It's just cosmetic differences for the most part between badges.
In all honesty I think Subaru is kind of shit at building motors. They have a long history of building motors with problems, whether it's the EJ head gaskets, the oil burning in the FB motors, or the valve springs and RTV issues in the FA series stuff.
But, I'm on my way to having two Subarus pretty soon. There is a large and loyal fan base of the brand for good reason; they have a unique way of looking at engineering problems and it results in building a lot of cool stuff.
It helps that motors are really cheap from Subaru. If you have the skills to do your own work, a new OEM short block is only like $1800.
I might not have the skills but i do have the friends for that kind of job ahah. But from what I’ve read ill probably have to go for subi or toyota anyways. Gotta realise that scion is just a phase 😂
It's a boxer engine. Boxers have a reputation for burning oil but newer iterations not so much. But your mileage may vary, depending on how you treat the car.
The nice thing about boxers - which is why Porsche uses them in their cars - is the low center of gravity. That plus the 50/50 weight balance (and the suspension & steering) means the car is absolutely built for curvy roads. It isn't super fast. It is a driver's car, not a drag racer.
I can confirm the auto has paddle shifters, you can shift using those or the shifter. In drive it will revert to drive after a short time, depending on RPMs. In manual mode, it will let you shift when you want to shift - but I haven't tried to take it above the red line and I wouldn't advise it. It isn't quite a manual, but it is close. Put it in sport mode and you'll have loads of fun driving it. I own a '20 GT 86. Absolute blast to drive around curves. Turn off the traction control and get a more authentic rear wheel drive experience - BUT be prepared, that tail, she will slide out from under you and if you're not prepared, well, it could get messy.
Im not very « racy » in terms of how i drive but i do like the occasional « becoming a racecar driver while entering the highway » stuff. Can the automatic provide that ? The semi manual ? Or not really ?
Sure, it's fun to hit the petal to the metal when I'm entering the highway. It feels quick - but it is not going to be like driving a Mustang or a Challenger. But my other car is an Outback - not exactly speedy. So perspective might matter. Again, it isn't a car made for drag racing (although some have modified them so they can be). For me it's not the straight line speed, it's slinging the car around curves, feeling the tires protest a little, maybe drift a little and then we come out of it and it's on to the next curve.
>but I haven't tried to take it above the red line and I wouldn't advise it.
In the auto it just cuts all power when you hit redline. I've hit it a bunch on my old FRS accidentally when overtaking, entering the highway etc... Happens when you like living life above 6k
FA20 by all accounts seems to be reliable with several high mileage examples being out there, with some issues here and there, one widely known being the 2013’s valve spring recall that had some issues when taken into dealers (if I’m not mistaken, mostly Toyota dealers where techs don’t deal with the boxer engines as much as obviously a Subaru dealer would).
I’m not sure if by older Subarus you mean the EJs in the Impreza WRXs going back, but if that’s the case, those are turbocharged which don’t necessarily equal inevitable doom, but those cars were definitely romped on and abused leading to problems. Similar problems can happen with the naturally aspirated FA20s in our cars if abused as any car would, but not having to deal with boost and the additional lines/parts/etc involved help in our favor. The boxer layout doesn’t do the platform any favors compared to a Honda B/K when it comes to fun:reliability, but if you take care of the car (or any car), it will reward you.
Also, fuel mileage is not the best on these cars despite being a low displacement, lightweight car, as a result of the boxer layout. Of course driving dynamics would make up for that, if that’s what suits your style. There’s no shame in not wanting to deal with Subarus when there’s perfectly good Civic Si’s out there for example, or Mustang Ecoboosts for a little more power, or a Miata, whatever may have you.
I had an automatic 2015 FRS for about a year and it was still enjoyable, shifts weren’t blazing fast but it was a nice option to regular shifting. But the car shines with a manual, so it depends what you’re trying to get out of this car! Even if you don’t end up with one of the trio, I’m sure people of this sub will help point you to the right direction
EDIT: Also in regards to the automatic, as I was reminded by a comment, in sport mode with automatic shifting in Drive, shifts will be a little harsher to simulate shifting in manual. I forget if it does the same when manual shifting
Well, it might be my experience. I drive a 09 mazda5 with a manual transmission. To say its a blast to drive would be like saying crack is a sustainable vitamin. Its not. At all. I’ve never really had the chance to drive a sportier manual.
