Used 2013 Scion FR-S Consumer Reviews
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The most smiles per mile
buhlonee, 05/23/2013
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
21 of 21 people found this review helpful
Purchased my Asphalt Grey FR-S 6-speed manual in June of 2012. Traded up from a 2002 WRx (original owner), and while I miss the all-wheel drive and turbo rush, my FR-S just makes me smile every time I'm behind the wheel. Mine is primarily used as a weekend fun car, and I argue that there is nothing out on the road today that is even close in price that makes you feel as connected to the pure, visceral driving experience as this $24K gem. The steering is easily controlled, the shifter is perfect and the engine grumble is nice (I'm a sucker for boxster engines). I would not use this as a daily driver, but as a second car, it is just perfect.
So Far Great
oceaneer77, 12/31/2013
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
18 of 18 people found this review helpful
I had for a very long time an old porsche 928 s4. It was a amazing car, and I thrashed the crap out of it. It died a terrible death... The new Scion replaced it. The Sion is not nearly as fast, nor as flashy. But it is WAAAAY more fun. At every red light the little 4 gives it a mighty big BRAAAPPPP and off we go. The shift points are just pure joy. This is not a car that will set a new land speed record, or corner at speeds that make your brains turn to mush. BUT----It is a very fun car that is amazingly responsive. It puts a smile on your face driving in city traffic as its sure is a little street fighter. Its great on the highway and its MPG is amazing. The car has a real soul.
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Best Driver's Car
worldrally17, 10/23/2013
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
29 of 30 people found this review helpful
Don't listen to everybody who berates this car. Those are the people who don't understand its purpose. After 10,000 miles through 6 states and Canada, I can tell you this car is great in every single circumstance. City, highway, straight road, twisty road, road course, etc. I can get 34mpg on the highway, and average 31mpg even with some autocrosses and track days sprinkled in. You can fit a 6' person in the back as long as the front passenger is willing to give up some leg room. I honestly test drove every single new car with a manual transmission under $25k and this was by far my favorite.
Amazing Car For the Money
rudycassap, 03/30/2013
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
24 of 25 people found this review helpful
Lucky for us, Toyota put this under the Scion brand so dealers cannot mark it up. I live in the Los Angeles area and cars still disappear from some dealers lots in a matter of a day or two. I did accept the fact that the dealer installed Lojack. Got mine in Asphalt Black (dark grey metallic, really) with the rear wing and TRD exhaust installed from the factory. I had test driven a car with the stock exhaust. While the TRD exhaust has a beautiful note, it makes it difficult to have a conversation with a passenger. Still, I would take the exhaust over stock. Seats are supportive and instrument gauges are perfect (very much like Porsche). Car reminds me of a Lotus - light, small, minimalist.
Amazing handling and FUN
Hans, 04/03/2018
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
Loved this car for the handling and cheap driving fun it provides. Needs mods for sure and has no power, but it compensates those deficiencies with its amazing handling, steering feel and reliability.
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FRS - ThrowOut Bearing Failure & Customer Service
Matt Guerra, 06/03/2016
updated 06/22/2017
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
Ok... I'll start saying that I love this car; it's great to drive, engaging, responsive and lots of fun. Yes, there's an annoying torque dip in the power band, but you can live with it. My cautionary tale is regarding its reliability and the willingness from Toyota/Scion to go the extra step (no, not mile) to help their customers. I say that because I have worked with customer service directly or indirectly for the last 16 years and I expected more from a brand with reputation for reliability. I have bought the car used and I am its second owner. It has only around 27k miles and I have well maintained the car with regular oil changes (synthetic), only shell V-power 93 octane gas, flushed the transmission and differential oil, checked brakes etc -- all items from the manual within their mileage. This Saturday evening while going to have dinner with my wife, we noticed a squeaky noise when I pushed the clutch pedal. It is nothing really alarming, but it clearly indicates something is wrong and some part is wearing down. It was too late to call the closest dealer and, since Monday was national holiday, I brought the car to a Kwik Kar close to my house. I have researched some forums and the mechanic confirmed: it was the throwout bearing. It was disappointing, considering that I drive mostly highways and I've never tracked or autocrossed the car -- and it doesn't even have 30k miles. I called the dealer on Tuesday, the only day available, and asked them to check when my warranty expires. Surprise: it expired on 05/29. I was calling on 05/31. The guy was very helpful and felt sorry for me and I asked if they could make an exception, they answered it doesn't depend on them -- they have to get the exception approved by Toyota's Customer Service directly to their management team. Time to call the customer service. The representative Peter was helpful and opened a case number for me, in theory to ask for a decision regarding if they would approve a service under the warranty due to the circumstances and said that someone would contact me back within 2 days max. No one contacted me, so today I called again. I talked to Vince this time, he explained that this case number was only to document what happened. It would need an authorized (from a Toyota dealer) inspection to verify if the issue was actually throw out bearing, and if I decided to build a case for warranty it would still have to be within the warranty, therefore I had no way out since it was expired. He said I was misinformed by the