My Test Drive Impressions

[DanoFA20]

its a 25k car, not a porsche or european refined 50k + car. you get what you pay for. the car was really meant to be the reincarnation of the AE86 with some style. to me the MPG plus the fun factor was enough to sell me on the car. and the fact that its an 86 made in our time of video game cars. its still mechanical feeling. i have owned 240s e36 M cars and subaru awd cars. as well as worked at a euro shop and i must say id take this car all day over an M3 or a porsche. to me bang for your buck is more important than a perfect car.

its simple not over complicated easy to work on gets great gas milage is fun to drive on my twisty mountain roads.

its like this car is a back road scalpel.

i loved my e36 M3 with mostly every bolt on possible less cams and lightweight flywheel. all suspension modds were done and i tell you i like this car better.

it feels more agile. the horsepower, people are all like blah blah its not that fast. 99% of FRS/BRZ owners dont give a flying poop about the numbers its about the feeling and the history that this car comes from, and the fact that its the affordable lightweight sports car that your average joe that works a 9-5 can afford to own and not have anxiety about paying his 100000000000$ a month car payment plus the car repairs at 900000000$ . i had a brand new 2010 audi a5 2.0t come in our shop and had more problems than a crack addict prostitute.

yes some cars are much better in lots of ways then this car, but you know what id rather not spend my life savings on car payments and repairs on some supper luxury fancy car , i like seats , good engine, LSD, manual gear box steering wheel and tires lets go.

i dont need climate control or supper hi fi stereo thats just more weight and more shit to brake. cars need to be less like a living room and more like a car. thats just my uptake on this subject.

cool you have your opinions on it, but this is an FRS/BRZ forum. everyone tries to compare this car to their porsche or some supper fancy flashy 50+K luxury cars. this is simply not the car for you then. go back 30 years go drive an AE86 compare it to the other vehicles in its time and yah youll get the same responses. oh its slow and has no options. who cares youre meant to drive not to sit back relax and scratch your ass

thast just my 2 cents sorry im jsut tired of people trying to compare this to other cars not even close to the same class.

[Capstan]

I think the OP liked most things about the car, but felt like the suspension was not properly damped and there wasn't any steering feel. The car is pretty darn uncomfortable on a bad road, surely most people will agree. I went on a stretch a few days ago that had me and my passenger both yelping, I had to go about 10 mph to keep the abdominal organs from turning to mush. The steering feel could use improvement too. Even on that road there was no feedback.

Originally Posted by DanoFA20

i dont need climate control or supper hi fi stereo thats just more weight and more shit to brake. cars need to be less like a living room and more like a car. thats just my uptake on this subject.

Mine did actually come with climate control and a pretty decent stereo. I find them to be very nice aspects of the driving environment.

[snapspinner]

To the OP. Dude that is a lot of effort to say "Meh, I've decided I really don't like your car"

[Ingen]

So I don't know what all the fighting is about....

If you don't like the car, don't buy one. None of us should be the least bit panicked that you don't own an FR-S -as excited as we are to see the community grow, we aren't exactly hurting for membership anymore. Besides, if it weren't for the SoCal dealers gouging the hell out of everyone by ruining the cars with crap wheels and bolt on nonsense there would be a line out the door to buy the car you dislike. Actually, there probably already is.

If you don't like our car, keep yours, and enjoy it I'll enjoy my FR-S. It handles better than my old pickup, and I didn't buy it so that it would impress you. It's for me. And I <3 it.

[RaceR]

If OP wrote a review, same length but with a lot of praise. Everyone would go..
"Awesome review"
"YAY. So glad you liked the car."
"Great review"
....and the post would have 10+++ thanks...

When suddenly a review is not positive. People go:
"troll"
"hater"
"wasted my time"
"you need to drive it more"
"cant take you seriously"
..etc... etc.. I've seen this happen several times...

Guys cheer up.. Its not a personal attack against you as a person just because someone does not love your car just as much as you do.
We all have personal preferences and value things differently.

This was a very good and honest review/feedback based on OP impression while driving the car. It was written by an enthusiast for enthusiasts.
OP seemed to like most of the car very good. But he has a very high expectations and preferences to how steering should feel in a sports car. And that ruined the sport car feel. For him.. Fair enough.. And he did not like the damping..
All cars cant live up to all expectations in every department.

Some cars are 95% good and 5% decent. Very good overall package.
Others are 95% awesome and 5% annoying/bad. Also a good overall package. But I would not live with at car that was annoying if did not LOVE the other 95%. And if the annoying/bad bit is just too annoying the ownership would not be good even if you loved the other 95% of the car. I think OP expresses some of that..

Sometimes its just not meant to be. Other times you get used to what you don't like and love what you love..
Cars are kinda like women and that way.

Thanks for sharing your impression SOneThreeCoupe.