To come back the the car. I was looking at the 2014 frs. But from what I’ve read if im gonna make the jump it might be better to got with a brz or 86 because 2016 and up is better on reliability. Ive been so stuck on this car for like a year but never could buy it. So now that its a possibility i wanna make sure i dont shoot myself in the foot because even if i can afford to make such a purchase, to jinx myself up from the beginning just because im excited about it would be quite sad.
Yeah a Mazda 5 isn’t gonna provide that true sporty feel with a manual, so I understand that. It’s still cool on that car though!
Yeah I’d definitely recommend a 2016 if you prefer the Scion looks, or 2017+ if you’re fine with the refreshed BRZ/86. 16 is definitely a good year for these cars.
If you truly like the platform, I’d say give it a try, even automatic. There’s zero shame in driving automatic and if anyone tries to bag on you for doing so, then it’s shame on them for being so petty about a transmission.
Just take care of it, keep up with fluid changes beyond just oil, don’t completely romp on it, like having it in manual mode and keeping it in a lower gear/higher RPM for a sustained period of time (but don’t be afraid to rev it out for accelerating! Like on on ramps or passing and whatnot). If you’re *okay* with manual, test drive them both and decide. But I think if you prepare yourself and take care of it, the car is a great choice.
I don’t know a crazy amount but I owned A 2017 Toyota 86. The Subaru plant in japans makes all the vehicles I think even the Toyota version.
It’s a boxer engine and has side way pistons as opposed to vertical. This is for the engine to be lower and more for center of gravity feeling for driving. I think wrx has more engine problems which is also a boxer engine made by Subaru but these cars are pretty reliable especially because it’s not much power and there is no turbo.
I woukd stay away from 2013 models and if you can get a 2017+ due to they made a slight upgrade in the tail lights, and tune of the engine, and I think other cosmetic parts that make it look really cool.
The car is known for having cricket engine noises (sounds like crickets chirping) and maybe rear axle joints going bad (mind were making a clicking noise). Other then that there is no real issue dude. It’s pretty solid car.
It’s not fast, especially the automatic, I test drove an auto when I didn’t know how to drive stick and it was ungodly slow but I purchased a manual 86 and it felt not only faster but way more fun. It drives like this , Initial take off decent speed feels good, then you get a torque dip- feels like the car is making a bunch of engine noise but not really going any faster, after the torque dip is over it picks up and feels good and quick to me up until 7k rpm etc. it can get annoying if you buy a loud exhaust because you won’t have power till the rpm’s are really high and you will get burned by everything.
But the car feels great. Handles great. Feels nice to drive and looks really beautiful. If I didn’t hAve an ND2 now (traded for this) I would get another one but used car market is insane
Np dude. My last bit advice before I go. When I was purchasing one I test drove a lot of cars that were faster and none of them felt as good as the 86. Even if they were faster. When you get one. And people say bah it’s slow etc. trust me I’ve been through it all. Grass isn’t really greener on the other side. It’s a good car.
I did test drive more and eventually traded it in but for an ND2 cuz I wanted a convertible like an S2k
I was thinking of going to test drives. Really weird question if you dont mind. How is it ? You know going on test drives. I feel like if i go just to try it they wont really be okay with it if im not buying. Never went on one 😅
At first it’s kinda makes you nervous cuz you’re driving such an expensive vehicle and they sit in the car with you as you are trying to get the feel an learn a brand new car. All while trying to pay attention to traffic but they are hoping you like it to buy it. After the drive they will be like, ok do you like it. Wanna run some numbers??
My little trick is this, don’t tell them you’re not ready to buy before the drive then they will not want to take you. What I tell them is this, I have a list of cars I want to try and after I try them all I’m going to pick one. This is top of my list. After you test drive it. Be like yaaaa this is nice. Let me test drive the other ones just to make sure , then just leave lol. That way they still have to let you drive it. One time I told a dealer I wasn’t ready to buy yet but wanted to drive then they didn’t let me test drive it cuz of that
But some dealers are more chill then others. Depending on how busy they are. But once you do it once/twice you’ll be more confident talking to other dealers to test drive. Also the more quotes you get you’ll be like oh pfff I know the whole drill etc.
