On the fence... (but nearly decided)

[eriktherod]

Heya everyone, first post! Like many of you, I've been following the FR-S/BRZ from concept to production. Needless to say, it looks as if they have most certainly lived up the hype, if not surpassed it.

I currently have a 2008 Civic Si (~67K miles) that I've done a fair share of modding to (intake, header, exhaust, pulleys, mounts, ecu tuning, etc). It runs great, aggressive, and I love it just as much if not more than the day I bought it.

I've been really itching to get a RWD car that fits my high-revving tuner tastes, and the S2000/NSX were my only options previously. The former only as a convertible is somewhat a bummer, and the latter is out of my price range currently.

I love the FR-S in Ultramarine, all it needs is a Toyota rebadge in my opinion (which I'd gladly give it). The extra money for the BRZ's creature comforts don't impress me, I just want the car. It seems perfect, as I don't care if the car isn't the fastest thing, I want a car that's fun to drive (hence why I enjoy the Si).

Financially, I still owe $6K on the Si. By this time next year, I'll have it completely paid off.. but the question is can I really wait that long? I can't get the idea of this car out of my head, it's that bad. Fortunately, the current trade-in value of my car is $14K, so that's a positive equity of $8K. Refinancing would still be considerably cheaper than my payments are now, just extending the term out from 12 months to 48 or 60, but also resetting the odometer to zero. Also, I work for a race team that uses Toyotas so I am fairly sure we get a discount, though I am not sure how much (will find out!).

Basically, the two choices I have are to do the trade-in ASAP and get the FR-S with higher payments.... or wait another 12 months and then get lower payments. I will be going to find one to test drive during this week, as there is a dealership near both work and where I live. I have a feeling this won't help me resist the temptation but I'm going to do it anyways!

I have to admit, I somewhat enjoy being an early adopter and being that I've followed this car for so long, another year seems like forever (even though time goes by quickly). The rave reviews and constant joy of new owners is pushing me over the edge to make choice number one.

Opinions anyone?

[YukiHachiRoku]

Who says money cannot buy you happiness?

[Moto-P]

Originally Posted by YukiHachiRoku

Who says money cannot buy you happiness?

It can't so, so throw it all at a Scion dealer and just buy the FRS, as that DOES buy you lots of smiles. I swear...I've been grinning every day for the last 3 weeks since I got mine.

[Pistol Pete]

Originally Posted by eriktherod

The rave reviews and constant joy of new owners is pushing me over the edge to make choice number one.

Opinions anyone?

This last statement worries me completely, as you may not be seperating hype from reality. You have to remember that the toyobaru is, supposedly, better than a Porsche Cayman S but is outperformed by the Honda S2000, Hyundai Genesis, Mustang GT and is absolutely destroyed by the Megane RS. I mean, you can smell the BS hype from a mile away! The sooner you can seperate the BS from reality, then the longer will you postphone your disappointment and eventual boredom. History shows that these sorts of cars die out, like the S2000, Supra, Celica and MR2. The only classic in this category is the Mazda Miata MX-5. Please consider

[Prava]

If you're gonna wait, don't go on the forums as much because you're gonna be like everyday (like all of us). I mean, if you can be financially stable with the slightly higher payments, then do it. If it's gonna put a damper on your life, then consider waiting. It doesn't matter what car is faster than this car. It's about what you want and that's all that matters. Just weigh out your situation, weigh out the pros and cons, and make a decision. The car isn't going anywhere.

[Slartibartfast]

It may actually save you money to do it now!

If you keep the Si and wait, you pay $6000, plus interest, for one year, then finance the FR-S for four years. So, that's five years of paying anyway.
However, waiting until next year will effect your trade value. Next year, your Si will likely have a trade value of $11-12000. The extra $2-3000 of equity you have now would more than compensate for the extra interest you would pay.

So, I think you can take money out of the equation.

I disagree with Pistol Pete. I've driven the car. It's pretty sweet. I do agree there is a big danger over-hyping the car, and I don't want to add to that. The Mustang, and Genesis are just cars. I've driven both. They are quicker, yes, but still just cars. (we don't have the Megane in Canada, so I can't say anything about that one. But isn't it front wheel drive?) The FR-S is shaping up to be something more.

I say go for it!

Oh... And welcome to the group!

[K2]

Originally Posted by Moto-P

I swear...I've been grinning every day for the last 3 weeks since I got mine.

I have been making up reasons to go drive mine. It's been more fun than either of my MR2s.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Moto-P

It can't so, so throw it all at a Scion dealer and just buy the FRS, as that DOES buy you lots of smiles. I swear...I've been grinning every day for the last 3 weeks since I got mine.

