And so, with cold damp roads and snow tires, this blue FR-S goads me at every turn. Carry a bit of speed into a second gear bend, roll on the throttle and the Scion’s derriere gracefully steps out like Fred Astaire… or Channing Tatum, depending on your generation.
Dial in some opposite lock and you’re good to go. And this is with all the electronic nannies on.
Naw, we can’t really call them nannies. These somewhat negligent caregivers have only one eye on you at the best of times. Press the VSC Sport button (handily positioned beside the shifter) and Mary Poppins and Nanny McPhee are headed for the door. Wheeeee.
There is a button on the near side of the shifter that, when held for three seconds, turns everything off. Poppins and McPhee are now face down at the local pub, and they don’t care what happens to you.
  2013 Scion FR-S. Click image to enlarge |
The FR-S’s cabin may look a bit plain but it is pure function – front and centre is a big tachometer with digital speedo. The tidy 365-mm steering wheel sits at a 16-degree angle, which the automaker calls ideal. Me too. The frameless rearview mirror aims to improve outward visibility. Everything seems well screwed together as well. Surfaces feel good and all the secondary controls operate with quality precision. The back seats are usable in a pinch, and with said seatback folded there is a surprising amount of cargo room. Tellingly, the manufacturer cites room for a set of racing tires.
  2013 Scion FR-S. Click image to enlarge |
So why would you buy an FR-S or BRZ over the 167-hp Mazda MX-5 that starts at $29,250? Convertible top aside, the Subaru/Scion duo and Mazda certainly play in the same sandbox – lightweight rear-drive sports cars, quick steering, rifle-bolt shifters and a four-banger under the hood.
Indeed, these cars are fairly similar up to a point, but at about 7/10ths they take markedly divergent paths. Push an MX-5 hard and the tail end goes sloppy – it falls all over itself. Conversely, the BRZ and FR-S were engineered to dance on the edge of adhesion… and beyond.
So if you’re interested in honing your driving skills, the Scion FR-S is an especially helpful and forgiving tool. The one day it really snowed, I sent Mary and Annie to the pub and relished in some slip-slidin’ low-speed fun.
By the end of my test week, the Scion FR-S had me hooked. On the flip side, just about every passenger complained vociferously about the harsh ride and racket within.
‘Nuff said. This is a driver’s car, and we should all be sending Subaru and Toyota thank you cards.
Pricing: 2013 Scion FR-S
Base price: $25,990
Options: None
A/C tax: $100
Freight and PDI: $1,495
Price as tested: $27,585
Crash test results
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
