Quesions- potential purchase

[Jen]

I am looking to get a manual sports car to drive. My daily driver for the past seven years and 320k+ miles has been a Prius. I drive 122 miles per day to get to work and back. The Prius has been incredibly reliable. I went through the same thing four years ago of wanting a more "interesting" car and ended up getting an R/T Challenger which my husband has pretty much taken over (it's okay, he loves it). At the time I was looking at the Challenger, I was also looking at the Camaro.

I have had a history with Corvettes and have also had a mustang and neither were reliable, I had all kinds of issues with both. I'm looking at the Scion FRS because I'm hoping that this will be a reliable car. Here are some questions:

(1) Will I be bored with this car since I'm used to a much more powerful manual (the Challenger)? I think with all of this Prius driving, anything will seem exciting

(2) Is this car a reliable as a typical Toyota since it has the Subaru boxer engine? I don't know much about Subaru but have heard something about head gaskets going at 100k.

(3) Do you think a Lifetime warranty from someplace like Scott Clark Toyota is for real? I can get a 2013 FRS in NY for 22k but without this warranty. We were able to buy a lifetime warranty for the Challenger, which was the only reason I agreed to the Challenger. I'm wondering if it would make sense to buy there. They have a white one. I would prefer the black one in NY, but the warranty could make it worth it.

Thank you!!

[Jen]

I forgot to add,

(4) Last thing, I know first year cars can have issues. Would it make sense to get a 2014 instead of the 2013, have there been issues that were fixed? Should I wait for the 2015? I don't need this car right now and can wait.

Thanks everyone

[Porsche]

Given what you've owned and what you're willing to accept, i.e. GM, Ford, and Chrysler products, I'd predict that the Subaru BRZ or Toyota FR-S (same car) will offer long-term reliability at least as good as your former cars.

The twins (BRZ/FR-S) are brand-new designs and are experiencing some teething issues as expected, but so far (apart from some blown engines) they seem reasonably reliable. The blown engines have not been satisfactorily accounted for in my mind. What was the proximate cause? We don't really know. Random bad luck? Some form of abuse? Hard to say.

I'm unaware of any changes made in the 2014 vs the 2013 models, although there may be some changes in the computer engine management that could make the 2014 less prone to a few issues. By and large, the overall reliability seems decent for the twins. Now, Consumer Reports is unhappy with them, but this requires some in-depth reading to understand; their "issues" may be relatively inconsequential to us enthusiasts. I say "may be," but who knows what your experience may be should you buy one.

I would note that some of the issues about the twins that one reads about on these forums are either trivial or not really issues ... in my view. YMMV, of course.

I cannot unreservedly recommend the twins ... yet. But, if this car appeals to you following a test drive or two, I'd say you're PROBABLY safe to buy one. And if you encounter problems, well that's the dues you pay for buying new, unproven technology. Most of us buyers regard it as a risk worth taking, now that we've owned these cars for a while.

The only extended warranty I would EVER consider is one from the vehicle manufacturer, thus from Subaru or Toyota, no others. Third party warranties have poor reputations, to put it charitably. Waste your money if you like, but I would never do that. If you do your "homework," you'll see, and you won't ever buy one, either. Stick to the Subaru or Toyota extended warranty only. The price can be negotiated, does not need to be purchased when you buy the car, nor does it need to be purchased from your selling dealer. In fact, just two days ago, I received a Subaru extended warranty offer from Subaru on our BRZ that's approaching two years old.

This car is all about nimble handling. It's a car that Colin Chapman would smile upon. My wife returned from her test drive and declared, "This is the most fun car I've ever driven! And it's SLOW!"

'Tis true.

Her daily driver at the time was a Miata we'd bought new for her. (And a 2010 Mazdaspeed3 turbo, which makes a lot of cars feel slow, including our S2000.)

I call our BRZ "our Miata with a roof and extra cargo capacity." (We traded-in the Miata.)

You grind out a lot of miles. If you do this on decaying, pot-holed, rough roads ... ehh. You may find the twins to be rough and noisy, unrefined, and uncomfortable after a while. It may not be the optimum commuter for you. That, however, is not something anyone else can decide for you. But, do take a test drive expressly to focus on this issue. Can you comfortably live with this noisy, hard-riding, sports car? Never mind the driving fun on twisty roads; if it proves to be too much for you on your lengthy, daily commute, well then, on balance you may wish you'd made a different choice.

