OhDamn.co Review of the FRS as a daily driver

[Oh Damn Andrew]

Mods: Feel free to move this if this is in the wrong section.

There were tons of articles written about how great our cars are to drive on the track but no one really talks about how practical they are so I decided to write about my experience as owning one as a daily driver.
http://www.ohdamn.co/2012/10/10/review-2013-scion-frs/
Some excerpts below


"The sad reality is that a good portion of these cars will spend most of their lives in traffic or sitting in parking lots. Truth be told, our FRS will be no different. Serving as a daily driver as well as occasional track car. In most cases, cars that serve as daily driver/track cars must sacrifice creature comforts and ride quality for faster lap times. I’ve had a WRX wagon that boosted 22 PSI and an IS300 with every suspension part available for the car at the time which I daily drove and tracked. They were loud and rough on the street but not as fast as serious track cars. I have also owned a S14 240sx and NA Miata to track and daily drive. While fun to drive on and off the track, they were not too practical to take out on a Saturday night or hopping in and out of a Recaro bucket seat wearing a suit everyday.

Toyota and Subaru have created a car that, right of the dealer lot is as ready for the track as it is for the streets. Its grippy steering wheel, short throw shifter, aggressively bolstered bucket seats and raspy exhaust note gives it the look and feel of a modified car. Toyota and Subaru engineers spent hours fine tuning the suspension dynamics of the FRS at race tracks across the world. The result is a car with a very well dialed in suspension. It feels like a sports car with well tuned coilovers. It reminds me of a 996 911 (minus about 100 horsepower) The ride is firm, not overly bouncy.
The car is so well balanced that it manages to make you feel confident attacking most corners and freeway on ramps with its Michelin Primacy HP GreenX Summer Touring Tires (the same tires that come on the top of the line Prius). On paper that combination of 215/45/17 “Summer touring tires” wrapped around the fairly narrow 17×7 wheels doesn’t sound like a grip monster but the suspension and 200hp on tap do just enough to keep you out of trouble. When the rear does get out of line, as long as you keep your foot on the gas and counter steer, the rear rotates in a controllable manner and puts a smile on your face.

The 2.0L, 4 cylinder boxer motor provides plenty of torque to get around town. You won’t be winning any drag races but there is usable power in practically every gear as long as you are within 2000-4000 RPM. Over 4000 RPM, the power band flattens out and you are reminded that there is only 200 horse power on tap. It is enough though to get you up to speed on the freeway on ramp. The shifter and steering wheel are positioned very well in relation to everything else in the car. The steering feel is sensitive and feels more sensitive as you go faster. For a drivers car, the clutch does not feel sporty at all but makes daily driving livable. It is as soft as the gas pedal and catches high. The shift throws are short, slightly notchy and precise. It is similar to an S2000 transmission with slightly longer throws and a Subaru feel to it.

Short list of things you cannot do in this car:

• Hang a coat/jacket. I took this car to a wedding and had to place to hang my coat. Oh well, I used the pass seat.
• Hide your change. There is no coin pocket. Scion does provide you with a cup to organize your change and hold your phone/mp3 player.
• Hold the “oh shit” handle. For some strange reason, this car does not have them.
• Get a good look at yourself in the mirror or see whats in the glove box in the dark. There is only one lamp in the interior.
• Fit 4 people without complaints.
• Put a baby seat in the back.
• Quickly charge your phone (read above)
• Fit 5×114.3 wheels. One of the biggest downfalls of this car is the fact it is fitted with 5×100 hubs. The widest/lowest offset wheels seen so far are 18×9.5/10 +38.
• Win a drag race. This car was designed to tackle corners. You’ll get destroyed by the V6 Camry next to you.

Practical things you can do:

• Fit a bicycle in the back. Front wheel removed and seats folded down. I have also been able to fit all my photography equipment as well as most of my DJ equipment with the rear seats folded down.
• Get decent gas millage. I have managed to average 28 MPG.
• Ease the pain at the pump. The gas tank is only about 11-12 gallons so even though it requires premium, the small tank doesn’t make it seem so expensive.
• Quickly change the oil. The oil filter is located on top, under the hood making it quick and easy to access.

Then again, these things don’t matter. That is not what most people buy this car for. If you’re looking for a car that can fit a families worth of groceries, take some friends on a road trip, do 0-60 in less than 5 seconds off the showroom floor, then you are looking at the wrong car. If you are looking for an affordable, rear wheel drive car with pure driving enjoyment in mind then this is the car for you.

In my opinion, the $25k MSRP is a lot for a car that doesn’t offer as many standard features you’ll find on other cars of the same price range. Once you get behind the wheel of the car, you forget the cost. $25k is a bargain all of the sudden when the only other cars that offer a similar driving experience are 2-3 times more expensive. You don’t buy this car for its practicality or speed. You buy it because it is fun to drive. This is a car you find excuses to take out. This is a car you wake up early and take the long way to work for. As I walk to the car every day, it always brings a smile to my face knowing all the fun I can have from getting to point A to point B."

