2013 Scion FR-S

Let me tell you about a man named Larry. Larry works for a company called STI Fleet Services, one of a few companies that are responsible for the cleaning, prepping, maintaining, scheduling, delivering and picking up of the cars we test on a weekly basis, not to mention a whole slew of other duties. STI and its competitors are the silent heroes of this whole automotive journalism biz. Larry is one of the guys responsible for a lot of the grunt work – he's been delivering cars to me for nearly seven years now, and because of that, we've developed a bit of a rapport. Now that I think about it, my history with Larry goes back farther than several of my friendships, as well as every romantic relationship I've ever had... combined.

With that much history behind us, Larry knows my taste in cars pretty well. And even though he doesn't voice his own opinions about what's being delivered to me, Larry silently knows when he's about to hand me keys to something truly special. When Larry arrived at my door with a bright red 2013 Scion FR-S, I tried to play it cool. But Larry knows me better than that.

"This is your car, man. It's all you."

Larry is right, too. I've been salivating over the Scion FR-S and its Subaru BRZ counterpart since the first set of spy shots landed in our inbox so many moons ago. And while a few of my coworkers had already driven these coupes in various locales (I am still so very jealous of Managing Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and hisIsle of Man rampage), this would be my first stint behind the wheel of the manual-equipped Toyobaru. (Full disclosure: I had already driven an automatic BRZ prior to this.)

I'll be honest, though. The FR-S isn't the one I'd have. Park it next to a Subaru BRZ and most people will have a hard time spotting all of the differences, but they're certainly there. And I notice. And for some reason – it could be the LEDs in the front fascia or even the subtle spoiler out back – the BRZ just turns the "want" factor up to 11 for me.

But that isn't to say the Scion isn't an attractive car. It's wonderful to see just how much of the original FR-S concept's design has carried over to the production model, including the sculpted front fascia with wheel arches that extend up beyond the relatively flat hood and the sloping roofline that flows into a clean, chopped off rear deck. No, the bold 20-inch wheels of the concept didn't carry over to the street-legal car, but the 17-inch rollers seen here do fill out the wheel wells enough to give the car an appropriately aggressive stance. The wheels themselves aren't particularly emotional or evocative in terms of design, but they're nice. And besides, that's what the aftermarket is for.

Overall size and proportions are where the FR-S gets really attractive, though. A lot of comparisons have slotted this car in with the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and in terms of its overall dimensions, the Scion is basically smack dab in the middle of the two. For another perspective, know that the FR-S is 11 inches shorter in length, an inch wider and 4.5 inches shorter in height than a Honda Civic Coupe. It's a short, squat little thing, and it's damn pretty.

That size comparison is a good way to describe interior dimensions as well. It's certainly not as cramped as a Miata, but a Genesis Coupe feels immensely more spacious by comparison. Taller passengers will certainly have a hard time getting comfortable in the Toyobaru – there isn't a ton of headroom, and even though the steering wheel does telescope some, you'll be doing your best Stretch Armstrong impression if you have to slide the seat back to accommodate longer legs.

But for those of us not in the 90th percentile of height, the FR-S fits like a glove. Despite having a rather complicated audio control setup (wait and see just how long it takes you to adjust the bass/treble – seriously), the center console functions are very simply laid out and easy to use. It's all you need and nothing you don't – three dials to control the heating/cooling; simple stalks coming out of the steering column to manage your wipers, headlights and turn signals; and a center console free of any clutter except for a tall, well-positioned six-speed manual shifter front and center.

The cabin isn't uncomfortable, either. The front seats provide ample support, both in terms of overall butt-cushioning and lateral bolstering, and for two people, the interior is spacious enough that you won't want to kill each other on long trips. Those rear seats, however, are basically useless for anything resembling a human adult.

Read more by Steven J. Ewing at Autoblog.com