Should I trade in our family loved SUV for an FR-S?

[dvasqu01]

Originally Posted by faredo

A little background on myself:
I’m 38 years old married with a 3 month old. We currently own 3 cars (FJ Cruiser in question, a 2015 sedan and a 2010 minivan all in perfect running order).
At 16 I entered the “import scene” with an ae86 and enjoyed many other imports swapping to different platforms like the crx, SR swapped S14, AWD DSM’s. Ive enjoyed autocross, drag racing, and of course a little time going too fast on the twistys. But about 7 years ago I started spending more time off the track and In the FJ as it allowed for more time spent with the wife.

Backround on the FJ:
I built this as an expedition rally vehicle. If you’re not familiar with this. Basically you spend a week or more in the back country competing against other teams to get as close to a set arrival time as possible. We also use it for camping, pulling boats (boats sold now) and hauling around a trailer with normal home owner items.

The problem:
Since having the baby there will be no camping or week long Rally’s for a few years, so now I have a really wide SUV in my garage sort of just taking space. I Could however make day events like auto crosses. So that’s what brings me here.

Do I trade in the FJ for an FR-S? The pros and cons:

Pros:
-The 2007 FJ is worth as much as a 2013 FR-S with low miles, so little to no out of pocket.
-The FRS would have less than 40k miles next to the FJ’s 103k
-I would have more garage room
-I would have a vehicle that I could actually make time for
-Gas mileage would be better

Cons:
-Occasionally it’s nice to have something that can get around in the snow. (Arkansas)
-I know this truck like the back of my hand, its sorted and 100% dependable, who knows what the second hand FR-S has been through.
-Ill have to borrow trucks for things I would normally use my trailer for.
-The FR-S has a lower resale than the FJ, what will it be worth in 5 years?
-Hell I may be too old for this car.
-Last but not least, ive had this truck nearly 10 years and have many good memories with it. If the day comes to let her go it would be heartbreaking to myself and the wife.

Is it time? Would I make a mistake? Thanks for your feedback.

What part of Arkansas bro I use live in Rogers lol and trade in the mini van imho you can customize the fj to your needs too remember that 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼


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[mrderp]

Get the twin.
Get gramma a step ladder.
Get rid of either the Minivan or the Sedan.

You'll have every angle covered.

[FR-S 264]

Dump the sedan, keep the 4x4, love the FRS

[FNCrazy]

(Careful, I ramble, but I usually have a point)

I'm 38, I thought I was one of the old guys on a forum filled with young 'uns. According to Tcoat, that's evidently not true, and he would know. He was waiting on this forum before the internet was a thing.

Wow, what a *really* tough call!

Your FJ is phenomenal, and looks close to what I'd envisioned for my FJ. I heard about the FJ's in development, I'd find spy shots with all their camouflage, save them all to look at later, I was obsessed. I went to forums where we theorized some of the unknowns, and generally shared each other's excitement. Anyway, when they finally came out, I went to just look and test drive (in reality I was convinced we would be bringing it home that night). I wanted the same color as you, which is clearly, clearly, the best FJ color out there. Scientific fact. My wife liked it more than I thought, and I almost couldn't formulate sentences I loved it so much. We found the one with the exact options, came up with a semi-legit price, (remember how I said I was only going to look?) yeah well earlier that day I'd already secured financing for it. We got right down to the end, about to sign papers. My wife was pregnant, but we had our infant seat already in our car. She just wanted to "make sure." I thought it didn't matter, it was bigger than the damn Golf GTI we drove up in. Try as we might, it absolutely would not fit. Not even close. Shit! So what to do? What any rational FJ obsessed father to be would do of course. I borrowed a used Tacoma, and drove around, picked up 4 (I think) different brands of infant seat. Smart of course, those aren't returnable, and not cheap. I couldn't have done one at a time? Nope, in a hurry. Brought them back, looked silly as hell with 4 boxes of seats next to the FJ in the middle of the showroom. One after another, they simply didn't fit. With that, my dream of making an FJ like yours disappeared. I was crushed. I mean, logically I knew once my son was in a forward facing, that I could try again. But, of course, by then we had a minivan, my 3 motorcycles (yes I know), and that Golf. The FJ's time had passed. I had an emotional connection already, and it wasn't even mine. I can imagine the thoughts you have about yours.

So, sell it or don't? I say sell it to me, maybe we can timeshare it and my Fr-s? (pm me, lol)

What I would say is the Fr-s is not a practical car (depending on what you compare to and use it for), at least to what you've grown accustomed to. But, that doesn't matter much, you can go shopping in your Fusion or van, haul friends, etc. So it doesn't HAVE to be as practical.

So basically it boils down to one thing. Emotions/bonding. You can have a car worse in every conceivable way to another in front of you, and still pass on it, because there's just... Something about the old one.

Unfortunately we can help with telling you what the Fr-s is like, how much you get sucked into modding, and how you'll love the car. But we can't help you trade in that beautiful FJ and not miss it dearly.

