things you notice about the 86 while driving

[whaap]

Originally Posted by einzlr

I haven't had the pleasure/privilege of driving one yet, but given the lack of low-end torque that everyone talks about, do you suppose the short first gear is intentional to help the car get started?

Oh definetly. I just don't think it has to be geared quite that low. But in all fairness to those who designed the thing, what do I know?

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by whaap

Oh definetly. I just don't think it has to be geared quite that low. But in all fairness to those who designed the thing, what do I know?

Haha gotcha. Now you've got me curious, and I'm all the more eager to drive one. (I've kind of decided to hold off with purchase until the engine issues are sorted, also sort of waiting for dealers to calm down on the markup$$$.)

[Spaceywilly]

The tires are very chatty. I have to try not to chirp the tires when pulling away from a stop, and I chirp 2nd gear by accident all the time. Super quick steering. I would describe the suspension as not stiff, but tight. It is smooth going over bumps, but it settles down instantly and doesn't float or bounce. It does not feel like there is a lot of play in any of the suspension or steering, it just reacts to every bump in the road and steering input and asks what's next. The rear does get a little unsettled over washboard type roads. Coming from an 02 WRX, there is a lot more low end power, and over the entire rpm range the power delivery is so much smoother. On paper it may have less power than the WRX but it doesn't feel slower. With the 6 speed you need to downshift to accelerate on the highway, but the engine loves to rev so it does not seem like a chore. Mine doesn't have any of the "first year issues," except the cricket chirp which I wouldn't have even thought twice about if people here didn't complain about it so much. I guess I got lucky.

[Sargy]

Very impressed of how stable it is at high speed and they defiantly nailed it on the Electric Steering, something I hope Porsche and other big companies see.

[ipothas]

Going from a front wheel drive RSX to the rear wheel FR-S, some things have definitely stood out.

Like many others have mentioned, first gear is very short. I never like to put the car into 1st gear while moving, even if I'm only rolling from 4 or 5mph. Feels very rough on the clutch. In the RSX I could drop into second from a slow roll and the engine would pick up immediately and buzz right off. The FR-S lags quite a bit...throttle response is very slow, and I feel like I have to give the pedal all it's got just to keep up with traffic in those situations. This is my only complaint....

I have nothing but positive things to say about the vehicle so far. Handles like a dream, and the transmission feels so smooth. I'm only at 500 miles or so but I already feel a strong driver's connection with the car.

The pedals and shifter have perfect position, and shifting in this car feels so natural.

[slaxx]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Coming from an 02 WRX, there is a lot more low end power, and over the entire rpm range the power delivery is so much smoother.

The BRZ really exceeded expectations here coming from 9 years in a EJ20 WRX. That said I still want more torque 3-4.5k rpm and about 40 more horse up top

[winter]

Originally Posted by WhiteFR-S

that is too funny that you mentioned hopping in a crv. that is my winter car and i hopped into it the other day after driving my brz and it felt so odd. i can't even explain how it felt. just so unnatural

hah, same here. A few weeks after I got my FR-S I took my CR-V on an hour drive to park it at my parents house (I live in an apt complex with limited parking) and it felt really awkward once I got in... and the first corner I felt like I was about to roll over! lol

[Braces]

Small detail, but I love the SOLID thump sound when the door is shut. For a compact car weighing less than 3000 lbs .... It's solid feeling.

[ApoNono]

Originally Posted by engee

I'm dating myself with the "speed of plaid" reference. Hopefully another Mel Brooks fan can help you here. What I meant by that reference though is that doing a fast speed in this car feels 10x faster than doing that same speed in a faster car.

Spaceballs!

[dnL]

I like the little indentation for your finger on the turn single stick.

I dislike how hard it is to activate the high beams and how the high beams lag to turn on/off (I drive a lot on dark mountain roads that require a lot of turning on/off high beams).

I like the fact that no one can fit in the back seats; saves me a lot of chauffeuring.

I like how there's a good amount of space between the gas pedal and the center console.

I dislike how the center-top brake light obstructs the rear view.

I wish there was a dedicated temperature reading somewhere separate from the other info like MPG, odo, etc.

I dislike how imprecise the dial for the HVAC direction is. So hard to get it into the right mode while driving. I wish it had the snappiness of the fan speed dial.

I dislike how the info display buttons aren't illuminated. It's hard to change the info display at night.

[JDMenrique]

the LSD!!

[canu_50]

it can drift in 3rd gear

and on the track the only car that passed me, was a race driver in a vers 9 sti caged and stripped with 255-40-17 nitto nt-01 ( i was running 235-40-17 re-11)

[Buzzy]

I find I speed alot more in my FRS, I own a bunch of preformance and Luxury cars and have no problems maintaining my 19 km over the limit.

[Spartan65]

When I flick the remote to slide into to Emma, I feel like I become a part of the car, a once soulless object that needed me to animate and illustrate the intelligence and emotion put into it's creation. As I navigate the streets of the city I become aware of many more things occurring in my surroundings. As other cars greet each other in the daily traffic, this machine ambles around with a sinister grin, knowledge that at any time, a curve or corner may show itself willing to be slayed. Yes she may be safety barrell Orange, but when we roll and ride I feel there is always a new adventure to be had.