FRS vs. BRZ as a commuter car

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by DrakeM

I think both cars are great. They are surprisingly similar, yet remarkably different. One of the most significant differences: the suspension.

This brings me to my question. “Imagine” you’re commuting 90 miles a day, every day and that you’re not a hybrid fan. In fact, you’ve narrowed down your search to just these two cars. Which one is a better commuter car?

I do exactly that, and my opinion is if you are talking the difference between the BRZ and the FR-S, it just isn't that different. The bigger consideration is 6MT vs 6AT. I'm averaging almost 32MPG with the AT in commuter traffic. Hard to beat at the pump, realizing of course I'm discounting the up-front cost because I think that is made up in the flexibility/convenience factor of the AT.

[MVJ1975]

FR-S has Bluetooth phone too.

You aren't going to be in the car long enough to appreciate the creature comforts of the BRZ as a commuter, unless you've got an epic commute. Those really only come into play on longer trips.

[Zadkiel]

Originally Posted by Laika

Unless you are repulsed by the BRZ front bumper (many are) or you suspect subaru has raped your family and killed your dog, the BRZ is kind of a no-brainer. $1300 for HID's and the nav unit that I ended up using quite a bit even if it was just for the bluetooth phone connection because for some reason I only ever get phone calls after I get in my car. At least now I can answer them.

Plus a BRZ premium worked out @ $18 a month more than an FRS. Money well spent.

At the end of the day, if you're just trying to get into one car or another and don't care about features, there's no reason to get the BRZ (statement added to assert my neutrality on peoples choices in cars, they're both great but I just put my two cents in).

I love the BRZ's bumper over the FR-S's. To me personally, not ragging on anyones choice, it looks like the FR-S is sticking its chin out while it has an overbite. It kind of looks like the troll face to be honest. That and I wasn't a fan of the random "86" badges on the vents. I understand it on the Toyota GT86, not so much on the FR-S.

To me the slightly more understated front and a list of standard features that aren't even optional on the FR-S is why I picked the BRZ over the FR-S. Plus it feels right to have a primarily Subaru running gear car with a Subaru badge.

[blu_]

I think the heated mirrors and seats are a definite advantage for commuting in some parts of the country, but besides that I don't think either car is going to be significantly different from a pure utility point of view. I would just buy the one that fits your price range and what features/appearance you want.

[imravenit]

Coming from an AE86 as a DD both the FRS/BRZ are great commuter!

[Synack]

I chose the FR-S because the BRZ does not have the Five Axis full kit + wheels available for install by dealer. I also don't need Nav or heated seats (Texas), or leather. I am sacrificing a better interior though, and HID's. But I'll have HID's very soon. I'll trade all of that for just the nicer interior. I will have to remove Scion badging though, LOL.

[Capt Canuck]

Originally Posted by Zadkiel

I love the BRZ's bumper over the FR-S's. To me personally, not ragging on anyones choice, it looks like the FR-S is sticking its chin out while it has an overbite. It kind of looks like the troll face to be honest. That and I wasn't a fan of the random "86" badges on the vents. I understand it on the Toyota GT86, not so much on the FR-S.

And this impacts someone's commute how?

The decision for commuting is manual vs automatic and if you live in cold parts of the world, heated components like seats and mirrors.

[Zadkiel]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

And this impacts someone's commute how?

The decision for commuting is manual vs automatic and if you live in cold parts of the world, heated components like seats and mirrors.

Considering you conveniently cut out the portion where I responded about the added amenities, someone else mentioned the looks first, and I was commenting about it as well.

[catharsis]

if you want good gas mileage and a nice comfortable car, I say get a golf/jetta tdi.

[industrial]

Originally Posted by catharsis

if you want good gas mileage and a nice comfortable car, I say get a golf/jetta tdi.

Why can't you have an relatively efficient, comfortable car that's a blast to drive? The TDIs are okay but they are really a far cry away from the BRZ/FRS in the fun department. Nobody said commuter cars have to be boring!

[catharsis]

Originally Posted by industrial

Why can't you have an relatively efficient, comfortable car that's a blast to drive? The TDIs are okay but they are really a far cry away from the BRZ/FRS in the fun department. Nobody said commuter cars have to be boring!

the frs/brz gets OK mileage, but its definitely not designed for maximum fuel economy. I'm just giving my 2 cents.

[SuperDave]

Originally Posted by ST185RC

I test drove both the BRZ and FR-S around 15-20 km each. Under normal driving conditions, both feel identical going straight. I can't make a direct comparison since I didn't drive the same roads using both but both absorb bumps pretty well. I will say that there is a noticable difference in the responsiveness between this car and an ap2 (assuming that the age of the ap2 has a bit more give than a brand new car). The only thing I did notice was the BRZ being very very slightly more confident through a turn and tires weren't as easy to chirp.

I noticed in the FRS, the tires do chirp from a standstill at a light into a right turn very slightly easier than the BRZ. It's only in corners where you feel a difference when you're carving them aggressively that you begin to feel any significant difference. While my experience with the BRZ is short lived, this is simply my opinion and I don't claim that any of this is true or that I am a good driver so take it with a grain of salt.

Like some have said in the posts above, under reasonable daily-driving habits, the difference is negligible. I daily drive my FRS and the ride is comfortable enough and I don't feel exhausted after i get to my destination. Bottom line, both cars were designed to be livable as relatively comfortable (dollar for dollar comparison; can't compare this to landboat comfort) daily commuters with a few track days to slip under it's belt.

I chose the FR-S because it gave me what I need and nothing more, nothing less. I don't care about sat nav, nor do i care about HID and LED half-halos nor the trunk lining nor climate control nor heated seats. I can easily control the temperature myself. I got the FRS because it had the least amount of things that could go wrong some point down the road and the simplest driver interface that even my grandma can drive.

Oh, that and grad discount still worked and i received $1000 off my FR-S where as it was over 4 years since i got a degree and subaru didn't honor it. So yes, pricing is a bonus and I didn't have to wait months and months for the FR-S.

how did you swing that grad discount if you graduated 4 years ago?

[poudre]

Originally Posted by industrial

Brz limited was a pretty easy choice for me. Heated seats, nav, much better headlights/drls and just a nicer interior in general. Money wasn't really an issue for me. I was all set to upgrade to something in the 50-70k range and went with a BRZ instead. It felt very similar to my sti, just it was now a BRZ and the interior was slightly nicer. FRS is a great alternative if money is tight. If money isn't a big deal, get a BRZ in my opinion.

To put it another way, I feel the general package of the BRZ is just good enough where I don't feel like I'm making a huge downgrade from a luxury car (I used a late model Acura TL as a commuter). The FRS is lacking just enough stuff where it did feel like a huge downgrade. I don't know if that makes sense. The headlights and drls on the FRS drive me crazy. The plain black dash, a/c controls and colored seat inserts make the car look very cheap to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the BRZ is a luxo cruiser, it just doesn't remind me that it's an economy car as often as the FRS.

+1

[ST185RC]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

how did you swing that grad discount if you graduated 4 years ago?

The grad discount is good for 4 years after you graduate. In my case, they made an exception. Pre-order was made before 4 years elapsed and it was only a week past when the 4 years had elapsed.