Most of these issues are a matter of personal preference and where your priorities lie. You can get comfort, but at the expense of sportiness ... or vice versa. You choose.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Porsche

.......... But, if this car appeals to you following a test drive or two, I'd say you're PROBABLY safe to buy one..........

Yep, I agree with all that ol Porsche says in the above post.

What you see and feel is what you get ..... the FR-S is rather transparent...


humfrz

[Vracer111]

Porsche covered it very well. I'd just add the FRS/BRZ is more Subaru than Toyota in overall quality... so expect more minor "annoyances" than you would in a Toyota. But being it's a true sports car, and a most excellently designed one at that, I can live with the non-reliability related minor annoyances (mainly interior rattles.) If you are looking for a new, inexpensive to buy and maintain daily driver sports car, it doesn't get any better than an FRS/BRZ currently - the Mazda Miata would be the other choice.

[CruiseZen]

Originally Posted by Jen

I forgot to add,

(4) Last thing, I know first year cars can have issues. Would it make sense to get a 2014 instead of the 2013, have there been issues that were fixed? Should I wait for the 2015? I don't need this car right now and can wait.

Thanks everyone

I've got 600+ miles on my 2014 and have yet to hear the first rattle or squeak. While the car may have the same components as the 2013s perhaps the manufacturing process was tweaked for the 2014 models to remove some of the common minor problems.

[roddy]

This little car makes a great daily driver. Yeah, it's a bit rough around the edges...NVH is a little more noticeable than in your average car, but the car is such a blast to drive, it's a non-issue. My FR-S is a dd and has about 30,000 miles on it so far. The only issues I've had have been pretty minor. There was some condensation in the right taillight (fixed under warranty), a small tear in some weather stripping (also covered), and the fuel pump crickets.


My other car is a supercharged '07 Mustang. It's like driving a truck in comparison. I hardly drive the Mustang any more. I miss the power sometimes, but the FR-S more than makes up for it by being so entertaining to drive. It's good on gas as well (maybe not so much so as a Prius).

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by Jen

(1) Will I be bored with this car?

Who knows? But a better question might be, "Will my husband want to steal THIS ONE from me, too?"

And the answer is, "Probably, yes."

So, plan accordingly.

(2) Is this car a reliable as a typical Toyota?

Both the Toyota FR-S and the Subaru BRZ are built in the Subaru plant in Gunma, Japan.

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

Originally Posted by roddy

My other car is a supercharged '07 Mustang. It's like driving a truck in comparison. I hardly drive the Mustang any more. I miss the power sometimes, but the FR-S more than makes up for it by being so entertaining to drive. It's good on gas as well (maybe not so much so as a Prius).

This.

A car that handles well is far more fun than one that's just fast in a straight line, at least if you're at all interested in driving.

This used to be my daily driver:


Then I took a job farther from home, and bought a small commute car that got twice the gas mileage:


Turned out that the little "girly car" was WAAAY more entertaining to drive, and would leave that heavy old horse (and just about anything else) in the dust on a twisty back road. Sent the Mustang on a permanent European vacation and haven't looked back.

I was happy with the Miata until I spotted a Hot Lava FR-S; I've been drooling over it ever since. I'm an old fart, and getting tired of the wind noise and the harsh ride and the pull-yourself-out-of-the-bottom-of-the-well egress from a lowered Miata. Then again, that drooling may just be age...

[Wise]

Badass fastback.

Is that a ferrari sticker on that Miata?

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Get a Volkswagen Golf TDI manual coupe! The MPG, torque, and ride quality alone for that commute would trump the FR-S/BRZ anyday. Trust me I have 1 of those too. This car just isnt that comfortable of a commuter car.

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

Originally Posted by Wise

Is that a ferrari sticker on that Miata?

Team Voodoo sticker (they make shift knobs that are popular with the Miata crowd)

http://www.thompson-automotive.com/voodoo.html

Rather than a prancing horse, a strutting cock.

[Wise]

Originally Posted by FlamingRectumSyndrome

Team Voodoo sticker (they make shift knobs that are popular with the Miata crowd)

http://www.thompson-automotive.com/voodoo.html

Rather than a prancing horse, a strutting cock.

ha nice