From someone who owns one(BRZ Sportech).
I'm old, kids left house.
I have motorcycles.
Engine is loud but you ride a bike, how bad can it possibly be? Not much padding on this car, keeps it light.
Torque dip, yep, but after a few yrs I no longer noticed, kinda. (Are you racing someone every time you go to the store?)
I just put a header/tune & it cost just over 1K$, no dip, was such a tasty dip too....
Back seats are good for dwarfs with no legs.
Space, You can put more ping pong balls in the back then in your tank bag, what more do you need?
Seriously, I went camping for 2 weeks with my wife, 2 summers in a row too! So tent, cooler, stove, chairs etc... I could still see out the back window.
I'm really good at tetris.
Valves, well some MY13 had issues, any MY13 still running without the recall are fine. It seems the springs broke within 10k.
Many MY13 have over 100k & no issue. Guess what MY13 are first yr production of a new car... hmmmmm.
8l/100km is about my average, 70k km, no issues, I like to red line.
Oh, I autoX & HPDE, I ain't no track rat... just for fun... may as well enjoy the car.
Since were on this subject, when would you be under 4/5k when autoX/HPDE.. Just asking, you know that dip at 3/4,500 ....
More info, some folks are over 200k & no issues. I would buy a MY14 & up.
I found out when you but the back seats down, you can put 24 beers in the space between the seats, lots of room or bottles of wine
you know, when you go camping....
Winter driving... no idea, I only use my car in summer but rumors are it's ok/good with good winter tires, as you mentioned.
& how did the human race make it through the 40's/50's/60's/70's with RWD in winter, amazing the race is still alive.
For people on this site a car is special, personal, so what do you need/want.
Did I miss something?
YES!! I did, for HPDE, the issue with this engine is oil pressure, so 5W30 with a Forester water to oil cooler & off you go.
& that "fast" thing, Toyobaru made a 200hp, 150tq sport car, what do you expect, 350hp with 350tq?
I was at Icar last night & a GT3 & GT350 were doing 2 min laps... An FRS slowest lap was 1.52
So, hmmm. Did the GT3 have problems, was it in traffic, was he on his out lap, not that I could see.
In all fairness I did only check 2 laps, while the FRS did all laps between 1.49/1.52.
I'll go with driver mods here, you can have a great car but if you don't know how to drive, your slow.
I think this car is plenty fast for me, do I want more, of course, why not, 300hp, next yr 400hp, & on & on.....
Some are over 200k miles with no issues.
Crickets, use Shell, it has no ethanol.
Clutch throw out bearing, on MY13/14/15/16, 17?, will need to be re[placed eventually. before 100k km.
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