Interested in buying an FR-S...

[Thanntos]

but I have some questions...

I am always super hesitant about buying cars, so I am REALLY asking for some serious, un-biased, informative answers please. Because I have been eyeing this car for a while now, researching it all and whatnot , and it's really making me want one. But some of the things I have been reading have also been making me be cautious and think this car isn't all its cracked up to be.

-Honestly, how underpowered it this car, in terms of cars similar in the class (STI's? GTI's? CivicSI's? Evo's? ect) and is it THAT big of an issue to most people who bought/are looking to buy this car? Right now I have a 2003 Acura RSX. To be quite honest, speed and racing ability is not exactly a concern, I am not looking to go draggin with it against 370z's and shit, I know it's not that kind of car. But I always get a bit confused when people say it's underpowered? How? In terms of what? (is top speed is 145 ish, 200 HP, ~6.8 0-60 slow?)

-How does it REALLY compare to the Subaru version BRZ? I heard the BRZ is even slower. I actually prefer the Scions body and style over the Subaru (damn smiling creepy car...) but the lack of interior luxury's is a bit of a concern. How are you FR-S owners REALLY liking the interior? It the difference between the two, or the things you wish you had in it THAT much to write home about or be upset with the lack-there-of luxurys? (Navi ect)

-I am quite inexperienced with driving a stick shift, but I don't want that to deter me from possibly getting this car in Manual. How do the two compare and what are people thinking about the differences with them? I heard and read a bit about the Auto having a 'sport' mode? That I can switch it to shift mode if I wanted to? Still not sure about the actual details on that. I live in PA, so we do tend to get a lot of snow here, how would a Manual rear wheel actually fare? I am leaning towards Auto atm because or what I heard about it.

-Overall, how are some owners feeling about their cars/purchase? Again, try to be a bit un-biased if you own one or have test driven one. Is it what you expected(what were you expecting) for the price, and it is honestly a good pick up? If it worth trading in my 03' RSX for one?

-Is this a car maybe worth waiting for till a Turbo comes out possibly next year, or a STI version of the BRZ comes, or right now, are people loving it enough to say F-that, it's great as it is?


Thanks for any replies!

[Liquidsnake]

1) Its underpowered if you like torque. Once you get going it's actually pretty quick.
2) It handles like a dream.
3) It is so light, you actually feel the lightness of the car.
4) I absolutely love this car, no regrets what so ever.

My brother took the car out and pushed it pretty hard, he is younger than me. He summed it up best " how the hell did they make a car this magnificent for this price?"

[FakeWhiteMan]

Well as far as power goes, it's not actually all that slow. I've had a 300 whp cobalt SS and the less power doesnt bother me. As far as cars in it's class, it should do better than the si and gti, but I wouldn't consider a sti or evo to be in the same class... The BRZ shouldn't be any slower except a tiny bit around some tracks, but it may be faster than the frs around others. And on that note I actually like the interior. I didn't want leather or nav so it's exactly what I was looking for. You are going to have to test drive one for yourself though. Regardless of how we feel about it, if it doesn't fit you and what you want to do, it's no good.

[oso_25]

Not to sound mean or anything but I'm getting tired of seeing these kind of threads is there anyway we can get something on the top threads were if people have questions about the Frs or brz they can find there answer to there questions?

[Mazdaspeed]

Originally Posted by Thanntos

but I have some questions...

I am always super hesitant about buying cars, so I am REALLY asking for some serious, un-biased, informative answers please. Because I have been eyeing this car for a while now, researching it all and whatnot , and it's really making me want one. But some of the things I have been reading have also been making me be cautious and think this car isn't all its cracked up to be.

-Honestly, how underpowered it this car, in terms of cars similar in the class (STI's? GTI's? CivicSI's? Evo's? ect) and is it THAT big of an issue to most people who bought/are looking to buy this car? Right now I have a 2003 Acura RSX. To be quite honest, speed and racing ability is not exactly a concern, I am not looking to go draggin with it against 370z's and shit, I know it's not that kind of car. But I always get a bit confused when people say it's underpowered? How? In terms of what? (is top speed is 145 ish, 200 HP, ~6.8 0-60 slow?)

-How does it REALLY compare to the Subaru version BRZ? I heard the BRZ is even slower. I actually prefer the Scions body and style over the Subaru (damn smiling creepy car...) but the lack of interior luxury's is a bit of a concern. How are you FR-S owners REALLY liking the interior? It the difference between the two, or the things you wish you had in it THAT much to write home about or be upset with the lack-there-of luxurys? (Navi ect)

-I am quite inexperienced with driving a stick shift, but I don't want that to deter me from possibly getting this car in Manual. How do the two compare and what are people thinking about the differences with them? I heard and read a bit about the Auto having a 'sport' mode? That I can switch it to shift mode if I wanted to? Still not sure about the actual details on that. I live in PA, so we do tend to get a lot of snow here, how would a Manual rear wheel actually fare? I am leaning towards Auto atm because or what I heard about it.

