If the BRZ never existed...

[Sideways&Smiling]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak

TBH at the time I purchased the FR-S it had come down to it or a used Cayman S.
I had gotten screwed out of the Cayman S I wanted after an exhausting search and decided I would save $15k, get a brand new car, and get something that drives just like a Cayman S.
That's the honest truth of what happened for me.

"Drives just like a Cayman S" is a huge overstatement lol

The FR-S may have nice steering, but there is still a very big difference between an FR car and an MR car, and the FR-S definitely feels like the front-engine car it is.

[JMoody]

A few e30's!

[SUB-FT86]

Tbh, I don't know what I would've had because I despise Muscle cars(Heavy and ugly imho), Hot-Hatches (looks like a mini aggressive Minivan to me) and Luxury coupes. The FR-S is the car I dreamed Honda would build when I used to own a RSX. I always wanted a better looking, better handling, RWD version of the RSX and the FR-S is that and more.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by litemup

I'd still be driving my '91 base-model eclipse.

^this^

[Captain Snooze]

If the BRZ never existed...
This forum wouldn't exist so all your replies are rhetorical.

[Talus1]

Originally Posted by Sideways&Smiling

"Drives just like a Cayman S" is a huge overstatement lol

The FR-S may have nice steering, but there is still a very big difference between an FR car and an MR car, and the FR-S definitely feels like the front-engine car it is.

Absolutely agree. I got my BRZ when the lease was running out on my '11 WRX largely to prevent me from looking at used Caymans. I did drive an '06 Cayman S after I'd had the BRZ for a year (just for "research", you understand) and loved it, except for the way-loud aftermarket exhaust. But driving away from the dealership in the BRZ afterwards, I realized that it still has a lot to offer in comparison. They sure don't handle the same and the BRZ feels slow and cheap after the Cayman. But, the BRZ fits me a bit better, is more practical(!) with the decent sized trunk and folding rear seat back, and the shifter is more direct. But mostly the BRZ has great steering feel, easily accessible handling and felt less threatening to throw around. Some of that is just familiarity, some is due to the relative lack of performance/speed and some is the cost difference. I'm sure it wouldn't take too long to feel comfortable sliding the Cayman a bit, but I bet that there would still be fewer occasions when it felt safe to do so around town. I know it sounds like a cop out, but you can use more of the BRZ's performance more of the time.

Long term, I still want a Cayman S. The older I get the more I want something that balances performance and handling with a bit of luxury. I'll probably wait until '09s get to a reasonable price. But I'll keep the BRZ until then and probably spend a few $$ on it. I just put MPSS on light rims on it and I'm liking the change. Maybe Ohlins R&T and better sound, ESC, oh dear...

To answer the OP's question, if the BRZ hadn't come out I probably would have got a newer WRX or maybe a used A4 Avant (to replace the wife's old 9-3) as a stop gap while continuing to torture myself over getting a Cayman.

[tennisfreak]

Originally Posted by Sideways&Smiling

"Drives just like a Cayman S" is a huge overstatement lol

The FR-S may have nice steering, but there is still a very big difference between an FR car and an MR car, and the FR-S definitely feels like the front-engine car it is.

You are right I should have phrased that more like "feels".


Small, light, fun, cockpit like cabin.


At the time the FR-S was the only other thing I had driven that came close to how a Cayman felt.


While I had a great 2 years with my FR-S in hindsight I should have ponied up for a Cayman. The FR-S is just a class below what I want out of a car.

[acro]

Originally Posted by Sideways&Smiling

I find it interesting how the majority answered with brand new cars, most of which have nothing at all in common with the FRS/BRZ. Very few of you seem to really know what you want........... or just buying based on looks....

Actually no. We know what we want, but we would have to settle for something mundane. There really is nothing like the frs in terms of handling feel/looks/rwd.lsd/price

I actually may have just kept on driving my old car as their still is nothing out there like an frs

Or maybe settled for a gti or swift sport

[Jeff-RS]

For the same price of mine (used), I would have gotten an older STI with a crap ton of miles, a not so old WRX with half a crap ton of miles, or a relatively new Focus ST with a quarter crap ton of miles.

[keithr]

Originally Posted by Sideways&Smiling

I find it interesting how the majority answered with brand new cars, most of which have nothing at all in common with the FRS/BRZ. Very few of you seem to really know what you want........... or just buying based on looks....

....or we weren't locked into a single set of criteria to evaluate all cars against.

I listed a couple 4-door sport sedans, a C7, and a 2-door sport coupe. None of which really have much in common with the 86, yet all of which were perfectly viable candidates for their own reasons.

[keithr]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Would you guys all really be driving the much more expensive cars if the Twins didn't exist? Question isn't "what would you like instead". Seems like a lot have money to burn all of a sudden.