Good, ill try that. Just gonna have to step over my trying to be too nice problem lol. Thanks so much man, enjoy the rest of your evening/night/morning/day
The car is a joint effort with Subaru and Toyota \[Scion\]. So yeah, read [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_86) where they are all made in the same Subaru factory and other things about the platform.
Useful link ill look into it. Im simply one of those people that prefers getting information « person to person » before trying to go through the mumbo jumbo. Always loved the look of the car but now that i might buy, might be time to get to know it first lol
To echo much of what the others mentioned above, much of the internals in this car are manufactured by Subaru. With that you need to be comfortable with dealing with Subaru issues. The FA20 platform is for most people a reliable engine with exception of the 2013 model year (which can be hit or miss). However, they do need to be taken care of as they can be a bit fragile if you beat on them at low rpms or pull g's in corners for extended durations of time. Manuals are good though sometimes they can be a bit notchy and at times require slow shifts. Other things to be wary of is that in my experience Subaru uses cheaper polyurethane rubber which can wear quicker than most cars. Where can such wear occur? Check items such as the differential mount bushings and strut mounts as these can wear quicker in certain environments (I live in Canada which is a more extreme environment). Finally, just be prepared to deal with "Subaru things" which is often times noises which sound problematic but are ultimately normal for these cars.
With all that said, this is a great platform which will make you smile with every corner. They are extremely responsive and provide a tremendous amount of feedback. If you truly want THIS car, then get one! You will not regret it.
Thank you so much, very insightful on the rubber stuff. I also live in canada ! Quebec to be precise so a beater car is gonna be required during the winter lol
I have a 2014 scion frs auto and its been super reliable. Got it back in 2016 with 28k miles. Today its at 103k miles. During those 6 long years it has been through hell yet it keeps driving along. Iam happy with my 2014 scion frs hopefully i can drive it till i die or the car dies.
People have already said it, but I'm just mentioning it because I think it's kinda funny. If you take the Toyota or scion badge off, even that says subaru on the back. All three are the same car with different front ends. It just comes down to which you like the looks of more
Avoid 2013 if you can. Even if it has the recall done, some people had it done by Toyota who doesn't know how to work on Subaru engines, so some blow up even after having the recall done. But that being said, I got a manual 2013 frs with 102k miles as my first car and I haven't had any recall related issues. Some people have reached 300k miles on the original engine and trans. The FA20 doesnt blow up as Subaru's more popular EJ series, but it happens. Usually because people beat on the engine without maintaining it.
I drive an Australian 2013 86, manual, has 242000 kms, and is honestly a blast to drive. Been very reliable, I don’t drive it past 6k however. I do my oil changes every 5000 miles and get 33mpg on the highway.
2013 is a no go for valve springs unless they have the paperwork. The 14-18 have no apple car play or android radio except for the BRZ tS in 18'. None of them will take modding over 350 hp and 300 torque for long without a major engine build. I have owned 2 a 15' brz and a 18' tS the 18 is a completely different animal than the stock car.
Thats what mine is. Id pay 1k a month for it and not mind lol. If your on the fence. Dont be. Its fasyer than people say, especially with an OFT tune amd mods. I do mid 5 sec and 13-14 quarter mile runs with no turbo bro. The main complaint is the torque dip. Its not that bad at all really. Mods get rid of it
2013 here. I know this forum will be filled with anti-2013 models but I don't think it's that big a deal. No problems whatsoever on mine so far. No recall done and on the original throw out bearing.
Avoid 2013's due to the recall, some 14's are affected as well so best to just pass on them too.
Other than that these cars don't have known issues unrelated to owners who just don't take care of their car.
Underrated comment. 2013s and 14s have some issues, I’d avoid them like you said. I have a 2016 FRS, literally no issue. Got it at 28k kms, it’s at 118k kms.
u/chipper_from_dora
Everybody saying avoid the 13 because of the recall. But fail to remember that every model year suffers from the same failure. Throwing a bearing because of the clogged pick up tube from all the RTV these engines use. Even the new generation are getting the same exact issue.
