Buying a used Fr-s, 86, or BRZ

[JosephV]

Im planning to buy one of these cars used in the next week or so. I want to know what I should specifically look out for before saying take my money. Should I go towards the 86 or brz just cause the company itself it's still around? Would I get a better price if I get a 2013 model and they haven't sent it back yet due too the recall or just hey like a 15 or 16 model. Stick shift or automatic? Do different years have any huge differences besides like a touch screen? I've been looking into these cars for a few weeks now but I still have lots of questions. Plus, for my area im not looking to really spend any more that 17k max. Thanks for any help in advance and hope to join the club soon.

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[HaXx]

There was a facelift in 2017, bottoms on the steering wheel, few other minor things, back up cameras. Different editions from both makes can come with brembos, if that's something u like, i dont have the brembos. The 13's had the throw out bearing issue, as well as the valve spring issue. Lots of controversy. I'd say do not get one that had the valve spring recall performed. I'd it's not broke, dont fix it. Lots of them failed after the recall was performed. Yes get manual transmish, if you dont know how, learn, it will take you 1 month. You will not regret buying a frs/brz. Sooo happy I didnt get a wrx

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[JosephV]

Originally Posted by HaXx

There was a facelift in 2017, bottoms on the steering wheel, few other minor things, back up cameras. Different editions from both makes can come with brembos, if that's something u like, i dont have the brembos. The 13's had the throw out bearing issue, as well as the valve spring issue. Lots of controversy. I'd say do not get one that had the valve spring recall performed. I'd it's not broke, dont fix it. Lots of them failed after the recall was performed. Yes get manual transmish, if you dont know how, learn, it will take you 1 month. You will not regret buying a frs/brz. Sooo happy I didnt get a wrx

Ask us more questions

Great, thanks for the input. It's always more helpful getting other reviews since online pages usually just state facts and don't explain much. For some reason, I'm drawing a blank on questions even though im positive I had more. I'll post again once i can remember them. Thanks again



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[Kaotic Lazagna]

Where in Cali are you? I'm actually selling my 2014 FR-S Monogram (6MT).

[JosephV]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Where in Cali are you? I'm actually selling my 2014 FR-S Monogram (6MT).

I live close to the Coachella valley. Roughly how much do you plan to sell it for? I'm planning on getting financed by altura and use their auto expert to locate a car and get a better apr by doing that.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by JosephV

I live close to the Coachella valley. Roughly how much do you plan to sell it for? I'm planning on getting financed by altura and use their auto expert to locate a car and get a better apr by doing that.

I had to look up where that's at, it's pretty far from me, so you probably wouldn't want to drive up to me. lol. If you are here are the details:

$15k with stock wheels, Tein Flex Z coilovers, Whiteline rear LCA, genuine JDM TRD front lip and side skirts, genuine Toyota Nur Spec rear spat kit (also has middle "diffuser"), 3M 70% Crystalline tint on the door windows and 5% Color Stable in the back windows, genuine Toyota GT86 emblems front and rear, Blitz reusable hybrid cabin filter, 86 rubber floor mats, and backup camera added into where the factory one would have been.

OR

$18k with all mods minus LED bulbs. So that includes genuine Toyota clear side markers (will include VLEDs amber LEDs in it), both OEM Osram HID bulb and upgraded Osram HID bulbs, 17x9 ET35 limited edition hyper silver WedsSport TC105n wheels with 245/40/17 Continental all season tires and metal center caps (also doubles as hub centric rings), black Perrin silicone intake tube and K&N drop in filter, CF front strut bar, Nameless (that's the brand name) 5" mufflers axleback, and OFTv1 (I'll still have to unmarry it so buyer can control it).

It has 56,9xx miles and is a 6-speed manual transmission. I'm the original owner with clean title on hand. Never smoked in (I don't smoke), never tracked/canyon carved, and no accidents. She was my daily driver for the first 3 years or so, and then she became a garage queen. I now only very occasionally drive her.


Pics, and pretty much the build history can be seen in my FB album: https://www.facebook.com/lazandro.sa...3864368&type=3

[JosephV]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

I had to look up where that's at, it's pretty far from me, so you probably wouldn't want to drive up to me. lol. If you are here are the details:



$15k with stock wheels, Tein Flex Z coilovers, Whiteline rear LCA, genuine JDM TRD front lip and side skirts, genuine Toyota Nur Spec rear spat kit (also has middle "diffuser"), 3M 70% Crystalline tint on the door windows and 5% Color Stable in the back windows, genuine Toyota GT86 emblems front and rear, Blitz reusable hybrid cabin filter, 86 rubber floor mats, and backup camera added into where the factory one would have been.



OR



$18k with all mods minus LED bulbs. So that includes genuine Toyota clear side markers (will include VLEDs amber LEDs in it), both OEM Osram HID bulb and upgraded Osram HID bulbs, 17x9 ET35 limited edition hyper silver WedsSport TC105n wheels with 245/40/17 Continental all season tires and metal center caps (also doubles as hub centric rings), black Perrin silicone intake tube and K&N drop in filter, CF front strut bar, Nameless (that's the brand name) 5" mufflers axleback, and OFTv1 (I'll still have to unmarry it so buyer can control it).



It has 56,9xx miles and is a 6-speed manual transmission. I'm the original owner with clean title on hand. Never smoked in (I don't smoke), never tracked/canyon carved, and no accidents. She was my daily driver for the first 3 years or so, and then she became a garage queen. I now only very occasionally drive her.





Pics, and pretty much the build history can be seen in my FB album: https://www.facebook.com/lazandro.sa...3864368&type=3

Dang, if you were closer, I think I would jump for Snow White. So clean.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by JosephV

Dang, if you were closer, I think I would jump for Snow White. So clean.