-Overall, how are some owners feeling about their cars/purchase? Again, try to be a bit un-biased if you own one or have test driven one. Is it what you expected(what were you expecting) for the price, and it is honestly a good pick up? If it worth trading in my 03' RSX for one?

-Is this a car maybe worth waiting for till a Turbo comes out possibly next year, or a STI version of the BRZ comes, or right now, are people loving it enough to say F-that, it's great as it is?


Thanks for any replies!

-It's not that underpowered but there's this weird dip in the torque in the 3000-4000 RPM range that makes it feel slow unless you're really wringing it out. I will say though, don't buy this car if you ever want to beat someone off the line, the power is adequate but not impressive by any means.

-I haven't driven the BRZ yet, but the engine is exactly the same, the only difference is the suspension tuning is a bit less aggressive. I reserved mine almost exclusively for the HID lights and the standard navigation/touch screen radio since I feel like the slightly softer suspension won't make much difference in the long run.

-Don't let inexperience with stick drive you away if it's what you really want, you'll be comfortable with it within a week and a pro within a month. That said, the auto is actually not terrible at all - I'd never buy this car in an auto personally, but I've never given such high praise to an automatic in my life.

-Can't answer about being an owner (yet).

-Waiting for a turbo is totally up to you and may be a decision you should make after a test drive. I'm okay with the power as-is so I'm buying now, but if you're concerned about getting big(ish) power you may want to wait.

[seannyice81]

I JUST got back from a drive...

The car isn't underpowered, but its not that powerful either. Its decently quick, but not what I'd call fast. Its not nearly as fast as Evos and STis. GTis are a little faster, but it feels slightly faster than an Si.

Compared to a BRZ... I don't like that most BRZs come with the trunk spoiler (that some dont like). I also think the front bumper on the BRZ is a little cluttered and don't like the "mustache." I do like the nav option and seat options more in the BRZ. I also like the headlamps (Scions don't come with HIDs). I thought I'd like the interior fittings in the Scion less than the BRZ. What some call "fake carbon fiber" actually matches the front grills, floor mats, and instrument faces. The silver on the BRZ looks too bright, but reminds me of older BMW Z4s. I also like the gauges more on the Scion because of the white sweep area on the tachometer. There is really only ONE thing I don't like about the interior and its the red trim on the shoulders of the seats. Its a little tacky, but no biggie really.

Driving stick on this car is fairly easy, the clutch pedal is a little lighter than most but engagement is where you expect it. The throttle response is predictable and isn't tricky like my other car. The automatic can be switched back and forth from full auto to manu-matic. The shift mode is quick from what most say.

Word from Toyota is that there will be no Turbo model for now. Subaru haven't ruled it out. Some speculation is that Subaru might up displacement to a 2.5L.

All that said... It really is as good as magazines and people say it is. Its a wonderful car. I love mine. Its the best handling car from the factory I've ever owned.

[Synack]

The jist of what I've been getting from all of these threads is : Buy the damn car.

I've seen countless people with higher horsepower vehicles switch to this car. That fits me perfectly as a previous 370Z and SS Camaro owner. I'm getting one.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Thanntos]

Thanks for all the quick replies, and yea, I am getting the feeling I just need to Test Drive and I will fall in love. Like I said I just get a bit nervous/second guess myself when going for a new car now. Don't want to be disappointed.

Really liking what you have all said about the power, seems it would be perfect for me, and a bit of a step up over my RSX right now.

Also, I have always driven Auto's, so I am not sure I will change that now. Esp since some people in my family do drive my car a bit, and not many know how to use Manual either, so I thinks it's just in my and their best interest. I have never had any complaints with Auto's, as even my RSX is a semi-auto with optional shifting so this seems like it is perfect for me, but I also feel I am cheatint myself out of an incredible experience with manual?

Problem now is gonna be the availability of the car at my local dealers, and choosing a color! Really leaning towards the Raven or Asphalt, what are some of you guys driving?

[seannyice81]

I have Asphalt and think its the best color (others will disagree I'm sure). Raven is nice too but I chose against it because black shows more dirt and swirl marks.

The autos (if you go that way) are generally more available from what I've seen around here. You will still probably have to spend some time looking for one though. I suggest looking on autotrader. After being told I had to wait for 3 months, I found one on autotrader and owned it the next day.

[csaba]

Originally Posted by oso_25

Not to sound mean or anything but I'm getting tired of seeing these kind of threads is there anyway we can get something on the top threads were if people have questions about the Frs or brz they can find there answer to there questions?

People just too lazy to read !
this is a perfect example!
There is tons of reviews out there he should take his time to read it.
No one can decide for him!

[chate]

These threads should have only one reply

TEST DRIVE IT

[Thanntos]

I have researched. A LOT. Just wanted to pop on forums and ask actual OWNERS and not people just reviewing the car on a quick spin, what they genuinely thought about the car and any opinions/tips on going about it all.