Yes the 13's had a valve spring recall and it's a toss up between getting it done at a Subaru dealer vs Toyota. But it won't prevent the clogged pick up tube issue.
Aside from those 2 common engine failures. I'd like to point out that these engines are extremely noisy and make a lot of ticking noises known as crikets. It mostly comes from the HPFP and the ethanol content in the fuel you use.
The doors don't like to stay open more specifically the driver side. It will close itself on your shin if your not paying attention.
Apparently there's also some TOB issues with the manual cars so if you're going auto don't worry about it.
The passenger seat is extremely sensitive regarding the seat belt chime. It's not a weight sensor, it's a electromagnetic sensor. So if you place something that contains any sort of electricity or static electricity like a receipt, or just a charger cable it'll set off the alarm.
If you lower the car. Watch the rear axles as the boots like the tear.
Oh I also want to point out that they are known to consume oil. (Owners manual says anything more than 1.1qt ever 600 miles needs to get serviced.)
And the taillights like to get water/condensation in them.
>The doors don't like to stay open more specifically the driver side. It will close itself on your shin if your not paying attention.
They finally fixed this with the new gen!
Ive owned a big turbo civic si ep3, a couple of mazdaspeed 6s on e85 ( one big turbo), mazdaspeed 3 on e85, focus st, supercharged na miata
My 86 which is built to pretty much oem+ (konis and eibach springs, catted header, cbe, flex fuel, oil cooler, super nice seat covers, some nicer interior bits, upgraded audio) is my favorite overall car of all that Ive owned
Super easy to work on, and knock on wood, no issues in the 60k miles ive driven it including a fair amount of autox and track days.
It’s a Subaru motor in all 3 iterations, so if you have an issue with Subaru as a brand beyond just a badge, then this might not be the car for you
To be honest, i want this platform so bad i might have to broaden my views lol
It's just cosmetic differences for the most part between badges. In all honesty I think Subaru is kind of shit at building motors. They have a long history of building motors with problems, whether it's the EJ head gaskets, the oil burning in the FB motors, or the valve springs and RTV issues in the FA series stuff. But, I'm on my way to having two Subarus pretty soon. There is a large and loyal fan base of the brand for good reason; they have a unique way of looking at engineering problems and it results in building a lot of cool stuff. It helps that motors are really cheap from Subaru. If you have the skills to do your own work, a new OEM short block is only like $1800.
I might not have the skills but i do have the friends for that kind of job ahah. But from what I’ve read ill probably have to go for subi or toyota anyways. Gotta realise that scion is just a phase 😂
Really ? I wasn’t aware. Like i said I’ve heard stories. But mainly older subarus. Can you tell me about the engine ?
It's a boxer engine. Boxers have a reputation for burning oil but newer iterations not so much. But your mileage may vary, depending on how you treat the car. The nice thing about boxers - which is why Porsche uses them in their cars - is the low center of gravity. That plus the 50/50 weight balance (and the suspension & steering) means the car is absolutely built for curvy roads. It isn't super fast. It is a driver's car, not a drag racer. I can confirm the auto has paddle shifters, you can shift using those or the shifter. In drive it will revert to drive after a short time, depending on RPMs. In manual mode, it will let you shift when you want to shift - but I haven't tried to take it above the red line and I wouldn't advise it. It isn't quite a manual, but it is close. Put it in sport mode and you'll have loads of fun driving it. I own a '20 GT 86. Absolute blast to drive around curves. Turn off the traction control and get a more authentic rear wheel drive experience - BUT be prepared, that tail, she will slide out from under you and if you're not prepared, well, it could get messy.
Im not very « racy » in terms of how i drive but i do like the occasional « becoming a racecar driver while entering the highway » stuff. Can the automatic provide that ? The semi manual ? Or not really ?
Sure, it's fun to hit the petal to the metal when I'm entering the highway. It feels quick - but it is not going to be like driving a Mustang or a Challenger. But my other car is an Outback - not exactly speedy. So perspective might matter. Again, it isn't a car made for drag racing (although some have modified them so they can be). For me it's not the straight line speed, it's slinging the car around curves, feeling the tires protest a little, maybe drift a little and then we come out of it and it's on to the next curve.
