First test drive. Feeling disappointed.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by imprezive

. Maybe my expectations were a little too high. .

BINGO! -


humfrz

[StraightOuttaCanadaEh]

Dealerships are notoriously cheap and will fill a car up with regular gas. I know mine did. And to echo the thoughts of others, it is only when you're by yourself, without a passenger, absolutely revving the crap out of it, that the car really starts to shine. Watch Chris Harris' review on it. He actually says most people can't even drive it at 10/10ths

[Jordanwolf]

Solution.

Buy brand new TRD 86. Strip 700lbs no problem, add centrifugal TC for gains of 400 hp over stock, add lightweight coilovers, swap wheels for 19x9 mega light weight (10 lbs per wheel), delete exhaust and add hate pipe, carbon fiber all the parts, and get pine air freshener so it always like new.

Enjoy.

[FunnyGopher]

Originally Posted by imprezive

Cliff notes: How much can you feel the difference after adding a header/tune compared to stock? I know it is hard to describe, but please do your best.

In my experience, there is no doubt there is a difference. This is probably subjective to the specific header and tune you get, but in my experience with my ACE header and tune from Delicious Tuning, the thing definitely feels more like a rocket ship relative to what it felt like stock.

For example, the tune really did minimize the torque dip. I never feel like I'm NOT on the edge of power with a press of the throttle. The car really get's going around 3k, but it's not a slouch from a stop. You can also feel the car pulling all the way to redline, as opposed to stock where anything after 6k just felt anemic.

I'm also an advocate of keeping the car NA. The throttle response is addicting. It can also hold it's own quiet well to vehicles with similar displacement turbo'd engines. I've had many people who I've run down a road with stop with me at a light or a gas station and ask me how much PSI I'm running or if I've turbo'd it.

I love this car because I can drive the hell out of it. I'm confident in curves and can go all out on straight freeways. It may not be the fastest thing on the road, but I can drive it at 100% almost all the time because of it. Hearing the car rev to 8k and slamming through gears is a fantastic feeling.

[nikitopo]

I agree that in stock form the power output is so so. It feels somehow gutted. Modifying the car with catless headers and a tune will not give you that much to call it a day. You'll need either to go FI which I don't recommend or to combine power modifications together with lightweighting. If you are a track enthusiast then add to the receipt additional down force. You said that you have a budget of 10k. It is enough to build an interesting car. Others might say to buy with the additional money a more expensive car, but it will not be YOUR OWN (personally modified) CAR. If you visit here Nurburgring you will see almost everywhere factory Porsche's. So many that you'll get bored of it. I guess the same holds there with the Camaro's, Mustang's or other U.S. made sport cars. I hope you get my point.

[86MLR]

It's a cheap car that handles "ok" stock.

With tyres and some well though out suspension/handling solutions the car handles extremely well.

With some breathing mods and a "good tune" you can add around 30% power, but, in the end it is still a cheap low powered 2.0ltr NA engine.

You can make it fast, but, reliability becomes a issue, remember, it's a cheap RWD sports car, for its price its actually quite good bang for your buck.

If you are worried about it having a lack of power you are looking at the wrong car, it isn't a race car, it isn't a drag car, it's a cheap mass produced sports car that does everything "OK".

If you want a faster car, spend more money.

In the end, no matter what you have, someone with more money will have something faster.

People are never happy.....but then, that's what money and tools are for.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by imprezive

I live in New Smyrna Beach, but drive all over FL for work. I just find 93 more consistently across FL and I'm not crazy about the reduced MPG with E85. If I was racing down canyons everyday that would be one thing, but if I'm driving 100 miles south down I95, I'd like to still get 30MPG.

Yeah if your are all over the state then 93 makes more since. My car gets me two and from work which is all local and then a few joy rides on weekends. We take the Suburban when travailing. I’m lucky the GATE here in Jax has E85 all over the place. One station right out side my hood and 3 more along my route to work and then one just down the road from the office. The MPG hit is big but cost/mile is still better than 93. But the range sucks especially if you have to drive 100/day. You would need to fill up every other day.

My sister in law lives in Wilbur By The Sea which is just above you. I’d be willing to meet up with you and let you drive my car the next time we are down there visiting. Although we typically don’t take my car on road trips.

[ermax]

Lots of good points about a dealer test drive. I got my car used to it was already broken in. I test drive mine with my wife and the sales person didn’t want to sit in the back so I was free to drive it like I stole it. I was a seriously unimpressed with power and starting to get a little bummed but then when I turned down a less busy road without traffic that had some turns I was completely sold. I had the aids disabled and did a nice uturn on a wide road with the tail hung way out and totally drama free.

