Is the 86 right for me?

[Spacemane969]

I just saw this ([ame]http://youtu.be/vDYaSwd4mmk[/ame]) comparison video to the mazda mx-5, and if you watch the conclusion, the last reviewer states that if you don't push the fr-s to its limits, it may come off as dull or boring.

That scares me a bit because that was my first gut feeling when I test drove. I had the feeling that if I don't push it and do something stupid (and very illegal on public roads) then I wouldn't be getting much enjoyment. And I'm also not an aggressive driver, I take it smooth and slow for the most part.

On the other hand I've seen time after time on videos and on the forums how rewarding it can be to simply ride through a curvy back road without taking it to its limits. I even watched an hour long canyon run on youtube and could put myself in the seat feeling it would be rewarding.

I ask because this is such a huge financial decision. I've been obsessed with the twins for a while now, but if my gut is telling me no then I don't think I can pull the trigger. I think maybe it's the sex appeal that got me hooked initially, and I know that buying it for looks alone would be the completely wrong decision.

Thanks

P.S. Sorry for the embedded vid. I can't figure out how to just link the url without embedding.

[Obja]

no

[Kronos]

So you have driven it yes?
For me even if I'm not tearing through the canyons and I'm just driving normal through town , the seats, seating position, how the steering wheel and shifter fall into your hand are all things that contribute to making a simple ride though town more engaging than the next car. Not to mention how responsive everything is. It's a very intuitive feeling car. And I personally don't have to be nearing the cars limits to still enjoy driving it. Just one mans opinion

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Spacemane969

That scares me a bit because that was my first gut feeling when I test drove. I had the feeling that if I don't push it and do something stupid (and very illegal on public roads) then I wouldn't be getting much enjoyment. And I'm also not an aggressive driver, I take it smooth and slow for the most part.

You answered your own question.

No need to be illegal about how you drive this car, but there are pros and cons. If you feel like you have to take it to illegal speeds or conditions to get fun out of this car, you need a different car to drive.

-alex

[N1rve]

I don't take it to extreme speeds/limits to have fun with it. The driver engagement and the experience is fun for me. If you floor the car, you won't be breaking speed limits, but you'll hear the car sing through the RPMS (mainly 4k+)

Just throwing the car into a corner at legal speeds is fun as well because you can appreciate how planted the car feels.

Also the seating position of being extremely low is quite an enjoyable experience as well as it's different from your typical cars.

[djmm]

No matter if you drive like that tofu delivery boy or not, you can still find enjoyment from:
Low centre of gravity
Agile handling
Nice seating position
Looks damn good
High rpm rev within speed limit

Probably the only thing you miss is the drifting bit.

One legal fun thing I do is overdramatising normal road curve/ turn/roundabout ,ie: turning sharper and more precise at higher speed even if a lazy turn would do.

[Timmy_Jones]

Originally Posted by Kronos

So you have driven it yes?
For me even if I'm not tearing through the canyons and I'm just driving normal through town , the seats, seating position, how the steering wheel and shifter fall into your hand are all things that contribute to making a simple ride though town more engaging than the next car. Not to mention how responsive everything is. It's a very intuitive feeling car. And I personally don't have to be nearing the cars limits to still enjoy driving it. Just one mans opinion

Couldn't agree more.

[NLSP]

Originally Posted by Kronos

So you have driven it yes?
For me even if I'm not tearing through the canyons and I'm just driving normal through town , the seats, seating position, how the steering wheel and shifter fall into your hand are all things that contribute to making a simple ride though town more engaging than the next car. Not to mention how responsive everything is. It's a very intuitive feeling car. And I personally don't have to be nearing the cars limits to still enjoy driving it. Just one mans opinion

What he said. I enjoy every second in this car. Hell, sometimes when I get home, I just sit stationary in the car with some music because the cabin alone is such a nice place to be. Love the seats!

[icesilvermetallic]

In the past few years I've gone Prelude SH to BRZ to Civic Si to BRZ. I like driving the BRZ the best for it's steering and it's spirit even though I can't drive fast for the next 5 months.

Surprised you didn't love it when you drove it though . . .

[MrAmalto]

Well personally I enjoy driving my FR-S at legal speeds on a more or less daily basis, more so than any other car I've daily driven. But I have a hell of a lot more fun when I take the car autocrossing and can get away with going sideways (even though its bad for my run time).

I pretty much agree with what the previous comments say, if you test drove it and you weren't able to enjoy it under regular driving circumstances then it probably isn't the car for you.

[Tcoat]

I wasn't 3 minutes into the test drive when I KNEW I wanted one! Over the 1/2 hour or so I managed to push the car hard enough to make the sales person's knuckles white from holding on while never once breaking a traffic law (that I am aware of at any rate).
Now when I test drove a Cayman I accidently (really) found myself well over the speed limit several times. However since the salesperson was not used to selling Toyotas they were much more laid back and not nearly as scared!

[Chad11491]

Any sports car is going to not be as fun as it could be just poking around at 45mph OP. It's more fun to me to be able to get on it and row the gears without instantly being at 100+ mph. Its boring having a high hp car that you can rarely ever get on it and when you do it's for 1 or 2 seconds. You should test drove all the cars you're looking at and decide on how they make you feel instead of thinking about how fast you will be compared to the next guy. Someone is always going to be faster.

[Muaddib]

If you have to ask then it is not the right car for you.

[MrAnthonyC]

Originally Posted by Chad11491

Any sports car is going to not be as fun as it could be just poking around at 45mph OP. It's more fun to me to be able to get on it and row the gears without instantly being at 100+ mph. Its boring having a high hp car that you can rarely ever get on it and when you do it's for 1 or 2 seconds.

THIS is a great point that I never really thought about, but find to be very true. I think it's fast enough and the fact that you actually can shift without being double the speed limit and still hear the engine working is quite satisfying. Also... LOL at the front design comparison. I don't understand how people find the Miata an appealing car by design standards..just looks like a flat bubble with a smile in the front. WEEEEEEEEEEEE