i test drove the FRS yesterday! and im a little worried....

[finch1750]

I sold my 05 STi to get this car. And I got the Auto after reading a bunch about it. I am totally happy with my purchase. My commute does have some hills that keep me downshifting to keep pace with traffic, but thats fine. I knew it wouldn't be "fast" like my STi was. When I drove my car home, I had the biggest s*** eating grin on my face when I got on some easy, curvy back roads. This car was everything I expected it to be. It is expensive when people try to compare it to Mustangs or other cars with more power, but that's not the point. I plan to keep the car stock for about a year, giving time for companies to R&D parts. By then, I will know the exact direction I want to take the car, and if that means a bit more power then the aftermarket will take car of that. Isn't that why so many things were left off in the first place, because they knew we as turners would replace most of it with aftermarket pieces anyway?

[SUB-FT86]

Originally Posted by Bristecom

Yeah, same. NA 6 cylinders are the sweet spot. And yeah, I still think they would have been better off with a higher displacement but at least it didn't disappoint me on first impression.

BTW, did you ever get to drive it? If so, what did you think?

Haven't tested it yet.

[blur]

I'm sure the lack of power will be addressed in the coming years. I mean, Subaru already has a turbo FA20, and Toyota has been teasing us with their supercharger. The beauty of this car is that you can take it up and down the mountain, autox, track or even drift it completely STOCK and have the time of your life... unlike nearly every other car on the market.

[Neurytic]

To add to the SI discussion, I traded in my 05 Civic SI (EP3) and had been a Honda/Acura owner/driver for 13 years (5 Hondas). Honda had been losing me for a while now and all they had to do was make a simple, fun to drive, well balanced car (well maybe not that simple). It was a sad transition for me, but it had to be done. The FR-S (MT) compared to my EP3 was like day and night.

Sure the FR-S is still in that powerband but the FR-S is just... fun... and brings back that excitement factor like when I had my first 97 GSR. Sorry if this seems like venting. I just wish Honda would step up still... Another first86er had the same sentiment as I when we had that trip to Torrence.

[R36 almost]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

The nice thing is that the 86 gets above 4K quickly and loves living there. Honestly, that is part of the reason I so excited about the FR-S and its mates. You GET to run it at the edge in traffic without immediately endangering your license to drive. It's why I loved the MK1 MR2 so much.

I love speed/power/torque too, the second car on my shopping list was a Camaro ZL1. I would NEVER have gotten to drive the ZL1 like I drive the FR-S.

Just food for thought, everybody has different wants/desires/needs. That's why all cars are not built equal.

ur right that a car like FRS can be driven to its limits, which is always fun.
yes, every person has its own taste in cars. If somebody offer me FRS as replacement of my 3.6 Passat (worth half of FRS) i would refuse.

[synchromesh]

Originally Posted by Neurytic

To add to the SI discussion, I traded in my 05 Civic SI (EP3) and had been a Honda/Acura owner/driver for 13 years (5 Hondas). Honda had been losing me for a while now and all they had to do was make a simple, fun to drive, well balanced car (well maybe not that simple). It was a sad transition for me, but it had to be done. The FR-S (MT) compared to my EP3 was like day and night.

Sure the FR-S is still in that powerband but the FR-S is just... fun... and brings back that excitement factor like when I had my first 97 GSR. Sorry if this seems like venting. I just wish Honda would step up still... Another first86er had the same sentiment as I when we had that trip to Torrence.

It is true that Honda will have to step it up soon. We can see this with recent blogs titled "Why Honda is in even more trouble than you think".
10 years ago, Honda established the zenith of NA engine technology with RSX. It really was the best balance of power(100hp/L), economy(28mpgcity), and reliability(sold it at 230,000km). Based on what we see with Formula 3000 and today's offerings, I would bet a fair wager that we arent seeing any more gains with NA technology.

To the OP, I dont think this car is really for you then. Theres no way in the early cycle of this car they are going to make a 2.5L, or a supercharger to address power issues. Price point and intended balance will have gone astray.