I feel most modern cars have bad steering feel compared to older sports car with hydraulic steering where you felt every bump in the road. Im not that pleased by the 86, my Mini or modern BMWs. Electronic steering in general is not impressive in my book.
People can say what they want about them.
I do think the cars/ brands I mentioned have "good" steering feel compared to most of their modern day rivals tough..

SOneThreeCoupe seems like you are very into suspension. So should not be a big problem for you to improve it if you would spend time and money on it.
Have you driven many/any 2010+ cars with electronic steering that you think have a much better steering feel?

[SOneThreeCoupe]

Question before I continue: where is the power steering located on this car? Column or rack?

I haven't driven any 2010+ cars other than the Ford Fusion, VW Passat, VW Jetta, Mini Countryman Cooper S, and Chevy Cruse Eco. My mother has a 2011 335d that I'd like to drive and my father-in-law has a Fiat Abarth I'd like to put some miles on as well.

Perhaps I was just too negative at the end and it's thrown the whole thing off- I really do like the car and it's honestly the only new car I'd purchase and the only new car I'll likely test drive for the next couple years. This review isn't for you owners; you already bought one and congratulations for that. This was all written for prospective buyers who are on the fence and who value what I value, who are determining whether or not it's as good as all the reviews seem to say.

I place an inordinate amount of weight on the steering feel and damping of cars, as to me the most important time in the world is when I'm behind the wheel driving quickly. That time is spent in the hills and valleys of Southern California, where dirt, leaves, cracks, potholes and undulations absolutely require you to have the utmost faith in what the car tells you. If the car merely whispers, you can't commune with the car, you can't achieve zen because you're too busy trying to feel that which doesn't exist. It takes me longer to get to the freeway than it does to get to the twisties- which one do you think I'd visit more often?

I'm unsure as to why the issue of price keeps coming up. I think the car's fairly priced for the current purchasing power of the dollar. You don't need to talk me into the fact that certain corners were cut- I'm glad some of them were cut to bring the price, and weight, down.

Again, I'd like to get a test drive in a car with a stock wheel/tire package and will update this when I do.

PS- I think the GT3 RS is too firm for the street as well.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by wbradley

Try bone dry stock then form a reasonable impression. I have never heard harsh ride comments previously.

To be fair, if your opinion of what a sports car should ride like is a Mazda Miata or MX-5, you'll find the FR-S is too stiff even on stock wheels. I can understand that criticism coming from someone used to Miatas.

Personally I'm on the other side of the spectrum. The NC Miata pitches and rolls way too much in corners for my tastes, but unless you've pushed it 7/10ths or higher, you'd probably never know how soft it is.

Basically everyone has different ideas of how a sports car should feel or handle or ride, and that'll vary based on preferences and where the person drives (street, backroads, autocross, track, etc.)

[wbradley]

OP- The electric motor for the steering is column mounted to allow room for the engine position.

It is actually in the cabin below the dash!

[Razz]

The OP is confirming what other magazines editors and car enthusatist have said about the car.

The FRS also doesn't have a independent rear suspension system as adverstised.

The OP lives in an area where there are several sharp twisty turns for 15 miles so he has lots of experience handling a car on roads like that.

[White Shadow]

Originally Posted by RaceR

If OP wrote a review, same length but with a lot of praise. Everyone would go..
"Awesome review"
"YAY. So glad you liked the car."
"Great review"
....and the post would have 10+++ thanks...

When suddenly a review is not positive. People go:
"troll"
"hater"
"wasted my time"
"you need to drive it more"
"cant take you seriously"

Exactly. The sensitive ladies are the first ones to call out "troll".

You all know who you are

[White Shadow]

Originally Posted by nedmundo

I tested a 2012 328i Sport Line, and thought its steering was much worse than the FR-S's or the Focus ST's. It had even less feel than the steering in my TSX, which I found shocking, and yes, I did drive it in sport mode.

I think every manufacturer is going to have teething problems when they finally adopt electric power steering. It's just a matter of time before they perfect it though and it feels as good as the older hydraulicsteering systems.

[DanoFA20]

Originally Posted by Capstan

I think the OP liked most things about the car, but felt like the suspension was not properly damped and there wasn't any steering feel. The car is pretty darn uncomfortable on a bad road, surely most people will agree. I went on a stretch a few days ago that had me and my passenger both yelping, I had to go about 10 mph to keep the abdominal organs from turning to mush. The steering feel could use improvement too. Even on that road there was no feedback.



Mine did actually come with climate control and a pretty decent stereo. I find them to be very nice aspects of the driving environment.

i just dont need that stuff to make me happy in a car im no too picky. and the steering feel yes could be more but you have to remember its electric assisted i believe.

[MTCRX]

Originally Posted by DanoFA20

i just dont need that stuff to make me happy in a car im no too picky. and the steering feel yes could be more but you have to remember its electric assisted i believe.

Doesn't he know you drive faster on rough roads so you only hit the high spots, much smoother.

[DanoFA20]

Originally Posted by MTCRX

Doesn't he know you drive faster on rough roads so you only hit the high spots, much smoother.

i just avoid pot holes lol