New Owner Observation / Stories

[Cooler2442]

I now have about 500 miles on the car of mostly canyons here in Southern California and I've also owned alot of different sports cars that I will provide a ranking of at the bottom. My review/thoughts are based on this only being a performance weekend/canyon car that I eventually plan to track.

Pro's:
-Shifter is amazing, its much better than the 2019 911 7MT I drove and the BMW M2 Shifter but it's not as good as my Porsche GT4 6 speed. I can see it being the 2nd best manual after a Porsche GT3/GT4.
-Seats are great, not as good as my Porsche carbon fiber buckets but much better than the M3 seats but it's been a bit difficult having to readjust them all the time after friends want to drive the car which is annoying.
-The suspension is amazing for the price point, the car feels extremely planted with almost no body roll. This is my first FWD car so my brain is still trying to adjust and figure out how much grip the car has and being able to power out of corners compared to my RWD cars getting lose if I get on the power too early. The car is insanely planted which I was not expecting.
-The car feels "special" you can definitely understand that this is a purpose built canyon/track car that can be daily driven but its not ideal.
-Love the interior of it for the price point, its the right amount of sportyness and luxury. This was the main reason I picked the car over the GR Corolla.

Con's:
-Sound is very mediocre but I've mainly owned all NA cars that sound amazing.
-Power is also mediocre compared to alot of cars I've owned.
-Few small issues(Carplay was bugging out alot, I have some kind of B pillar sound).
-Not as "raw" feeling as my other cars and almost feels too good.
-Being picky but a garage door opener would have been nice.

Overall for the price point being sub 50k it's a great car and I'll be keeping it at least for 6-12months but I do go through cars quickly. The main reason I got it was because I wanted to track more but want a car with a full warranty/reliability/track ready and cheap consumables which this fits.

My ranking of all the cars I've owned in terms of a weekend canyon/fun car: Porsche GT4 > Lotus Exige S240 > Porsche 718 Spyder > E9x M3 > FL5 Type R > E46 M3 > M2 Comp > ND Miata > 996 911 > 135i

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[Robert.C]

As much as it gets appreciation with the attention, it gets hate too. I'm learning now as a younger owner starting out, there will be plenty of that regardless of what you have. A lot of mopar guys wanting to race for God knows why. I'm just trying to stay away from all that dangerous stuff while having fun and tracking the car where it should be driven that way.

To be fair, I think all Mopar guys are like that. It doesn't matter where you live.

 

[Robert.C]

Con's:
-Sound is very mediocre but I've mainly owned all NA cars that sound amazing.
-Power is also mediocre compared to alot of cars I've owned.
-Few small issues(Carplay was bugging out alot, I have some kind of B pillar sound).
-Not as "raw" feeling as my other cars and almost feels too good.
-Being picky but a garage door opener would have been nice.

These are my biggest concerns, as someone who will (presumably) be buying the car without having driven one.

 

[Cooler2442]

These are my biggest concerns, as someone who will (presumably) be buying the car without having driven one.

The raw feeling is me comparing it to my 2016 GT4/2008 Lotus Exige and 2011 E92 M3, all 3 of those feel alot more raw than the Type R. But the Type R feels more of a drivers car than my 2019 DCT M2 Competition did. I don't think you will get a "raw" feeling new car nowadays unless you spend 100k+ on a Porsche GT/RS product.

 

[yeaitsahonda]

Had two fun interactions while taking the car to meet a buddy for karting last night. First was a dude in a newer Mustang GT that yelled to me in traffic that the car looked great. Second was a younger guy driving a FK8 that was practically hanging out of his window at a red light to get a look at it. The FK8 interaction doesn't surprise me but it was pretty cool to have a domestic owner recognize the car.

Also, I don't know if I'm getting used to the suspension or if it softened up after 1500 miles but yesterday in comfort mode it just felt great. When I first got it even comfort mode felt too stiff but not so much anymore.

 

[TypeRD]

Yeah, my car has been getting looks too. People pulling up and driving next to me to take a look. A young dude in a Scoobie pulled up, said “Wooooooooow…..” and proceeded to take pics (all while driving along side me) just the other day.

The attention is funny. I bought the car purely for me to enjoy. But, I’m happy others get some enjoyment just looking at it too and I will probably start taking it to the local Cars & Coffee now and then.

