inimitable's SSM 6-MT Limited BRZ

[inimitable]

To anyone reading this: Hello, and thanks for stopping to check out my journal.

I doubt very much that I'll keep up with this, but that remains to be seen. The reason why is because I usually tend to set such lofty goals for myself that, soon after, I give up pursuing them. I also seem to have a wide range of focus. In any case, on to the car!

Brief Background:
I'm 30 years old (soon to be 31), and have lived in the suburbs of Philly, in NJ, for almost my entire life, other than the few years spent at college (also in NJ). If you're from the north-east, then you know what this is like - wild weather, and treacherous roads inundated with potholes and bumps galore ...and tons of congestion; traffic at all times of the day, it seems, and even sometimes at night, when it is feasible to block off a couple of lanes on the highway to do some construction or maintenance. If you like driving, and you like to keep your car low to the ground, and see that it remains in good condition over time, with average or daily driving, this is NOT the place to be. The bumps are so brutal, they will eventually rattle your stiff suspension, and the rest of your car, to pieces, and/or give you a headache or a heart-attack as you brace yourself over and over again for the next collision with a pothole that could be the big one. Likewise, you're bound to eventually tear up the front lip of your car in your travels, as you encounter some patchy, seemingly all-terrain roadwork, or massive incline entering a parking lot or driveway, that leaves you wondering whether de-struction is not more apt to what the yellow lights, orange cones, and hard-heads, err hard-hats signify around here.

What's more, and probably the most irritating thing to any real driver (as in, anyone who likes to actually drive - typically those still in possession of some of their youth, and more likely, a manual transmission) in this state are all of the out-of-state drivers clogging up our highways, especially the left lane. Here in NJ, we have a traffic law, and to me, it seems a common sense and logical law that, when driving, one is to drive [in the] right [lane], and pass [in the] left lane. Nonetheless, it's all but completely ignored, often times by our own brethren, but especially by those from NY using the turnpike and the Parkway, and those from PA using 295 and the AC Expressway, and it really slows things down, and makes those that are actually aware of the fucking law, irate. So, if you were wondering why people in NJ like to drive right up your ass, or, if you should experience this, then wake up and take a look around you, chances are, you're obliviously in the left lane, traveling the speed limit. GTFO!

First Impressions:
I wanted get started with my first impressions, likes/dislikes, and some notes on things that I think could be improved since that's probably what most of you readers are interested in. My background with manual transmissions consists entirely of Hondas, 2 RSX type-s', 2 del sols, and a civic EX. I've only ever driven one RWD car, which was an 84' Pontiac Firebird, 305 V8, automatic, my first car. Keep that in mind, when I relate my experiences with regards to torque, center of gravity and cornering, and feel of the clutch, the short-throw shifter, and the transmission in general.

I've had the car for about 10 days now and, overall, I'm very happy with the car, though I do have a few caveats. I think it is quite reasonable in value, and will likely retain a great deal more than the average car.

Currently, I've driven approximately 1,300 mi. with/in the car, most of them high way miles with mild to little congestion. I haven't had to sit in much major traffic.

Some Features:
It has more features than I've ever had the pleasure to experience, such as: heated side-views; heated ; an auto-dimming rear-view mirror with compass; heated seats; NAV/Sat. radio/Bluetooth phone connectivity for hands-free calling, voice dialing, and streaming audio; USB connectivity; keyless start via a push-start button; keyless entry and trunk access; dual-zone climate control; TRAC (traction control); and daytime running lights. More recently, I've had to adjust to such wonders as, a working horn, and a complete, and functioning, cruise control, as well as the benefits accorded to one with the free flowing distribution of windshield wiper fluid via nozzles mounted on one's hood, to say the least.

MPG:
I'm very pleased with the MPG thus far, and I believe I'm averaging +29 mpg, despite my need for speed. This is right at the same mark of another reviewer's journal I read. To my surprise, it's also, a touch better than my 02' RSX type-s (with 100K mi.), which I've averaged +27 mpg for the ~3 years I've had the car. It also had 200 HP (though FWD), and also, I ran it exclusively with premium gasoline.

One simple feature that I really like is the ability to keep an avg. mpg stat in the multi-function display, as well as being able to view real-time mpg output. These two measures sometimes turn driving into a little bit of a game with me, when I'm not caught in the hectic driving that seems to go hand-in-hand with congestion, or when I'm driving down a road I know to be laden with cops, or when/if I simply feel like being patient. It changes the landscape completely for me, from one that aims to get where I'm going as quickly as possible, to one where my high score is now reflected in my avg. mpg, and regulated by my real-time mpg, and my aim is to try and bring up my mpg score. It's probably about as fun as fishing, though, there's no real "catch" or climax, so it's more like the fishing part of fishing, but it works, some of the time.