LOL This is the best quote I've heard recently. It's so true

[enigma]

FWIW, if you're looking @ the FR-S, an NSX isn't that far out of reach... My '92 was $25k back in '08 (and $25k for the guy I sold it to in '10).

Despite the 20 year gap, I've been really looking at NSXs again instead of the FR-S... Especially after driving one. The chassis was good and it handled well, but the engine was very uninspiring to me. I'm hoping once I drive a proper 6spd, my opinions will change, but at no point did the FA20 even feel remotely exciting as an F20C out of the S2000, the C30A out of an NSX, or frankly, even a K20 out of your Si. It was the only let down for me when it came to the car. It wasn't even so much the lack of power that bothered me either... It's hard to describe... the engine just didn't feel that exciting at any point. I sort of felt the same way the first time I drove an early 350Z with the VQ35DE (The HRs are better), in that it just felt the same no matter where I was in the rev range.

Anyways, my point is if you were eyeballing an NSX, it's not necessarily out of your range. And out of all the cars I've ever owned, it's absolutely been my favorite by a significant margin.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by YukiHachiRoku

Who says money cannot buy you happiness?

It can't buy happiness, but it can let you be miserable in one heck of a great sports car!

[MVJ1975]

I have the same issue - I still owe about 8k on my tC, but the trade value is worth more than I owe. The tC was always a compromise car for me - I never had the kind of passion for it that I have for the FR-S - so this is an easy decision for me.

The waiting is the worst, though! I want my FR-S!

[K2]

Originally Posted by MVJ1975

The tC was always a compromise car for me - I never had the kind of passion for it that I have for the FR-S - so this is an easy decision for me.

That is exactly how I felt about my 2010 tC RS 6. If the tC had been rear wheel drive the decision would have been a lot harder. Seeing as it wasn't, it was a no-brainer.

[eriktherod]

Originally Posted by enigma

FWIW, if you're looking @ the FR-S, an NSX isn't that far out of reach... My '92 was $25k back in '08 (and $25k for the guy I sold it to in '10).

Despite the 20 year gap, I've been really looking at NSXs again instead of the FR-S... Especially after driving one. The chassis was good and it handled well, but the engine was very uninspiring to me. I'm hoping once I drive a proper 6spd, my opinions will change, but at no point did the FA20 even feel remotely exciting as an F20C out of the S2000, the C30A out of an NSX, or frankly, even a K20 out of your Si. It was the only let down for me when it came to the car. It wasn't even so much the lack of power that bothered me either... It's hard to describe... the engine just didn't feel that exciting at any point. I sort of felt the same way the first time I drove an early 350Z with the VQ35DE (The HRs are better), in that it just felt the same no matter where I was in the rev range.

Anyways, my point is if you were eyeballing an NSX, it's not necessarily out of your range. And out of all the cars I've ever owned, it's absolutely been my favorite by a significant margin.

Interesting input! While I am sure the FR-S won't spin up to the glorious near-9000 rpm I can get to on the Si, I feel like that excitement factor is starting to wear just a tad. As for the NSX, I have seen a few for near FR-S price, but that's also with no warranty and more than likely much higher insurance rates. I don't really want a car payment AND no warranty just yet. Also, I'd kind of feel behind when the new NSX comes out!

As bad as it sounds, sometimes I feel like the engineering beauty and look of the FR-S gets me more than the more-than-likely slower performance to what I have now. Also, the Civic is dime a dozen (not Si), and I feel like it doesn't garner the same double-takes and looks as the FR-S will.

Something about the FR-S makes me want it, and quite badly. I'll see if I can get a good test drive in later today and see how I feel about it.

[eriktherod]

Originally Posted by Pistol Pete

This last statement worries me completely, as you may not be seperating hype from reality. You have to remember that the toyobaru is, supposedly, better than a Porsche Cayman S but is outperformed by the Honda S2000, Hyundai Genesis, Mustang GT and is absolutely destroyed by the Megane RS. I mean, you can smell the BS hype from a mile away! The sooner you can seperate the BS from reality, then the longer will you postphone your disappointment and eventual boredom. History shows that these sorts of cars die out, like the S2000, Supra, Celica and MR2. The only classic in this category is the Mazda Miata MX-5. Please consider

While I agree that the FR-S isn't going to be the fastest car on the streets compared to these, it's somewhat a cut under in terms of price (MSRP), aside maybe the Genesis Coupe.

Looking at the Willow Spring run that Randy Pobst did with the FR-S, it's admirable. Looking at the rest of the cars on the top 20 hottest laps list shows that something with 200hp can hang with some things running much larger engines. I'd say that's impressive for the price point of the car.

That being said, I just want a fun car to drive that also is a looker. Judging from the Perrin teardown and inspection of the car, it looks very well made and I believe we can all trust Subaru's years of engineering on this one.