 

[CTRifecta]

I'm getting window tint mainly to hide from the crowd of dudes this thing is gonna attract lol.

Great to read a review from a Porsche owner btw, some high praise just to be in the conservation. Can't wait to take delivery of mine!

 

[TypeRD]

Yeah…it was definitely super awkward getting my picture taken while driving. I need tint soon too. @CTRifecta

 

[Tuxedo Mask]

Since I got my car back in November, I've had people record my car, take pics, and generally freak out at the sight of it lol

It's been a fun ownership experience so far. My favorite is seeing champ white FK8s and having quick convos with owners between lights. I only just saw another FL5 on the road last night and I get the hype

I've put a little over 3k miles on it so far, mostly daily driving to and from work on local roads and the car is comfortable in comfort mode and supple over small/medium small pot holes. Bigger potholes and longer cracks in the road I avoid cause it can get too bouncy even in comfort mode. It's been raining a lot in SoCal and I haven't had any issues or worries driving in the rain with the summer Michelins the car comes with albeit I drive slower and brake sooner when the road is wet enough to be shiny. Only times the tires have lost grip have been when I stamped on the pedal in 2nd in the wet just to see what the limits of the tires are.

I was a little wary of the width of the car at first since my last car wasn't wide, but I've learned quickly that the widest point on the car is side mirrors so I use those as my gauge for clearing things.

In the mountains in Sport mode, the car is goooooood. A ton of grip, more than I'm used to. The comments about "feeling" the car are all true. Really good chassis balance in turns and very little/unnoticeable body roll for my unrefined driving experience. Seats are comfortable on long drives, the leg bolstering is very good and the shoulder bolster is good though I think if I was a touch less broad in the shoulders it'd be better.

I haven't driven the car in +R mode in the mountains yet cause there hasn't been a dry weekend in a while, but I'm hoping this weekend is the one. +R mode on regular roads and freeways is very bumpy so you're limited to how much you can push on regular roads. The difference between +R and comfort is very apparent. Cruising at a sustained speed on the freeway, changing over from +R straight into comfort mode you can instantly notice the entire car loosen up. Not just the suspension; you feel the engine relax through the pedal.

This is my first sports car I've owned so I can't compare it to any FK8s or P-cars or anything of that matter.

 

[UFO CTR]

Yea, the FK8's that I've ran into on US101 heading to work at around 6 am are wanting a good look for sure. one was Red with mugen kit and lowered/wheels and stock wing...followed next to me from the 3/4 view for miles, then decides to blow by me and honk honk (we were already doing 80 mph, mind you). then we have a stock blue one cutting 2 lanes over just to be in the same 3/4 rear vantage point for a few exits, then cut 2 lanes back over to exit.

 

[rui]

These are my biggest concerns, as someone who will (presumably) be buying the car without having driven one.

I see in your byline that you have an AP1. If that is your comparison point I think you'll be more than pleased. I certainly was. It has a similar tone to our beloved Hondas of old, just at a lower, more civilized, volume.

It is nowhere near as raw as an AP1, but you can tell it was made by the same group of people (or a like-minded one). It exudes the same level of precision and obsession. It doesn't replace an S2000 in my eyes. Rather, it complements it perfectly.

 

[AbeTypeR]

Does anyone have the wastegate rattle?

 

[Clark_Kent]

Does anyone have the wastegate rattle?

Can you say more? When are you experiencing it? Is it under load? Is the car up to operating temp?

 

[AbeTypeR]

Can you say more? When are you experiencing it? Is it under load? Is the car up to operating temp?

When I let go of the gas in gear I hear the rattle. Sounds like a mix of a keychain vibrating and break noise. Doesn't make any noise in neutral or while accelerating. Can't hear it if the windows are up. I know it's a common thing in cars with electronic wastegates just wanted to know if anyone else is also hearing.

 

[Robert.C]

I see in your byline that you have an AP1. If that is your comparison point I think you'll be more than pleased. I certainly was. It has a similar tone to our beloved Hondas of old, just at a lower, more civilized, volume.

It is nowhere near as raw as an AP1, but you can tell it was made by the same group of people (or a like-minded one). It exudes the same level of precision and obsession. It doesn't replace an S2000 in my eyes. Rather, it complements it perfectly.

Thanks, @rui — great feedback!

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