Earlier this year, I wrote a piece comparing the Subaru BRZ to a Porsche. I highlighted the similarities, namely the boxer engine, the RWD configuration, and the manual transmission.
It was obviously a bit tongue in cheek, and any real comparison between the two vehicles would be a bit farcical. The BRZ is a fraction of the price for a start, even if that price did recently increase.
With that being said, I recently spent a few days testing out a Subaru BRZ, and it definitely does have its place.
It’s a lot closer to a Miata than anything else
It didn’t take much time behind the wheel of the BRZ for an obvious comparison to spring to mind. The engine isn’t particularly powerful, but it is loud enough to add a little excitement. The handling is brilliant, capturing that nippy go-kart like feeling you want from a not-too powerful sports car.
Factor in the size, and Subaru’s little sports coupe is an obvious alternative to a Mazda Miata. I’d even risk a salty message from Olivia in the group chat and say it’s better looking than the Miata too.
Another easy comparison is the Toyota GR86, as they’re essentially the same vehicle. The Toyota may have more of a track focus and firmer suspension than its Subaru-badged sibling. But there’s not a lot of actual difference between the two.
In short, if you want a not-too practical two-seater sports car that won’t bankrupt you, a BRZ is a solid option. The five second plus 0-60 time feels a lot quicker than it is as you’re pretty close to the ground. The firm suspension and low stance mean you’ll feel every bit of the road too. It captures a lot of what makes driving great.
It has my favorite interior of any Subaru
I’ve called out Subaru for its interiors before. The Japanese company is pretty fond of pleather, even when the budgets involve limit it to the most godawful plastic imaginable. But the interior of the BRZ is absolutely fantastic.
It looks like how a 1980s sci-fi writer would describe the controls of a small space ship. There’s a lot of pictures and dials, along with pretty retro-looking graphics on the driver’s display and the dials themselves.
It would be nice if the switches controlled things like the drive mode instead of micro-managing things like the HVAC system. As it is, sport mode is activated via a button on the center console and the switches just mess around with the air circulation.
However, despite how it looks on the outside, everything underneath that cool looking facade is a bit of an issue.
The BRZ really, really, needs an update
The word on the street is the Subaru BRZ is due an update. I genuinely hope they keep the retro aesthetic, but beyond that the vehicle really does need an overhaul. Here’s a list, in no particular order, of everything in the BRZ that seems about ten years out of date.
The infotainment system itself needs an overhaul. The menus are awful. It isn’t Mazda levels of bad, but the screen itself is very cheap looking and navigating to what you want is a pain. There doesn’t seem to be an easily accessible navigation system. Android Auto and Apple Car Play are both present, but you need to connect your device via a USB cable to use them.
If you only have a USB C to C cable, You’re out of luck. The BRZ, from what I could see, only has USB type A ports. Which adds to the ten years out of date aesthetic. Most modern vehicles have the opposite problem, having ditched USB A entirely.
Then there’s the reversing camera, which is awful. It works, but it’s on par with something you’d nab on Temu for $20. There isn’t any kind of surround view, nor is there a front view. So you’ll have to be extra careful not to run that very low front end into a kerb.
Beyond that, there’s some standard “racing” jank. You don’t get electric seats, instead you’re reaching under your seat for a bar and dragging yourself forwards or backwards to adjust it. Because the coupe is tiny, the seats and B pillars completely obscure your view of the blind spot. Luckily you do have blind spot monitors on the wing mirrors, but if they go wrong you’re in trouble.
How does the stick shift perform
I quite like the stick shift in the BRZ. Reverse has a lock out so you’re not accidentally sending it backwards instead of dropping it into first. Each gear selection has a satisfying “clunk” to it without adding any jank. And a six speed seems plenty for something like a BRZ. If anything, it’s a little underpowered and I often found myself revving the hell out of it to stop it struggling to move on from a dead stop.
But the little two door sports car has a lot of charm, and when you’re going it’s a ton of fun. “Sports Mode” is also handy, and the more aggressive throttle mapping papers over a lot of the cracks when it comes to performance. As “Sports Mode” often does.
The clutch isn’t great. While the bite is easy enough to find, you really do need to give it some oomph to keep things smooth. I found the lack of torque (the BRZ boasts 184 lb-ft) a bit of an issue too and often found myself shifting around the 4,000 RPM mark to keep things smooth. Incidentally, the fuel economy is pretty terrible as well. I averaged around 20 MPG, despite doing a lot of highway driving. Which seems rough on a tiny little coupe with a 2.5 liter engine.
If you’ve never driven a manual before, this might be a little rough to learn on. But equally, if you get good in a BRZ, you should be able to drive anything. If you’re a seasoned stick shift operator, it should only take you a few hours to get comfortable with the Subaru.
Should you buy a Subaru BRZ?
So, should you buy a Subaru BRZ? It’s not a high-performance sports car, despite the fact it’s the size of a tennis shoe and 228 horsepower should have that thing flying. But it is fun to drive, and a solid option when it comes to affordable, stylish, third cars.
I can see people having a great time with this on a track or an autocross course. Equally, it looks pretty good too. Both inside and out. And with a new generation on the way, the slightly outdated BRZ might be on the market at a tempting discount.
If you look at it like we look at the Miata, things like infotainment, raw power, and tech don’t matter. You just want a pure, entertaining, connected, driving experience for a reasonable price. The BRZ definitely offers that.
