Thinking about switching from BMW 328i to Scion FR-S

[Teseo]

Women will not like you if you drive a scion instead bmw

[Toyarzee]

Originally Posted by kaylikestofly

What rating would you give it out of 10?

11

And the power isn't as little as how often you likely use your turn signals when cutting someone off.

[soulreapersteve]

Originally Posted by Teseo

Women will not like you if you drive a scion instead bmw

He's right you know ^

You can only pick up guys, which is cool if that's what you are in to.


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToGEy6eh4Fs"]Car Review: 2015 Scion FR-S Scion FRS Commercial 2015 - YouTube[/ame]

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza

Well I got rid of a BMW 335i for the 86/FRS so I think you should be fine coming from a 328i haha.

Same, came from a 450hp 335i to a stock BRZ. It was not a downgrade.

Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza

Mine was a 2007, fully loaded.

I never miss the power of the 335i or my "sti" that I also owned so I didn't bring up power for you.

By the way, another member on here also came from a BMW 335i @SLVRSRFR

I had the same experience. The power in the 86s is ALL useable. You can drive it balls to the wall everywhere, that's the fun of it. The 335i was like a caged animal, it became frustrating to drive on the street. The BRZ will best any E9X 328/335/M3 I've encountered at AutoX too. Only a true brand snob would hold on to the notion that the 86 is a lesser enthusiast's car. In fact, it's much more pure of an enthusiast's car. People buy these because they love driving, not the badge.

The Bimmer is an autobahn cruiser, that's where it's at home. It's a well handling car despite its weight, but not even in the same realm as the twins.
My wife's 335i M-sport handles like a cruise ship compared to the Scooby, and that is one of the best handling cars BMW has ever made IMO.

[kaylikestofly]

Originally Posted by Toyarzee

11

And the power isn't as little as how often you likely use your turn signals when cutting someone off.

is it still a good car even if I get it in automatic?

[swarb]

Originally Posted by kaylikestofly

is it still a good car even if I get it in automatic?

I'd take the bmw if that was the case.

[Mim]

The auto is good. Throw it in sports mode and play with the paddles all you like. You can double tap to downshift two gears. It auto rev matches. You can pin the accelerator to the firewall (from stand still) and it will swing all the way to 7500rpm (redline), flash the shift light and smoothly slam into 2nd and keep pulling.

It will hold gears, but drop a gear if it thinks you're going to stall. It will gear break just like a regular manual when you drop gears. Best of all it won't let you up or downshift if it thinks its a bad idea and will just beep at you instead.

It will shift gears faster and smoother than a manual, but then driving manual is an art unto itself.

Its far from your average auto and was calibrated and designed with proper sports driving in mind. It will change your perspective on what constitutes a good auto transmission.

[arrow34]

I have an AT and love it. And I don't think it would be a downgrade... just a change.

[venturaII]

Downgrade? That's like saying going to a Miata from a Buick is a downgrade. Apples and oranges. If you already view the Scion as a downgrade, then it will be for you. Stick with the BMW...status-oriented marketing has made it the 'better' car.

[krayzie]

This is a good example of what BMW has done to its core customer base in the last 10 to 15 years just to stay afloat.

An analogy is a Rolex owner on a Japanese watch forum asking if going to a Grand Seiko is a downgrade, and whether it is still a good watch with the quartz variant.

[deejaylew]

Originally Posted by venturaII

Downgrade? That's like saying going to a Miata from a Buick is a downgrade. Apples and oranges. If you already view the Scion as a downgrade, then it will be for you. Stick with the BMW.

Pretty much this. The F30 is faster, but it also feels like a boat. BMW is good at marketing, somehow they have convinced people that the 3 series is sporty (it's not at all sporty when compared to a proper sports car). Also for anyone trying to explain to him that the automatic in the twins is somehow better, It's not. You can launch and its got paddle shifters and all that good stuff with the newer 3 series "sport automatic transmission" and it seems to shift as fast or faster than an automatic 86.

The cars are not even remotely the same though and in many respects it is a downgrade to move to an FRS (Unless the 328 is completely base with no options). If you have any specific questions feel free to ask me as I have owned them both at the same time.

Do what makes you happy, I get the sense that you care too much what others will think of you "downgrading".

[venturaII]

Originally Posted by krayzie

This is a good example of what BMW has done to its core customer base in the last 10 to 15 years just to stay afloat.

It's been longer than that...they jumped the shark with the first E21...the original and ultimate yuppie-mobile. It made them a shit-ton of money, but the company has never been the same since.

[DarkSunrise]

It'll be a downgrade in terms of power and interior refinement. But upgrade in terms of weight, handling, feedback, and reliability/cost-to-maintain.

Decide which of those things are important to you. Best way to know is drive one and see if it puts a smile on your face.

[venturaII]

Originally Posted by deejaylew

The cars are not even remotely the same though and in many respects it is a downgrade to move to an FRS

I really don't think this is the case - the cars don't compare well, so you can't really say it's a downgrade without qualifying it. The FR-S is a rather spartan 2+2 sports car (intentionally...), and the BWM is a much larger and less-sporty luxury car. If driving feel and dynamics is what you value, then going to the FR-S will be a definite upgrade. If having wood trim, heated seats and over-engineered cupholders is what you value, then the BMW is the better choice. The FR-S will eat the 328i alive in an autocross or on a road course, but it doesn't have the image status that the BMW has. It also doesn't have the overpriced maintenance and parts cost, the horrible resale, inflated insurance, etc.