The sequential port injection is there MOSTLY to help clean the carbon deposits off of the valves, something that direct injection tends to create in most modern new cars. A lot of D.I. engines from BMW have serious carbon deposit problems on their valves.
Love how all anyone cares about is horsepower. That's for people who can only drive in a straight line. The FRS has same exact, if not better track times than other cars in its class that have over 300 hp. A turbo kit is in the works for this car putting it at around 348 whp using stock internals. Suck on that.
Actually since the compression ratio is already high on the engine, there are minimal gains by adding bolt ons. Visconti Tuning has a flash out that lets you gain 10HP, improve throttle response, and raises the redline by 400rpm. He also has a E85 tune that puts you somewhere between 15-20HP. However I believe your gas mileage slighty drop for E85.
Good call, I didn't even notice that. Yeah, digital speedos are the way to to go, I hate having to play "count the tick marks" on normal speedometers. I usually come closer to an accident when I check the speedometer than I would if I would just speeding 5-10 mph over.
1) 1:50 it has a digital speedo on the tach; completely neglected to mention that. The gauge is pretty much cosmetic. 2) 5:30 never had an issue with road noise personally. Perhaps I'm more focused on the engine noise so it escapes me. 3) 6:13 the BeSpoke is okay, need some minor refinement and it will be worth the price tag. Without Nav display from Google Maps, it's a bit lacking, and only functions with iPhone. Overall I love the car and recommend it highly.
No point in griping about the speedo gauge when there is a digital readout in the tach, I test drove 2 of these and never once looked at the analog gauge. You could argue that they could do something else with that space but there is no problem knowing what speed you are currently at.
A lot of people are begging for this car to come with a turbo. But I honestly don't know if thats the best option. I think simply giving it an aggressive tune would be enough. If they could get it to about 240 bhp and over 200 lb.ft. That would be perfect. Now that doesnt mean I dont want to see some independent tuners turn some into snarling turbo monsters with 400+ horsies
@DDELFIERRO 100 HP per liter vs 83 HP per liter, 93 octane vs 87 , you get what you pay for, plus you can safely boost the Frs to 370 crank HP on the stock block despite the higher compression ratio of 12.5, the engine is well built with the after market in mind, where as the mustang wasn't
The engine may have a Toyota engine code, but it also has a Subaru one (FA20), and both the engine + the overall car (chasis included) are manufactured only by Subaru. So a better analogy would be... Subaru wanted to build a sports car, but used parts from parent Toyota to actually do it.
After criticizing the analog speedometer, why didn't you comment on the fact that it is supplemented by a digital speedometer read out, right in the bottom center of the tachometer?
My problem is not the additional $.10 or so per gallon for premium fuel. So what about that, the future price for regular will surpass the current price of premium at some point. The problem is that Toyota never had to make the engine require premium fuel if they didn't insist on using this boxer engine design. At nearly the same price, a V6 Mustang gives you far more HP & torque using regular 87 octane. Hell, except for special variety Mustangs, Ford's policy is to use 87 octane.
this car will see some track time reason for the hose clamp,first aid etc,in other interview,ceo wanted 4 tires,jack and helmet to fit so you can go race.i hear the feed back for the padel sifter is perfect.looks like alot of fun.people are ripping on it,the after market will be a hit with this car,and who knows what the engine can relay handle hp wise.time will tell.kind like 240z hitting the market.time for other company's to offer a competitor. fun cars to drive.light car,good balance,fun.