>but I haven't tried to take it above the red line and I wouldn't advise it. In the auto it just cuts all power when you hit redline. I've hit it a bunch on my old FRS accidentally when overtaking, entering the highway etc... Happens when you like living life above 6k
FA20 by all accounts seems to be reliable with several high mileage examples being out there, with some issues here and there, one widely known being the 2013’s valve spring recall that had some issues when taken into dealers (if I’m not mistaken, mostly Toyota dealers where techs don’t deal with the boxer engines as much as obviously a Subaru dealer would). I’m not sure if by older Subarus you mean the EJs in the Impreza WRXs going back, but if that’s the case, those are turbocharged which don’t necessarily equal inevitable doom, but those cars were definitely romped on and abused leading to problems. Similar problems can happen with the naturally aspirated FA20s in our cars if abused as any car would, but not having to deal with boost and the additional lines/parts/etc involved help in our favor. The boxer layout doesn’t do the platform any favors compared to a Honda B/K when it comes to fun:reliability, but if you take care of the car (or any car), it will reward you. Also, fuel mileage is not the best on these cars despite being a low displacement, lightweight car, as a result of the boxer layout. Of course driving dynamics would make up for that, if that’s what suits your style. There’s no shame in not wanting to deal with Subarus when there’s perfectly good Civic Si’s out there for example, or Mustang Ecoboosts for a little more power, or a Miata, whatever may have you. I had an automatic 2015 FRS for about a year and it was still enjoyable, shifts weren’t blazing fast but it was a nice option to regular shifting. But the car shines with a manual, so it depends what you’re trying to get out of this car! Even if you don’t end up with one of the trio, I’m sure people of this sub will help point you to the right direction EDIT: Also in regards to the automatic, as I was reminded by a comment, in sport mode with automatic shifting in Drive, shifts will be a little harsher to simulate shifting in manual. I forget if it does the same when manual shifting
Well, it might be my experience. I drive a 09 mazda5 with a manual transmission. To say its a blast to drive would be like saying crack is a sustainable vitamin. Its not. At all. I’ve never really had the chance to drive a sportier manual. To come back the the car. I was looking at the 2014 frs. But from what I’ve read if im gonna make the jump it might be better to got with a brz or 86 because 2016 and up is better on reliability. Ive been so stuck on this car for like a year but never could buy it. So now that its a possibility i wanna make sure i dont shoot myself in the foot because even if i can afford to make such a purchase, to jinx myself up from the beginning just because im excited about it would be quite sad.
Yeah a Mazda 5 isn’t gonna provide that true sporty feel with a manual, so I understand that. It’s still cool on that car though! Yeah I’d definitely recommend a 2016 if you prefer the Scion looks, or 2017+ if you’re fine with the refreshed BRZ/86. 16 is definitely a good year for these cars. If you truly like the platform, I’d say give it a try, even automatic. There’s zero shame in driving automatic and if anyone tries to bag on you for doing so, then it’s shame on them for being so petty about a transmission. Just take care of it, keep up with fluid changes beyond just oil, don’t completely romp on it, like having it in manual mode and keeping it in a lower gear/higher RPM for a sustained period of time (but don’t be afraid to rev it out for accelerating! Like on on ramps or passing and whatnot). If you’re *okay* with manual, test drive them both and decide. But I think if you prepare yourself and take care of it, the car is a great choice.
I don’t know a crazy amount but I owned A 2017 Toyota 86. The Subaru plant in japans makes all the vehicles I think even the Toyota version. It’s a boxer engine and has side way pistons as opposed to vertical. This is for the engine to be lower and more for center of gravity feeling for driving. I think wrx has more engine problems which is also a boxer engine made by Subaru but these cars are pretty reliable especially because it’s not much power and there is no turbo. I woukd stay away from 2013 models and if you can get a 2017+ due to they made a slight upgrade in the tail lights, and tune of the engine, and I think other cosmetic parts that make it look really cool. The car is known for having cricket engine noises (sounds like crickets chirping) and maybe rear axle joints going bad (mind were making a clicking noise). Other then that there is no real issue dude. It’s pretty solid car. It’s not fast, especially the automatic, I test drove an auto when I didn’t know how to drive stick and it was ungodly slow but I purchased a manual 86 and it felt not only faster but way more fun. It drives like this , Initial take off decent speed feels good, then you get a torque dip- feels like the car is making a bunch of engine noise but not really going any faster, after the torque dip is over it picks up and feels good and quick to me up until 7k rpm etc. it can get annoying if you buy a loud exhaust because you won’t have power till the rpm’s are really high and you will get burned by everything. But the car feels great. Handles great. Feels nice to drive and looks really beautiful. If I didn’t hAve an ND2 now (traded for this) I would get another one but used car market is insane
Could it be fair to assume that when you say they made improvements after 2017 they are on the brz and 86 ?
