Another FRS update...

In reply to fast_eddie_72:

Either C-Stock or STX. This is the sort of car I could see me leasing for a few years mainly to be an autocross car and backup DD. Keep the mods easily reversible and probably turn it in when done and look for the next "gotta have it" car.

I could see myself in one of these five years down the road - with a turbo kit of course. 300 whp? Yum.

Triple yum.

docwyte wrote: Not sure why people thought the interior quality of this car would be good when it's garbage on the WRX/STI's. I couldn't believe how crappy the interior on my '06 STI was! Rattle trap after 5k miles, bargain bin plastics, carpets, paint and seats. Nowhere near what I expected out of a $35k car...

That's exactly why the WRX is going to be it's own line in 2014. The upper tier of the cars shouldn't be shoehorned into an econobox interior like the Impreza.

Thanks for the long term updates NOHOME I look for these every time I'm on the boards to see how its panning out for you since the car is on my shortlist of replacements.

I have driven one for about 5 minutes, but I can't see how they lack power for a street car, I don't think anyone who regularly pushed it to the limit on the street would have their license long. Sure there are faster cars, but its plenty fast enough. I do think its overpriced as far as being something I would want, but it seems like a good choice for people who are more comfortable with a warranty and a car payment than a cheap car and doing maintenance and modifications at home. I will leave any comments on build quality to people who actually own them, other than saying I hope if there are annoying problems that they get fixed soon rather than just ignoring it and stopping production in a year or two. I have started to see them around more often in the last couple months though.

Yes the FR-S/BRZ has annoyances: (1. Lame and redundant analog speedometer in the gauge cluster but no Oil Temp/Oil pressure gauge on a sports car designed for track use? 2. Put togetherness that is not up to Toyota standards...but instead up to Subaru standards - too much rattling panels and other quality control issues [tail lights, rear shelf area, dash area] 3. The two defroster settings are stupid - neither will use inside recirculation with the A/C to remove moisture; it will only draw air from outside and not allow the A/C to come on 4. Stock brake system is not adequate for track use no matter what Toyota says 5. The 'drivers aids' are not fully off when you hold down the traction button for ~5 seconds "to turn it all off" - you have to have the car fully warmed up, shut it off, restart it, and do a special sequence to have it all off [besides ABS]) and 6.The rev limiter sucks...cuts power and drops a good 1500 rpm before ignition is restored, not good to hit it on track!

That said, I LOVE my FR-S and cannot think of another vehicle that could provide you so much joy with its driving experience that wasn't made by Porsche or Lotus - pure drivers car, like if a miata matured in its mannerisms and honed its responsiveness. I've tracked it, daily driven it since June last year, taken a 3k mile round trip with it, and even now with 10k miles on it I still take the longest route to/from work everyday just because I want to drive the car more. Even have a lunch break route as well, even if I bring my lunch - well especially if I bring my lunch... The SRT catback exhaust (took 4 months to get - that was a little wait..LOL) makes such a lovely sound that really compliments the character of the car, and the gear box is everything it should be. While the stock accelerator pedal was just WRONG in placement, aftermarket pedal fixed the issue very well and put it closer to the brake pedal like it should have been from the factory. It also the first car I've bought brand new and actually have wanted to wash and keep clean always - looks gorgeous when clean.

I can easily live and love living with this car because interior fit/finish rattling is not a big deal to me and I don't see a cold/snowy climate [which I agree would be pretty annoying to have window issues in.] It's the driving experience that I care about, and this car does such an excellent job at it with a stock suspension that I can overlook the minor stuff. As long as it runs properly I'm fine with its foibles...I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

vracer sums up the owner experience pretty well..."If you are going to love this car, you will do so DESPITE the multiple irritants".

The driving experience is good enough to warrant forgiveness, and yet after having owned it for 8 months I notice that everytime I go to drive it, I have a nagging feeling of "What next". I actually find myself taking the MGB to work so as to "preserve" the FRS; as if it only has so many drives loaded before the next issue.

I just read the following in Car and Driver's review of the 2014 Subaru Forester 2.0XT:

"To recap, there are two Forester models: the 2.5i, which gets a carry-over, 170-hp 2.5-liter flat-four, and the 2.0XT, which gets a new 250-hp turbocharged flat-four based on the BRZ’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine."

Hmmm, how interesting. There's now a fully federalized turbo version of the BRZ's engine already in production? I'll bet it won't take long for that engine to make it's way into the Frisbee twin's engine compartment.

The question is if it will get there due to an engine swap or the release of the BRZ STi.