The Intuned Online 2013 Scion FR-S Experience

07 Aug, 2012

A couple of weeks ago Scion & Toyota Canada gave us the opportunity to borrow the 2013 Scion FR-S to test out the vehicle and have a little fun. Our first impression of the FR-S which we've seen on numerous occasions was that this car is going to be the next big thing in the tuning scene. The sleek, sporty exterior gives off vibes of a high performance sports car even while standing still.

Once we received the key in hand the countdown to take off was on, the moment we sat down in the FR-S we were impressed with the simple race inspired interior including the race style seats which seem to hold you perfectly regardless of your size.

On start-up we can hear the purr of the D-4S Subaru/Toyota Boxer Engine, while idling we adjust all our mirrors, temperature, seat and of course our radio before we leave the lot. On departure we immediately appreciate the smooth ride of the FR-S , even while city driving every street corner allows you to feel the stability of the vehicle.

Once we get on the highway we begin to open up the car as it glides through all 6 gears with hard acceleration at all of its shift points. The FR-S has consistent power throughout the tachometer and impressively enough have enough torque to accelerate even while cruising in 6th gear on the highway.
On some side roads we decide to test out sport mode, the easy to reach button gives the car a little more aggression while disabling the traction control. Despite the traction control being off the FR-S handles extremely well and continues to give you the feeling that all of it wants to do is hug the road.

After a week of driving the FR-S we feel comfortable in saying that for the price point of the Scion, the handling is in a league of its own which makes the car incredibly fun to drive. We enjoyed driving it so much we were actually sad to return it. There were no complaints on fuel mileage or even space in the trunk given we did a Costco run with it. There were a few challenges in trying to sit in the back seat but then again it's a sports coupe.

Being Intuned Online and all about performance and modifying cars we do have a wish list/mod list ideas which we feel would make the FR-S even better and personalized for us. Don't get us wrong the car is amazing as is but this is what we would do.

- Suspension: Maybe some additional strut bars to make the already great handling greater but we would definitely look into a damper kit to lower the Scion from its factory stance.

- Engine: Although the engine is a solid performer throughout its power range we felt that between 4,200 and 7,200 RPM it would be cool if it had some more kick, automatically we thought of a turbo which would spool up in that range and given Subaru and Toyota's background but then again a Supercharger could be just as effective and even VVT-I naturally aspirated may give it that extra boost.

- Body: Already stylish but we can always go wider, there's loads of body kits coming out for the FR-S (FT-86 and BRZ) which can suit any taste.

- Wheels: 17's are nice factory wheels but to stand out from the crowd we'd definitely look in to other options.

With everything said and done the Scion FR-S is a great bang for your buck car which will provide years of performance in your life and now comes highly recommended from Intuned Online. Stay tuned as we hope to test more cars in the future.

Words by Ryan Jones, Photos by Octane 91