Does The All-New Scion FR-S Suffer From Corvette-itis?

One of the world's most fun sports cars is the Chevrolet Corvette. Fast, engaging and masculine, the Corvette is the kind of vehicle you can really have a blast in.

But unless you've had a frontal lobotomy, it's interior is a complete joke. Sure, it has a heads-up display and a navigation but it looks like it's from the 90s. Essentially it's like me walking around with Gordon Gecko's mobile phone.

It's ridiculous.

Now for the 2013 model year, Scion has released the all-new FR-S, a.k.a. Toyota GT86 elsewhere. It has a great exterior design, is rear-wheel drive and gets sideways, and is affordable. It's suppose to be an awesome product and there's been a lot of hype surrounding its debut.

But, my God. When I finally sat in it and took it ALL in, that is one seriously poor interior. Everything from the lame head unit down the steering wheel just was, frankly, wrong. And that's weird because the updated Scion tC had at least some things right.

For example, the tC's steering wheel is awesome, the shifter was good and the seats nicely wrapped around my physique. The FR-S, on the other hand, is a huge miss.

That said, the vehicle's been making its way around: We want to know from the Spies that have experienced the all-new Scion, is it suffering from Corvette-itis?

85bmw745i - 5/12/2012 1:00:52 AM

+3 Boost

In this price range its one thing. They had to skimp to make something like this affordable, but on a 100,000 corvette, its totally unacceptable. This is an affordable sports car, so I don't expect the refined interior of a European sports car. Doesn't mean they couldnt have done a little better, but for this price, its easier to overlook. Besides, most americans don't know anything about well crafted interiors, thats why everyone is out there buying impalas, avengers, etc, convinced they are superior to Toyota or Honda.

91z4me - 5/12/2012 6:35:20 AM

+2 Boost

You realize the Corvette starts around $50k right? The $100k ZR1 is more about ultimate performance than ultimate luxury. It is like complaining that the $150k Porsche 911 has the same interior as the $70k one, it just doesn't make sense.

As for American manufacturers not knowing anything about interiors, well most reviewers seemed pretty pleased with the new Buicks and Caddys, and Ford's Focus, Fiesta, Fusion, and Taurus all seem to be garnering praise.

kuvakas1 - 5/12/2012 10:27:01 AM

+1 Boost

Perhaps they are actually buying Impala's, Avengers and such because they are starved for something that resembles styling? The comments about the interiors really do ignore the facts of what's happening in the market today as opposed to 10 years ago.

85bmw745i - 5/13/2012 6:15:31 PM

-2 Boost

I'm saying most Americans, not American manufacturers, know nothing about quality interiors. American manufacturers have stepped things up drastically. In fact, now, the tables are turning to where American makers are building better interiors than the Japanese. Secondly, even at 50k, its still not acceptable for the vette to have that shoddy of an interior.

85bmw745i - 5/13/2012 6:20:00 PM

0 Boost

I see so many people that actually think that the previous generation escalade had a well made quality interior. Really, with all that hard and flimsy plastic, chrome painted door handles that fade after less than a year, cheap thin leather that cracks and peels after 3 years, fake wood and a console that creaks rattles and moves anytime you put your arm on the armrest. If it has leather faux woodgrain and heated seats Americans mostly associate that with a high quality interior.

FromThePassengerSeat - 5/12/2012 2:42:29 AM

+6 Boost

Looks fine to me...

Codeus - 5/12/2012 8:09:14 AM

+4 Boost

Ah yes another loaded comparison question of apples and oranges. You know though you're right my hyundi sonata isnt as luxurious as a Mercedes S500, but should be!

800over - 5/12/2012 12:35:50 PM

+3 Boost

The best part is that there's no mention of the Subaru....when the article is glowing...it's about the subaru.

MBCLS07 - 5/12/2012 2:01:42 PM

0 Boost

Cheap interior. Only 200 hp. The FR-S is having a hard time keeping up with the unwarranted hype.

SSP350 - 5/12/2012 4:48:45 PM

+5 Boost

Brand new for under 25 grand.....What's the issue? The interior looks fine to me. As long as it's fun to drive, which, by the way, judging from a slew of reviews as of late, it's a driver's oriented car.......just like the Corvette is, but it doesn't start at 50 grand....which says a lot.

MorePower - 5/12/2012 5:05:21 PM

+2 Boost

Until you see one in person, you can not really tell. The image above is a horrible photograph. That been said, I have not seen it in person either, so I will hold of judgement, but it does not look as good as the concept interior.

skytop - 5/12/2012 9:28:48 PM

-2 Boost

What do you expect from a company that allows its bean counters and accountants design their cars.
Toyota has lost it mojo and is on a declining trajectory.

85bmw745i - 5/13/2012 6:28:12 PM

+2 Boost

I like the aftermarket style radio, makes it easy to add a double din touchscreen dvd/navigation unit.

PLAY - 5/13/2012 6:49:02 PM

-3 Boost

It suffers from a limited market. It cant be a daily driver, it is too impractical and in the snow it is going to be stuck in the garage for 3 months of the year. Toyota is trying to appeal to rich people who would buy it as a toy. But if rich people are going to buy a toy, I think they would opt for a MX-5, Boxster, Camaro, Mustang, or 370Z.