Model: 2013 Scion FR-S Base; 200-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission

Base Price: $ 25,300

Options: None

Price as Tested: $ 26,030

Total Miles Tested: 765 miles

Fuel Economy: 29.3 mpg

Editors’ Comments:
Tom Appel: Even in cars with a sporting bent, drivers are generally more coddled than engaged. Cars are quieter, better riding, and more luxurious than they’ve ever been. And while that’s fine, even good, what we should probably call progress brings with it a certain amount of “distance” with the road. Scion‘s new car effectively closes that distance, in all the right ways. Yeah, the ride is stiff, and the car’s pretty loud, but not in a way anyone could describe as unrefined. Rather, I’d call it honest. The shifter is mechanical and, though not quite perfectly slick, big fun to manipulate. Likewise, the steering is tight almost to a fault, but so direct it borders at first on alarming. All in, the FR-S is the best car ever to wear the Scion badge, this despite the higher-than-entry-level price that once seemed part of the brand’s identity. For drivers looking for an intense drive even when commuting, your ride has arrived.
Damon Bell: The Scion FR-S has a low-slung, wonderfully balanced rear-wheel-drive platform that’s pure sports car. That platform is outfitted with a reasonably zingy engine and practical suspension tuning that delivers a livable ride. In all, the FR-S is a compelling blend of the exotic and the everyday.
Ed Piotrowski: I came into my test drive of the Scion FR-S not expecting much and was pretty well blown away. Toyota and Subaru have created an outstanding sporty car and proven that you don’t need massive horsepower in order to have massive fun.
Don Sikora: The Scion FR-S is everything the brand’s incredibly disappointing tC should have been. It looks good, is great fun on the road, and surprisingly fuel efficient. It doesn’t have the tC’s huge back seat, but at least the FR-S is more practical than you’d expect a little rear-drive sport coupe to be. With Detroit’s pony cars priced out of many people’s budgets, those looking for a sporty rear-drive coupe should welcome Scion’s FR-S, and its close cousin the Subaru BRZ, to the market.
Jack Stewart: I drove the Scion FR-S with inflated expectations. I expected a 2+2 version of the Mazda MX-5. Although it can’t be denied that the FR-S has good balance and handling, I didn’t find the steering as quick and responsive as the MX-5. Nor does the FR-S offer open-air driving. You can’t even get a sunroof on the FR-S. The FR-S does have more cargo room than a MX-5. Still I would trade practicality for go-cart steering and wind in the hair.