How long do yo plan on keeping your FR-S

[regal]

The world is divided between used car buyers and new car buyers. I missed out on a lot of good new cars in the 90's. It wasn't that I couldn't afford a new car I just was always a used car buyer. I know a guy who bought a new 94 Supra on his 23rd b-day, still owns it to this day (smart man.)


I broke y new car Cherry a few years ago with clash for clunkers.
The FR-S is my second new car, I've owned it a year now. I am certain I want to keep it for life, its just an all round great car if it doesn't suffer the Subaru engine issues that plagued the brand since 1996.

I know this forum is full of new car "people" and it sounds crazy to plan on never selling a car, but I've daily driven cars with over 300k miles that were reliable as anything.

With OBDIII and increasing environmental regs, I personally doubt we will ever see an '86 with a significantly more powerful stock engine than the 200 hp FA20. Toyota usually looks 10 years further than other auto makers and the hand writing is on the wall, the muscle cars and turbo hatchbacks are on their way out. Regulations will force smaller engines, less weight, less carbon footprint over horsepower.


Anyone else planning on a long ownership of the 86 ?

[BlaineWasHere]

This is my first new car purchase (I'm 27, 26 when I bought the car). I bought this car so I could get more serious with racing and develop myself better as a driver while retaining a one car lifestyle. I rent in a very dense area and I just flat out don't have a place to put a second car right now.

I know that as the car gets more "racecar" mods it will be more harsh to drive daily, so at some point when I get to that point I'll pay off the balance on the loan and retire the FR-S to racecar/weekend duty and get a nice German sedan for daily duty, hopefully something with A LOT more power/torque than my FR-S!!!!

But yes, I bought the FR-S to be a slow racecar build and then keep it as such!

EDIT: I just saw your poll and I already have 32K miles on my car, so even if I do sell it, it's pretty safe to say it'll be near 100K miles.

[hur1ey02]

The FR-S is my daily (well except winter time) commuter, so it'll be getting worn out faster than I'd like. I've had it since January and it has 9000 on it right now. I typically only keep vehicles 3-4 years because I'm just super impulsive. That being said, I hope they never bring out an STi version of the BRZ. I'd hop on that quick. My jeep has 74K on it right now, so my luck, they'll both wear out at the same time.

I'll keep it until I start having costly problems out of it.

[Auto-Hauss]

For me I plan on keeping it for a long time. I thought it being the car I hold onto forever and it just might be that car. One car I would have forever is when they make the new gt3 into a gt3 rs. But then I wouldn't have as much fun with it as the FRS. I would turn into one of the those DB Porsche owners that has quick detail every where I go and god forbid it gets a door ding. I would flip out, but anyway back on topic.

I plan on running the wheels off the FRS for the first few years auotcross, track days, road trips to far off lands, etc. Then I'll take the whole car down and rework the body cleaning it up for weekend duty. After owning mine for almost a year there is nothing on the market in its price range that I'd rather have.

[RurumariGhost]

Originally Posted by regal

With OBDIII and increasing environmental regs, I personally doubt we will ever see an '86 with a significantly more powerful stock engine than the 200 hp FA20. Toyota usually looks 10 years further than other auto makers and the hand writing is on the wall, the muscle cars and turbo hatchbacks are on their way out. Regulations will force smaller engines, less weight, less carbon footprint over horsepower.


Anyone else planning on a long ownership of the 86 ?

Turbo hatchbacks are out due to environmental regs? on what planet? bmw just went from a na v8 to a twin turbo straight 6 for the m3 because of environmental regs. Turbo hatches are here to stay my friend, small, efficient, plenty of storage space, and great in a city. There's a reason they're so popular over in europe, and they're catching on in the US too. Ford announced they're bringing all the focus models stateside for the first time, not leaving the good ones in europe and giving us underpowered soulless cars.

[Calavera]

More hp, push to start, digital ac controls, and maybe leather. So around 15 or 16 I will get another new frs. That's if I'm in the same or better financially.

