Rchive- An FL5 ownership journal

[Noize]

Outside in sunlight, the one I opened looked almost like Rays Diamond Dark to me. It's a great color, just not what I was wanting.

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[CTR]

Those look really good! I'm not a silver wheel person anymore and I still think they look great. I just received my set of Blast Bronze and trying to decide which tires to go with.

 

[Noize]

Those look really good! I'm not a silver wheel person anymore and I still think they look great. I just received my set of Blast Bronze and trying to decide which tires to go with.

Are you lowering or leaving stock height? I definitely am going for a more aggressive tire than stock on whatever aftermarket wheels I end up with.

I’m not too keen on lowering, because my driveway is at a sharp angle, and I don’t want it to rub.

I’m also concerned 18s might not be ideal at stock height on the FL5 like they were on the FK8.

 

[CTR]

I have a set of FL5 Spoon springs on order that I plan on installing. Can't decide if I'll run the wheels for awhile first or try to do it all at once. They should be shipping to me any day now since they were ordered in March.

 

[Noize]

Last pic. Yep, too dark.

 

[TypeRD]

I like that you include your feline buddy in several of your pics.?

 

[Noize]

I like that you include your feline buddy in several of your pics.?

He’s my dear friend.

 

[urbo73]

He’s my dear friend.

Someone partied too hard there in the background...

 

[TypeRD]

Someone partied too hard there in the background...

It’s the cat’s thought bubble : “$20k ADM?! Bleeeeeeeehhhhh….”?

 

[Noize]

It’s the cat’s thought bubble : “$20k ADM?! Bleeeeeeeehhhhh….”?

Nowhere near.

 

[TypeRD]

Nowhere near.

I didn’t think you paid a $20k ADM. Your buddy is just sick to his stomach about the ongoing trend of FL5’s with crazy high ADM’s. That’s all I meant with my joke.?

 

[Noize]

Car is doing great! Currently up to 1325 miles.

There are still some small occurrences of errors for road departure and collision braking mitigation systems about weekly.

 

[Noize]

I am racking up miles on this a little faster than I did on the Golf R, haha!

I guess there is no better sign that you enjoy a car than the fact you want to spend extra time driving it.

 

[Noize]

I tried the ITS ADS module for a couple weeks. Its a little softer and less jarring for sure; it feels about one level down from the stock unit. It's definitely much better in +R.

The car was still is bouncy in very hard, fast corners, so I reverted to the stock unit. The key for me to go forward is probably Ohlins coilovers. I will probably resell the ADS and the new, unopened TE37s to fund the coilovers.

 

[Noize]

Also, after three months of ownership, I wanted to further compare it to the FK8. Here's where I think each car has advantages.

FL5 advantages:
-Faster and superior infotainment system, modern and nice gauges, much better audio system, and easy access HVAC controls that aren't buried in a dumb laggy submenu.
-I prefer the FL5 styling, inside and out.
-Slightly more comfortable seats in the lumbar area over long drives.
-Factory wheel and tire setup. 265s have grip for days, 19" just fit the platform better than 20"
-Proven faster on track with the upgrades, and a very good package stock.
-Upgraded cooling for tracking.

FK8 advantages:
-Suspension programming. Why did they mess up such a good thing? The FK8 was perfect to track in +R, and really great for everything else in Sport.
-Feel in cabin and cockpit is more compact and has a better driving position for front visibility, IMO. While the ultimate handling limits on the FL5 are higher, the FK8 is easier to place.
-The turbocharger in the FK8 is flat out better. I will trade away slight midrange bump for top end power any day. FBO, the FK8 is just better, and I'm holding back tuning the FL5, because it will push me to a turbo upgrade much sooner.
-Black carpets under the floor mats easier to keep clean.

At the end of the day, if you have an FK8, I would hold on to it and be happy. If you have an FL5, it's also a great car, but FK8 people shouldn't feel they need to rush to "upgrade" its more like a lateral move when you consider the pros and cons of each car. It likely depends on what's important to you.

If I could've gotten an LE instead with the same mileage, I might have done so. But I am very happy with the FL5, particularly in stock configuration.

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