What do you wish you'd known before owning?

[PhyrraM]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

Can you guys explain what exactly is so bad about the HU ?
Everyone says it's bad, but no one says anything beyond that.

Mine connects to my phone, so I can use is as speaker phone.
It can also play Spotify audio. It also has GPS Maps.
I'm not sure why I am supposed to hate this thing.

I've never even had a HU, so this is a huge bonus to me.
Are there other features I'm supposed to want?
Do you not like the font?
Is it not loud enough for you?

2017 BRZ.
Slow response screen.
Takes a long time to connect bluetooth and play music upon startup. about 30 seconds or so (Android, LG V10)
No navigation or Android auto. Only map solution is through Starlink @ $20 year (TomTom?)
Starlink apps are very limited, it does have Stitcher.
Mostly the phone connectivity and usefulness - It's 2 generations old on a car I've had for 3 weeks.

[TylerLieberman]

-The depreciation is ridiculous

That's pretty much it.

I also have my fair share of complaints about the HU from when I owned mine. It was a 13MY and I thought the stereo was horrendous. I had the upgraded unit too, and was really let down.

The fact that I have to use a specific cable to run the navigation on the screen, which hardly worked and lagged for days.... while also not being able to play any music or anything was such a joke. I almost wanted to rip it out of the car and drive to Scion HQ and throw it through their front window.

[Azzudien]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

Can you guys explain what exactly is so bad about the HU ?
Everyone says it's bad, but no one says anything beyond that.

Mine connects to my phone, so I can use is as speaker phone.
It can also play Spotify audio. It also has GPS Maps.
I'm not sure why I am supposed to hate this thing.

I've never even had a HU, so this is a huge bonus to me.
Are there other features I'm supposed to want?
Do you not like the font?
Is it not loud enough for you?

Go test drive any other comparable priced car from Nissan, Ford, Chevy just about any manufacturer except Subaru and you will quickly realize how bad the HU is for Subaru.

Case in Point comparison
2013 Nissan Sentry. Start car, hit navigation button, hit a saved address and the entire process from start to when directions come up on screen less than 1 minute
2017 Subaru BRZ. Don't forget to plug in I phone prior to starting car. Start car. Wait 5 minutes for apps to load. Hit Magellan, wait 5 minutes for it to load. Does not allowed saved addresses, so type in address. Wait another few minutes and finally directions.
Don't turn on any other app like Pandora or your nav will shut off and you will have to stop car and start over. Plus you have to pay for the navigation which stinks.

I love the car, I didn't buy it for the HU. But that is the single thing I dislike about the car. Everything else is great.

[fierostetz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The Subies seem to be selling just a bit better than the 86s so that makes sense. The new year Toyotas usually show up about a month before the BRZs so they may be a bit more eager to clear stock since the 18s can't be far away.

Right on. Last quote from 'yota was just under 24k otd, still working on it.
Would rather get BRZ tho.

[LudwigMiles]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I am still fully capable of doing the work. I just don't want to anymore. Love cars still but the whole working on it to bond is just no longer a consideration for me. I bond with it a bit more every time I avoid an encounter with a truck at 75mph or when we thumbs up from random strangers while driving through the city. I don't need to change the oil or wrench on some bolts to feel that bond.

I've also started to lose some DIY motivation. Getting older and lazier.
About how old are you when this happened to you?

[LudwigMiles]

Why not get a used BRZ? You'll get one for half price

[fierostetz]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

Why not get a used BRZ? You'll get one for half price

Want the new final drive ratio, and at least near me almost all the FRS/BRZ I see around are being flogged. If it wasn't a car that was prone to "enthusastic" driving, like a Camry or something, I'd be comfortable used. I just don't want to inherit someones thrashed transmission and get denied warranty later. Since I can't work on things myself anymore I kinda want to make sure I have the warranty.

[cjd]

Originally Posted by Purist

Any examples?

Many things this car does, like the focus on economy, aren't worth a thing to car enthusiasts. But I wouldn't be taking a cross country road trip in a car with less room, lower economy, etc. That balance makes it the car I want to drive everywhere, because it's fun and a joy to drive without being remotely impractical.

[mrg666]

I wish I had known that
- the car wasn't really underpowered
- the torque dip wasn't really an issue
- automatic shift was pretty decent for enjoying the car
- it could do almost everything as my previous 4-door Accord
- winter performance was just fine
- and the car would be so awesome with a FI kit.

I could have bought it one year earlier. But it was so cute. After finally seeing the car in person at the dealer, I just couldn't stop myself from buying it with all those doubts in my mind. I am glad I did the impulse buy. If I had bought the Camry for the same price which I thought would be the most logical choice, I was going to miss the best car I have owned in my life.

[NeverInTime]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

Why not get a used BRZ? You'll get one for half price

As @fierostetz said earlier, lots of Twins here in California tend to get used quite a lot. There are a lot of Twins in California, but since demand here is higher for a low-milage Twins prices tend to be a bit more expensive compared to similar cars on sale outside of the state. I've seen used sub-15k mile manual transmission Twins be listed around the $20k price range in Northern/Southern California. And at that price the argument to buy new is a lot more appealing.

There are definitely great deals used for sure, but I haven't seen anything that wasn't a salvage/rebuilt title or had less than 60k miles for around $15k.

[re-animator]

i have a 13, the head unit is not that bad. its not the best, but fairly typical of newer cars. the audio is atrocious, but i think that has to do as much with minimal noise reduction as it is speakers and HU. adding some noise reduction to the doors will probably go a long way, though it adds weight.

i knew the engine is underpowered and the stock tires suck, but the tire upgrade did wonders. handling is even better than advertised now that its sitting on MPSS and lowered an inch. front side doesn't overhang much so its not even a big pain in the butt at this height. i could do with another 30 horsepower but then again you already knew that going in. the rest is basically just as advertised. its a small, lightweight, uncomplicated sports car with great balance. the interior on the BRZ limited/FRS monogram is pretty nice too.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

I've also started to lose some DIY motivation. Getting older and lazier.
About how old are you when this happened to you?

Only the last 5 years or so really.

[Mim]

Took me a solid year to pay off an existing car loan which gave me plenty of time to research everything prior to committing. No surprises, only affirmation of all the good and bad points we already knew from early owners.

Love mine to bits, especially the auto transmission. Now I look at other cars and think, oh that sounds great, but I find it hard to believe it will have an AT as good as ours.

[Purist]

Originally Posted by cjd

Many things this car does, like the focus on economy, aren't worth a thing to car enthusiasts. But I wouldn't be taking a cross country road trip in a car with less room, lower economy, etc. That balance makes it the car I want to drive everywhere, because it's fun and a joy to drive without being remotely impractical.

You make a good point. I live 4 hours away from the city and I have to say that while I generally don't care about the economy, it is nice to do an 800km round trip on one tank of fuel.