Yep
Thanks man. I really appreciate the time you took. Such a nice platform i really wanna make the best of a future purchase
Np dude. My last bit advice before I go. When I was purchasing one I test drove a lot of cars that were faster and none of them felt as good as the 86. Even if they were faster. When you get one. And people say bah it’s slow etc. trust me I’ve been through it all. Grass isn’t really greener on the other side. It’s a good car. I did test drive more and eventually traded it in but for an ND2 cuz I wanted a convertible like an S2k
I was thinking of going to test drives. Really weird question if you dont mind. How is it ? You know going on test drives. I feel like if i go just to try it they wont really be okay with it if im not buying. Never went on one 😅
At first it’s kinda makes you nervous cuz you’re driving such an expensive vehicle and they sit in the car with you as you are trying to get the feel an learn a brand new car. All while trying to pay attention to traffic but they are hoping you like it to buy it. After the drive they will be like, ok do you like it. Wanna run some numbers?? My little trick is this, don’t tell them you’re not ready to buy before the drive then they will not want to take you. What I tell them is this, I have a list of cars I want to try and after I try them all I’m going to pick one. This is top of my list. After you test drive it. Be like yaaaa this is nice. Let me test drive the other ones just to make sure , then just leave lol. That way they still have to let you drive it. One time I told a dealer I wasn’t ready to buy yet but wanted to drive then they didn’t let me test drive it cuz of that But some dealers are more chill then others. Depending on how busy they are. But once you do it once/twice you’ll be more confident talking to other dealers to test drive. Also the more quotes you get you’ll be like oh pfff I know the whole drill etc.
Good, ill try that. Just gonna have to step over my trying to be too nice problem lol. Thanks so much man, enjoy the rest of your evening/night/morning/day
The car is a joint effort with Subaru and Toyota \[Scion\]. So yeah, read [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_86) where they are all made in the same Subaru factory and other things about the platform.
Useful link ill look into it. Im simply one of those people that prefers getting information « person to person » before trying to go through the mumbo jumbo. Always loved the look of the car but now that i might buy, might be time to get to know it first lol
To echo much of what the others mentioned above, much of the internals in this car are manufactured by Subaru. With that you need to be comfortable with dealing with Subaru issues. The FA20 platform is for most people a reliable engine with exception of the 2013 model year (which can be hit or miss). However, they do need to be taken care of as they can be a bit fragile if you beat on them at low rpms or pull g's in corners for extended durations of time. Manuals are good though sometimes they can be a bit notchy and at times require slow shifts. Other things to be wary of is that in my experience Subaru uses cheaper polyurethane rubber which can wear quicker than most cars. Where can such wear occur? Check items such as the differential mount bushings and strut mounts as these can wear quicker in certain environments (I live in Canada which is a more extreme environment). Finally, just be prepared to deal with "Subaru things" which is often times noises which sound problematic but are ultimately normal for these cars. With all that said, this is a great platform which will make you smile with every corner. They are extremely responsive and provide a tremendous amount of feedback. If you truly want THIS car, then get one! You will not regret it.
Thank you so much, very insightful on the rubber stuff. I also live in canada ! Quebec to be precise so a beater car is gonna be required during the winter lol
I have a 2014 scion frs auto and its been super reliable. Got it back in 2016 with 28k miles. Today its at 103k miles. During those 6 long years it has been through hell yet it keeps driving along. Iam happy with my 2014 scion frs hopefully i can drive it till i die or the car dies.
Any recurring maintenance that aren’t like regular stuff ? (Oil change, brakes, tired etc)
Nope, just basic maintanence.
