Consumer Reports Delivers The Tofu

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Will the Scion FR-S drift? My opinion could be summed up as: who cares? Drifting ain’t fast, yo.

Consumer Reports, however, has decided to answer this question with the same diligence they usually reserve for toaster duty-cycle measurement. In the above video Jake Fisher handbrakes his way to glory in the little Toyobaru. This is a sequel to a similar, and well-received, Subaru BR-Z test.

If nothing else, the video buries the image long-cultivated by Car and Driver, among others, that the CR guys are a bunch of lab-coat dipsticks who are too busy compiling reliability data to have any fun.

TTAC will have an FR-S track test video coming up in the next few weeks. Don’t look for me to showboat the car. For that, apparently, you’ll need to visit America’s most-respected consumer advocacy publication.


Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Skotastic Skotastic on Jun 03, 2012

    Am I the only one who isn't going ga-ga for the new Toybaru? I have nothing against it and I hope it does well, but its hardly the only sporting rear-wheel drive car ever made! The lines are clean but offer nothing really new or interesting, and will soon be cluttered with gobs of ricer after-market go-fast crap anyways. Is it interesting soley because it comes from the world's most boring car maker, partnered with a company that's been trying really hard to catch up in the boring race? Is it all fanboi/internet/auto-journalist hype? Just curious....

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    • NormSV650 NormSV650 on Jun 04, 2012

      @NormSV650 I've talked with Randy a number of times and I am also HPDE instructor. A novice is not going to get the most out of low output car compared to higher output car. Of course power does tend to cover up other deficiencies, it does take an experienced driver in a lower output car. If your into autocrossing ask a VTEC owners how difficult it is to stay in VTEC?

  • Volt 230 Volt 230 on Jun 03, 2012

    Took delivery of an automatic FRS last week and so far, it has lived up to my expectations and then some. I am waiting for the break in period to expire to take it out on a local track, I know the manager and he'll let me use it for a bit of fun.

  • Cman321 Cman321 on Jun 04, 2012

    how is the this car any different than the rx8. both cars won every review bc of great feel, balance, lightness and fun to drive quotient. But in real world, with absolutely no torque, nobody bought the rx8 after year 1. I do know the bad gas mileage and rotary issues are also a big probalem which this car doesn't have. but no power except at redline, lots of road noise, stiff ride, no room would seemingly make this car less appealiing to the majority of buyers who buy cars for daily driving

    • Sportyaccordy Sportyaccordy on Jun 04, 2012

      People bought a lot of RX8s when they first came out. The killer was the rotary issues. This is an RX8 w/o the rotary issues (or a legit back seat). I had an H22 powered Accord that made maybe 210 HP at the crank, and was stripped down to prob 2700-2800lbs. W/an LSD it handled pretty nicely. Aside from all the other issues I had with it it was easily the most fun car I owned. This is in the same realm of performance, but w/a balanced RWD chassis. I don't see the problem. Everyone is yelling and screaming about it not being as fast as a Mustang. But its also a good 600lb lighter. No matter what you do to a Mustang it will never have the same feel/feedback, which is the whole point.

  • Icemilkcoffee Icemilkcoffee on Jun 04, 2012

    Now if we could just get the 'enthusiast' car magazines to learn to review 'appliance cars' in a non-enthusiastic way. Nobody shopping for a CUV or Corolla gives a rat's ass about 'terminal understeer' or 'the lack of on center feel'. It's all about features, roominess and fuel economy.

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