Just put a deposit down on a BRZ

"Tareim - V8 powered" (tareimgaml)
11/02/2014 at 05:01 • Filed to: None

so I've just put a deposit down on a BRZ, super excited though its going to be a really long week due to the wait as earliest I can go to see it is this Saturday coming.

also as it's so far away I'll be flying up which will be my first time on a plane.

here is a pic of the one I'm going to look at (and most likely buying)

has parking sensors, mudflaps and the rear diffuser, it is an auto (booooooooooooo) but I've actually come to terms with that it's actually a better option than the manual as it's going to be a DD so I can what it in auto for traffic and then manual flappy paddle for when I want some fun

not to mention the auto is cheaper to run than the manual (something that couldn't be said 10 years ago)

DISCUSSION (57)

Flavien Vidal > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 05:45

The auto is NOT cheaper to run than the manual... It only depends on how you drive... Toyota stats are anything but to follow when it comes to MPG.

Also the automatic because "it's a DD" is not exactly an excuse unless you are handicaped, have hip problems and similar stuff... My DD was a Corvette with a 2 tons clutch and I enjoyed it very much, even in heavy traffic... Heavy traffic is not an reason to sacrifice the monents when you can actually H&T in the mountains :)

I don't mean to sound harsh or anything, it's just that I'm pretty certain that if you know how to drive a manual and still opted for the auto, you WILL regret it...

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 05:47

You live in the UK and get an auto BRZ? Thats like getting an auto MX-5 or and auto AM Vantage. Are you going to DD in London, because this is the only place it will really justify you getting an auto. Those country roads just scream to be driven with manual shifts.

Tareim - V8 powered > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
11/02/2014 at 05:51

no I live in a small town that is wildly overpopulated with traffic so get stuck in stop start traffic a lot.

The Auto changes gear quicker and much smoother than I ever could, and it does have a manual shift option with flappy paddles so when the country roads come along you can be damn sure I will be whacking it into manual and going for it :)

Tareim - V8 powered > Flavien Vidal
11/02/2014 at 05:55

I've never really been able to H&T, I know how to drive a manual, just hate doing so in stop start traffic in a manual which I get every day from work.

I can't imagine I would regret the decision as I still have a manual gear select option when I want to go have fun

Bytemite > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 06:21

Isn't it still a slushbox with paddles? And you got the BRZ in red...you know there is this thing called WR Blue.

mazda616 > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 07:19

I like it. Red is the best color for them. And screw everyone ragging on you for getting an auto. It's none of their business. I get so tired of these butthurt comments because someone dared to get a non manual-transmission car.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > mazda616
11/02/2014 at 07:34

This, I only drive manuals but wouldn't rag on someone for being different. People like what they like.

Flavien Vidal > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 07:38

That would be why you buy this kind of car... to learn to h&t...

And a slushbox stays a slushbox... paddles don't change anything. Some have paddles, others have a sequential wannabe gear selection, but in the end it's still a slushbox...

by the way, the 0 to 6mph of the manual FRS is 6.2s... the automatic does it in 7.9s... yup that's how much it sucks.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Flavien Vidal
11/02/2014 at 07:44

The guy wanted an auto so that's what he got. Why dump on him?

Jayhawk Jake > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 07:45

Flappy paddles on a torque converter auto are horrible. I've driven the BRZ auto, it's not a very fun transmission.

I also seem to recall the auto is slower to 60, which considering the car isn't very fast to begin with is a pretty big compromise

Jayhawk Jake > mazda616
11/02/2014 at 07:45

In this case I'm not anti auto, I just know the auto BRZ sucks.

Jayhawk Jake > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 07:50

Here's the article I suggest you read before buying an automatic BRZ.

http://m.motortrend.com/roadtests/coup…

I'm not against autos. I totally understand the desire for them. But when they suck out this much performance you should at least be informed before making a purchase

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > mazda616
11/02/2014 at 07:50

Nailed it. The M/T nazis are out in force.

Flavien Vidal > mazda616
11/02/2014 at 07:55

I'm fine with autos... as long as the person who buys it realize that it's just not as performant or remotely similar to there manual version (and no "manual paddles" are NOT some form of manual gearbox lol)

Also an auto civic, sure, an auto Prius, sure... but a BRZ, miata and other fun sports cars with no budget to get a good autobox like Ferraris or Lambos, these things should be reserved to handicapped people because they actually don't have a choice... (well they do, a proper sequential swap with a clutch at the wheel to launch the car would be A LOT more enjoyable for them)

Tareim - V8 powered > Bytemite
11/02/2014 at 07:58

there are waaaay I wanted a colour rather than a shade (white silver black etc) and there are a lot of blues out there so red was the only other choice, as for slushbox it wasn't that bad tbh though I can't say I have driven it in the auto mode yet, just the manual mode

JDIGGS > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 08:00

Very rewarding car I promise you'll love it. It's amazing considering the stock tires and the fact it's stock. Hard to believe. Got almost 10k.