previous rep on my expectations. I said I understood that the warranty per se had just expired, but if I could speak to his manager or someone who had the power to approve an exception since it was an unusual issue for a car fairly new and with low mileages. Per Vince, the warranty cannot be extended or any time-grant extension cannot be conceived; there are absolute no exceptions at all. He stressed that no one, regardless of hierarchy in the company, could approve the service under warranty since it is expired, and he was a representative in power to make these statements because there was no decision to make. I like this car. Yes, before I said I loved this car, I know. But considering the confidence that Toyota inspired me with such an early failure and poor customer service, I will take the hit this time, but I am not likely to ever buy another product from them again. Who knows what will happen to the car when it is 70k miles; I might not keep it to find out. Oh, if you search forums you will see several similar cases of early failure of this component. Do your research before you commit to a car. ................... 06/16/2016 - Quick update for what is worth; I called again the Dealer and they honored the warranty, even though Toyota did not. The car is fixed and I give 5 stars for the dealer which went the extra mile and provided a great customer service. Toyota as a brand, however, left a sour taste in my mouth. If you find a good dealership, stick to it. ................... 06/21/17 - I have trade the FRS in for a Mustang which has been way more comfortable (and fast) as a daily driver since I live in north Texas and here the roads are basically (boring) highways, plus the high revving character from the FRS is a nightmare in traffic. I have the Mustang for over 6 months now and I have to say, there is not even one day I don't miss driving the Scion, but I am glad it is not my daily driver anymore. It (FRS) is one of the most fun cars you can buy in its price range, only second to the MX-5. If you don't mind the lack of refinement in the interior and if your roads are curvy enough, you will be very happy with the car. Engaging, telepathically responsive, amazing chassis, decent gearbox (please flush the transmission oil and replace it with Motul Gear 300, trust me) and great feedback from the steering wheel. Great second car or daily driver on fun roads.
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It’s a 2+2 coupe
Omar, 04/07/2018
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Great car for the price. I love the car and recommend it for an everyday driver.
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Perfect Car!!!
Matt, 04/28/2020
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
This car was done by Toyota and Subaru Together. "Two major manufacturer's," First of all, I like these cars FRS and Brz. Both the same cars. Same parts. These cars are both fun to drive. Now about the FRS, it's a awesome car!!! I, bought mine new in 2013 and I still have it still today being 2020. Toyota had been very good to me. And yes, there are some recalls. Just go get them fixed. (They are free from Toyota)
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Great, but not for everyone!
Fabien Ahmed, 12/12/2016
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I just turned in my lease for this car. I'm sad to see it go. If my situation was a little different I would buy a 2017 model, which happens to address some small annoyances I had with the car - road noise and some roughness on the road. This was not a car where the head of the company said "let's make the most profitable car we can" or, "let's design a car that will kill other cars." This car was designed out of the desire for something raw and pure. This car was built for a niche population. Luckily, the population of the niche wasn't so small that this car would be unprofitable. First, let's talk about the power. I think whether this car has enough power for you or not is all a matter of perspective. For me, I drive on mostly cramped Massachusetts roads where I find that the HP of an economy car is plenty. So the 200 hp of this car plus its low weight, is far more than I need. In fact, if there was a 150hp version with better gas mileage, I would've gotten that. But to enjoy this car, you really have to like driving. You have to enjoy feeling the road, you have to enjoy techniques like heel-toe downshifts, you have to enjoy turning, and you have to enjoy putting in the extra work to keep this car in its power band with its short gearing. And of course, you have to enjoy feeling connected with the car. If you enjoy doing all these little things, you'll love this car, because this car makes those things great. But if you're not into that, all the work it takes to enjoy this car can be really overwhelming. For a period of time during my lease I fell into a slump where I was lethargic and had low energy. Nothing in particular happened to me, I just got lazy. During that time, I absolutely hated this car. Everything was just overwhelming. I enjoyed driving my 2002 corolla more than this. But once I got out of that slump and had a lot of energy, this car became one of my greatest pleasures again. The reliability in 40k miles of driving was decent I'd say. I had to replace the battery, alternator, and all brake pads & rotors. Also, I drove this car through three winters with snow tires, and it performed really well. Definitely better than a FWD with all seasons, except for perhaps accelerating up a steep hill. I was quite often on the leftmost lane of the highway cruising between 40-55 mph during heavy snow and I still had quite a bit of traction. This is actually where the lower power of the car comes in handy, you want to use just enough power to get the tires rolling which is much easier to do in a lower hp car than a higher one. I think Toyota and Subaru did an excellent job for the money in accomplishing what they set out to do. They wanted a raw, responsive, balanced, stable, light-weight car, and that's essentially what we got. But like I said... not for everyone. If it's not for you, this car could be overwhelming with all its feed back or even boring with the relative lack of power if that's what you're into the most. But if it is for you, it's the best.
