2016 Scion Fr S Release Series 2.0 0 60
THE PROS & CONS
- What's Best: Simply a fun car to drive.
- What's Worst: Meager rear seat room.
- What's Interesting: Car is a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru.
2016 Scion FR-S at a glance
BODY STYLE: Compact sports coupe.
DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, six-speed manual transmission as tested
ENGINE: 2.0-litre DOHC horizontally opposed flat-four Boxer engine (200 hp, 151 lb/ft of torque).
FUEL ECONOMY: (Regular) six-speed manual, 10.9/7.9/9.6 L/100 km city/highway/combined.
CARGO CAPACITY: 196 litres.
PRICE: $27,490, as tested $29,314 including freight and PDI.
Scion refers to the FR-S as "sporty, sleek and affordable" in its advertising literature.
It's an apt description of the compact rear-wheel-drive sports coupe that debuted in 2013 along with its twin, the Subaru BRZ.
But my Metroland Media colleague Neil Moore offers another take on the car, saying it's "brash, loud and transmits every crack in the pavement to your hands, feet and tuckus."
His wife, like mine, loved the styling but found lots of nits to pick with the 2016 Scion FR-S. She called it noisy and with little room for the kids in the cramped back seat. Mine also found the car noisy and difficult to climb in and out of.
These are all accurate comments.
But to Neil and me, the two male car enthusiasts in this equation, there is a more important side to the 2016 Scion FR-S — it's simply a blast to drive.
There's no doubt this is a niche vehicle, one that most people in the car-shopping public would say, "well, it looks nice" but then totter over to the more sensible models in the showroom.
The enthusiast, however, will admire the sleek profile and revel in the performance of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer engine, sourced from Subaru. This naturally aspirated flat four makes 200 hp and 151 lb/ft of torque, just enough horses to power the 1,251 kg sports car to a moderate level of performance.
Some enthusiasts yearn for more power in the car, but I found it more than adequate for the road. Of course, if you use it for track days, that's a whole other ballgame.
My test vehicle was a base FR-S, fitted with a six-speed manual transmission and dressed in Scion's brilliant red Ablaze paint colour, new for 2016.
Luckily, my week with the car coincided with TestFest, the annual Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year program.
This year's event was held at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, northeast of Toronto and we drove up to the venue from our hotel in Ajax, a hike of about 40 minutes each way.
Doing this jaunt twice a day for four days, plus driving to and from my home southeast of London, I had a lot of time behind the wheel of this particular FR-S.
RELATED: 2015 Scion tC Release Series 9.0 Review
I enjoyed it, not as a car I would have as a daily driver, but one that would be a weekend toy, driven in the nice weather and stored away until spring.
With freight and PDI of $1,695, the vehicle priced out at $29,314 — definitely an affordable level for a sports car in this day and age. A six-speed automatic transmission is optional.
For 2016, the FR-S has had only minor changes, the most significant being a standard back-up camera. This is an important feature because rearward visibility from the cockpit is not one of the vehicle's strong suits.
The interior itself has been spruced up with fresh designs on items like door grips and centre console side ornaments.
Unlike many sports performance cars today, the FR-S isn't blessed with "push you back in your seat" performance. It will do the 0-100 km/h run in just over seven seconds and is really a throwback to sports cars of earlier days with great power-to-weight ratios, great agility, balance and steering and excellent handling.
There's not a great deal of torque here, but the car is agile and extremely fun to drive, particularly on those twisty back roads that enthusiasts tend to seek out.
Inside, the front seats are comfortable, supportive and well bolstered with enough legroom even for a six-footer like myself.
While this is considered a 2+2, the back seats are really only suitable for children, but they do fold flat for extra cargo room. The trunk itself holds only 196 litres, so this is an added bonus.
The cabin is fairly basic, but driver-centric with a three-gauge layout directly in front, focusing on the centre-mounted tachometer. Speed readouts are both analog and digital and the steering wheel has a nice design for easy grip and performance. Aluminum sport pedals add a touch of flash to the cabin.
This is a well-outfitted car from the get-go with standard features like air conditioning, 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, three-spoke tilt/telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight-speaker audio system with seven-inch touchscreen display audio screen with voice recognition, power windows/door locks, keyless entry, automatic headlamp system, illuminated trunk switch and dual power adjustable heated side mirrors.
As far as safety is concerned, you get six airbags, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes and tire pressure-monitoring system.
The stability control system offers five operating modes, allowing drivers to adjust the system's performance to suit their preferences and the driving conditions.
Styling wise, the FR-S has the classic sports coupe look with a long hood and short rear deck, giving it an aerodynamic look from both front and side views.
While the styling helps sell the car, the performance and agility make the FR-S and ideal car for anyone in search of an affordable compact sports coupe.
RELATED: 2015 Scion FR-S Release Series 1.0 Review
2016 Scion Fr S Release Series 2.0 0 60
Source: https://www.wheels.ca/car-reviews/2016-scion-fr-s-review/
