FR-S/BRZ Vs. 2015 WRX ride quality

[sam69]

Our roads or a least some of them where we live are soooo terrible so when we bought our 86 even I was finding it very uncomfortable on some of the roads we travel.

My mates WRX STi was just as bad if not worse on same roads

Did alot of research on suspensions for it and finish up settling for the Tog coilovers and there is just no comparison the car rides so well it's a pleasure to drive with the shocks set at the softer setting 4 for general driving and you can up the setting for more spirited drives .

I think if you are that concerned with ride comfort you will have to do suspension like I have to get the ride your after .

[Sideways&Smiling]

Neither are stiff to the point of being harsh. They're stock sporty cars. C'mon.

[chaoskaze]

WRX is mighty comfy, it's more comfy then say a civic Si.

[brzaapi]

I find the WRX steering to be numb compared to the BRZ. Is this your experience as well? Yes, but only when compared to my BRZ or Miata.


Also, I would personally classify both as performance vehicles, so why would you need two performance vehicles? why not a cozy DD and the BRZ instead of the WRX which is almost as rough? Easy enough for me to answer, I dont find the WRX that rough. But i AX and do HPDEs on the weekend, so I am used to harsh cars. WRX is my practical car, BRZ my track car. If a car is too cozy i get really bored driving, and i love to drive.


So what's better? driving a less fun WRX all the time or driving the more fun BRZ sometimes when most other times you'll be using the supple car for main commuting? For me, if i could only have 1 car...it would be the WRX. Great value in my opinion. For you, I couldnt really say. You need to go test drive the BRZ again and hopefully that will help answer the question.

[brzaapi]

This is veering of topic but I see that you've also owned a 20006 Porsche Cayman S. I had a 2005 Boxster S. Mine was unreliable. How did you fare with yours?
I loved mine actually, eventually i went to an 09 987.2 Cayman S. I think the Boxster/Cayman are great vehicles. I have been lucky, and have not had any reliability issues. However, as great as the P-cars are I enjoy tracking Miatas, BRZs and even an S2000 just as much maybe even more. And all of those vehicles are cheaper to track, soooo......for now i stay with them over another Porsche.

[brzaapi]

Originally Posted by TylerLieberman

I'll also say that the WRX is definitely the better buy/better value compared to the STI. If you have no intention of going to the track, the STI is really a waste of money.

This is 100% true. OP, keep this in mind. Moving up to the STI will not give you a WRX that feels like a BRZ. It will give you a more serious, track ready WRX. But it wont magically give you less weight and only two doors and the driving behavior of a RWD car.

How long have you had the WRX OP? and from what car are you coming from?

Sometimes you have to detox from your old car, and get acclimated to your new one. This is coming from a guy who has owned a lot of cars. When i go from my BRZ to my WRX, i really feel the lag in my WRX. But when i go from my truck to my WRX, the car feels sharp as hell and the lag is never on my mind.

[Njnickd]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

The new WRX has a better ride. Just saying, the seats are cushier, it is farther off the ground, and the suspension is softer.


You can't have "driver's car" without some trade offs. The BRZ is stiff and the seats have little cushioning.

IIRC the BRZ & WRX have the same ground clearance.


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[Pointmutation]

Back to back I test drove the 2016 WRX and then the 2016 BRZ when I was researching new cars. The BRZ's awesome steering and handling made the WRX feel sloppy. Didn't drive over too crappy roads so I couldn't really compare harshness.

Power in the WRX was awesome but I'm also used to turbo lag and a delayed throttle response (two separate things) from driving a turbo 1.8T VW for 12 years. Lemme just say you'll get used to it (whether you like it is another issue though). I hated the lack of immediate throttle response in my turbo VW at first (had a NA Honda before that). But your driving habits will adapt and you'll learn to start mashing the throttle a little before you would in a NA car. With the BRZ now I have to get used to mashing the throttle when I want it verses mashing on it a half second before I actually need it like in the VW. Not sure if that last sentence will make sense. Even when I had to drive another car, like my mom's crappy '02 Sentra (NA), I'm constantly surprised at the immediate throttle response, and it makes me realize just how much throttle delay I've gotten used to. But I did get used to it, you just end up playing with the throttle differently than a NA car with immediate response.

Have you tried changing sport modes on the car yet? Maybe that will help with some of the throttle response issues??

