What year should I buy?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Shark_Bait88

@Tcoat, would you take those ridiculous hubcaps off and rock those steelies with some pride?! Steelies are cool, man!

I didn't want them in the first place but they were a Christmas present from my wife and well...

[1Cor10:23]

On a series note, I would look for mid-late 2013 or later as they have all the important ECU updates, especially timing pull in the upper ranges that lead to premature failure in then direct injection seals.

You can see the build date on the metal tab bolted to the passenger door well beside the door latch.

[Shark_Bait88]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I didn't want them in the first place but they were a Christmas present from my wife and well...

Ahhh I understand now.

It's just like that time your grandparents sent you those embarrassing pajamas...

[Zanwald]

Originally Posted by 1Cor10:23

On a series note, I would look for mid-late 2013 or later as they have all the important ECU updates, especially timing pull in the upper ranges that lead to premature failure in then direct injection seals.

You can see the build date on the metal tab bolted to the passenger door well beside the door latch.

Wouldn't it be mid to late 2012 in the door jam if it's a 2013? As all cars are usually manufactured a year before model year.

[1Cor10:23]

Originally Posted by Zanwald

Wouldn't it be mid to late 2012 in the door jam if it's a 2013? As all cars are usually manufactured a year before model year.

Good point of clarification - I'm talking about build date. However, I do have a 2013, purchased in July and built in April of the same year. Remember that FRS/BRZ were in hot demand and people were pre-ordering so the supply chain was a bit quicker than what you normally see.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Zanwald

Wouldn't it be mid to late 2012 in the door jam if it's a 2013? As all cars are usually manufactured a year before model year.

Yes the model years are usually built at least partially in the year before.
So for these any cars built in 2012 up to about April 2013 are the "suspect" ones. If all the TSBs were done there should be no problems with them though. There are also plenty of guys that never had a single issue even with the first run ones.
If these things worry you then stick to late 13s and up. This of course is still no 100% guarantee that you won't have a problem because things can still go wrong with any new car.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Shark_Bait88

Ahhh I understand now.

It's just like that time your grandparents sent you those embarrassing pajamas...

I would rock those jammies today!!!!
I even tried the old "Those won't work on my rims" thing and almost pulled it off but my ever so helpful son in law goes out and puts them on and says "sure they do".
Actually, the picture doesn't do them justice as in real life they don't look bad and have sort of grown on me.

[Shark_Bait88]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I would rock those jammies today!!!!
I even tried the old "Those won't work on my rims" thing and almost pulled it off but my ever so helpful son in law goes out and puts them on and says "sure they do".
Actually, the picture doesn't do them justice as in real life they don't look bad and have sort of grown on me.

I'm not sure if your son-in-law is a jackass or just an awesome troll. lol

[SolemnWishes]

Originally Posted by Defuser

Look at the 10 series, Monograms, RS 1's, etc. to see if they suit your liking better than a regular old FR-S.

Defuser has a really good suggestion I want to further emphasize. It seems like you want to know if the changes through the annual models should affect your decision. And the limited editions (10, Monogram, 1.0 Series) have more differences than any year to year model.

I am enjoy my RS 1.0's yellow color, DRL headlights, and aero kit very much. It was much more expensive, but did I mention I really like yellow?

[beatgenie]

I was asking myself the same question a few months ago when I was ready to make my purchase. I narrowed it down to a brand new 2013 Whiteout FR-S for 22,500 OTD or a 2015 Halo FR-S for $27,400 OTD. I ended up dropping the extra 5 grand for several reasons:

1) The 2013 was in New Jersey and I'm in Orlando....meaning it would have to be shipped here. The dealer said they would be using a third party shipper which I already didn't trust and that I would have to pay extra to have it shipped in a closed container. I didn't want to risk anything happening to the car on the way here.

2) Most of the 2013's left have been sitting on the lot for over 3 years now (since the end of 2012). I don't like the idea of that....I have no evidence as to if sitting that long causes any harm to the components, but I'd like to think SOMETHING might start rotting in there.

3) The 2013 has been test driven many times....had over 300 miles on it. At that point it was more of a used car to me. I'm pretty sure the salespeople over there have dogged it out as well.

In summary, if you can find a clean, local 2013 with low miles and you're on a budget, I'd go for that. But if you want to drop a few more grand for the peace of mind knowing that your new car is actually a NEW car (freshly manufactured), then I'd go for that.

Good luck.

[86geek]

buy a 2015 if it fits your budget....that's my 2 cents....have peace of mind that you got a brand spanking new car! I was offered to buy a 2014 but it was the demo car. Price difference between new and used was a small amount. So I got the 2015 and never looked back.

[Zanwald]

Found a 2013 used with 9k miles on it. Manufactured in June 2013 for 18k. Great deal?

[ImBatman]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Not so much right at this moment!

Sweet hubs Tcoat! Tell your wife that next time you want the spinners

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Zanwald

Found a 2013 used with 9k miles on it. Manufactured in June 2013 for 18k. Great deal?

Sounds OK. Price depends a lot on where you are though.
You may already know all this stuff but just in case:
If you look at it in person check the engine cover bolts and see if they are all marked up or there are misplaced washer indents in the cover's tabs. This will let you know if it has been on and off a pile.
Same thing with the exhaust fasteners just look and see if they are beat up. These things can tell you if there were any mods on the car which may have caused some premature wear.
Also ask if the service records show any of the TSBs being done and confirm if the maintenance was done on schedule.