Drive-ability:
Here, I want to talk about a few different aspects and systems that culminate into what I'm going to call "drive-ability."

First off, this is a small car; it's a 2+2. No matter, I'm used to small, JDM cars. In fact, I'm used to small a-lot-of-things. I'm only 5'7", maybe 5'8". I don't have any kids, and hardly ever have any passengers in my car. If you ask me, this car was built with me in mind. The only thing I think could have been better, as far as utility goes (if there really is any with this car), is a hatch instead of a trunk. I don't know the specs of size with the RSX vs the BRZ, but the hatch makes the RSX a monster in terms of utility. Granted the rear seats do fold flat in the BRZ, with the idea of fitting 4 racing wheels/tires in the back, in mind, I know there's no way I'll ever be able to fit some of the shit I have transported and/or lugged around in my RSX in my BRZ. However, I knew this beforehand, and this doesn't really even concern me, at least not so far; I haven't even put the back seats down, yet.

My biggest problem so far has been finding a suitable driving position.
I really like the layout of the car, including: the steep dash, switches and controls, and lighting; the short-throw shifter and placement, including it's height, and the texture and breadth of the shift knob; also the height adjustable, telescoping steering wheel and levers, including the instrument panel, gauges, and lighting behind it; and the aluminum brushed pedals.

Seats
The seats are nice and comfortable enough for me, in general, and I like the size of the bolsters - not too big, not too small; enough to keep you in your seat well, but not enough to be a hurdle. Some lumbar support would've be nice, if possible, but my back has responded pretty well in the primarily 1 hr drives I've made. It's just nice to have something more to tweak once in a while, as I don't believe that any seat or seating position is necessarily optimal or best, but that a dynamic seat is necessary to make periodic adjustments as needed, because any static position, no matter how comfortable it first was, will eventually become very uncomfortable.

The seat height adjustment was a little difficult for me to figure out at first, as I didn't seem to feel the adjustments being made in response to the cranks I had given it, though I can notice it now. However, I do not like the angle that the seats rest on, even though this is somewhat altered with the height adjustment. Ideally, I like to sit as low as possible; I don't like bumping my head on the roof when I'm going sitting high and going over big bumps, and I don't want to snap my neck on the roof/windshield if in a collision.

In order to retain this low seating positioning, in this seat (of which, as I said, I'm still not quite comfortable with, given the angle of the seat bottom with respect to the surroundings and controls for the driver), I feel that my legs are left almost as if they are hanging off of the edge of the seat, and this begins to become very wearing at longer drives, as the seat edge cuts off some of the circulation getting to the lower half of my legs and feet. The two alternatives I'm left with are to try and move the seat closer, or to raise the height, which will tilt the seat bottom slightly forward. However, raising the seat height also, in effect, brings the seat a little closer to the pedals, and this is a problem in and of itself due to the clutch.

Clutch
The feel of the clutch seems, to me, very similar to my RSX type-s. For the most part, it's not that stiff. The issue is its high point of engagement or, more precisely, disengagement. This too is similar to my RSX. However, I was more comfortable driving my RSX because, in general, the seat seemed to sit more level to the floor, and the height adjustment also felt as though it gave better compensation when needed. In the BRZ, releasing the clutch smoothly is my biggest problem, that is, if I want to sit comfortably, as well. Because the clutch does not release till the very end of its compression, even though it doesn't take much to compress the pedal to the floor, it is quite a strain to release it smoothly (while applying the gas/throttle) at it's apex, as it is enforced by the sum total of it's resistance, at this point. As a result, I end up doing a bit of jerking, particularly at low speeds and starting from stops. I am not looking forward to sitting in a bunch of grid-locked traffic, any time, ever; not that I ever am, in any car, anywhere. But, I feel that this will be a supreme pain in my ass.

Cornering and A Low Center of Gravity
As for the cornering goes, I'm not that impressed, just yet. Albeit, I haven't had a chance to really lay down the throttle and get a little twisty. I'm not in a major rush to, either. This is my new daily driver. I plan on keeping it for ~5 years. I'd like to maintain it. That said, I'd also like to have some fun with it. I'd also like to get as familiar with the RWD as I can, as quickly as possible....