What do you plan on doing with it? If you want to do autocross or something like that than get the FRS/BRZ for sure. Honestly, practicality for every day stuff like going to the store or bringing other people with you is the only reason to get the Si. I have a Mazdaspeed 3 with about 300hp and Im considering selling it for a BRZ simply because its so fun to drive. I will miss the power but Im still considering it. Or I might get a WRX.
the engine is designed to sit low, horizontal pistons, for balance reasons. i am happy with the choice for i want to drive a car that you can feel the road and prefer a scapel to a hammer. If i want more HP i can always do exhaust, cold air intake, supercharge or turbo. (i think supercharge would add more umph and fit the instant responsiveness that this car embodies) With speed limits i don't care much about horse power, it's all about the feel. So enjoy your mustang =P
Sorry but there is no way you get any where close to a 25% increase on a CAI, exhaust, and ECU flash. They dyno at about 160 at the wheels (depending on the dyno) A pump gas ECU tune with a couple bolt-ons will get you just over 170ish. You will feel better response and more usable power band but not any largely significant overall power gains.
The engine has a Toyota engine code name, Tires from a Prius, 6 Speed auto and manual from Lexus IS, Design Toyota (Interior and Exterior) on the BRZ the Smart Key is from Toyota, and (as far as I know) a lot are the parts [windscreen, mirrors, bulbs,electronics] are from Toyota's part makers ... Subaru makes the engine and some/most of the drive train and then puts it together ... ... Its like Toyota is selling a DIY and Subaru is the 40 year old man who bought it to tinker with ...
You can download music onto a USB flash drive and play thru the stereo in the car....I thought the same thing when I got my MX-5, then said "oh yeah...that's what I can do with that"...LOL!
Uuuum, there's a pretty big digital speed readout inside the tach that you can see right after he starts bitching about it at 1:46 which is probably a lot more helpful than a needle for judging exact speeds anyway. They probably kept the minimized gauge so you could quickly get a general idea of where you are in the car's speed range. Seems pretty logical to me.
True, but the increased operating cost is simply covering for the major flaw of the car, i.e. the boxer engine itself. Just about every review states the same fact: the car's power is lackluster compared to expectations. Understand that whatever middling performance Toyota managed to wring out of their boxer design is at high enough compression requiring 92 octane. They could have run lower compression @87 but the power output would drop. Plenty of Toyota engines use 87 and perform better.
Very interesting car, maybe nicer design for wheels, and more torque could go a long way for same price. Lets face it base mustange is not pretty in terms of handling but still gets great mpg, 315hp, 0-60 is stunning and exhaust note to match!
do you understand the concept behind this car? low slung, balanced..... besides with higher octane fuels i find i get little better fuel economy so it probably offsets the cost as well it's just something you have to do to coach out 200 HP out of a 2 liter engine. a light engine i might add in a LIGHT car. That is the concept of the car and it works in spades from what people are saying. Just saying how it all works works for me.
The speedometer is pretty useless anyways.. I think it's only there to keep the classic look of the instrument panel. The digital readout is all you need, especially when it's positioned right in middle of a huge tachometer. Much safer too i bet..
toyota designed the car and designed the fuel system. subaru makes the engine and builds the car. i think its fair to say that its a toyota product with a subaru badge considering toyota owns part of subaru.
+HeavyMetalEvilien True, but the 370z is about 4-5K more new. And thats for the base model with nothing in it. Then you factor in additional insurance cost and worse gas mileage and the frs is waaaay cheaper.
Toyota made the fuel injection system and basic styling of the car, subaru made the engine. Both Subaru and Toyota have their own different suspension tuning, and subaru has better quality materials and more tech
I'd opt for the BR-Z preferably or FR-S over the Civic Si ....The BRZ/FRS are much better looking IMO, aren't as common (I see TONS of Civics and Accords on any given day ...YAWN!). Only real problem now is availability and the fact that dealers are price gouging the hell out of these cars. I would have bought one back in July, but NONE were even available to buy...so went with another car instead, but may trade into a BR-Z Turbo (wishful thinking) later on!
lol Yea true. But i find mustang way more fun. every time you take a sharp turn at high speed you need to pray a little for your life. live axle is a fun old school way to do it. And when u take the top down of ur convertible u get so many more chicks then a scion FRS.