Tareim - V8 powered > mazda616
11/02/2014 at 08:02

thanks for the nice comment :D

I was half expecting a lot of negative comments towards the auto due to the nature of this site though it's semi-auto to be a bit more specific so there is the manual mode to silence some of it

JDIGGS > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 08:03

Very rewarding car I promise you'll love it. It's rare to have such a performance oriented car that rewards you in cornering so much yet also be cheap, reliable, amazing on gas, a great motor that pulls from any rpm any gear (just no torque), super safe with great headlights and a nice interior for a soob. It's amazing considering the stock tires and the fact it's stock how well it performs! I'm still blown away by this car on everything except torque and seat of the pants thrill in a straight line (have other car for that to be fair) Hard to believe they are so cheap. Got almost 10k on mine.

FrankAtlanta > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 08:12

Congrats! Always fun and exciting to get a new car!

Derp Herpington > mazda616
11/02/2014 at 08:26

Agreed.

I'll never buy a car without a stick because I find it boring, but there's no reason this guy can't be happy with his choice.

Why rain on his parade?

signintoburnerlol > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 08:55

What the fuck is up with the harsh criticism here? Is this Oppo or some low ass bawling forum?

Congrats on your car. Ignore the assholes, they most likely drive $3K POS.

signintoburnerlol > Flavien Vidal
11/02/2014 at 08:57

Do the automatic have a clutch that needs to be changed at a 100K?

Axial > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 09:09

But a manual gear select option isn't the same as a manual option. It's not the ability to change gears that excites us, but the actions involved in doing so. Pushing the clutch in, matching your revs, timing the change, getting the speed of the stick motion right, and letting the clutch out properly...that's what it's all about. Get it all right and it's an awesome feeling being able to say "I did that!"

That said, I'm not going to harp on anybody for choosing the option that's best for him/her. Not everybody wants a manual transmission, and no matter what the reason is, I can respect that decision. Even I would choose an auto under the right circumstances (i.e. buying a C7 Z06 w/ Z07 package).

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 09:26

Prepare to be torn into for getting an automatic BRZ. I for one would get an auto as well for the same reasons. You'll have to tell us how it is, I don't think I've ever seen a review of an automatic one.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Flavien Vidal
11/02/2014 at 09:44

The auto may be cheaper to insure in the UK, which could be a significant chuck of money.

Not that I disagree with you. No stick, No care and all that, but they may have a point about cost of ownership since owning a car in the UK is horrifyingly expensive.

ihm96 > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 10:46

I've done the whole paddle shift thing and it's never nearly as much fun, unless you're in a supercar. And mine was an Audi DSG which is supposedly one of the "best" but it still never matched the fun of driving a manual.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 11:08

first time on a plane? watch out for snakes

Forgetful > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 12:13

I watched someone autocross an auto FR-S. It was painful to listen too.

ptak appreciates old racecars > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 12:24

Awesome, congratulations! Now RB the heck out of it ^-^

Kinja'd!!!

PlayerWAN > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 13:02

As someone who actually has driven both the auto and manual versions, I honestly can tell you there is no wrong choice. Don't let those who have only test driven one tell you what the other feels like. That's just my opinion though. Ultimately you should follow your heart. Enjoy it! It's certainly a hoot to drive. Also, the auto is much easier to get sideways ;)

Tareim - V8 powered > signintoburnerlol
11/02/2014 at 13:53

I'm not sure when the clutch has to be done

Tareim - V8 powered > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
11/02/2014 at 13:53

tax is cheaper on the auto, silly emissions crap

Tareim - V8 powered > Flavien Vidal
11/02/2014 at 13:54

i'm not fussed about 0-60 as you very rarely get to do that on normal street driving, this car is about the handling which is barely affected by the transmission type (is say barely as there is a marginal weight penalty for the auto)

Tareim - V8 powered > Jayhawk Jake
11/02/2014 at 14:01

if anything that article reinforces my decision to get an auto, stating that the only area let down by the auto is in straight line, I'm all about the handling round corners, that's where the fun is to be had, also the extra economy from the longer gearing is a bonus, makes it that more affordable

signintoburnerlol > Jayhawk Jake
11/02/2014 at 15:03

The faster 0 to 60 for the manual is due to launching, you can dump the manual, not the automatic really. You can dump the automatic as well, but you're torque converter would melt in the process, unless you order an aftermarket one.

In truth, from rest or start without dumping the clutch the 0 to 60's are very similar.

The Automatic is great in this car! Wanna know how i know? Because i own one. Because i have an Audi RS7 right next to it and i know what's a good torque converter and what's not. Because i park my manual 300ZX behind it and accept the differences and love the cons and pros.

You also know how i know this is a good automatic? Because there's aftermarket parts from a company that specializes in DCT trannys, not only in the Evo and R35 GTR, but now in any FRS/BRZ.

Tranny cooler? Check

Valve bodies? Check

This is a serious transmission. There's plenty of turbo and supercharged cars out there with automatics. Many of them are hitting your local tracks and drag strips.

