Finally Test Drove a Toyobaru

"Dasupersprint - base trim is enough" (dasupersprint) 03/22/2018 at 11:11 • Filed to: None

2

18

This guy, a brand new 86.

It’s a car (cars?) that been on my mind since 2013. I’m glad I finally drove it, because I won’t think about it from now on. I don’t get it. Cockpit is awesome, size is awesome, but I’m now in the ‘’should have more power’’ side...

I found myself pushing the pedal to the floor really early, and wondering ‘’that’s it?’’ I don’t drive at 5k RPM daily, and I guess it’s just not for me.

And I realized I really don’t like the feel and sound of n/a Subaru engines. I’m a fan of low RPM torque, smooth sounding turbo engines.

I mean, the handling is perfect, RWD is nice, but in daily driving it doesn’t add up for me.

Wasn’t impressed like I was in these two turbo hatchbacks that I drove recently, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . These have so much more in a complete package, for less money.

yeah

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 11:31

1

I keep seeing messages that claim neither Subaru nor Toyota wants to stick a turbo on these because of how much of an issue it would be with the power plant.

It may be unsubstantiated nonsense generated by the message boards, but...

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 11:36

0

Man the facelift is so ugly.

AestheticsInMotion > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 11:37

1

Cockpit is great isn’t it? But yeah agree with you completely. It’s pretty gutless. Makes my Miata seem tourqey

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 11:45

2

I really like the look of the current Elantra GT hatches....

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 11:46

0

Needs an LS-swap stat

Milky > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 11:47

0

I think the idea is that you get to drive at 5k rpm daily. Or at least thats what I do in my Miata.

Dasupersprint - base trim is enough > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/22/2018 at 11:52

0

I’m typically a hatch guy, but I can’t bring myself to like the hatch more than the sedan.. still my top pick.

WRXforScience > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 12:10

2

If you like low end torque, you’re looking in the wrong place. If you want to accelerate with any authority in a twin you have to rev it out, but really if you are trying to accelerate quickly why wouldn’t you rev whatever you’re in out?

A twin doesn’t make sense unless you are actually going to drive it (track, autox, or at least canyons). For a commuter, it has too many compromises. You just cannot appreciate the amazing handling on a daily commute (with a worse but more powerful car you can always floor it from a stoplight).

I’m so enthralled with motorsports (I’m at the track or autox every weekend) that I cannot imagine driving anything less rewarding. I sometimes forget that “normal” people don’t have the same priorities as I do.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 12:25

1

Oh, the sedans a re nice....but for me, hatch = more practicality!

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/22/2018 at 12:28

2

Agreed completely. Except I actually bought one and came to that realization afterwards. Oh well. Live and learn.

The cockpit is nice until you sit in it long enough to realize the materials are horrible. Everything is hollow hard plastic and nothing really stands out aside from the shape of the seat is fantastic. Not the material, the shape.

Dasupersprint - base trim is enough > WRXforScience 03/22/2018 at 12:42

0

Exactly! If I were to track it every weekend I would be all over it!

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > WRXforScience 03/22/2018 at 14:31

0

This. The Twins require a driver to use their skills to find speed while more powerful cars use their power to mask your mistakes. The twins don’t need more power, the driver needs to better meet the capabilites of the chassis.

WRXforScience > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 03/22/2018 at 16:01

2

Welcome to my world, my favorite was a couple of years ago when I took the car to an EVO club track day. Many people crowded around after I lapped the field (I was erroneously placed in the novice group) to see what I had under the hood.

The Z4M driver who was the second fastest driver in the group asked me how big my turbo was. I had yet to modify the car (still doesn’t have a turbo) and they were all disappointed to learn that my BRZ was bone stock.

I still love embarrassing much faster cars with slower drivers. I get a perverse amount of pleasure with Mustangs in particular. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 03/27/2018 at 15:57

0

Buying used, add turbo.

Arrivederci > WRXforScience 03/28/2018 at 15:35

0

This is the damn truth and a big part of the reason why I moved on from my BRZ. As as commuter it’s terrible and was made worse in that regard by all the mods I did to make it better on track and autocross. Now I have the S3 which isn’t great at autocross and needs upgraded brakes before I actually hoon it at a track, but is a much more pleasant (and powerful) daily, but still a ball of fun at autocross, though not as competitive.

random001 > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 04/06/2018 at 09:46

0

I always think about the power issue, and think about the Mad Fiat Abarth, which only has ~160 HP, ~170 ft-lbs, and think that it has plenty of power, so how could these not have enough power? I mean, I owned a 400+ HP sports car for 9 years, and the Abarth is fine, so why are these not fine?

Dasupersprint - base trim is enough > random001 04/06/2018 at 09:53

0

Maybe new turbos are really effective? It’s common now for a small turbo engine to make peak torque at 1500rpm and keep it all the way up

random001 > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 04/06/2018 at 10:03

0

I guess. But peak power is peak power, right? I mean, sure, maybe you have to rev the snot out of the BRZ, but does that mean it needs more power, or a driver just needs to drive it differently? I don’t know...