Sonic faster than an FR-S in a slalom

[AHTOXA]

Granted it's only from one source, however this somewhat surprised me. Allegedly, they 1.4T MT Sonic did better in a slalom than an FR-S. Go figure.

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/sonic/ ... -fr-s.html

[potownrob]

isn't it shorter than the fr-s, and possibly lighter??

[AHTOXA]

Quick google search implies that they are very close in weight, at about 2650 each or so, depending on options. FR-S wheelbase of 101.2, Sonic's is at 99.4.

Not too different.

[DKaz]

A couple of inches can make a difference.

I remember seeing that the Honda Civic Wagon was better than Porsches in the slalom lol.

[Shadow]

While the FR-S managed 67.3 mph around the cones, the Sonic posted a truly impressive 68.2 mph. On all-season tires.


I don't really find that suprising. The FR-S isn't all that great in the slalom in the first place. They mentioned the Sonic's all-season tires, but what about the Prius tires on the FR-S?

BTW, just as a reference, Edmunds got 70 mph out of my car for the same slalom test. And it weighs about 1000 pounds more than the Sonic and FR-S...

[six]

It also costs over double the price.

[Shadow]

It also costs over double the price.

Not sure what price has to do with it. Lots of cars are more expensive and can't even touch the FR-S slalom speed. But so what? Price has nothing to do with slalom speed. Maybe car classification is a better basis for comparison. Then again, maybe not...my car is a grand touring car, not a sports car, but it still posts a pretty decent slalom speed.

[Rope-Pusher]

Big Bear Wins the Slalom

[bk7794]

What does the slalom really prove? The FR-S get worse ratings because of the RWD and the somewhat thin tires? Shadow- Did you A5 do better because it had thicker tires and better quality rubber? I heard the stock rubber is pretty pathetic on the BRZ not sure about the Scion.

[Shadow]

What does the slalom really prove? The FR-S get worse ratings because of the RWD and the somewhat thin tires? Shadow- Did you A5 do better because it had thicker tires and better quality rubber? I heard the stock rubber is pretty pathetic on the BRZ not sure about the Scion.

It doesn't prove much...but it is a way to compare/measure an aspect of a car's handling. Numbers are numbers and they aren't the most important thing. That's why I used my car as a basis for comparison. My car isn't even a sports car, but it manages to post a much better slalom speed than the FR-S, which people seem to regard as an awesome-handling sports car. I'm not sure how/why the FR-S got that reputation in the first place. Sure, it's a small & lightweight car, but it's not exactly what I'd consider a high-performance car in any sense. If anything, I see it as a sporty economy car.

As for the rubber, yes, both the BRZ & the FR-S come with Prius tires....I mentioned that already. My car comes with high-performance tires. That definitely helps, but the slalom speed is about more than just the tires. Unless someone puts identical tires on two different cars, then the only way to compare them is to use the tires that come with the car in the first place. Fair? Maybe not, but that's life. If Scion/Subaru wanted to put down the best possible numbers, they could have chosen to equip their cars with more performance-oriented rubber. For whatever reason, they chose not to do that.

[Squint]

For clarification, from Car and Driver's review

Compared with modern sports cars, the FR-S’s 215/45-17 tires are skinny. There isn’t a huge amount of grip, but what’s there breaks away gradually. We asked Tada about the tires, and he told us, “They are Prius tires.” You might think he’s joking, but he’s not. The Michelin Primacy HP tires are identical to those in the Prius’s optional Plus Performance package, right down to the compound and construction.

[Shadow]

See? I wasn't kidding when I said they used Prius tires.... I'm sure the car would gain a bit more slalom speed with a decent set of tires on it.

[bk7794]

Someone tested a Honda Civic Si with its HFP package which includes summer performance tires and raced it on a track against a brz. I guess the brz barely beat it. By barely meaning 2 seconds. The brz was stock.

[Shadow]

Someone tested a Honda Civic Si with its HFP package which includes summer performance tires and raced it on a track against a brz. I guess the brz barely beat it. By barely meaning 2 seconds. The brz was stock.

Not 2 seconds....the difference was a tenth of a second. Very close. I'm sure the BRZ would have had a better time if it had the same summer tires on it. Also keep in mind that road course racing is quite a bit different than simply testing slalom speeds. I wonder how those cars would compare in a slalom.

[bk7794]

Someone tested a Honda Civic Si with its HFP package which includes summer performance tires and raced it on a track against a brz. I guess the brz barely beat it. By barely meaning 2 seconds. The brz was stock.

Not 2 seconds....the difference was a tenth of a second. Very close. I'm sure the BRZ would have had a better time if it had the same summer tires on it. Also keep in mind that road course racing is quite a bit different than simply testing slalom speeds. I wonder how those cars would compare in a slalom.

Ah, sorry about that, I was remembering off the top of my head and just linked to the video.

According to this 67.1 and the 99 got like 66.8. That is with super sticky summer tires.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/feat ... ic-si.html