Also REALLLLY torn between the Raven and Asphalt.... :/

[mezdup]

i'm glad people are helping you out but honestly if you're gonna post this kinda stuff here, you're almost certainly going to get biased responses. the majority of people here are fans of the car. i think if you'd want an unbiased opinion you should post on a general car forum. but again, the people here are generally nice and will try to help in any way they can. just try not to expect any truly open-minded responses lol.

[Nepenthe]

First of all I don't think you can really tell that much from a test drive. Maybe if you got to test drive it five times over ten days, or live with it for a few days.

Originally Posted by Thanntos

-Honestly, how underpowered it this car, in terms of cars similar in the class (STI's? GTI's? CivicSI's? Evo's? ect) and is it THAT big of an issue to most people who bought/are looking to buy this car? Right now I have a 2003 Acura RSX. To be quite honest, speed and racing ability is not exactly a concern, I am not looking to go draggin with it against 370z's and shit, I know it's not that kind of car. But I always get a bit confused when people say it's underpowered? How? In terms of what? (is top speed is 145 ish, 200 HP, ~6.8 0-60 slow?

Plenty of power. I had an Si before. Fairly similar. I use my bike if I need any more (actually I use my bike most days, but I digress). 200 HP was about what I wanted. Enough power to get moving just fine, but weak enough that you can floor it and redline it without quickly getting into dangerous and illegal territory. It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. I had no desire personally to wait for the turbo. I probably would have opted for the 200 HP anyway. In the entire four or five years I plan to own this car (4K to 5K miles / year = 16K to 25K miles and then I'll sell it) I probably will never get it above HALF of its 140 mph top speed (it's only seen the highway one time for under a minute total so far).

Okay, if you're in the auto, with a passenger, in D, going uphill, on a 100 degree day, with the AC going, it's not going to respond all that well. So what?

I commuted three days in a row, to and from work, 8 miles each way, at least nine stop signs along the way each trip, and didn't get above 2300 RPMs a single time. Got 34.5 to 35.0 AVG MPG all six trips. I like the automatic quite a bit, though I admit there are many times I'd like a plain ole manual with a clutch (but had I bought the manual, there'd no doubt be many times I'd be wishing I had the luxury of using "D").

Originally Posted by Thanntos

-How are you FR-S owners REALLY liking the interior? It the difference between the two, or the things you wish you had in it THAT much to write home about or be upset with the lack-there-of luxurys? (Navi ect)

Navi would have been kind of nice. We have a few Garmin devices but the cool thing about in-dash GPS I think would be just having the large screen map always going and always right there. A lot of times just a quick glance at a map to orient myself and the surrounding roads is all I would need.

Interior is okay. It rattles, and it's driving me crazy. There's a lot less padding and sound damping than some other cars. Driving position can't match my old RX-7 or even the Si -- it's a bit odd, but works okay overall. The visibility is better than the Si overall. Audio is not as good as the Si. I can live with the ****pit. Oh, one thing that I find a little disconcerting is that the steering wheel moves a little bit even when the adjustment mechanism is fully locked. Other cars I've had felt more solid there. Wish it had a center armrest. I've taken to just leaving both hands on the wheel at all times.

Originally Posted by Thanntos

-I heard and read a bit about the Auto having a 'sport' mode? That I can switch it to shift mode if I wanted to?

Yah, just like almost every automatic on the market now. My colleague just bought some gigantic Mitsubishi SUV and it has essentially the same sort of automatic. Not knowing how to drive a manual is not a reason to buy the automatic. There may be other reasons though.

Originally Posted by Thanntos

-Overall, how are some owners feeling about their cars/purchase?

Pretty good. I didn't want to spring for a 370Z, didn't really like the Genesis, couldn't see myself in a behemoth like the Camaro or Mustang, not ready to spend Porsche or BMW or Audi money (I paid cash for the FR-S price that was left after my $13K Si trade in, was not interested in financing), wanted brand new (no S2000, etc.), and wanted to ditch front wheel drive (no Mini, Mazdaspeed 3, etc.). Considered WRX, Miata, settled on this little guy. The *only* regret I have is that I didn't look for leftover RX-8s, but there were probably few or none left anyway.

Love the way it looks, like how it has a dual (or tri) personality, like the convenience and flexibility of the auto, love the balance (front/rear weight distribution, low center of gravity, light overall weight, rear wheel drive) compared to the Si, love how small it is, and have enjoyed the handling the couple times I've sampled it. The other day I executed a right turn basically just using throttle -- that reminded me of my old RX-7 days. The FR-S will never beat the RX-7 for hardcore feel and pure fun -- super-direct steering with no power assist, instant throttle, spaceship sounds, perfect brakes, unbelievably good shifter -- but it probably won't leave me stranded four or five times every year either, it gets double the gas mileage, and it has actual working audio and AC.

Things I don't like: no center armrest, audio is a bit weak, brake pedal feels wooden and doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, rattles, very little internal storage for things.