First Impressions of a New Owner

[JimLill]

My BRZ Limited 6MT Silver arrived at my dealer on Friday, just 3 days after they got their 1st car in, a twin of my except it was a AT. Yesterday was my first opportunity to see either in the open and better yet, test drive my own. Here are my initial thoughts.

- styling is more distinctive and nicer than I thought from hearing net comments
- interior is what you might expect in a <$30K car, nice but not upscale nice
- seating space, feel, and position is perfect (I'm 6 ft 180 lbs)
- pedals are perfect for heel/toe (roll foot style)
- shifter a bit notchy, but new so....
- steering feel is light yet firm and seems precise
- sound reminded of a VW air-cooled bug, guess all Boxer-4 have that sound!

More to follow after I have it....

This morning a saw a pearl Scion FRS at dealer, nice but I did not like the interior... too much red.

[raventare]

I suppose its too soon to get the 1000 mile report...at least you are able to report you have it.

[JimLill]

I can say this..............

It's a car that will allow anyone who tries to learn how. to really drive. It's got enough power that you can toss it around not enough to overwhelm you or power that you use to overcome your mistakes. It's truly a PURE driver. As it comes stock, it's a great car to refine your skills with. Randy Pobst said it all.........

[JimLill]

OK, here's the 100 mile report...

- to use a R&T word, the car can be roarty and sound a lot like a 4-cyl VW or Porsche air-cooled boxer (keep in mind this is my first Subaru)
- build quality is mostly OK, a few minor but correctable things noted in the interior
- attracts a lot of attention on the road
- with low mileage, I have yet to wring it out
- sound system is "OK" and I was disappointed to see that the SD card is for Navi maps only
- bottom red light is indeed a foglamp but there's no socket or bulb for our market.
- brakes are really nice, aided by the low mass of the car of course
- travel storage space is good with rear seat back down
- too easy to scuff bottom of inner door panel with your feet

[JimLill]

Just noticed that the factory doesn't know about red dots on tire sidewalls. Those are meant to align with the valve stem to aid in balancing with minimum weights.

[andycap]

Just noticed that the factory doesn't know about red dots on tire sidewalls. Those are meant to align with the valve stem to aid in balancing with minimum weights.

I wondered what those were. Mine are not aligned either. At least the weights they've added are flat strips put on the hub behind the spokes so they are not very perceptible unless you are looking really closely at the rims. I'm used to having them along the outside bead of the wheel on every other car I've owned.

[JimLill]

Perhaps I have been mislead all these years about which dot, see:

http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscrib...2744&subtitle=

As to the inside weights, a piece of duct tape or better yet foil duct tape oover those weight is a racer's trick to prevent one from flying off as the adhesive ages

[raventare]

Is that the OEM Factory that you are leaving the car development to? Is that the OEM Factory that does so much development, planning and testing that they can't be second guessed? Just curious what brand tire went to your neck of the woods, was it the Michelin HP or some other tire?

[JimLill]

Randy, I can read between the lines........... but who knows who puts the tires on. In this age of outsourcing, some other stream may supply mounted tires/rims to FHI or whoever does the final assembly. All 7 of the cars I have seen here locally, have had the Michelin Primacy

[raventare]

I am sorry but you aren't saying that FHI/Subaru isn't totally responsible for the final product are you? And the current recall, though not related to the car, is not related to all the planning and checking done by the OEM? I can see that "team" of hard hatted inspectors descend on that poor little finished car to nit-pic it to death. I am just re re re repeating that ALL cars are just a starting place for those, like you who care, because they are made for the center of that bell shaped curve and some of us, like you, don't fall into that category. I am relatively sure that even you will replace those tires before their day, especially when you get your new wheels that are 9 lbs (each) lighter than the stock...I only wish you would quit making my point for me.

I am wondering how this car compares (to you) with an S2000.