One thing I can tell you as someone who has (clinically) obsessed about the two vehicles in question. I drove the FJ for a few hour test drive, enjoyed every minute of it, became really excited about it, was determined to get it. With the Fr-s though, I took it for only 45 minutes or so, but my face hurt from a 45 minute huge smile. Giggled like a school girl when I drove through some twisty corners, and had an absolute ball. And that wasn't like you for instance, coming from a much different form of vehicle where any car feels nimble in comparison. That was from me owning motorcycles, and the car I came to the lot with, a BMW M3. The 'ultimate driving machine' could obviously outperform handily the Fr-s in every performance test you could devise. But it was different. 0-60 numbers don't make you have a shit eating grin. The *feeling* of doing it is what matters. And I'd spend all day competing and losing every test against an M3, the whole time thoroughly enjoying losing. I loved my Beemer, but I immediately had a connection with this little, impractical, some say underpowered (when compared to the M3 especially) little car that just begs you to drive it, wind it up, and take off in your new Go-kart.

So, maybe drive one some more, don't take it where you'd take your FJ necessarily, take it on back, windy roads, do some shifting, see if it gives you a start to the same emotions you had at first about your FJ. Think about how you would mod it (I assume you would end up modding it, you did a hell of a job on your FJ).

It all boils down to emotions. If you can't bond with it, you'll be kicking yourself every day. If you can, great, even though you will still miss your FJ like crazy, no getting around that.

I've been a member of the FJ community (forums especially), BMW, all my motorcycles, Mr2 (which is my 'one that got away', an 88 supercharged MR2 that I let slip away because I was young and dumb), anyway, a lot of vehicle groups and forums. Now this one. I'm new here, but I think I'll find a home here, the people are great and helpful (mostly ).

So, do you think you can bond with the Fr-s? How much have you driven one?

I've babbled enough, and I seriously doubt I even made my point, but there you go. Here's the point I suppose.

All things being equal, don't get rid of a vehicle you've bonded with, unless you're reasonably certain you can bond with the replacement , or you'll be miserable. And bonding is completely subjective. On paper, I would have bet money I would have bonded more with my BMW... Or my Lotus even, than this Fr-s. People on my Beemer forum thought I lost my fucking mind when I told them I traded it in on a Fr-s. Lol

I'm very, very passionate about, well, I guess all things internal combustion, but FJ and Fr-s are two of my favorites. So, I ramble more than usual. I'm done now though, don't worry!




All we know is.... He's called The Stig

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by FNCrazy

All things being equal, don't get rid of a vehicle you've bonded with, unless you're reasonably certain you can bond with the replacement , or you'll be miserable. And bonding is completely subjective. On paper, I would have bet money I would have bonded more with my BMW... Or my Lotus even, than this Fr-s.

This hits home for me. I sold my 2 door BMW E92 335i before my wife gave birth to our daughter. I still miss it, it was done, perfect, I was totally bonded to that thing. I wanted to drive it all the time. I sold it and got a BMW E46 ZHP Dinan tuned sedan, cause it was a 4 door for the baby, and enthusiast minded enough to where I thought I'd bond to it too. Wrong. I tried. I tried so hard, getting the suspension how I wanted it, looking at wheels and aero bits, and then I realized after a year that it wasn't going to matter. the car was great, but it didn't click. I sold it after just over a year. I was worried that maybe I'm getting too old and bored with cars, and it took me two more cars until I found my BRZ, and I found that feeling again. I was nervous because I thought the joy would only last for the honeymoon stage, but after 4 months I still get giddy firing her up. In a certain sense the BRZ is the antithesis to my 335i, and yet they both stir my heart the same way.

In short, DO NOT take this lightly and DO NOT sell that FJ if you're not really sure. Have the fusion or minivan beat it, you won't care about either being gone.

[FingerDiddle]

Sell the sedan, what person needs a minivan and a sedan.

[jcrAggie2020]

Before you bring up age... dig around in the forum😀

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[geezerbrzeezer]

To answer your question, yes.

To be truthful, I didn't read your post, or any others between this and them (those?). I promise I will later.

[FNCrazy]

Originally Posted by Norville Rogers

Thanks for sharing/broadcasting . Stick with your current vehicle.

But still hang around here too, we rock!

And post up more pics of that FJ!

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

[Yoshoobaroo]

Yea I wanna see more pics and specs of the FJ!

-Josh

[FNCrazy]

I have to critique it a little though, just to be an ass.

Exact correct color to get, but what kind of person repaints that roof?? Lol

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by FNCrazy

(Careful, I ramble, but I usually have a point)..................So, I ramble more than usual. I'm done now though, don't worry!

WOW! ............

(jest ah messen wich ya ..... )


humfrz

[FNCrazy]

Originally Posted by humfrz

WOW! ............

(jest ah messen wich ya ..... )


humfrz

Yeah... Lol. I'm an idiot. Nothing else explains it. Done!

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by FNCrazy

Yeah... Lol. I'm an idiot. Nothing else explains it. Done!

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

............your OK ......"The Stig".


humfrz