The Scion FR-S is the sort of car that a certain breed of enthusiasts is always clamoring for: lightweight, rear-wheel drive and minimalist, with excellent handling and an enthusiastic (yet still efficient) engine. And best of all, it’s affordable.
Compact sports cars with those credentials invariably come face-to-face with the 800 pound gorilla in this market, though: the Mazda MX-5, nee Miata. Maxda’s been doing the affordable sports car thing since 1989, and it’s managed to walk the line of just-right ever since then. It’s not unheard of for direct competitors to vanish into obscurity fairly quickly — just ask the Mercury Capri and Toyota MR-S how that worked out for them. Even the Honda S2000, a worthy challenger, eventually fell by the wayside.
The FR-S, however, isn’t trying to challenge the MX-5 directly. For starters, it’s a hardtop coupe rather than a roadster (though a topless version of the FR-S is all but inevitable). It’s got a more angular and purposeful look, reminiscent of the original Datsun 240Z. The FR-S is a very different car from the rest of the Scion lineup as well. It’s more purposeful, serious whereas the other Scions are playful. The long-hood, short-tail silhouette is classic sports car, and the FR-S hunkers low over its 17-inch wheels, fenders wrapped tight around the rubber.
The interior borrows liberally from a number of classic sports-car styling tropes. Black and red bucket seats? Check. Racing style gauges? Check. The rear seats are only for cargo space; you can get a human being back there, but not for extended periods, and someone may call Amnesty International. That said, the front seats are comfortable enough for an all-day drive, and the FR-S does pack a few creature comforts such as standard Bluetooth and an available Pioneer sound system. The trunk will hold just enough luggage for a spontaneous road trip and a few souvenirs.
The light weight and MacPherson strut front, double wishbone rear suspension mean wish-quick handling. It’s easy to drive this car fast because you always know what it’s up to; like the Miata, the FR-S is a predictable and communicative performer on the track. Also like the Miata, it’s incredibly enjoyable at real-world speeds. Weighing in at just 2,800 pounds, it’s got an immediacy of response that many larger cars are hard-pressed to match. Stability and traction control are standard, but the systems can quickly be recalibrated to one of five settings, depending on how much intervention the driver prefers. The FR-S attacks freeways eagerly, with a broad powerband from the 2.0 liter boxer engine and a smooth-shifting manual transmission.
Wait, did you say a boxer engine? Yes, that’s right. The FR-S is part of a joint venture with Subaru, so it’s powered by that brand’s signature flat-four. Toyota adds its D-4S fuel injection system to the mix. The D-4S system combines direct injection and conventional port fuel injection, and is used in the BMW-baiting Lexus IS F. Variable valve timing also is used, and the FR-S sings to the tune of 200 horsepower. The low-mounted engine provides a low cowl height and a very low center of gravity. A choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions is offered; with the autobox, the FR-S will return 34 mpg on the freeway. The automatic transmission is an enthusiast-pleaser as well, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel and automated rev-matching on downshifts. Rear-wheel drive is standard, of course, and a Torsen limited-slip differential helps get the power to the road.
More than anything else, the FR-S has something the MX-5 has that many of its erstwhile competitors lacked, and that’s a sense of adventure. It’s hard to quantify the things that make a car into an enabler for those days when you say, “Hey, I think I’d like to drive for five hours and check out the next city over, for no good reason,” but that’s what the FR-S does. If you want to go, the car’s willing. It’s as much sidekick as it is transportation, and that’s what makes a good sports car great. Another thing that elevates a sports car is accessibility, and the FR-S pushes that button with a starting price of $24,200 with the manual transmission, and $25,300 with an automatic.
