For several years the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ have been considered twins with different badging. It may seem odd that the sub brand of Toyota would be so closely related to a Subaru, but it has been for some time. Even though Scion is no more the FR-S is being renamed the Toyota 86 and the comparison and similarities will continue to be discussed. While the two models may be similar in a lot of ways, we should discuss the differences between the two and to do that we have a video from three years ago that points out many of these differences for you.

Up front you see a difference in the bumper area. the BRZ has a black lip directly under the logo on the front and the FR-S offers a set of mean looking fangs that stick out of the bottom. The FR-S also shows you a larger grill opening area. The BRZ also has LED daytime running lights which are always on to give more visibility to your car. The FR-S doesn’t have these daytime running lights at all and only has the orange signals and no place for the fog lights although the model of the BRZ in the video is the upgraded limited model, standard models wouldn’t come with fog lights.

Looking further at the headlights the Scion model has more chrome inside the headlight housing and uses halogen bulbs while the BRZ uses xenon bulbs to light your way. Moving back to the fenders the BRZ shows an arrow look on a fake fender vent area while the FR-S has an indented fender vent area with an 86 badge on it to give it a stamp that leans toward the new name. This 86 badge seems an omen since this video is from three years ago and this is the name the FR-S will go by under the Toyota brand.

Looking to the rear end the cars are exactly the same in looks, but the one mechanical difference is the fact the BRZ is supposed to have softer springs to give a better ride and be less prone to oversteer while the FR-S is expected to be more tail happy on the road and the track. The chassis setups are identical and both cars are built in the same factory in Japan, making them as close as you can get to being the same car just with different badges.

Moving to the interior the BRZ offers a headlight leveling feature for the xenon headlights. The BRZ also offers a navigation and infotainment system in the dash versus the standard audio system that is present in the FR-S. Across the dashboard the BRZ has smooth lines and materials while the FR-S offers a faux carbon fiber look to the dashboard. This gives the FR-S a sportier look and feel than the BRZ on the inside and a panel that can easily hide scratches where the smooth panel in the BRZ won’t be able to do this.

Looking at the gauges the BRZ has the look we are used to with a black background and white letters and numbers to stand out easily and give us a familiar feel. When you look at the FR-S it’s obvious the tachometer is an important feature as it stands out with the white background and the black numbers to show you the rpm of your engine. At night you also see orange lighting in the BRZ and white backlighting in the FR-S.

As we see the FR-S continue as the new Toyota 86 you can expect similarities to continue, but if you feel either the BRZ or the 86 is the car for you it’s a good idea to check out this video and see what the key differences are between the two cars. Even though they are small details that are different, these details often are what make a difference for us when we choose to purchase a vehicle. Learn more about the difference between these two vehicles with this video.