[Capstan]

Nice review. However as I am looking at the last photo I'm seeing an ignition key and a crappy radio, reminded that its a Scion. With the BRZ he could have said how nice it is to have the door unlock itself for you and the car turn itself on when you push the button. And then the satellite/HD radio with built-in navigation gives it a welcome extra touch of luxury.

[MVJ1975]

Sadly, my FR-S resides in a commuter lot for much of the week, so this review is spot-on from my perspective.

It's not the most practical car out there, but it can work as a daily driver if you're willing to compromise a bit.

[Spd229]

Originally Posted by Capstan

Nice review. However as I am looking at the last photo I'm seeing an ignition key and a crappy radio, reminded that its a Scion. With the BRZ he could have said how nice it is to have the door unlock itself for you and the car turn itself on when you push the button. And then the satellite/HD radio with built-in navigation gives it a welcome extra touch of luxury.

These cars are awesome, regardless of included features. As you mentioned the limited BRZ includes some nice frill and convenience while the FR-S gives the owner the essentials, all that they need to enjoy the car and the experience.

It's easy for people to understand that frill is frill, so I don't think getting into how great a common yet unnecessary feature is really adds anything to the article. Nor will they think poorly of seeing that it's a scion which is priced at 25k, has a radio that supports HD / CD / Ipod / USB / BT audio, and has a key that unlocks and starts the car (that's generally expected).

He does get down into the meat of what the car is about for someone that's searching for that daily / track car without having to deal with the occasional awkwardness that sometimes ensues when trying to create your own. I can definitely relate to what he's got here in that I use this car as a daily commuter, I now drive about 10 miles one way so I really don't get much seat time as opposed to my previous 45 mile commute; Bittersweet really.

---
The one thing I will say though, is that you can easily fit a family's groceries in this thing. Along with a good bit of other stuff. I've been overall very impressed with the space this car provides. However, as you and just about anyone else with the car have said, this is certainly no road trip car for more than 2 people; a third is possible, given that maybe the two passengers can swap out every so often and you aren't driving on a shitty highway.

[KAR]

Your welcome.. Civic is gone??

[ExWhyZer0]

Originally Posted by MVJ1975

Sadly, my FR-S resides in a commuter lot for much of the week, so this review is spot-on from my perspective.

It's not the most practical car out there, but it can work as a daily driver if you're willing to compromise a bit.

Thats what mine is. I doubt I will actually track it. I mostly bought it because it looks good for the ladies (I'm shallow and I don't care lol), has great gas mileage, and drives nicely. But I know I can open her up and mod it nicely one day if I chose (doubt it).

[Oh Damn Andrew]

Originally Posted by KAR

Your welcome.. Civic is gone??

Yup, sold it a few weeks ago!

[Mochikomi]

Good writeup, but two things bugged me a little:

there is usable power in practically every gear as long as you are within 2000-4000 RPM. Over 4000 RPM, the power band flattens out and you are reminded that there is only 200 horse power on tap.

I've noticed quite the opposite. Power comes ON over 4k.

And I can fit a kid seat back there just fine ;-)

[avusblue]

VERY nice review. Well written -- I like it. Here's a real-world review I did a few months back:

The Scion FR-S – A Review, Owner’s Impressions, and Opinions

My car now has 7,000 miles of daily-driver duty, and I enjoy it just as much now as when I got it back in May. I still get that "pinch me" feeling when I see it, get in it, and most of all, drive it!

Cheers,

Dave

PS -- And while I respect your viewpoint, I actually like the radio. I think it sounds great, has a simple interface, a clean design, and operates its many features very intutively. Also, the USB port charges up my iPhone very strong and quick. Like, from 50% to 95%+ on my 20 minute commute.

Here's mine:

[MVJ1975]

FWIW, I like the stock head unit too. It's not going to win any style awards (at least, not this decade) but it's easy to use and doesn't bury features inside a million touchscreen menus.

It's simple. Just like... the car.

[Re~Mix]

Originally Posted by avusblue

My car now has 7,000 miles of daily-driver duty, and I enjoy it just as much now as when I got it back in May. I still get that "pinch me" feeling when I see it, get in it, and most of all, drive it!

I agree wholeheartedly and great picture of the MN waterfront. That's where I'm originally from, relocated out to California though.

I do miss the summers and lack of traffic, however hitting a cloverleaf from 15-85mph is pure bliss (CA doesn't respect it speed limits like MN).

As a daily driver I miss the coat hanger, glovebox light and lock but that is about it.

[Oh Damn Andrew]

Originally Posted by ExWhyZer0

Thats what mine is. I doubt I will actually track it. I mostly bought it because it looks good for the ladies (I'm shallow and I don't care lol), has great gas mileage, and drives nicely. But I know I can open her up and mod it nicely one day if I chose (doubt it).

Yup, valid points. I didn't buy this car for the ladies but I have gotten better reactions from them than I expected (definitely not a bad thing). And though you may not ever plan to track it, it is good that the car can hold its own if you ever plan to take it to the track.