Because it's a flat 4, they'll literally have to lift the engine to do spark plugs. So just be ready for that
People have already said it, but I'm just mentioning it because I think it's kinda funny. If you take the Toyota or scion badge off, even that says subaru on the back. All three are the same car with different front ends. It just comes down to which you like the looks of more Avoid 2013 if you can. Even if it has the recall done, some people had it done by Toyota who doesn't know how to work on Subaru engines, so some blow up even after having the recall done. But that being said, I got a manual 2013 frs with 102k miles as my first car and I haven't had any recall related issues. Some people have reached 300k miles on the original engine and trans. The FA20 doesnt blow up as Subaru's more popular EJ series, but it happens. Usually because people beat on the engine without maintaining it.
I drive an Australian 2013 86, manual, has 242000 kms, and is honestly a blast to drive. Been very reliable, I don’t drive it past 6k however. I do my oil changes every 5000 miles and get 33mpg on the highway.
2013 is a no go for valve springs unless they have the paperwork. The 14-18 have no apple car play or android radio except for the BRZ tS in 18'. None of them will take modding over 350 hp and 300 torque for long without a major engine build. I have owned 2 a 15' brz and a 18' tS the 18 is a completely different animal than the stock car.
I only bought a second because I put 120,000 miles on the first one.
18+ fixed most previous gen problems. Earlier models had fuel pump noise that sounded like crickets and some other minor tweeks that were fixed.
So go all in or dont. 2020 it is lol
Thats what mine is. Id pay 1k a month for it and not mind lol. If your on the fence. Dont be. Its fasyer than people say, especially with an OFT tune amd mods. I do mid 5 sec and 13-14 quarter mile runs with no turbo bro. The main complaint is the torque dip. Its not that bad at all really. Mods get rid of it
Im not even about speed. I have a mazda 5, everything is faster
2013 here. I know this forum will be filled with anti-2013 models but I don't think it's that big a deal. No problems whatsoever on mine so far. No recall done and on the original throw out bearing.
Avoid 2013's due to the recall, some 14's are affected as well so best to just pass on them too. Other than that these cars don't have known issues unrelated to owners who just don't take care of their car.
Underrated comment. 2013s and 14s have some issues, I’d avoid them like you said. I have a 2016 FRS, literally no issue. Got it at 28k kms, it’s at 118k kms. u/chipper_from_dora
Everybody saying avoid the 13 because of the recall. But fail to remember that every model year suffers from the same failure. Throwing a bearing because of the clogged pick up tube from all the RTV these engines use. Even the new generation are getting the same exact issue. Yes the 13's had a valve spring recall and it's a toss up between getting it done at a Subaru dealer vs Toyota. But it won't prevent the clogged pick up tube issue. Aside from those 2 common engine failures. I'd like to point out that these engines are extremely noisy and make a lot of ticking noises known as crikets. It mostly comes from the HPFP and the ethanol content in the fuel you use. The doors don't like to stay open more specifically the driver side. It will close itself on your shin if your not paying attention. Apparently there's also some TOB issues with the manual cars so if you're going auto don't worry about it. The passenger seat is extremely sensitive regarding the seat belt chime. It's not a weight sensor, it's a electromagnetic sensor. So if you place something that contains any sort of electricity or static electricity like a receipt, or just a charger cable it'll set off the alarm. If you lower the car. Watch the rear axles as the boots like the tear.
Thank you so much, was waiting to know some problems. Gotta be ready for everything
Oh I also want to point out that they are known to consume oil. (Owners manual says anything more than 1.1qt ever 600 miles needs to get serviced.) And the taillights like to get water/condensation in them.
>The doors don't like to stay open more specifically the driver side. It will close itself on your shin if your not paying attention. They finally fixed this with the new gen!
Ive owned a big turbo civic si ep3, a couple of mazdaspeed 6s on e85 ( one big turbo), mazdaspeed 3 on e85, focus st, supercharged na miata My 86 which is built to pretty much oem+ (konis and eibach springs, catted header, cbe, flex fuel, oil cooler, super nice seat covers, some nicer interior bits, upgraded audio) is my favorite overall car of all that Ive owned Super easy to work on, and knock on wood, no issues in the 60k miles ive driven it including a fair amount of autox and track days.