As far as getting 2 cars, it is more of a hassle than just one car but it is convenient when one is getting worked on and you still have a ride. And with my 2, I have race car sports car awesomeness when I want it (BRZ), and a more comfortable, lazier, convenient 4 door, still semi-sporty drive when I want it too (in the VW, although with turbo lag, and a delayed throttle response). I'm glad I went in the 2 car direction rather than just getting the WRX (would have sold the VW if I got the more expensive WRX). Just my $0.02.

Originally Posted by rennlistuser3

There is the wait for the boost and the awkward moments of nailing the throttle and nothing happens for a bit and then wooooosh. I really can't see myself controlling the chassis dynamics in a turn using the throttle. It's just impossible to predict what it'll do. I don't know if this is just the WRX turbo behaving like this but I honestly doubt it. I think it's just turbos in general from what I've been reading before owning it.
.

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by Njnickd

IIRC the BRZ & WRX have the same ground clearance.


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WRX - 58.1″ Measured height


BRZ - 50.6" Measured height


They have the same ground clearance, but that doesn't mean anything when the seats are quite a bit higher off the floor. I guess I should have been a slight bit clearer.

[brzaapi]

Originally Posted by Pointmutation

As far as getting 2 cars, it is more of a hassle than just one car but it is convenient when one is getting worked on and you still have a ride. And with my 2, I have race car sports car awesomeness when I want it (BRZ), and a more comfortable, lazier, convenient 4 door, still semi-sporty drive when I want it too (in the VW, although with turbo lag, and a delayed throttle response). I'm glad I went in the 2 car direction rather than just getting the WRX (would have sold the VW if I got the more expensive WRX). Just my $0.02.

This. I completely agree. I dont think I will ever go back to owning just 1 car. Unless life makes me. I would always look to own a second car even if it was just a junker to have fun with.

Actually i have owned up to 5 at one time. A few miatas and such. Now i currently own 3. But the wife pretty much runs my Golf R 90% of the time. So now i only get to play with 2 cars. Life is rough like that.

[Njnickd]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

The new WRX has a better ride. Just saying, the seats are cushier, it is farther off the ground, and the suspension is softer.

I'm not replying to the height of the cars.
The ground clearance is advertised to be the same by Subaru. Further more the spring rates are higher on a stock WRX. Softer isn't the best word to describe the ride quality.



Also no one has spoken about the differences between 2015 MY verse older MY Twins. Subaru allegedly strengthened the chassis and soften the suspension. Many members have reported this. Something to think about looking at secondhand twins.


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[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by Njnickd

I'm not replying to the height of the cars.
The ground clearance is advertised to be the same by Subaru. Further more the spring rates are higher on a stock WRX. Softer isn't the best word to describe the ride quality.

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Like I said, you are right about ground clearance but that doesn't mean anything when the seats are higher on the inside of the vehicle itself. The WRX is easier to get in and out of.


The spring rates are higher, yes. It is a heavier sedan and they have to do that to make it handle like it does. Having said that it doesn't necessarily translate to a rougher ride. There is more to account for than simply spring rates.

The non STI WRX is a mass market sedan. They have to make trade offs to appeal to the general public. Cushier seats, fairly compliant ride.... its softer.

[totopo]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

Like I said, you are right about ground clearance but that doesn't mean anything when the seats are higher on the inside of the vehicle itself. The WRX is easier to get in and out of.


The spring rates are higher, yes. It is a heavier sedan and they have to do that to make it handle like it does. Having said that it doesn't necessarily translate to a rougher ride. There is more to account for than simply spring rates.

The non STI WRX is a mass market sedan. They have to make trade offs to appeal to the general public. Cushier seats, fairly compliant ride.... its softer.

I think he means for ride quality. One of the limiting factors of ride quality is ride height. Ride height, unsprung weight, and sprung weight (including expected cargo capacity) are the big determinants for the engineers when choosing wheel rates (spring). Many studies show that lower wheel rates are rated as more comfortable by consumers.

If the brz and wrx suspension have the same stroke, then they should be able to use similar wheel rates is his argument. And the fact that the wrx is more likely to use the rear seats and has more cargo space might mean that they have chosen higher wheel rates to compensate for the expected cargo.

[rennlistuser3]

Originally Posted by TylerLieberman

In terms of ride comfort, from most comfortable to least comfortable:
VW GTI
Focus ST
WRX
STI
FRS


I made a review/comparison thread here:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91845

Thanks for that list. It puts things in prospective. I know how all the cars list in terms of comfort on that list except for the FRS and now you put it in clear prospective.

Also, I read that whole thread you started. Thanks, that's a lot of information right there. You, Raven1231 and brzaapi seem to know what you're talking about and are giving clear and very informative prospective.