"Shifting Lanes" (shiftinglanes)
06/30/2015 at 15:34 • Filed to: None
2
0|
"Shifting Lanes" (shiftinglanes)
06/30/2015 at 15:34 • Filed to: None | 2
| 0 |
Hey guys. This article originally appeared on my website
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
, but I thought I’d post it here as well so that you wouldn’t have to click another link to view it. If you like the content, head on over there and check out our other stuff.
Welcome to a new article series we’re starting at Shifting Lanes called Pace Notes. Here we take unfiltered, gut-reaction opinions from our latest car du jour and put them on the internet for you all to enjoy and ultimately disagree with. The goal of this series is to show that no matter who you put in a car, you’re going to have some differing opinions. Since Scion !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , we thought we’d get some people together to drive around in it and put some thoughts to paper. Each person was asked to either take a turn in the driver seat, the passenger seat, or both to get a full experience in as little time as possible. Would we all have the same reactions? Here’s what we thought.
Gregson
Driver
Steering is very direct; point and go
Seating position is absolute perfection
Puts a big ass smile on your face at any point in the rev range above 4,000 RPMs
3rd gear is magic
Feels wider than it actually is; pull into a parking spot, though, and you’re a gnat in a sea of SUVs
Have never received more looks from people on the sidewalk or in other cars; this includes driving or riding in a Porsche 944 Turbo, Ferrari 308, C5 Corvette, and my WRX
Needs more grunt down low in the rev band
Passenger
Comfy for a sports car with good ride quality
Interior is a nice place to be; good materials
Seat bolstering is outstanding; never tossed around on a back road
Door cup holders are AWESOME for insulated, travel coffee mugs
Cabin cools down very quickly on a hot day
Black cloth seats are hot, but indescribably better than leather
Hansen
Driver
Like exercising; it is a delight when you’re in the mood and a total chore when you’re not
If you’re in the mood for driving fast, you’ll be glad you’re in this low slung sports car; if this is your daily grind commuter, you’ll grow to hate it very quickly
You have to wring this car pretty hard to get the most enjoyment, but you’ll feel like a racecar driver while doing so
The loud exhaust, firm suspension, and low seating position makes this car feel like a purpose built track tool (EDITOR’S NOTE: Scion provided this car with the TRD factory exhaust)
Taking the engine to the higher revs and engaging higher gears is such an exhilarating feeling
Gears click-in ever so satisfyingly
It certainly looks and sounds fast, but it is really quite sluggish
Making quick passes on the highway requires more planning than other more powerful sports cars
The low torque and the 6-speed transmission in the car forces you to row through the gears like a madman
The car begs to be driven fast
When you actually want it to be fast, there’s just a lot of waiting involved
The steering wheel was nice to the touch and made quick pointing and slaloming quite easy, however, the road feel didn’t quite translate through the steering column and at times felt muted
Passenger
The ride is very jarring in any surface that’s not freshly paved
The interior components that mattered were well designed
Pretty exhilarating though you will grow envious of the driver as they are having more fun than you
The seats are bolstered well to support you during the twisties
Riding in the backseat should only be reserved for an extremely small person (25th percentile-ish?)
Being 5’8 and ~200 lbs, the backseat should only be suffered through in 30 minute increments, any longer and you and the guy sitting shotgun will be quickly de-friending the driver
Chad
Driver
LOVE the low down seating position; something I didn’t really notice until I got back in my car
The clutch is too light, but not awful; nothing some timing and practice couldn’t fix
Steering is excellent; quick response, light, and very solid feeling, but too vague. Only way to know I was at the limit of grip was because the tires were squealing, not because I felt it
Shifter is excellent; short throw and very accurate
An absolute hoot to drive. I would love more time with it. (specifically to perfect hooning it)
Passenger
No backseat space
Cramped front seat position with a rear passenger that’s not an infant; to be expected, but still uncomfortable
Interior is nice, simple, and intelligible; plastic, but acceptable for this car
Willing to sacrifice luxury for a front-engined, RWD sports car at this price point
When no one is in the backseat, it’s more comfortable, but for some reason you feel like the car is more out of control than when driving
Kate (the wifey)
Passenger
Slower than the WRX
Also louder than the WRX
Nonexistent back seat
Sleek design
Very comfortable with body hugging seats
Feels very low to the ground
Freddy from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (also known as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )
Driver
It’s a little drone-y
The shifter feels playstation-y
LOUD
The speedometer is kind of useless
The steering wheel feels like there should be paddle shifters attached to it
Not bad power from a small-ish 4 cylinder
Passenger
OH MY GOD THE HEADROOM
The seats are very comfortable; the ride is quite nice
The paint is beautiful
The car needs to be longer
Tom (fellow writer colleague, car nut, and extreme sports dude)
Passenger
No clambering around to get in to the car; doesn’t feel like you need a parachute to break your free fall into it
Seats feel sporty without grabbing your crotch and man parts
Acceleration is smooth as a babies bottom
Ride is stiff on main roads and uncouth; more what I imagine riding a camel is like, as opposed to a horse
At home on back roads
Feels like it wants to be pushed; it wants to turn and take on winding roads; the ride feels appropriate here
Great for getting rid of your teenager’s obsession with their phone; that’ll fly straight out the window within the first 2 minutes
Give the car a wider, grippier set of tires and most of the kinks will be worked out in terms of ride and stability on the main roads
So there you have it. Agree/Disagree with us? Is one person spot on while the other is out of their mind? Let us know in the comments section. Stay tuned for more articles on the FR-S
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Gregson is the co-producer of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! where he and 2 gear head friends started an enthusiast website for shits and giggles to write about whatever the damn well pleased. You can contact Shifting Lanes !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to tell us how wrong they are about everything, or yell at them on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!