2023 Subaru BRZ

Pros

• The steering and handling are so good that driving is a lot of fun.
• The driver-friendly controls are easy to use.
• The car rides well enough for a sports car.

Cons

• There isn’t much room to store things, and the back seats are tight.
• Heavy traffic noise Unreliable touch screen and audio

How fast can the BRZ go? The BRZ drives and turns very well. Quick and accurate steering makes it easy to turn the car exactly where you want it. The well-tuned suspension and overall balance make it possible to drive anyway. Do you want to be foolish and act like you’re brave? It gives the BRZ a lot of pleasure to do it. What if you wanted to keep a slight drift while going around a racetrack corner? There’s nothing wrong with this, either. The BRZ is fun, easy to drive when you want it to be, and light enough.

The brakes would work better with more aggressive pads if used hard for a long time, like on a track day, but they work well enough without them. From 60 miles per hour, our BRZ Limited test car stopped at a respectable 106 feet with high-performance summer tires. The brakes are also easy to use in town, making it easy to stop the vehicle in regular traffic.

This generation of BRZ has a larger engine that does a great job from idle to redline. Unlike the old model, there is no loss of power in the middle range of rpm. It took our manual-equipped BRZ Limited 6.1 seconds on our test track to go from 0 to 60 mph. It’s around the same speed as the newest Golf GTI (5.9 seconds) and Mazda Miata (5.6 seconds) (6.0 seconds).

As you drive through the gates, the shifter on the six-speed manual transmission feels crisp and solid in your hand. Even though an automatic transmission slows down acceleration (6.9 seconds), it is easier to deal with in crowded areas.

What kind of car is the BRZ? Even at higher speeds, the BRZ’s ride is stiff but flexible enough to smooth out most road bumps. This automobile is designed to travel on highways as well as country roads. Seats that are easy to adjust and have better support for the upper back keep you in place without being too tight. Even though two climate zones seem too much for such a small car, they work.

The BRZ is a little noisy, which is a shame. The road and the tires produce a significant amount of noise in this situation. Also, the engine noise, which has never been the BRZ’s strong point, is more annoying than moving.

How does the inside look? The interior of the BRZ is straightforward, uncomplicated, and easy to use, allowing the driver to focus on the road ahead. Even though the BRZ is small and doesn’t have a lot of space inside, tall front passengers will be more than comfortable. Taller drivers will appreciate the extra room and adjustment options than the Miata, which is much more limited in space. On the other hand, the back seats are better for storing things than sitting on them.

The BRZ’s low dashboard is made possible by a well-integrated touchscreen infotainment system that is placed out of the way to improve the driver’s view ahead. The Subaru engine has a low profile, which makes the BRZ’s hood line low. It makes it easier to see on back roads and racetracks. Because the BRZ has a low seat height and long doors, it can be hard to get in and out.

How good is the tech? BRZ has advanced technologies. The BRZ has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but no GPS. With the two fast-charging USB ports in the middle armrest, you can charge your phone while keeping it out of the way. The BRZ’s user interface (UI) won’t win any design awards, but it functions well because it’s fast and has clear graphics.

The audio equipment is far less impressive. The system can’t keep up with the noise inside the car, and even moderate noise is hard on it, which is probably not what you want in a sports car.

For the price, the BRZ has a pretty good set of high-tech driving aids. Automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and the rear emergency braking are all excellent options, but most require the optional automatic transmission. The BRZ’s many traction and stability systems are worth pointing out. They’re great for everyday driving, and the Track mode makes them even more fun. If a professional driver is on a closed track, you can also turn them off entirely and let the tail hang down.

What about putting things away? Even though small coupes aren’t always the most valuable cars, the BRZ is up to the task. Due to its low height, the BRZ’s trunk space is only 6.3 cubic feet. A Subaru can fit four wheels and tires with folded seats, but not a Miata. The trunk of the Miata can hold 4.6 cubic feet, while the trunk of the Mustang can hold 13.5 cubic feet.

The BRZ has a small amount of storage space that is still useful. Because they are positioned well behind the driver’s right arm, making it impossible to bump them during a driving accident, the rear seats are excellent for storing bags, jackets, and other objects you don’t want to roll around in the trunk. There are places to attach car seats, but getting in and out of them will be hard.

How well does it use gasoline? The BRZ gets good gas mileage for a sports car thanks to its small engine and lightweight. The EPA says that the car gets 22 mpg (20 city/27 highway), but on our test route, we got 28 mpg, which was a pleasant surprise. We used a six-speed manual transmission in the car we used for our test. The EPA says the BRZ gets 25 mpg (21 in the city and 30 on the highway).

Should one go ahead and get a Subaru BRZ or not? Even in its most expensive trim, Limited, the BRZ is still a good deal. The inside is bare but constructed with care. If they offered the same equipment, our competitors would charge thousands more.

The BRZ has a 3-year/36,000-km warranty and a 5-year/50,000-km powertrain warranty. The Subaru also comes with three years and 36,000 miles of roadside assistance. It’s important to know that Toyota’s version of the BRZ, the GR86, comes with two years of free maintenance.

If you prefer to avoid driving the BRZ, you might not like sports cars. As sports cars and cars get more complicated and expensive, it’s nice to see a sports coupe that sticks to the basics and can get the job done. The BRZ is suitable for all levels of car fans, and its steering, handling, and balance are better than those of almost all other production cars, no matter how much they cost. The BRZ is a quick and eager friend because it is easy to get along with and has reasonable limits. Even though the engine’s sound won’t win any awards, you get used to its harsh tones over time. No one will ever get tired of how much fun the BRZ can be.

We like the Limited trim better because the seats are heated, and the upholstery is more excellent. The Limited’s blind-spot monitoring system is another great thing about it. Choosing which transmission to use will be the more challenging choice. Even though the manual is better, the automatic works well enough that you might want to think about it if you often drive in areas with a lot of traffic.

Subaru BRZ model variants

The 2023 Subaru BRZ comes in Premium and Limited trims. The manual or automatic 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine makes 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft—no front-wheel-drive models.