Scion FR-S Vs. Focus ST - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

rennlistuser3 · 06-09-2015, 11:25 PM

I'm not looking to start a flame-war here but I am posting my honest experience.

I test drove both the Focus ST and Scion FR-S. I might sound harsh in what I will say but this is my opinion. The Focus ST did have a usable rear seat and a very practical hatch. I also do like the exterior regardless of other's opinion of it. And that torque steer everyone keeps complaining about is very mild. I can totally live it. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Sadly that's where the positives end. The interior is as straight up as an SUV. You really do feel like you're sitting on the car rather than in it. The gearbox throws were so long. I was really disappointed. It wasn't fun changing gears. The throttle response was horrible thanks to the that turbo and I really hated the noises the turbo makes. To be fair to the ST, this is the fault of Turbo engines and there's nothing the ST can do about it. Even the new Ferrari 588 isn't as good as it's natural V8 predecessors. So not even Ferrari can make forced induction with good throttle response. And the biggest let down was the steering. It felt absolutely plastic. No feeling whatsoever to speak of. To me, steering is the biggest deal in a sports car and if it under-performs in that area, that's a big deal breaker.

I really wanted to love the Focus ST. I wanted a car that was both fun and practical. The ST is practical but at least for me I wouldn't call it fun. The Scion FR-S was a completely different animal. Immediately as soon as you sit in it, you know you're sitting in a sports car. Just by the seating and the instrument panel. The seats were perfect. The visibility was perfect, the instrument panel looked like the cockpit of a fighter plane just waiting for your commands. I really can't stress how perfect and purposeful the interior felt. When I popped up the hood, I couldn't believe how low the engine was. The rear seats and trunk were very small but oh well what can you do. As for the driving, I'd say almost perfect. The steering was perfect with a whole lot of feedback. You just instantly feel right about it. The gearbox was great. Nothing to complain about. The clutch was fine. I could so smoothly shift that even the salesman next to me complimented how smoothly I can change gears. The drive was rock solid. 70 MPH felt like 30. The engine was nicely revvy. I was hopping for better throttle response but it wasn't bad. These modern throttle by wire vehicles are more on the dull side in this department. Overall, I was very deeply impressed by the FR-S. They need to build more cars like this.

weederr33 · 06-09-2015, 11:57 PM

I, too, drove a Focus ST when shopping last year. Sure, it was pretty looking, and I thought it combined practicality with performance. And the power was nice too. But when I drove the Subaru BRZ (which I wanted more... but couldn't afford at the time), it just felt proper. When I test drove my FR-S before buying it, that good feeling came back. So I bought it. Oh, did I mention the Ford dealer wouldn't let me open up the ST, but I did with the BRZ (and FR-S)?!

Lonewolf · 06-10-2015, 12:05 AM

...

drewbot · 06-10-2015, 12:09 AM

Packofcrows · 06-10-2015, 12:49 AM

22re or FA20?

SUB-FT86 · 06-10-2015, 01:07 AM

Hot hatches for the most part have a high feeling when driving. The CoG is probably horrible with them too.

FRSBRZGT86FAN · 06-10-2015, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86

Hot hatches for the most part have a high feeling when driving. The CoG is probably horrible with them too.

Yup thats crazy true probably because the chassis design isn't originally built as a sports car like our cars, its basically a family hatch/sedan underneath and still shows through.