Wanna dis a shit auto? Take a look at the Hyundai Genesis or MX-5 automatics.

signintoburnerlol > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 15:07

No, i was being sarcastic. On a manual car, you'll eventually have to change out the clutch. If you're doing any sort of hardcore driving in your BRZ, I'd recommend changing out the automatic tranny fluid at 40/50K.

Tareim - V8 powered > signintoburnerlol
11/02/2014 at 16:16

ah my bad, I don't get sarcasm over the net, there will be some hardcore driving at times

Tareim - V8 powered > PlayerWAN
11/02/2014 at 17:07

yeah I read a motor trend review and they mentioned the auto was better for drifting which I found a bit odd, I've not driven a manual one (was due to next month) however this auto has come up that fits into my budget much better (it's used but meticulously maintained) and when I drove the auto one it felt smooth and I've heard reports about the manual being notchy

Tareim - V8 powered > Forgetful
11/02/2014 at 17:08

I suspect that person probably drove in full auto mode for it to be painful to listen to

Tareim - V8 powered > FrankAtlanta
11/02/2014 at 17:11

something I omitted from the main post (guess it should've been included) it's not a brand spanking new one, just a year and a bit old but meticulously maintained, nevertheless I'm excited and looking forwards to saturday

FrankAtlanta > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 17:14

Hey -still exciting and fun ! New to you and new experiences ahead!

Tareim - V8 powered > FrankAtlanta
11/02/2014 at 17:27

yeah it'll be my first rwd road car so there will be plenty of fun times and experiences ahead

Flavien Vidal > signintoburnerlol
11/02/2014 at 17:29

In the end of the day, it's still a "driver's car", a car that is meant to be driven for fun, with an automatic transmission... An RS7 is not, it's a heavy car built for business men who need confort on the freeway.

RS7 —-> auto fine

FRS —-> auto not fine

My point is not how "serious" the transmission is. My point is that it's just not the car to have an automatic into. Sure it shifts fast, I never said anything against that... But in the end of the day it's still boring (and yes I have driven some "serious" autos before, recent Porsches included). I'm sure you don't find it boring, otherwise you would not defend it here. I have not tested the auto-FRS, but my guess is that it's not as good as Porsche PDK, which I found terribly boring already.

signintoburnerlol > Flavien Vidal
11/02/2014 at 18:30

I suppose i am one of the few who don't judge a whole car based purely on it's transmission.

And no, the RS7 is a car for hooliganism and backfiring.

PlayerWAN > Tareim - V8 powered
11/02/2014 at 21:12

It definitely is notchy. Feels even worse if you've ever driven a Miata or S2000 (which are the epitome of how shifters should work). The BRZ's feels kind of like a WRX if you drained the transmission oil. It gets a bit better when you push the sport mode button, but only marginally. The auto was quite a bit nicer, and the rev matching feature was the killer feature for me.

Tareim - V8 powered > PlayerWAN
11/03/2014 at 05:20

tbh I was unaware of the rev match feature so that's a bonus

DocWalt > Tareim - V8 powered
11/03/2014 at 12:17

Congrats, enjoy it!

Tareim - V8 powered > DocWalt
11/03/2014 at 12:36

Will do! (hopefully)

DocWalt > Tareim - V8 powered
11/03/2014 at 13:07

FWIW the auto is only slower than the manual on the initial launch... and that's if you're both going for broke. Above ~10 mph the auto is just as good.

(yes, it pains me to admit it... I dislike autos, but paddle shifters are hilariously fun)

Tareim - V8 powered > DocWalt
11/03/2014 at 13:13

yeah that's what I though, 0-60 times are almost useless in everyday driving, I'm going for it being a great handling car.

I too have a dislike for Auto's however this one just makes sense with the paddles

DocWalt > Tareim - V8 powered
11/03/2014 at 13:16

I love how mine handles. I've got some minor stuff done to mine, and so far nothing to benefit handling, it just feels great on a back country road the way it is.

Tareim - V8 powered > DocWalt
11/03/2014 at 13:30

got any pics of yours, on any of the gt86/frs/brz forums?

DocWalt > Tareim - V8 powered
11/03/2014 at 13:32

I'm on ft86club.com. Only real pics of mine are meh-tastic. Just a stock WR Blue BRZ. Only exterior mod is a new third brake light to remove the horrid (IMO) factory light.

Tareim - V8 powered > DocWalt
11/03/2014 at 13:38

ah cool, I joined on there, not really posted much yet

DocWalt > Tareim - V8 powered
11/03/2014 at 13:42

I've only got a hundred posts or so. I don't post much. I'd rather be driving the car :P

New third brake light...

Kinja'd!!!

and a pic from a while back...

Kinja'd!!!

and a video from autocross:

Tareim - V8 powered > DocWalt
11/03/2014 at 14:00

that 3rd brake looks good, why couldn't they have done that from factory :/ how much did it cost?

DocWalt > Tareim - V8 powered
11/03/2014 at 14:05

$200, and a couple hours to install (mostly removing interior panels to remove the factory light). It's even carbon fiber for racecar levels of lightness, or something like that.

Honestly, that was my only complaint with the car aesthetically and it was minor. If this kit hadn't popped up I'd have just ignored the factory light.