Like the car but... WTF did they build it to need premium fuel rather than regular? Sure, it's a small point of contention but it sort of defeats the intended purpose of a "budget sports car" to need the more expensive fuel. They may as well say it needs race gas.
+ThePrankDudes higher gear ratio, thereforethe car runs a lower rpm than the manual on the same gear at the same speed, hence the higher mpg on the automatics. This also means the automatics will get from 0-60 about a little over a second slower than the manual.
+ThePrankDudes gearing is very high on the auto transmission in this car. Although they're both 6-speed boxes, the automatic is direct-drive (i.e., ratio 1:1) in 4th gear, with 5th AND 6th as overdrive ratios. The manual (my car) has direct-drive in 5th, and only one overdrive ratio (6th gear). In practice, this makes freeway cruising a lot easier/quieter in the automatic, but it also means it's a little easier to drive the manual transmission aggressively. I've found myself really getting on it on a moderately twisty highway in the manual and it's super easy to keep shifting between 3rd and 4th.
Yeah but it's pretty unlikely you'd be on any track pulling in 6th gear (all the more if you can reach top gear in 5th, which idk is the case or not). I don't really see why they couldn't match the gear ratio of top gear between the two transmissions.
That car just LOVES TO SPIN OUT on wet corners, and total itself in the process. Insurance companies love this car.
If only Brian was in US Top Gear... Every review I've watched by him so far has been punctual, informative, and entertaining.
The sequential port injection is there MOSTLY to help clean the carbon deposits off of the valves, something that direct injection tends to create in most modern new cars. A lot of D.I. engines from BMW have serious carbon deposit problems on their valves.
+Honesty Counts Well that sounds horrible, thanks for the info.
love seeing this drive all over Marin and San Francisco
It's sold in 3 different logos , the Subaru brz , the Toyota gt86 , and the scion fr-s
Brian, your gripe about the speedometer is totally legit. An obvious oversight. Someone at the drawing board wasn't thinking.
Love how all anyone cares about is horsepower. That's for people who can only drive in a straight line. The FRS has same exact, if not better track times than other cars in its class that have over 300 hp. A turbo kit is in the works for this car putting it at around 348 whp using stock internals. Suck on that.
Actually since the compression ratio is already high on the engine, there are minimal gains by adding bolt ons. Visconti Tuning has a flash out that lets you gain 10HP, improve throttle response, and raises the redline by 400rpm. He also has a E85 tune that puts you somewhere between 15-20HP. However I believe your gas mileage slighty drop for E85.
Brian, you gotta come back and do car reviews man, there's no substitute! Check the tech!
if this thing had 240-250hp i bet it'll be a much better attraction. i do hope they come out with a performance version like STi
Brian please review the automatic model. Im interested to see how the revmatching software and feel of the auto compare to the manual.
Thanks
The car gets a large digital speedometer on the tach. I don't really look at the analog speedo when I drive it; more towards the digital readout.
Good call, I didn't even notice that. Yeah, digital speedos are the way to to go, I hate having to play "count the tick marks" on normal speedometers. I usually come closer to an accident when I check the speedometer than I would if I would just speeding 5-10 mph over.
this car isint about strait line speed its about balance, this car is on of the best drivers car you can get
The amount of first aid supplies are just shouting that toyota went for project car building plateform lol
1) 1:50 it has a digital speedo on the tach; completely neglected to mention that. The gauge is pretty much cosmetic.
2) 5:30 never had an issue with road noise personally. Perhaps I'm more focused on the engine noise so it escapes me.
3) 6:13 the BeSpoke is okay, need some minor refinement and it will be worth the price tag. Without Nav display from Google Maps, it's a bit lacking, and only functions with iPhone.
Overall I love the car and recommend it highly.
It's Car Tech! his focus is the tech in the car.
No point in griping about the speedo gauge when there is a digital readout in the tach, I test drove 2 of these and never once looked at the analog gauge. You could argue that they could do something else with that space but there is no problem knowing what speed you are currently at.
