Subaru BRZ

The Subaru BRZ is a member of the Toyota 86 club, which is a series of grand touring sports coupes. The Toyota 86 automobiles are sold as three different brands: Toyota, Subaru, and Scion. The Subaru BRZ was given an 8.7 rating by U.S. News, ranking 3^rd out of 10 Affordable Sports Cars. Critics are floored by the former BRZ’s performance, and say that it proves that leanness and simplicity can provide more driving thrill than high-horsepower, complex sports cars, which cost much more.

Performance

U.S. News gives the Subaru BRZ an 8.0 performance rating. In general, performance reviews have been excellent. Critics liken the BRZ’s performance to the Porsche Boxster and Mazda Miata, two iconic sports cars which both earn critical acclaim for their agile handling. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine make the BRZ a blast to drive, and it pairs nicely with either the six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The engine generates 151 pound feet of torque and 200 horsepower. Critics also love the BRZ’s excellent steering, strong brakes, and athletic handling. The engine is mounted back in the chassis and low to the ground, which gives the BRZ an extremely low center of gravity, contributing to its handling prowess.

Interior

U.S. News gives the Subaru BRZ a 7.7 interior rating, which although is relatively low compared to its other scores, it is higher than many of its competitors. The BRZ has a driver-focused interior layout with relatively few add on features and straightforward controls. It comes standard with an eight-speaker stereo with satellite and HD Radio, a USB port and Bluetooth. Add on options include a universal garage-door opener, automatic climate control, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The BRZ is one of the smaller sporty coupes available, offering only 6.9 cubic feet of trunk space (this can be increased when the back seats are folded down, however). It is almost impossible to fit one adult yet alone two adults in the back seats.

Pros/Cons

The Subaru BRZ gets 25 mpg for city driving and 34 mpg for highway driving, which is better than many sports cars. It has a classic sports-car look and unbelievable handling which critics rave about. The six-speed automatic transmission offers a sport mode that sharpens and delays shifts, and also comes with steering-wheel paddle-shifters. It even gives you a rev-matched throttle blip when you downshift manually. Inside the BRZ, the textured, hard plastic trim looks nice. While the trunk and back seats are not as large as some competitors (such as the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang), it still offers more space than the Mazda Miata. Critics say the front seats are supportive and comfortable, although there have been some complaints about the navigation system, saying it is outdated compared to the BRZ’s competitors.

Other Features

The Subaru website lists the base price for the BRZ at $25 495. This is a pretty accurate figure for buyers, as U.S. News states the average price of the BRZ is between $25 730 and $28 514. The website also states that buyers can pay an estimate of $741 monthly for 36 months with 2.9% APR. U.S. News gives the BRZ a perfect 10.0 safety rating, which backs up the fact that it earned the Top Safety Pick status from the IIHS. In additional to a multi-mode stability control system, the BRZ comes with Brake Override, Brake Assist, electronic-brake force distribution, and four-channel ABS. Critics are also impressed with the BRZ’s outward visibility, saying it is reasonable thanks to plenty of window space and a reasonably low beltline.