FRS 3 months on.

Vigo wrote: I dont know if i am just spoiled or what but i am used to manual transmissions that work perfectly with tons of miles on them.. I dont know if ive ever owned a manual transmission that didnt have at least 170k on it, and most have been over 200k and still working properly. So i think i would be fuming if i had ANY issues on a 3month old transmission. Like, buy-back pissed if they didnt do something about it.

Well....

Certain makes have had reputations for transmissions that were tight/balky feeling for the first 30k or so until they broke in, and then they were like butter until the end of time. So, I'd give it time.

Blame dual-mass flywheels for why modern engines feel so smooth at idle and low RPM. They essentially have harmonic dampers at both ends now.

Like your report, well done in a fair manner.

I have had the TC kick in a few times in sport mode and bog the car down, but I drive with everything disabled almost 100% of the time (Sport mode when wet though...)

The car is insane on sticky street tires....tons of grip and just sticks to the road and corners under acceleration unlike any other vehicle I've experienced (including Subaru Imprezza's - too heavy for their own good) - perfectly neutral and quick.

Nice review. Thanks. As someone who has two young but growing boys, I'm wondering what's your opinion of the back seat? I've seen varied impressions from "it's tight, but usable" to "No living being that won't fit in Paris Hilton's handbag should be subjected to this."

The traction control is currently my only real concern about the car. It went form completely OFF to fully ON in the middle of a maneuver. It felt like the car actually shut off. May or may not have to do with hitting the rev limiter while going sideways?

The "back seat" eh?...Well, I did take three people to their prom in this car, so two in the back it is technically feasible, but not realistic for any long distance. If it were just one person, it seems to work ok for across town trips. I do use the car to take my daughter and her friend to school. Backpacks go in the trunk.

It depends entirely on your height and leg length. At 6'3" me and 3 of my similar height friends had the seat all the way back to nearly touching the back seats. Nothing with legs could sit back there.

rwdsport wrote: It depends entirely on your height and leg length. At 6'3" me and 3 of my similar height friends had the seat all the way back to nearly touching the back seats. Nothing with legs could sit back there.

I'm 6'2", mostly legs, so this answers it for me. Thanks!

The trick for stuffing a normal-to-large size person in the back of a 2+2 is for them to put their feet in the other footwell, especially if one of the front seat occupants is small enough to move their seat forward. If everybody's tall, the back passenger's feet go on the opposite seat. Obviously this doesn't work for long trips, and somebody's going to have to lose a couple rounds of Paper Rock Scissors to be convinced to get back there, but it's a make-work solution in a pinch.

Source: I was a teenager of about 6' when my dad had a Stealth that I'd have to cram myself into on occasion.

NOHOME wrote: The traction control is currently my only real concern about the car. It went form completely OFF to fully ON in the middle of a maneuver. It felt like the car actually shut off. May or may not have to do with hitting the rev limiter while going sideways? The "back seat" eh?...Well, I did take three people to their prom in this car, so two in the back it is technically feasible, but not realistic for any long distance. If it were just one person, it seems to work ok for across town trips. I do use the car to take my daughter and her friend to school. Backpacks go in the trunk.

If you had the systems completely off (hold down when stopped for at least 3 seconds) it wont come back on. You mentioned hitting the rev limiter - and thats probably what you thought was the TC kicking in. The rev limiter is something you absolutely want to avoid hitting (especially on track) because it basically cuts out power abruptly once reached and lets the revs drop a good 1000-1500 rpm before power is restored. Avoid the rev limiter at all costs - much better to play it safe and shift @ 7k rpm. Did I mention the rev limiter truely sucks in this car and should be avoided?!

I think there is plenty of room for passengers in the back - they just need to assume a sitting fetal position...

Great report, NOHOME.

Vracer, yours looks excellent on the aftermarket wheels. The factory ones are kinda hideous I think.

Vracer111:

I do have to agree that the rev limiter is soewhat agressive in this car. I do seem to hit it on a regular basis

That said, I made a very deliberate turn off of the traction control because I knew I would be exiting a gravel road and wanted to take advantage of the misbehaving opportunity.

The car launched and as soon as it got sideways it dies. The traction control went from OFF to full on.

So, what I was wondering is if the rev limiter is the equivalent of turning the key off and that most certainly would re-set the traction control.

Good update! I'll be buying a car in a year, and it will be between a 4-door GTI and this. Only thing making me wary of the FR-S/BRZ is getting a kid into and out of the back.

Saw one on the road for the first time this weekend. From afar, my first thought was "Whoa...cool!" the closer I got, the cheesier the styling was. The lines are nice, but the details are goofy, IMHO. WTF is all the weird triangle light/reflector nonsense under the license plate? The car looks like it was designed by KIA. Not a slam. It's way nicer, and I'm sure more fun to drive than anything I own. Just an observation.

Poopshovel You got it right. Rear quarter is good side. I call it the .ba t-mobile cause of front view.

speedblind wrote: Good update! I'll be buying a car in a year, and it will be between a 4-door GTI and this. Only thing making me wary of the FR-S/BRZ is getting a kid into and out of the back.

I'd keep an eye on the new Focus ST also if those were what I was shopping