Test Driving a S650 : What stood out?

[tcman54]

I have a beautiful modified 2016 Ruby Red Ecoboost which I love but I in the future I plan on upgrading to a new loaded GT.

Interior wise I want an auto 10 speed trans, 401A options pack, performance pack, active exhaust and magneride dampening system.

Exterior wise I want Rapid Red with Opacity Fade Accent Stripes, red painted calipers and bronze package.

I am thinking about going out and test driving a few GT's at some point, what things stood out the most to you during your test drive, normal or otherwise?

Thanks
Terry

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[Zig]

The thrill of victory (driving) the agony of the feet (walking).

 

[young at heart]

Mine’s an A10 401a coupe with AVE (mandatory for me, period), Brembos and bronze package. I didn’t bother driving it, I just walked around it and took it home. I figured it’d be fine and I haven’t been disappointed. At 250 miles, here are the things that strike me so far:

*it‘s freakin’ beautiful
*panel fit seems better than my S550s
*the A10 is much smoother than my S550s, even in track mode which is where i live
*the AVE sounds equally as loud as my ‘23 Mach 1s, again in track mode
*I don’t mind the huge dash screen so much. It’s evidently one piece in the 401a and looks good. I’m pretty much over it.
*my car is apparently a late in the model year build and has the dreaded A.S.S. but it doesn’t operate in track mode. Thank goodness!
*mine’s a non-PP car and it’s probably not as tight as my Mach 1s but it handles quite competently for about 98% of my driving. It’s very capable and IMO it’s more than most non-track people would or could ever use. And it’s very comfortable to boot.
*my wife loves riding in it. Not so much in my Machs. It’s probably me. The Machs encourage bad behavior and I don’t try to resist.
*did I mention it’s loud AF?
*I pretty much love this thing and I believe you will too. So far no dislikes and don’t expect any.

A little obligatory porn:

 

[Crew4991]

What stood out to me is that the S650 felt incredibly similar to the S550s.
My statement above will either be a pro or a con depending on the buyer.

Exterior styling aside, the interior is a downgrade for me as the center console area looks and feels cheap. I did not like the full screen dash; however, I also think that if someone is into the techy screens, the S650 will be perfect for them!

Seats were just as comfortable as the nice high trim S550 models.
Visibility is about the same.
The duel air boxes in the engine bay were pretty cool.


Overall my opinion is: The S650 is a great car that has returning bits from the S550 with a lot more tech. I simply can't justify the price difference though. Not enough "new" things that to me justify the price bump.

If you have the money, get the S650 and I'm sure you will love it!

 

[NegativeMultiplier]

I have a beautiful modified 2016 Ruby Red Ecoboost which I love but I in the future I plan on upgrading to a new loaded GT.

Interior wise I want an auto 10 speed trans, 401A options pack, performance pack, active exhaust and magneride dampening system.

Exterior wise I want Rapid Red with Opacity Fade Accent Stripes, red painted calipers and bronze package.

I am thinking about going out and test driving a few GT's at some point, what things stood out the most to you during your test drive, normal or otherwise?

Thanks
Terry

• How much the exhaust crackles and pops, even without AVE (driven examples with and without).
• How quickly the A10 shifts once it's in sport mode.
• How much of a difference Magneride makes, and how stiff/soft it is, mode-dependent.
• How easy it is to (weather conditions permitting) mat the throttle in comparison to the S550. Personally, I am mildly afraid of what's under my foot in the previous generation, but the 7G I don't mind going straight to the floor.
• The flat bottom steering wheel greatly improved ergonomics for me. I am on the taller side and have very long legs, getting in and out required less contortion of my body.
• The number of options in MyColor was a nice change. You get a couple in the S550 but it's effectively a color wheel in bar form in the S650.
• This new Mustang also has a good amount of road presence, IMO, compared to the last (not counting the Ecoboost unfortunately).

 

[ecc]

The sound when I started it for the first time. I looked at my wife like holy...

 

[tcman54]

Seems pretty much all positive so far, see a bunch of comments about the loud exhaust, I really don't' like loud cars, can the active exhaust be " turned off" or if I am not into loud cars just don't get the active exhaust option?

 

[Upacurb]

Seems pretty much all positive so far, see a bunch of comments about the loud exhaust, I really don't' like loud cars,

www.priusforums.com

 

[ecc]

Seems pretty much all positive so far, see a bunch of comments about the loud exhaust, I really don't' like loud cars, can the active exhaust be " turned off" or if I am not into loud cars just don't get the active exhaust option?

Yes, there's a quiet mode. I use it in the morning in my neighborhood.

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

Toyota Prius Forums
PriusChat

Fixed it for ya!

On a more serious note @tcman54, Quiet mode on the active exhaust is quieter than the standard exhaust, and the standard exhaust is quieter than Normal mode on the active exhaust. From my experience there's zero drone regardless of what exhaust option you choose.

Steering feel wise the S650 will feel lighter all around than your Ecoboost, regardless of what steering mode you choose (did the pre-facelift S550 have steering mode select?). Despite that I think the steering on the S650 feels more accurate.

I hope this helps.

 

[tcman54]

Fixed it for ya!

Steering feel wise the S650 will feel lighter all around than your Ecoboost, regardless of what steering mode you choose (did the pre-facelift S550 have steering mode select?). Despite that I think the steering on the S650 feels more accurate.

I hope this helps.

Ya, my 2016 Ecoboost has steering select modes, I have always kept it in sport mode, at times it feels a little heavy to me but it's pretty responsive if that makes sense.

 

[Interstellar]

Honestly, I say wait until you get your own car to even drive it. If you enjoy your current EcoBoost, you're going to love the S650 GT. There's simply no way you're gonna go test drive the S650 and then say "you know what, I don't like this because ________".

Maybe it's because I have never bought a new car before, but picking it up and driving it home halfway across the country knowing it's mine and thinking "holy crap this car is scary fast" was an experience I won't forget!! Don't spoil it for yourself : )

 

[Upacurb]

Honestly, I say wait until you get your own car to even drive it. If you enjoy your current EcoBoost, you're going to love the S650 GT. There's simply no way you're gonna go test drive the S650 and then say "you know what, I don't like this because ________".

Maybe it's because I have never bought a new car before, but picking it up and driving it home halfway across the country knowing it's mine and thinking "holy crap this car is scary fast" was an experience I won't forget!! Don't spoil it for yourself : )

What this guy said......going from an EcoBoost to a GT.....your going to start wondering why you bought the EcoBoost to begin with - should have just stretched and bought that GT : )

 

[souljer]

Interior wise I want an auto 10 speed trans, 401A options pack, performance pack, active exhaust and magneride dampening system.

I am thinking about going out and test driving a few GT's at some point, what things stood out the most to you during your test drive, normal or otherwise?

I upgraded from a 2020 Ecoboost and have the features you mentioned (auto 10 speed trans, 401A, PP, active exhaust & magneride. Also got Recaro seats). What did it for me was how smooth the car accelerated but could be a beast when I wanted. My wife still can't get over how comfortable the ride is compared to the 2020 Eco. Magneride definitely makes a difference even after I've added Steeda springs. She never wanted to ride on long trips. Now we hit the road almost every other weekend.

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

Ride quality/comfort wise, I'd rank the S650 accordingly...

Non-PP > Magneride > base-PP >> S550

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