I’m not sure if you have ever owned a RWD car but it takes time to learn what they are capable of and until you are comfortable with sliding them around the fun factor will not be as high. My last DD was an IS300 5MT with LSD so I was already used to RWD.

[why?]

I tell people it is a rear wheel drive Corolla, because that is what it is.

Originally Posted by imprezive

What a ridiculous statement, especially in a sub-forum dedicated specifically to modifying this car's powertrain.

Why is "go buy a Mustang" such a common response here when some expresses anything but adoration for every single aspect of the BRZ?

I'm not hating on the BRZ, quite the opposite. I like it so much that I'm still considering it even though it doesn't check one of my main boxes.

That dude is a moron, but our job is to do everything we can to dissuade you. The number of people that buy one of these and then get pissy because of how underpowered it is and sell it for a Mustang is large.

It is a great commuter car, and it looks good to. But without stripping it and adding fi you probably won't ever get it to feel powerful, because it isn't.

Seriously go check out a Camaro, the things they've done with them is awesome. One of our local guys just bought a 1LE v8 for a track car, the things are awesome.

[CatDaddysBBQ]

agree with most - it's a totally underwhelming car if you don't kind of beat the snot out of it. Driven gingerly it would absolutely underwhelm compared to a flatter torque curve of your garden variety compact.

And like everybody said - the header and tune will make it better - smoother delivery, a bit more punch down low but if you're expecting it to feel like a different car it won't. It just feels like a better version of the same car.

[86TOYO2k17]

Originally Posted by imprezive

Cliff notes: . I plan on putting about 10k worth of mods into the car, but would like to keep it NA and very daily driver friendly. (I drive about 25k miles every year).


Thanks!

What is your 10k of mods you had in mind?

Do you have an idea of what sort of power to weight ratio, and/or 0-60 or 1/4mile times you would need to have to have the type of acceleration you are looking for? Have you driven in a car that meets the baseline standard you have in your mind of what you expect?

Its hard to tell someone how they specifically will feel doing x y and z, someone might think 0-60 in 6 is fast enough, someone else might think anything over 5 seconds is slow.

A brz/86/frs does 0-60 without a launch in high 7s and 1/4 in low 16s for reference. a header/tune alone might drop .6-.8 off 0-60 and maybe 1sec off the 1/4

[imprezive]

Originally Posted by 86TOYO2k17

What is your 10k of mods you had in mind?

Intake, Header, Full exhaust (Q300 for quietness), RCE yellows, Bilstein B6, JDM underpanels, rear diffuser, minor weigh reduction mods, lighter wheels, maybe lighter brakes.

Do you have an idea of what sort of power to weight ratio, and/or 0-60 or 1/4mile times you would need to have to have the type of acceleration you are looking for? Have you driven in a car that meets the baseline standard you have in your mind of what you expect?

I'm not so concerned with specific numbers, more just want a "peppier" engine, great handling (which it already has) and attractive aesthetics.

I know that numbers directly correlate to "feel". I would imagine a 15% increase in torque through the 4-6k range, would give me enough of an improved "feel" to satisfy me.

[SuperTom]

Originally Posted by imprezive

I drove a 19' but this is actually a concern of mine. While gearing feels great in lower gears, I do a lot of my driving at odd hours on low traffic highways, so I spend a lot of time on cruise control between 80-85mph. I'd prefer not to be sitting at 3800 RPM for an hour straight.

Well the noise is going to be worse once you mod it with headers exhaust. I would test drive other vehicles in your price range. Words in a forum can only answer so much

[imprezive]

Originally Posted by SuperTom

Well the noise is going to be worse once you mod it with headers exhaust.

Yeah. I don't mind a little drone, just don't want it raspy and I would like to be able to pull out of my driveway without disturbing the neighbors.

I would test drive other vehicles in your price range. Words in a forum can only answer so much

Truth. I have a list of cars to test drive and I want to drive a 2015/16 BRZ and an AT. Unfortunately, there isn't any other car quite like the twins on my list. (I understand that there are other "similar" cars like the Ecoboost Mustang, but for various reasons I have eliminated them all from consideration) My other considerations are basically commuter cars with some HP.

2017 Accord V6 coupe MT
2018+ Camry XSE MY
2017+ Golf R
2018+ WRX (again)
2017+ Lexus IS 350