[marky]

This car is a keeper

[whaap]

Your poll is missing at least one option and that is: till the 2014's come out.

I've said a number of times 'so many cars, so little time'. Since I have less time than any one else on this forum (estimating) I have to get in as many cars as I can. If the 2014 FR-S has just a few of the small improvements I'm hoping for I will probably trade up. If it doesn't there are a few cars I might like to give a try. Or, who knows, I'll keep my present FR-S. At least I'll be giving consideration to others.

[p00mba]

she's a keeper - simple as that...

[nonicname]

I used to be a ALL new car buyer I had an 06 WRX (I should've never sold)
then a new Cube then a new 370Z then a new forte koup.
I have the bad habit of changing cars every year so I decided to stop wasting the money more than usual by getting BARELY used cars.
I bought my GTI with 7k miles on it FULLY loaded for less money than a brand new BASE model would cost.

I just saw an FRS with 6k miles for $21,500 at a dealer, I was on my way to get it but it was sold.
I'll probably never buy a new car again, I'll let the idiots that buy the car the brand new car and get rid of them after 2k miles take the hit!
This way I can keep my bad habit going without losing.

[losjackal]

I've been driving a 2003 Toyota Matrix for 10 years. It has 92k miles and zero problems.

Before that, I had a used 1991 BMW 850i (bought in 1999). Everytime something broke it cost me $1000. I finally got to the point where I was just almost as glad to say "I had an 850" to "I have an 850". I'm just not a huge car guy, to justify spending money like that.

I've been quite happy with the Matrix, but good looking sports cars catch my eye. The FR-S/BRZ is the first one that I've considering acquiring in terms of value and performance for the dollar. If my wife wasn't fearing investing in the 100k+ maintenance on the Matrix, I probably wouldn't be buying next month.

That's a long way of saying I could see myself driving this Limited Edition FR-S for another 10 years at least.

[regal]

Originally Posted by Auto-Hauss

After owning mine for almost a year there is nothing on the market in its price range that I'd rather have.

Yep, we are in an era similar to the late sixties where horsepower and torque were plentiful but just like back then the muscle cars were really just family sedan chassis's with a big powerful engines. Back then at least the pony cars had a fairly lighter weight chassis but those cars still didn't handle all that great. The last decade has been similar but the pony cars (mustang, Camaro, challenger, genesis) weigh more than a 4 door 69 impala. Then we have a few hot hatch's but again the chassis is really based on an econo box and you just can't undo that.

This car is unique in having a ground up new chassis designed sports car. It has plenty power for daily driving relatively speaking looking at he last 50 years of the auto industry. The number one reason for buying this car is summed up in this picture:






Number two the torsen RWD differential.

The number three reason is the AISIN 6 speed manual tranny.


The biggest question that only time will tell is if the DI FA20 will turn out to have Wankel reliability. I think we are safe from having to pull the engine at 80k to replace headgaskets (the turbo guys are proving that.) There is the di injector concern but the D4-S technology is over 4 years mature so I'm not too worried about it

This car handles and drives a lot like the classic 944 Porsche and beyond "super cars" there isn't much better, the 86 is a keeper as long as the engine is as tough as the old Subaru boxers.

[strat61caster]

First new car and hopefully my last. I'll keep it until it goes beyond repair unless the engine proves to be unreliable, in which case I'll probably either go 911 or rotary which sounds silly but I figure if I'm going to be worrying about a motor anyway it might as well be a cool one.

Edit: I also strongly believe this will usher in the last era of "true" sports cars. I know it's been said in previous generations but this time I think it's it, with hybrids becoming the norm, electric motors and self driving cars literally around the corner in the next decade (I saw 3 Tesla's on my way to work this morning) this generation (next ~8 years or so) is probably the last in terms of power + fun = sports car for the masses. Can't wait to see the new Miata

[FReSh]

I'll keep it until honda or toyota releases something better. C'mon updated hardtop S2k or new supra! If those things never come, I'll keep her forever.