A lot of people are begging for this car to come with a turbo. But I honestly don't know if thats the best option. I think simply giving it an aggressive tune would be enough.
If they could get it to about 240 bhp and over 200 lb.ft. That would be perfect.
Now that doesnt mean I dont want to see some independent tuners turn some into snarling turbo monsters with 400+ horsies
@DDELFIERRO 100 HP per liter vs 83 HP per liter, 93 octane vs 87 , you get what you pay for, plus you can safely boost the Frs to 370 crank HP on the stock block despite the higher compression ratio of 12.5, the engine is well built with the after market in mind, where as the mustang wasn't
I will be test driving the automatic at Scions first drive event this Saturday In Houston Texas
Oh yes, that hose clamp just sealed the deal
it's all about the shift points. they probably made the automatic so the shift points are incredibly gas saving.
I still can't understand why the automatic version has better mpg than the manual one.
The engine may have a Toyota engine code, but it also has a Subaru one (FA20), and both the engine + the overall car (chasis included) are manufactured only by Subaru.
So a better analogy would be... Subaru wanted to build a sports car, but used parts from parent Toyota to actually do it.
Love the Cnet car reviews.
I would feel kinda weird though if I buy a Scion and there is written Subaru all over it.
I hate how everyone keeps calling it cheap when it costs $26k decently equipped. Maybe compared to the 370Z's $38k price tag, but come on.
thank god colley is back!
The compressed speedometer and hard to read speed is because it's not the main thing to show speed the middle speedometer show the digital speed
Ya the Mustang does have more Swag.
The live rear axle is fine you have to look at a spec sheet or go over a HUGE bump to know that it has one.
great review ... cooley is unique
After criticizing the analog speedometer, why didn't you comment on the fact that it is supplemented by a digital speedometer read out, right in the bottom center of the tachometer?
My problem is not the additional $.10 or so per gallon for premium fuel. So what about that, the future price for regular will surpass the current price of premium at some point.
The problem is that Toyota never had to make the engine require premium fuel if they didn't insist on using this boxer engine design. At nearly the same price, a V6 Mustang gives you far more HP & torque using regular 87 octane. Hell, except for special variety Mustangs, Ford's policy is to use 87 octane.
the reason they put a 160-mph gauge in the car, is because they know many owners will add power. the car will do 142 mph, stock.
I'll be getting this car just because it has so much haters :). I love it!
this car will see some track time reason for the hose clamp,first aid etc,in other interview,ceo wanted 4 tires,jack and helmet to fit so you can go race.i hear the feed back for the padel sifter is perfect.looks like alot of fun.people are ripping on it,the after market will be a hit with this car,and who knows what the engine can relay handle hp wise.time will tell.kind like 240z hitting the market.time for other company's to offer a competitor. fun cars to drive.light car,good balance,fun.
You guys keep re-uploading the car tech videos!
What do you plan on doing with it?
If you want to do autocross or something like that than get the FRS/BRZ for sure.
Honestly, practicality for every day stuff like going to the store or bringing other people with you is the only reason to get the Si.
I have a Mazdaspeed 3 with about 300hp and Im considering selling it for a BRZ simply because its so fun to drive. I will miss the power but Im still considering it. Or I might get a WRX.
the engine is designed to sit low, horizontal pistons, for balance reasons.
i am happy with the choice for i want to drive a car that you can feel the road and prefer a scapel to a hammer. If i want more HP i can always do exhaust, cold air intake, supercharge or turbo. (i think supercharge would add more umph and fit the instant responsiveness that this car embodies) With speed limits i don't care much about horse power, it's all about the feel. So enjoy your mustang =P
Fuel injection for the boxer engine is from Toyota as well
I only got the first aid kit in the little car info folder that goes in the glove box on my 15
@saboobuu No... I mean Subaru tuned their suspension on BRZ and Toyota tuned their own suspension on frs
the FR-S. It's what makes a Subaru a Scion.
