Maybe you should go test drive a 2014/2015 FRS at a dealership and see if you still have the same opinion about the suspension. I dont think there were any changes made to the suspension between model years for the FRS.

For the BRZ I think the 2015 improved ride quality even more, not sure how, its just what I've read a few times around here.

EDIT: I saw your WTB thread lol. Might want to look at this: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84230

ImBatman · 03-11-2015, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

Maybe you should go test drive a 2014/2015 FRS at a dealership and see if you still have the same opinion about the suspension. I dont think there were any changes made to the suspension between model years for the FRS.

They did tweak the suspension a bit on the 2015 FRS... it was really the only "performance-oriented" upgrade they made since the first model year.

Apparently, they made the FRS ride similar to the BRZ. Not quite as tail-happy and a touch softer for daily driving.

That's what they tell us anways... @Tcoat broke down the differences in this thread: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73739

There's some pretty good first-person, real-world experience impressions in there if you're interested.

The only other performance upgrade in the 2015 FRS/BRZ that I know of is the factory turbo... Should've opted for the new one man.

PandaSPUR · 03-11-2015, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBatman

The only other performance upgrade in the 2015 FRS/BRZ that I know of is the factory turbo... Should've opted for the new one man.

So the OP's best bet for a good comparison would be to find another 2013/2014 FRS owner, or find a dealer that still has a 2014 on the lot I guess.

Rampage · 03-11-2015, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donoman

I need to also make a confession that I'm coming from very German cars so my butt is probably used to the luxury.

And a lot more weight. German cars are bloated and heavy now. That makes for a much more luxurious feel and smoother ride. You have to do a total mind wipe once you get used to and start enjoying that in order to appreciate the light and tight that you get from the FR-S. A lot of the early adopters could not adjust and scurried back to the lap of luxury.

xmadror · 03-11-2015, 09:14 AM

Is the fr-s still on stock wheel and tire size ?
Many owner went with 18" and that would make it harsher

And as mentioned already the spring rate are not the same for the frs and brz

Spec from a quick search from 2012 post (not sure if its still accurate but it should):

Front OE Spring Rate:
Subaru BRZ 27 N/mm (153 lbs/in)
Scion FR-S 23 N/mm (131 lbs/in)

Rear OE Spring Rate:
Subaru BRZ 34 N/mm (195 lbs/in)
Scion FR-S 37 N/mm (211 lbs/in)

So there is a difference but I'm not gonna try to elaborate any more on this (already plenty of info on this forum about that)

03-11-2015, 05:20 AM	#1
donoman Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Drives: '13 FR-S Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 277 Thanks: 6 Thanked 87 Times in 48 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Test drove a '15 BRZ, bought a '13 FR-S ... WAY DIFFERENT Decided I should get an '86 used, just in case the car turns out not to be my cup of tea. Boy was I surprised at the lack of ride quality in this FR-S after driving it around a little more. Intended use: Daily driver, mixed city/fwy. Some days 10 minutes, some days 60 minutes each way. Grocery beater, something that I won't mind bringing to the gym as my other cars are just too rare to beat on. I'm actually pretty APPALLED that the suspension is so dang brutal in the (older) FR-S. When I test drove the '15 BRZ it was firm but not rough. I actually LOVED it and that's saying a lot. The tire grip, the motor, the interior noise level, it's all to my satisfaction but wow that rear suspension reminds me of my lowered Miata on GC track suspension. It's totally different... set up for sharp handling and auto-x but probably not as good of a daily driver. Hats off to you guys (and your butts) that can handle this all day err day. Maybe I'm just getting old. AM I CRAZY or is this drastic difference real? Edit: Car has 22k miles and previous owner only drove it for 1.5 years... car was babied. Last edited by donoman; 03-11-2015 at 05:35 AM.

03-11-2015, 05:52 AM	#2
CoupedUpSubie Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Drives: 2013 BRZ Limited Location: United States Posts: 299 Thanks: 11 Thanked 118 Times in 91 Posts Mentioned: 6 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Are you sure it was babied? Private sale or from a dealer? __________________ 2013 BRZ Limited 6MT 2014 Ram 1500 Quad Cab Black Ram - 8 speed with 3.21 gears 1994 Honda VFR750 - Two brothers 4-1 left side exit exhaust 1993 Honda CB750 Nighthawk

03-11-2015, 06:42 AM	#5
ntron1 Sarcastic Bastard Join Date: Apr 2013 Drives: '13 DGM BRZ, '13 Mini, 1999 Blazer Location: Amish Land, PA Posts: 586 Thanks: 341 Thanked 336 Times in 182 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	You did know that the FRS and BRZ suspensions are different spring rates right? __________________

03-11-2015, 07:12 AM	#6
Tcoat Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Drives: 2020 Hakone Location: London, Ont Posts: 69,841 Thanks: 61,656 Thanked 108,295 Times in 46,456 Posts Mentioned: 2499 Post(s) Tagged: 50 Thread(s)	Are you sure it is on stock suspension?? The FRS aint no glide on a cloud ride but with stock suspension it shouldn't be as bad as you are describing either. __________________ Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar, because Racecar.

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03-11-2015, 06:20 AM	#3
donoman Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Drives: '13 FR-S Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 277 Thanks: 6 Thanked 87 Times in 48 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Barring having the previous owner swear on his mothers grave and take a blood oath yes, it was babied. I used to be a buyer for a car dealership and this car is legit.

03-11-2015, 06:21 AM	#4
donoman Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Drives: '13 FR-S Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 277 Thanks: 6 Thanked 87 Times in 48 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	One thing I didn't think about is perhaps the difference in seats. I test drove a '15 BRZ limited and this thing has cloth seats.

03-11-2015, 07:13 AM	#7
donoman Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Drives: '13 FR-S Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 277 Thanks: 6 Thanked 87 Times in 48 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I knew but had no idea it would be so drastic. Lots of people talk about how the two cars feel almost the same. They feel very different. I feel like the front is good but the rear needs more rebound damping.

03-11-2015, 07:14 AM	#8
donoman Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Drives: '13 FR-S Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 277 Thanks: 6 Thanked 87 Times in 48 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I need to also make a confession that I'm coming from very German cars so my butt is probably used to the luxury.

03-11-2015, 08:29 AM	#10
PandaSPUR PandaPandaPandaPandaPanda Join Date: May 2014 Drives: 2015 BRZ Limited CWP Location: New York City, NY Posts: 1,432 Thanks: 776 Thanked 697 Times in 438 Posts Mentioned: 12 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Maybe you should go test drive a 2014/2015 FRS at a dealership and see if you still have the same opinion about the suspension. I dont think there were any changes made to the suspension between model years for the FRS. For the BRZ I think the 2015 improved ride quality even more, not sure how, its just what I've read a few times around here. EDIT: I saw your WTB thread lol. Might want to look at this: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84230

03-11-2015, 09:14 AM	#14
xmadror Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Drives: BRZ Sport Tech 13 Location: Canada, Qc Posts: 118 Thanks: 25 Thanked 98 Times in 48 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Is the fr-s still on stock wheel and tire size ? Many owner went with 18" and that would make it harsher And as mentioned already the spring rate are not the same for the frs and brz Spec from a quick search from 2012 post (not sure if its still accurate but it should): Front OE Spring Rate: Subaru BRZ 27 N/mm (153 lbs/in) Scion FR-S 23 N/mm (131 lbs/in) Rear OE Spring Rate: Subaru BRZ 34 N/mm (195 lbs/in) Scion FR-S 37 N/mm (211 lbs/in) So there is a difference but I'm not gonna try to elaborate any more on this (already plenty of info on this forum about that)

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