I can't speak for everyone, but for *ME*, the 86 was actually the oddball choice.

I wasn't in the market for this car. The 4 cars I listed (IS350, C7 'Ray, TLX, RC 350) were my short list. Prices are [relatively] within reach of each other, and I had driven various German rigs, didn't care for most of them for one reason or another, had no use for most American cars (save the C7)... the IS350 was actually what I kept going back to. Literally. Went to the dealer probably 8 times. Something wasn't sitting quite right with me... the car that it was SUPPOSED to be was great, the car that it actually WAS was missing a few notes for me. I patiently waited around for Acura to release the TLX. I was driving an Acura at the time (MDX S+E), and I was optimistic. The TLX hit a few nice chords with me, however I was infinitely pissed off that they put the V6 into a 9-speed slushbox auto and limited the 8-speed DCT to the 2.4L. While the 2.4L would have likely been sufficient, in a sport/lux sedan, I wanted the smoothness of Honda's V6 which I had been loving for years. The RC 350 came along and corrected a few of the misses from the IS 350. The 'Vette, the most expensive of the bunch, has been a childhood dream. The C7 Stingray is just...oh...so....

The BRZ popped up rather unexpectedly. I took note of it, said "Hm, why the hell not, this could be fun... let's see what happens." Saved some coin in the process, which I've since oh-so-responsibly fiddled away on silliness.

It's impractical as a DD, hell grocery bags barely stand up in the trunk. I'm apparently too old to equate "spine jarring" with "sporty suspension." I may relegate it to weekend duty and go get one of those sport/lux sleds anyway. Or maybe a nice Tacoma, something more useful...

If they had offered the BRZ/FR-S with a DCT instead of the slushmatic, I wouldn't have gone with the manual. Of course, a DCT adds complexity and likely weight and cost.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

For me it would be a Genesis 3.8 GT (actually had one ordered before stumbling across the FRS)

Test drove one... mostly liked it, but it seemed like it had an identity crisis. Couldn't quite figure out if it wanted to be a 370Z or an Elantra.

Different strokes for different folks, y'all. The reason I chose the BRZ is probably not the same reason you did. And that's ok.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by keithr

I can't speak for everyone, but for *ME*, the 86 was actually the oddball choice.

I wasn't in the market for this car. The 4 cars I listed (IS350, C7 'Ray, TLX, RC 350) were my short list. Prices are [relatively] within reach of each other, and I had driven various German rigs, didn't care for most of them for one reason or another, had no use for most American cars (save the C7)... the IS350 was actually what I kept going back to. Literally. Went to the dealer probably 8 times. Something wasn't sitting quite right with me... the car that it was SUPPOSED to be was great, the car that it actually WAS was missing a few notes for me. I patiently waited around for Acura to release the TLX. I was driving an Acura at the time (MDX S+E), and I was optimistic. The TLX hit a few nice chords with me, however I was infinitely pissed off that they put the V6 into a 9-speed slushbox auto and limited the 8-speed DCT to the 2.4L. While the 2.4L would have likely been sufficient, in a sport/lux sedan, I wanted the smoothness of Honda's V6 which I had been loving for years. The RC 350 came along and corrected a few of the misses from the IS 350. The 'Vette, the most expensive of the bunch, has been a childhood dream. The C7 Stingray is just...oh...so....

The BRZ popped up rather unexpectedly. I took note of it, said "Hm, why the hell not, this could be fun... let's see what happens." Saved some coin in the process, which I've since oh-so-responsibly fiddled away on silliness.

It's impractical as a DD, hell grocery bags barely stand up in the trunk. I'm apparently too old to equate "spine jarring" with "sporty suspension." I may relegate it to weekend duty and go get one of those sport/lux sleds anyway. Or maybe a nice Tacoma, something more useful...

If they had offered the BRZ/FR-S with a DCT instead of the slushmatic, I wouldn't have gone with the manual. Of course, a DCT adds complexity and likely weight and cost.



Test drove one... mostly liked it, but it seemed like it had an identity crisis. Couldn't quite figure out if it wanted to be a 370Z or an Elantra.

Different strokes for different folks, y'all. The reason I chose the BRZ is probably not the same reason you did. And that's ok.

Actually I need to chew this one up and spit it out as a trade in in 3 more years. Get one more throw away DD along the same lines to rack up the miles for 4 more years and then when into retirement will be into a Jag Type F or Porsche as my keeper.
For my needs the FRS is the perfect vehicle as a DD that I truly love but is cheap enough that I don't mind taking the mileage hit at trade in time.

[echo419]

probably would have just fixed my GS430 and got a motorcycle or another VR4 3000GT

[mb_]

Mazdaspeed 3, Fiesta/Focus ST. Or would have just kept my MR2 Turbo.