Sorry but there is no way you get any where close to a 25% increase on a CAI, exhaust, and ECU flash.
They dyno at about 160 at the wheels (depending on the dyno)
A pump gas ECU tune with a couple bolt-ons will get you just over 170ish. You will feel better response and more usable power band but not any largely significant overall power gains.
Anyone who buys this car should get a tune by Visconti. The RPM is raised tp 8300 rpm, with a 10HP increase as well as throttle response
The engine has a Toyota engine code name, Tires from a Prius, 6 Speed auto and manual from Lexus IS, Design Toyota (Interior and Exterior) on the BRZ the Smart Key is from Toyota, and (as far as I know) a lot are the parts [windscreen, mirrors, bulbs,electronics] are from Toyota's part makers ... Subaru makes the engine and some/most of the drive train and then puts it together ... ... Its like Toyota is selling a DIY and Subaru is the 40 year old man who bought it to tinker with ...
Very few drivers ever even think of going sideways. Even the ones that are going to buy the BRZ/FRS.
You can download music onto a USB flash drive and play thru the stereo in the car....I thought the same thing when I got my MX-5, then said "oh yeah...that's what I can do with that"...LOL!
Uuuum, there's a pretty big digital speed readout inside the tach that you can see right after he starts bitching about it at 1:46 which is probably a lot more helpful than a needle for judging exact speeds anyway. They probably kept the minimized gauge so you could quickly get a general idea of where you are in the car's speed range. Seems pretty logical to me.
Oh and the keyless entry smart key is from subaru
True, but the increased operating cost is simply covering for the major flaw of the car, i.e. the boxer engine itself.
Just about every review states the same fact: the car's power is lackluster compared to expectations. Understand that whatever middling performance Toyota managed to wring out of their boxer design is at high enough compression requiring 92 octane. They could have run lower compression @87 but the power output would drop. Plenty of Toyota engines use 87 and perform better.
Very interesting car, maybe nicer design for wheels, and more torque could go a long way for same price. Lets face it base mustange is not pretty in terms of handling but still gets great mpg, 315hp, 0-60 is stunning and exhaust note to match!
do you understand the concept behind this car? low slung, balanced.....
besides with higher octane fuels i find i get little better fuel economy so it probably offsets the cost
as well it's just something you have to do to coach out 200 HP out of a 2 liter engine.
a light engine i might add in a LIGHT car. That is the concept of the car and it works in spades from what people are saying. Just saying how it all works
works for me.
The speedometer is pretty useless anyways.. I think it's only there to keep the classic look of the instrument panel. The digital readout is all you need, especially when it's positioned right in middle of a huge tachometer. Much safer too i bet..
The base price is 25K! How is that low price point?
When are we going to break the 40 mpg barrier w/o having to give up performance?
I love this guy. He's like the Tom Arnold of the tech world
toyota designed the car and designed the fuel system. subaru makes the engine and builds the car. i think its fair to say that its a toyota product with a subaru badge considering toyota owns part of subaru.
The speedometer may suck, but there is an app for that.
Brian i know this is probably stupid but u should review the BRZ just to find any s
"more medical supplies" lmaoo badass car tho
I like these, but you can get a base 370z for just a little more money. Hard to ignore that.
+HeavyMetalEvilien True, but the 370z is about 4-5K more new. And thats for the base model with nothing in it. Then you factor in additional insurance cost and worse gas mileage and the frs is waaaay cheaper.
That was my other option! But, i just fell in love with the BRZ.
It uses a boxer engine with high compression and requires premium gas. This grants it 200hp. Unfortunately it does nothing for torque.
I really want this car, but i guess im stuck with my 97' Grand Cherokee for the next decade.
Who's to blame during a recall?
"What do you think is going to happen when you drive this car?" 3:54
2:05 uh, you are aware that is the reason why there is a digital read out.
