BRZ or Fiesta ST...why is BRZ better?

[Kelbyat07]

Well fiat is denfinetly out if the picture. Fiesta is a ford so have fun with that. Brz is great with gas and its rwd which is incredible when driving everyday. I am literally smiling all the time when i drive it. Fwd isnt even fun and modding a fiesta is tacky. If you are into modding cars and being part of one of the best car community then the brz is your choice.

In the end test drive both cars or just save your time and buy the brz. If you regret your purchase in the brz then i will be happy to buy it off of you.

[fatoni]

im not even sure the brz is a better car. the brz does a few things much better but the fiesta seems to do a lot of things a little better. its difficult to estimate these values when people are going to weigh each pro or con differently. ruling the fiesta out because its fwd and thus cant be fun is foolish. i dont think the brz is particularly more fun than my old crx or current msp (well maybe but its close) and it wasnt as fun as my friends itr that i was taking care of for about a month.

[italy7]

Originally Posted by Jac

2. I got 40 mpg average on a trip to Maine in my BRZ.

Just curious, how fast were you going?

[wbradley]

The Fiesta will beat the BRZ on a technical course in stock form by a smidgen. It boils down to tires. Also, the Fiesta will lift the inside rear when in tight turns...this scares me.

They say the Fiesta has very precise turn in and feels tight. At 198HP its powerful enough. As a compact, its overall format will be more practical for cargo, backseat, etc.

That said, get the FR-S. Its just so fun to drive on a daily basis with the stock tires. Especially taking turns a little to fast or even on wet roads.

My heart is with the FR-S but if you want a slightly less playful feel go BRZ. Same if you want Alcantara and a few other details most of us overlook. I STILL prefer the character of the FR-S. Guess I'm a peasant.

[Ganthrithor]

So, that was a post in the wrong thread. Actually I thought two threads were both this thread. How confusing!

[252actual]

[ame]http://youtu.be/qKJ0eNHu5vk[/ame]

[comic0guy]

Its not the Fiesta ST, but I drove the Focus ST and FRS in the same day. The thing that I remember that won me over was how I was connected to the car. The BRZ makes me feel like I'm one with the car.

I love my Evo X in different ways. But I didn't get a chance to drive it for almost two weeks, and just took it out tonight and I felt like something was broken. It wasn't broken, its just the BRZ connects with the driver so well.

Obviously just test drive both cars.

[Ganthrithor]

Originally Posted by 252actual

an video

Is it just me, or can that guy not drive? Like, at all? Why does his "hot lap" cornering technique consist of approaching a corner in a straight line, then yanking at the wheel like it's the last packet of Twinkies in existence and he needs his hydrogenated oils fix?

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by Ganthrithor

Is it just me, or can that guy not drive? Like, at all? Why does his "hot lap" cornering technique consist of approaching a corner in a straight line, then yanking at the wheel like it's the last packet of Twinkies in existence and he needs his hydrogenated oils fix?

It appears to be a FWD technique to throw the car into a slide to scrub entry speed and then hammer the power to get the front end to pull through the corner. I'm not sure how fast it is compared to a more strict grip technique, but if the ST wants to understeer on turn in after heavy braking etc, this is certainly one way to overcome it.

Edit- on topic, I understand the ST to be surprisingly potent, and a lot of fun (from those who have actually driven the car). For a practical hot hatch, it's hard to beat. The 86 is more a boiled down sports car, more about the experience. In that respect alone, the ST is a compromise, but it's sacrifices are for utility and function. Both will make a mundane daily commute a bit more fun... Test drive both and weigh your needs.

[bedabi]

Originally Posted by comic0guy

I love my Evo X in different ways. But I didn't get a chance to drive it for almost two weeks, and just took it out tonight and I felt like something was broken. It wasn't broken, its just the BRZ connects with the driver so well.

Funny you say that. I drove a friend's MR a while ago and while it clearly would outperform my BRZ by every objective measure it felt nowhere as connected. When just cruising around it feels like a Cary whereas even when taking low speed turns in the BRZ it feels fun. I came to realize that part of it is the BRZ's low center of gravity that few if any other cars have. You can feel the movement of this car around your hips and that connection is very rare. In the MR even with the Recaros the car's moment is centered somewhere else, like where the dash is. At least that's what it feels like. Something to keep in mind when test driving different cars.

[industrial]

This is actually an easy decision. The fiat isn't worth considering unless you want a cute car.

Both other cars are fun and economical.

One car is a better sports car and the other is a better dd. Figure out your priorities and this decision makes itself. Personally I wouldn't DD a frs/brz year round where I live. If I could only have 1 car, it wouldn't be a twin. Lightweight RWD makes for a great sports car and an extremely poor winter car. It's also a terrible car for mountain biking, scuba diving, hauling friends around or anything resembling utility. A wrx/sti hatch or focus/fiesta st would be a superior do-it-all car. Coming from a STI hatch, I chose to go to a forester/brz. More expensive but less compromises.

[Jac]

Originally Posted by italy7

Just curious, how fast were you going?

Posted limits, 80% highway.

[Ganthrithor]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

It appears to be a FWD technique to throw the car into a slide to scrub entry speed and then hammer the power to get the front end to pull through the corner. I'm not sure how fast it is compared to a more strict grip technique, but if the ST wants to understeer on turn in after heavy braking etc, this is certainly one way to overcome it.

Honestly it looked like he was doing the same thing with the 86... really throwing the car all over the place. There's no point doing hot laps if your reviewer can't drive. Don't get me wrong I'm sure he's not a below average driver, but you really want someone who can drive smoothly and consistently if you're gonna be comparing times. Otherwise you might as well just let someone play and talk about their impressions of the cars.

[xwd]

Originally Posted by wbradley

The Fiesta will beat the BRZ on a technical course in stock form by a smidgen. It boils down to tires. Also, the Fiesta will lift the inside rear when in tight turns...this scares me.

They say the Fiesta has very precise turn in and feels tight. At 198HP its powerful enough. As a compact, its overall format will be more practical for cargo, backseat, etc.

That said, get the FR-S. Its just so fun to drive on a daily basis with the stock tires. Especially taking turns a little to fast or even on wet roads.

My heart is with the FR-S but if you want a slightly less playful feel go BRZ. Same if you want Alcantara and a few other details most of us overlook. I STILL prefer the character of the FR-S. Guess I'm a peasant.

With similar tires the BRZ/FRS is quite a bit faster on an autocross course than the Fiesta or Focus. The height of the Focus and Fiesta make them kind of unstable in transitions. A couple Focii on Hoosiers almost flipped.

To me it comes down to the type of driving you do and what kind of utility you need. There are a couple trailer hitches for the 86 now. . But obviously if you need a lot interior space it isn't the best car.