When I recently drove the Toyota GT-86 (formerly the Scion FR-S), I was pretty impressed by how exciting it was. No, it won’t melt your face off with pure speed — but it was quick, and it’s a great option for drivers looking for a fun car. However, I was really disappointed in the car’s mediocre interior, which is fairly unacceptable at a price point of $26,000.
With that said, I can’t wait for the FR-S and its Subaru BRZ brother to depreciate below $10,000. At that price point, the Toyobaru twins will be absolutely perfect for a cheap third car. With a cheap third car, you don’t need a place to store your sunglasses, you don’t need a nice radio, and you don’t need to be inspired by the dashboard. All you really need is great driving dynamics — and the FR-S and the BRZ deliver that in droves. See the Scion FR-S models for sale near you or See the Subaru BRZ models for sale near you
Not only are the two little sports cars fantastic to drive, the FR-S and the BRZ are great because they’re very simple cars. This makes them pretty reliable, which is one of the reasons why the Miata became such a favorite as a cheap third car. Simplicity also makes the FR-S and the BRZ relatively easy to work on and modify — more great third-car qualities.
But why is $10,000 the magical number for cheap third-car affordability? It’s quite simple: Below $10,000, the price starts to consist of only four integers, and that’s way easier for most minds to accept.
Unfortunately, I think we still have a little way to go. On Autotrader, FR-S and BRZ models (that are completely intact) are still hovering right above that mark, with nothing yet below $10,000. I think the little Toyobarus still have another year or so before they fully pass that mark of affordability. But when they do, they’ll become very hard to ignore for enthusiasts who want a fun third car. Find a Scion FR-S for sale or Find a Subaru BRZ for sale
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or just get a used 986, similar performance, much better quality. Assuming you can afford to run a car that was nearing 90k new AFI.