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Awesome Sports Car!!
Jacob, 08/10/2020
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I, always have fun driving mine around. Good gas mileage. Performance wise could be more. But I still think it's fast enough being stock. The seats are comfortable. Interior is soft.. the car handles really good around corners. These vehicles are terrific..
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Stunning Sports Car!!
James, 08/13/2020
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
This is car is amazing fun. Fun to drive. It's quick enough even being stock. Handles excellent. Very good gas mileage. It's definitely a cool looking body style. The biggest plus is, this car is very smooth and good reliable transportation. I, also like that there's tons of after market parts and accessories available.
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2013 FRS is front of the line as best sports car!!
Nick, 08/14/2020
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
"Experience with this car" Absolutely it's fun to drive. Very responsive throttle power. Horsepower is fast enough. Comfortable to ride in. These cars are awesome!!
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A real drivers car
John, 05/16/2018
updated 05/20/2019
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
Look at the videos of Matt Farah or Chris Harris driving various modified and unmodified versions of this car, which is the same car as the Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86. Or my favorite review by the German reviewer Thomas Hellmanzik who is part of the youtube channel Everyday Driver, published Aug 3 2017. This car is not for everyone, but it is definitely going to be appreciated by a certain group of drivers who might also like the Miata/MX-5 but want a real coupe. I've had a Miata and the FRS is a better highway car and a better mountain car in my opinion. The car is a little bit boring in casual driving, for everyday trips I often take a lazier kind of car or pick up truck, but probably because I am a little older and like my creature comforts if the roads are not exciting. But if you have the shifting skills to keep this car in its power band above 4500 rpm and the right roads, this car can absolutely blow your mind and give you a driving experience far beyond the price they are asking for it, especially used. Its low, small, lightweight and extremely rewarding and capable all the way to the limit, while also being very predictable and tactile. Its pretty loud, and somewhat cramped. I consider it a better more modern version of the old Datsun 240z. Update 11/2018: Have only replaced battery and tires so far. Still loving this car! Still completely stock. Update 5/17/19 Sold the FRS to someone for whom it will be a track car, which to tell the truth, is probably its best place. I think I would have probably done better with a Miata for a street car, to be honest, because the FRS was most noteworthy at 10/10ths, and for everyday driving, I found myself preferring to be in a more comfortable car. Sold the car because I lost interest in special purpose trips into the mountains just to enjoy what this car could do. When I go into the mountains, I really need a more comfortable and versatile vehicle, or at least one like the Miata that is fun even at 5/10ths with the top down.
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Easily one of the best cars for the money!
ehosch, 04/20/2013
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a fun sporty car as my daily driver and after doing my research I decided to test drive the FR-S. It is the perfect car for me (I'm 23) it is fun, fast, and so far reliable. The gas milage is also pretty good. I just have two complaints the first one is that I wish there were volume controls on the steering wheel the second is I wish it was called the Toyota 86 (like the rest of the world) but other than those two things I love the car and would reccomend it to anyone!
A real Gem
pukalady, 07/16/2012
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
37 of 60 people found this review helpful
I owned a 2006 Scion TC that I bought in 2007. Loved that car and was searching the internet for more two door cars and the 2013 Scion FR-S came up and I was hooked. I went to my Scion dealer here in Kahului on Maui , Hawaii on May 25th . They told me the car would debut on June 1. I had to wait a week! June 1st, 2012 back to the dealer I went and three hours later I drove out with the "whiteout" color (not a good name for the color, it's a real pearl oyster white). I use ethanol free gas right now and get 35 mpg. I just love the way it "gets out of the way" of everyone else . I did get the automatic and won't be using the snow mode. And by the way I'm 67 yrs. old and LOVE my car
So Fun Firestorm Red
jlennox, 06/06/2012
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
114 of 194 people found this review helpful
If you love to drive and your not carrying more than a passenger next to you then this is a superb handling ride at a great price. I could not get out of this car the first two days of ownership. Limited availability but if you find one you like and aren't so concerned about color then buy it. They go fast out the door. I traded my lumbering gas guzzler Tacoma 4X4 and don't have any regrets. took two trips. One to Tucson from Phoenix mostly highway some city and got 33.4 mpg. Then on the second day I got 35.5 mostly highway with a/c on the whole time. That's better than my Yaris! I suppose the aerodynamics help. The seats a snug but comfortable. The pioneer stereo cranks.