Toyota made the fuel injection system and basic styling of the car, subaru made the engine. Both Subaru and Toyota have their own different suspension tuning, and subaru has better quality materials and more tech
Awesome!!! Brz, my next Subaru. Love this GT86 though.
I'd opt for the BR-Z preferably or FR-S over the Civic Si ....The BRZ/FRS are much better looking IMO, aren't as common (I see TONS of Civics and Accords on any given day ...YAWN!). Only real problem now is availability and the fact that dealers are price gouging the hell out of these cars. I would have bought one back in July, but NONE were even available to buy...so went with another car instead, but may trade into a BR-Z Turbo (wishful thinking) later on!
0:26 watch the super-thin aluminum hood deflect under his fingertips ^_^
What other new car handles as well out of the box and is RWD?
Someone shoved a V8 into the Subaru version a week or two back, and there are at least two turbocharger projects I've heard about.
lol Yea true. But i find mustang way more fun. every time you take a sharp turn at high speed you need to pray a little for your life. live axle is a fun old school way to do it. And when u take the top down of ur convertible u get so many more chicks then a scion FRS.
Just needs a turbo kit. The car will be lots of fun with 300 HP.
Subaru isn't owned by Toyota. Do your research before writing a comment.. Just like BMW isn't owned by Audi!
how are you on the road without a licence plate?
i got fr-s but it didnt come w/ those jumper cables and shit? only bandages and those first aid kit
The only thing Hybrid about this car are the three manufacturer labels stamp on it.
Why so huge difference betwen torque and hp?
Like the car but... WTF did they build it to need premium fuel rather than regular? Sure, it's a small point of contention but it sort of defeats the intended purpose of a "budget sports car" to need the more expensive fuel. They may as well say it needs race gas.
I like this lil car!!
If subaru/toyota put turbo in it ,it would be very very different story...
sure is.. love my white one..
alluminium bonnet i think, good observation :)
Wait for the turbo...
Still waiting...
Wait the automatic gets better mpg than the manual version?!?
+ThePrankDudes Happens a lot these days.
+ThePrankDudes less energy lost through the friction in the gears
+ThePrankDudes higher gear ratio, thereforethe car runs a lower rpm than the manual on the same gear at the same speed, hence the higher mpg on the automatics. This also means the automatics will get from 0-60 about a little over a second slower than the manual.
+ThePrankDudes gearing is very high on the auto transmission in this car. Although they're both 6-speed boxes, the automatic is direct-drive (i.e., ratio 1:1) in 4th gear, with 5th AND 6th as overdrive ratios. The manual (my car) has direct-drive in 5th, and only one overdrive ratio (6th gear). In practice, this makes freeway cruising a lot easier/quieter in the automatic, but it also means it's a little easier to drive the manual transmission aggressively. I've found myself really getting on it on a moderately twisty highway in the manual and it's super easy to keep shifting between 3rd and 4th.
Yeah but it's pretty unlikely you'd be on any track pulling in 6th gear (all the more if you can reach top gear in 5th, which idk is the case or not). I don't really see why they couldn't match the gear ratio of top gear between the two transmissions.
Sweet looking car
so you're saying you're too poor to afford a g37?
a lot of sub 30k sports cars use premium, apparently you are a troll and arent actually in the market for a sub 30k sports car
Having a blast with mine! :)
A hospital on wheels...
That would be an ambulance smartass lol :D
Dakota Randolph haha made my day lol. even tho you said that 6 months ago.
Good review
here in europe toyota gives us big touch screen :)
wait wait wait 6.2-6.4??? i thought this car was in the 7s
This video was made in July...
test drive it?
What this car needs is a HUD. There's precedent for cheap cars with HUD, e.g. 240SX
+Martin Espinoza Normally I wouldn't agree with you, though I think HUDs are nice they aren't necessary. But with a speedometer this tiny it needs it
Lol i didnt get any first aid stuff in my 2016 lol
Someone who matters: Please campaign to sign this sardonic talent to give some true color and depth to TOP GEAR-US version.
That is all.