Scion FRS vs. Subaru BRZ

Of course! It would have been too good to be true if the Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ came out and had no issues. Complaints have been coming in about both cars having rough idel and stalling issues.

Now i might be overexerting...it's nothing to drag them down about. In reality, it has been said to be a simple Software issue (ECU). So a simple trip to the dealer and everything should be in tip top shape. Then again, people do have a reason to complain. Some drivers are stating these kinks should have been fixed a long time ago during the extensive testing phase.

Let's just hope this doesn't turn into the Toyota Prius issue. Some of you might recall; there were complaints flooding in about the gas pedal getting stuck to the floor. So what did one guy do?!? He called in the police while speeding down the highway stating his gas pedal was stook to the floor and he could not slow down! In the end (if i recall correctly), the car was tested and had no issues. He had pulled a very dangerous prank.

If anyone out there is having any idel or stalling issues, post them below in the comment box!

And i will leave you guys with some eye candy! This thing is SEXY!

Welcome! This site was created to give you some insight and to compare the Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ. Hopefully the data below will help you better understand both vehicles. There will also be a comparison with other vehicles in their price range.

The Scion FRS and the Subaru BRZ. From two brands, comes one sports car. An affordable, small, rear-wheel drive, and extremely well handling car. Subaru and Toyota went into a shared venture in producing this vehicle. Here is a little run down on the two companies and their place for this shared platform; Toyota took care of the design work, while Subaru engineered and developed the powertrain and chasis. The engine is a 2.0L flat four (code-named FA). The cars direct-fuel-injection system was the brains of Toyota. Both cars are built in Gunma, Japan.

Now this car was not produced with "extreme power" in mind. But it still packs a whopping 200HP @ 7,000rpm and 151TQ @ 6,600rpm. Each car is available in a 6-speed manual transmission (or automatic). Both car's have been tested by multiple track enthusiasts and magazines which have all praised the feel and handling of these cars. Some quotes below:

"Both cars demonstrate remarkable body control and change course so quickly that you’d think they could slalom the lane-marker lines on an interstate at 85 mph." (cardanddriver.com)

And below is a statement from a MotorTrend article:

"Heavier steering than miata, and it communicates road feel like a cayman" (Nate Martinez)

When it comes to handling, the Scion has a slight edge. The Subaru is known to understeer when diving into a corner or exiting too soon. The Scion's softer springs and stiffer shocks helps the driver have more "feel". But at the same time, the Scion will feel unbalanced if given too much or too little throttle in the same circumstance (making the car swing into a drift, although easily controlled). As a side note, the factory tire size is 215/45-17.

Let's talk design! Both cars are very similar in the design aspect. Headlight shape is the same; although the Subaru headlights contain a border of LED's. Another noticeable difference is the car's front bumper, which is unique to its own car. As previously mentioned, Toyota handled the design work and they got their inspiration from the 1967 2000GT. One BIG difference, is that the Subaru BRZ contains a Navigation system standard, where the Scion FRS does not even have one as an option.

The FRS starts at an MSRP of $24.955 (manual). The BRZ starts at MSRP $25,495 (Premium) and MSRP $27,495 (Limited) both manual. The upgrades to the BRZ "Limited" model include: Leather & Alcantara trimmed upholstery, Rear Spoiler, Keyless Entry & Start, Fog Lights, Heated Side Mirrors, Heated Front Seats, Silver Metallic Accent Trim, Illuminated Vanity Mirrors, Automatic Climate Control System with air filtration, Anti-Theft Security System, and Deck Lid Spoiler. Wow...now that is a list of features! At first, the cost seems pretty steep, until I dug deep into the site and compared every little feature. As you can see, the "Limited" model comes with a TON of extra features compared to the "Premium" model.

Something to note when choosing a car in this price range, is that both the FRS and BRZ have beaten many competitors when it came to comparison tests. The below list of cars, is from MotorTrend's "$28K High-Performance Two-Door Comparison" article, and there overall placement:

6th: Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec

5th: Volkswagen GTI

4th: Ford Mustang V-6

3rd: Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring

2nd: Scion FR-S

1st: Subaru BRZ Limited

The above clearly shows that power and speed does not make you on the top of the list. It comes down to overall "feel" and enjoyment of the car. You may laugh when you see that the Genesis placed 6th on the above list, but it was the 2nd fastest car around the track (Willow Springs Raceway). Incase your interested, below is the time of each car around the track. Also noted, is each car's top speed (mph) and each of its LAT G's from the same turn (for comparison purposes). List is in order of fastest around the track:

1st: Ford Mustang V-6: (1:29.09) (103.3mph) (1.370)
2nd: Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec (1:29.12) (103.4mph) (1.328)

3rd: Subaru BRZ Limited (1:30.32) (98.7mph) (1.356)

4th: Scion FR-S (1:31.15) (97.9mph) (1.326)

5th: Volkswagen GTI (1:31.47) (101.1mph) (1.328)

6th: Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring (1:31.88) (95.9mph) (1.345)

Clearly neither the FRS or BRZ was the fastest, but they definitely held their ground when it came to speed and they both came out on top overall. One stat that pops out to me is the BRZ's LAT G. It comes in 2nd, ONLY behind the Mustang! Shows the BRZ can really be thrown nicely into a corner.

To finish things off, here are some pictures comparing each car side by side, including some interior shots.