That's not my plan, but for people who like to mod that might be preferable. Remember, someone who is gonna mod doesn't always buy the car then turn around and buy 10k worth of mods and install them. They buy the mods bit by bit over the course of years perhaps. Also people get a lot of enjoyment out of modifying/personalizing their car. For them, it might be very worth it to spend 5k more on a modded car to get the same performance as another model stock

Saw one the other day on the streets. Nice looking car but definitely not worth the price tag. Of course this is geared at all the kids that we all used to be, modding civics, etc. And even those goofy dodge neons later on lol. But that's because we can actually afford nice cars now that the whole concept seems a bit silly. :)

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

I like it a lot. If I were in the market for a practical 4 seater t would be close to the top.

ftfy. :)

practicality is a matter of degree. Compared to a Miata or Z, it is relatively practical. roomy, back seat (sorta), boot space, 30mpg.

Compared to a GTI, MS3, or WRX, it is impractical. RWD, no true back seat room for people.

For that price I would rather get a Mazdaspeed 3

I'm annoyed at the torque steer of my non-speed Mazda3, I can't imagine what it would be like in a Mazdaspeed 3. I've heard it is fun to drive but you do have to watch the torque steer.

That's sorta of how I look at it. I want RWD, relatively light, and 2 doors. I'm sick of my nondescript DD, but I don't need another powerful sports car.

So what are the choices

1. MX-5
2. FRS
3. BRZ
4 ??

Is there anything else out there that fits the bill? Shouldn't there be tons of different lightweight fun-to-drive sports coupes? Well if no one buys the FRS and BRZ there won't be. So perhaps they are a bit over-priced for what they deliver, just say I'm taking one for the team to help the car's popularity so other manufacturers take the same sort of risks in the future. You guys should be thanking me.

Your welcome.


:driving:

Thank you for what? Buying a personal vehicle? Giving toyota or subaru money? Don't hold your breath waiting :bowrofl:

Yes. I am willing to put down a few extra bucks to support products I believe are good for the auto enthusiast. If enough people do as I do, and it looks like they are, then other manufacturers will think it might be wise to produce this sort of car. And the auto enthusiast will win if competition emerges for this sort of vehicle.

It's like I'm the freakin' Mother Teresa of consumers, taking a hit on my wallet so that others may profit in the future from my loss.

:ugh2:

:roflpuke2: You're just all heart.



"I'm doing this for all of you," he shouted, as he signed on the dotted line and drove the sports car home :roflpuke2:

You know it! :rofl2:

had to take a pic lol
http://i.imgur.com/Zk8pal.jpg

Picked up my BRZ yesterday. Here's a crappy cell-pic. I'll take some nicer shots today at Austin Cars and Coffee.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g...804_174808.jpg

Nice, zags

Still think the Z looks more like a sports car than that.

The pictures don't do it justice, but no worries for me since my Z isn't going anywhere

Bingo!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g...804_174808.jpg


Nice! What was the tag walking out the door?



- The One -

Nice! what made you choose the BRZ instead of FR-S? I know BRZ seems to have better package overall, but i personally like the look of FR-S better

I dunno. I think I liked the trim package better in the Subaru -- bluetooth, leather, auto climate controls. It ended up about 3k more than the base Scion, but I knew if I cheaped out, I would regret it later.

I believe the interior materials of BRZ are better than the cheap crappy plastic in FR-S, right? I never got to sit in either one, just pure speculation.

I kind of agree here. It is what it is and what it is is a pretty cool car for what it is.

Haha.. did that make sense? :icon17:

I don't know about the FR-S -- never saw one in person, but the BRZ Limited interior is not bad.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4...0/IMG_0305.JPG

Yea I believe you are right. Not a huge difference but i do believe the BRZ has slightly better interior.

Finally got a chance to sit in one today. The dealer wouldn't let me test drive it cuz they think clearly I wasn't buying. Anyway, I feel the seating position seems to be a little bit higher than the Z. When I get into my Z, I just sink into the seat. I didn't get the same feeling when I sit into the FR-S

sucks that you couldn't test drive it. I always walk onto a dealer lot confident and with a prepared story that is mostly true, that I'm about 6 months out of a buying decision and just starting to compile data. Usually that's how I feel, but then life gets in the way and I have to pray that the DD survives a few more months lol

Yes. Even though the roof is lower and you are physically lower to the ground in the BRZ/FRS, the seating position is more elevated -- it's more or less inbetween how I sit in the Z and my old Mazda 3. It's OK, but it will take some getting used to. The seats are comfortable though and the wheel telescopes.

That's the thing about the notorious US stealership culture. I have heard numerous stories. If I were in Japan walking into a Toyota dealer, and I told them honestly up front that I have no intention of buying the car, while only wished to test drive it and see what's all the fuzz is about, they would still treat me with respect and definitely welcome me for a test drive.

Btw, I had to ask. Since you actually own both cars, is it true the BRZ handles better than the Z? Or it just feels different?

I agree. It's how the game's played in the US. I have long since stopped caring about wasting salesman's time.

It's too early too tell since I'm still in break-in and have yet to go above 4k. My suspicion is that the BRZ will excel in low speed maneuvering -- it really does have a go-cart feel to the handling. But it likely won't inspire confidence in high speed cornering -- better tires than the OEM Michelin's will help here. In fact, in the Road and Track I just got they did a comparison by switching out a couple of different brands of Dunlop's -- one set stock size one set a bit wider (225) with 18" wheels. Their skidpad test went from .89g stock to around .94 - .96.

That's around the same level of grip as a Z. :tup:

Don't quote me on it yet. I'll verify the figures when I get home -- the article is not online yet.

Yep. On the Dunlop Star Spec 215/45-17 87W it got .94g -- up from stock .89 on the Michelin Primacy with the same specs.

When they went up a size and a couple of widths (Dunlop Star Spec 235/40-18-91W), it slowed the car down a bit on the track, but the skidpad went up to .96. I think that's just too big for the car ... not worth the minimal increase in grip.

Of course, this is just one magazine's test so take it with a grain of salt, but it looks pretty clear you can wring some additional performance out of slightly stickier than stock tires -- the Dunlop's were cheaper than OEM too.

At low speed (low rpm as well), the Z does feel a bit "heavy". My sense is the 86 would feel "faster" when accelerating cuz it's light. For some reason (I know it's actually fast), the Z doesn't really give me that "busting out" kinda feel even when I push it hard. Even my mom's VW Tiguan "feels" faster. Maybe cuz the grip and weight of the Z that make it more steady.

Having driven both, the frs felt MUCH slower when accelerating.

I love my Z, but it's no fun in my commute with the traffic in Austin. Plus, I've got the 'vert and I don't like to leave my car out in the sun all day.

About halfway through the first tank of gas in the BRZ and I'm getting 26.6 MPG with the air conditioning on full -- around 100 degrees today. This is pretty damn close to the 28.x I got with the Mazda with the air on.

One break-in period is over, it might be a different story though .. hehe

Roger that. No comparison. Now I haven't been able to wind it out yet, but I definitely feel the lack of torque at a stop light at the bottom of a hill.