06-09-2015, 11:25 PM	#1
rennlistuser3 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Drives: 2017 Subaru BRZ Location: Somewhere in the world Posts: 333 Thanks: 366 Thanked 177 Times in 107 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Scion FR-S Vs. Focus ST I'm not looking to start a flame-war here but I am posting my honest experience. I test drove both the Focus ST and Scion FR-S. I might sound harsh in what I will say but this is my opinion. The Focus ST did have a usable rear seat and a very practical hatch. I also do like the exterior regardless of other's opinion of it. And that torque steer everyone keeps complaining about is very mild. I can totally live it. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Sadly that's where the positives end. The interior is as straight up as an SUV. You really do feel like you're sitting on the car rather than in it. The gearbox throws were so long. I was really disappointed. It wasn't fun changing gears. The throttle response was horrible thanks to the that turbo and I really hated the noises the turbo makes. To be fair to the ST, this is the fault of Turbo engines and there's nothing the ST can do about it. Even the new Ferrari 588 isn't as good as it's natural V8 predecessors. So not even Ferrari can make forced induction with good throttle response. And the biggest let down was the steering. It felt absolutely plastic. No feeling whatsoever to speak of. To me, steering is the biggest deal in a sports car and if it under-performs in that area, that's a big deal breaker. I really wanted to love the Focus ST. I wanted a car that was both fun and practical. The ST is practical but at least for me I wouldn't call it fun. The Scion FR-S was a completely different animal. Immediately as soon as you sit in it, you know you're sitting in a sports car. Just by the seating and the instrument panel. The seats were perfect. The visibility was perfect, the instrument panel looked like the cockpit of a fighter plane just waiting for your commands. I really can't stress how perfect and purposeful the interior felt. When I popped up the hood, I couldn't believe how low the engine was. The rear seats and trunk were very small but oh well what can you do. As for the driving, I'd say almost perfect. The steering was perfect with a whole lot of feedback. You just instantly feel right about it. The gearbox was great. Nothing to complain about. The clutch was fine. I could so smoothly shift that even the salesman next to me complimented how smoothly I can change gears. The drive was rock solid. 70 MPH felt like 30. The engine was nicely revvy. I was hopping for better throttle response but it wasn't bad. These modern throttle by wire vehicles are more on the dull side in this department. Overall, I was very deeply impressed by the FR-S. They need to build more cars like this.

06-09-2015, 11:57 PM	#2
weederr33 Airborne at your service Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: '17 BRZ Series.Yellow Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 6,420 Thanks: 4,578 Thanked 5,706 Times in 2,992 Posts Mentioned: 33 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	I, too, drove a Focus ST when shopping last year. Sure, it was pretty looking, and I thought it combined practicality with performance. And the power was nice too. But when I drove the Subaru BRZ (which I wanted more... but couldn't afford at the time), it just felt proper. When I test drove my FR-S before buying it, that good feeling came back. So I bought it. Oh, did I mention the Ford dealer wouldn't let me open up the ST, but I did with the BRZ (and FR-S)?! __________________ Series.Yellowbird - http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122135 MS, CSCS, TSAC-F, CPT

06-10-2015, 12:49 AM	#5
Packofcrows hey you, yeah you <3 Join Date: Jul 2012 Drives: 2014 37J FR-S Location: Monterey County, CA Posts: 2,713 Thanks: 905 Thanked 1,259 Times in 809 Posts Mentioned: 38 Post(s) Tagged: 3 Thread(s)	22re or FA20? __________________ Got my TRD wheels and TRD louvers. Thanks!!!

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06-10-2015, 12:05 AM	#3
Lonewolf Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Drives: Moped Location: CA Posts: 4,300 Thanks: 4,905 Thanked 2,132 Times in 1,195 Posts Mentioned: 21 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	...

06-10-2015, 12:09 AM	#4
drewbot ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Join Date: Sep 2013 Drives: '13 Whiteout FR-S A/T Location: Mississauga, ON Posts: 1,996 Thanks: 1,985 Thanked 1,452 Times in 752 Posts Mentioned: 36 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Sorry dude, but this is a pretty duplicate thread. Best not to create another one http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43126 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21337 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25849 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28657 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2551 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26100 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88268 http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2176

06-10-2015, 01:07 AM	#6
SUB-FT86 86 Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Drives: 2013 Toyota 86 2.0T (Asphalt) Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 3,129 Thanks: 126 Thanked 527 Times in 296 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Hot hatches for the most part have a high feeling when driving. The CoG is probably horrible with them too.

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