I'm in no rush to sell her anyway (that's why I haven't posted her up in the "cars for sale section," CL, or FB marketplace), so if you change your mind or are up in NorCal, let me know. lol. Otherwise, she'll be happy staying her room in the garage

[JosephV]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

I'm in no rush to sell her anyway (that's why I haven't posted her up in the "cars for sale section," CL, or FB marketplace), so if you change your mind or are up in NorCal, let me know. lol. Otherwise, she'll be happy staying her room in the garage

Hey, garages can be a very comfy place

[Kaotic Lazagna]

But yeah, to answer some of your questions, I believe in every model year, the manuals had a shorter final drive than the automatics, so the acceleration is a tad bit quicker. The kouki years (2017+) had some changes for the manual, so that slightly bumped power and torque, and I think they shortened the final drive even more, so again, slightly quicker acceleration. 2015 and up had the backup cameras, iirc. Each year, the FR-S/86 had its limited edition models (like my '14 monogram). Those basically had the BRZ limited features.

[JosephV]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

But yeah, to answer some of your questions, I believe in every model year, the manuals had a shorter final drive than the automatics, so the acceleration is a tad bit quicker. The kouki years (2017+) had some changes for the manual, so that slightly bumped power and torque, and I think they shortened the final drive even more, so again, slightly quicker acceleration. 2015 and up had the backup cameras, iirc. Each year, the FR-S/86 had its limited edition models (like my '14 monogram). Those basically had the BRZ limited features.

Thanks, all of this info is a great help

[bazzookatooth]

Apologies if any of this is redundant:

*The 2013s have a pretty basic, non-touch head unit. In my opinion, it looks pretty awful. 2014+ has a unit that will work nicely with bluetooth phones. Android auto/Apple CarPlay upgrades are available around $400.

*OFTEN SLEPT ON FACT: they added knee bolsters somewhere around 2014-2016 - my apologies for not knowing. If you're average height, these add a lot of comfort. There were also improvements in interior trim - kick panels, I believe?

*There were suspension tweaks for the 2015MY - stiffer springs, more aggressive dampers. Noticeable? I'm not sure.

*2015 also gets the shark-fin antenna.

*Final drive went from 4.1 to 4.3 in 2017 MY - making acceleration a bit quicker (perhaps .5 seconds to 60 at best, with the newer cars getting to 60 around 6.5s as opposed to 6.8-7s).

*2017+ gets a crinkle-red aluminum intake manifold with a slight redesign for 205hp versus outgoing FRS's 200.

*Some will say the facelift 2017 Toyota models are a tad softer than the outgoing FRS. I drove both back to back and I'm not sure I noticed much.

*2017+ gets full LED driving lights with optional fog lights. I find the fog lights helpful with the deer in my area; plus, they look slick. The LED lights are supposed to last around 10 years but currently cost $1,000 or so to replace as the entire assembly must be swapped should a bulb die. They are essentially improvements on the aftermarket pieces you'll see on older cars.

A few notes:

I'm not going to touch on known issues in older cars, because with your budget you should be able to get something around MY '16+ and have some money set aside for any issues. There are also countless threads and sources of documented issues with these cars.

You're almost in the price range of having some remaining drivetrain warranty - 5 years or 60k miles IIRC.

The speakers in all models are not great, but I did notice a difference when test driving my current 2019 versus the 2017 I was considering. That being said, they aren't as bad as many people seem to say.

The transmission, engine, seat bolstering, steering wheel, overall dynamics, chassis and many other bits are largely the same in the full 8 year run of these cars.

The GR86 is slated to come out in a year so you may save big money by waiting.

Halo white is a cool color (I'm biased here).

The TRD exhaust manages to actually drone worse than some aftermarket solutions and costs $1,100 as a dealer option.

You may notice TRD lowering springs, Sachs dampers, TRD sway bars, or Brembo brakes as dealer options on any of these cars.

There are subtle differences in the spoilers.

***The BRZ tends to have neutral balance of oversteer/understeer, the 86/FRS tends to have neutral oversteer.

***Get a manual! Having owned 3 "vintage" BMWs (2 E30s, one E28), an NB Miata (MY '99), and a B6 A4 (MY '04) these transmissions are beginner-friendly and extremely fun to row through. There is a clutch valve that eases hard shifts in some newer(?) models and these drivetrains can take a good bit of abuse.

***If you're buying 60k miles or up and not an intermediate mechanic, check to see if spark plugs have been done. This service is pricey due to the boxer engine's packaging.

WOW that was long. I probably missed some things. Sorry for rambling and good luck!

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by bazzookatooth

Apologies if any of this is redundant:

...

*2017+ gets a crinkle-red aluminum intake manifold with a slight redesign for 205hp versus outgoing FRS's 200.

...

The GR86 is slated to come out in a year so you may save big money by waiting.

...

*17+ gets the new manifold for MT only

*GR86 is going to be expensive for quite a few years anyway, if it doesn't get canned. Don't wait if you are looking for a used car now.

As for what to look for, just the usual used car stuff. If it has abnormally clean bits in an otherwise dirty engine bay, it could have been FI at one time, which is a red flag you should look into more. Also, I would avoid a FRS that has *recently* had valve spring recall work done (unless you get a real good deal and can afford a new engine afterwards), but BRZs should be ok for the most part. I think after 20k miles or something it should be fine either way.

That's all I can think of for now.

[bazzookatooth]

Originally Posted by Spuds

*17+ gets the new manifold for MT only

*GR86 is going to be expensive for quite a few years anyway, if it doesn't get canned. Don't wait if you are looking for a used car now.

...

Ah yes, thank you for noting that!

Yes, I believe last-gen prices usually drop when the next-gen arrives; but, then again, the rumor mill is just that. Cheers.