::Flashback::
It's 1999. I'm 17, and it's my first year driving. In fact, it's my first day driving my own car, the 84' Pontiac Firebird with a 305 V8, RWD, auto. It's pouring rain. My dad takes the precaution to show me the ropes before he let's me head out, so he drives me to a wide open, slick parking lot. It's completely empty. My dad tries to show me how this thing handles in such conditions, being RWD and having so much get-up, and all. He does a few donuts. It seems like a bit of fun, but I honestly don't remember if I ever got my chance to try, and thus actually learn anything; I don't believe I did. In any case, we weren't there very long when the fun was brought to a screeching halt by a cop. Oddly enough, for the area of town we were in, someone called them. We had to go.

Apparently, I was ready, and a short while later, I was impatient to drive, so I headed out to the store. It was still pouring.

I had driven a few miles down the road, a straight run on my way to a Wawa. I was now stopped, waiting, for a green arrow at the traffic light, to turn left at the intersection. The Wawa was at a diagonal from me, on the corner. Finally, I get my cue, and the arrow turns green. Unfamiliar with all of the elements that I'm about to become quickly acquainted with in this scenario, I step on the accelerator and give the Firebird some gas - too much gas. My rear wheels quickly lose their traction, and the back end starts slipping hard right as I naively steer right into the turn and totally lose control. I'm sent whirling, completing a 360, and culminating up onto the grass median, now facing oncoming traffic. I panic and cross the road anyway and head straight to the Wawa to gather myself. Luckily, at the time, there was no oncoming traffic.

Granted, I'm a much more experienced driver at this age, and the BRZ boasts many more stabilizing features than I can probably name, the least of which is new tires. I'd like to get the chance to find an open parking lot and practice my oversteering in conjunction with excess acceleration, along with attempts made at isolating the different variables that are the TRAC and SPORT systems. This way, I plan to really familiarize myself with the car's handling, BEFORE I try anything stupid.

As for standard cornering, in dry weather, I've taken a few hard turns when I've had the chance, but nothing really exciting. What I've experienced was certainly sporty, and better than the majority of standard coupes out there, I'm sure. But, in contrast to some of the reviews I had read, in advance of getting and driving my own BRZ, touting it's low center of gravity and stock suspension in the curves, so far, I've found it slightly weak in the knees. It's good, but not great.

I'm sure I've never handled corners like some of you guys do on the track, but I like to take them as hard as I can, accelerating through and through, letting the centripetal force draw me in and sling me around the curve. In this regard, I think that my type-s draws a tighter circle, so far... - albeit, it is lowered on Tein coilovers, and wheeling around on 18" Rays G-Games rims and Toyo Proxes 4s tires, but, other than that, it's stock, not to mention FWD. HOWEVER, I'm pretty sure that most of the limiting experience that I'm having in the BRZ is mainly due to the stock tires and softer sidewalls.

With that said, I don't want to take anything away from the suspension, or the dynamics of the build contours, i.e. low center of gravity, etc. It's plenty sporty for me, yet it remains equally comfortable, something that I have been steadily conditioned to forget all about, dealing with the rigidity that accompanies stiff suspensions and lowered cars. I can absorb a pothole or two in this car, and I don't find myself bracing for impact as I would with a sportier suspension. I can even take a pretty steep driveway straight on, without having to creep in on an angle. At the same time, I can take a tight turn just as hard as I'd like with very little, if any, lean of the body. What's more, I don't have to be as afraid to use the throttle in the turns as aggressively as I'd like because I won't be prone to losing total steering control as I would in a FWD car. I can compensate and correct myself, if necessary; perhaps, while even enjoying myself.



At this point, I'm going to put this review on hold, but I will come back to it. I'm actually completely surprised that I am posting anything at all, and furthermore, that I managed to wrote so much. I've been at it a few hours though, and I'd like to take a break. I'm going to see if I have a picture to include to go along with the story. Maybe I'll dig up some of my RSX at some point, just for the fun of it. I plan to get rid of it ASAP, though. I've got 3 cars at the moment, and I don't need 2 of them, that's for sure. I also have "neighbors" that seems too concerned with the little car lot they must think I'm starting.

[Lonewolf]

I don't think you wrote quite enough for our standards...

...just kidding

Do you have any pictures to post of the car?

[inimitable]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

I don't think you wrote quite enough for our standards...

...just kidding

Do you have any pictures to post of the car?

Just this shitty one I took with my phone, sideways, while I was still at the dealership. I was going to post it, then decided against it because it sucks. But, I'll post it anyway, for now, till I can take some new ones, perhaps after I give it it's first car wash.

[inimitable]

I don't know why it came in sideways; that's now how it's displayed on my computer. I tried rotating it, I'll see if that works...

[inimitable]

Well, I don't know why it's doing that. Maybe it's too big?

In any case, I'm sure you get the picture, and my pun as well.

[speed3]

rotated for ya.