Get it if you want to be actively involved in driving.
eperris, 08/16/2012
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
39 of 67 people found this review helpful
The FR-S rewards focused driving. Though it is easy to drive at low speeds and in the city, it really comes alive when you push it along windy roads and at high speed. It is simply the most solid, capable car I have ever driven. If you just want to look good, accelerate quickly and tour around - this isn't the car for you. I also like its small environmental footprint and ultra-sophisticated engineering where it counts. This car has a bleeding edge fuel system, a high performance, but ultra-reliable engine and Toyota/Subaru quality. It is small and lightweight. If you drive thoughtfully, the mileage is about 26 City and 36 highway - much higher than EPA's estimate.
:)) EXCELLENT VEHICLE :))
Breanna, 08/20/2020
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This vehicle is famous by 2 huge manufacturer's who made these cars happen. "Toyota and Subaru" They worked together to create the design, and aspects of these vehicles. Yes, these are awesome cars. They are comfortable inside. They handle really good. They get very good gas mileage for being a sports car. I'm always getting nice compliments from people. Also, if you have the 2013 FRS... They are number 1 first in line as the best year made.
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EXCELLENT VEHICLE
Paula, 08/22/2020
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I, bought mine pre owned from the from the subaru dealership. My car already has a turbo kit installed from previous owner. Nice sounding exhaust system. So, my conversation review is excellent vehicles these are. I, like the comfort of these seats, and the interior is nice. This car handles very good, especially going around corners. Very tight suspension.. the engine feels smooth, and I really like the turbo sound. These cars are fun to drive!!
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Fun, but very unreliable.
allstatefarm, 03/15/2023
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
I bought this car 9 months ago from my uncle who worked at a Toyota dealership. I saw the car online, after being in the market for something new, and found this. Test drove it initially, loved it. It was spacious even for a big guy like me. It felt sporty, handled great, sounded great even with stock exhaust. I bought it. First few months were nothing but amazing. Ripping turns down a reservoir lake while still getting decent mpg, it was amazing. But then 4 months after I bought it, I started hearing issues. I started hearing a persistent knocking. Research and posting to forums led to inconsistent results, so I took it to my service station at the dealership. I should mention I did buy a warrantee. I took it in, they checked it out, and an hour later the service manager came to me and said that I shouldn't have been driving it since the motor could've blown up at any point. Two and a half months go by with me being stuck with a toyota corolla loaner, and I get a call saying it's ready. I go to the shop where that service manager told me they took apart the engine TWICE, took parts to a machine shop, replaced a lot of parts, and still heard the knock. That was that. He simply told me it's the fuel I used. I changed the fuel back to shell 93, as opposed to local gas station's 93. No luck. Used an octane booster. No luck. So I dealt with the knock. Two months later, I started hearing a grinding sound. Had it towed to the service station. Had to pay 750 bucks to get my stock exhaust put back in so they could properly diagnose the issue. Then they told me they're taking apart the engine AGAIN since they heard a knock. Not the same knock I've heard for 6 months at this point, but a completely different knock. Now here I sit, with a toyota rav 4 loaner looking at new cars. As fun as the Scion Frs is, it's just been so problematic for me. I couldn't do anything.
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Awesome until the engine fails
Zach, 01/26/2021
2013 Scion FR-S Scion 10 Series 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
4 of 7 people found this review helpful
The car drove great until I hit 133,000 and had to replace the $7,000 engine on the $14,000 car. It got regular service done at the Toyota dealership and was never driven hard. The valve spring recall was done 1 year prior to failure, but the dealership said it was unrelated.
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Overall very disappointing
garrett2000, 05/21/2014
2013 Scion FR-S 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 38 people found this review helpful
I have the 6 speed manual. There are 2 main problems with the car, the first being the severe lack of power. Scion claims this car has 200 HP, I beg to differ, it's lucky if it has 150. The acceleration is absolutely terrible, and the hesitation off the line makes the situation even worse. However, once it's in 3rd gear or later, it does get a little better. The other thing that bothers me about the car is the transmission grinds when shifting from 1st to 2nd, and from 2nd to 3rd. It doesn't happen every time, but happens enough to be severely annoying. The only redeeming quality of the car is the styling. It looks like a sports car, but that's where the similarity ends.