2013 Subaru BRZ: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2013 Subaru BRZ as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- My Subaru Touch
- Kumbaya
- The Bike Will Fit
- Wingin' it
- Where It Belongs
- Phone Pocket
- But Dad, It is a Subaru.
- The Scenic Route
- Interior Padding
- The Fast Route
- Commenters & Kool-Aid
- First Service
- Poor Man's 3 Series
- Cue Heavenly Choir
- I'm Really Bad at Math
- Not Feeling the Interior
- Reminds Me Of...
- Put Forza Down And Go Drive
- Rear Seating Comes In Handy
- Well, That Was Easy
- Sales So Far
- Excellent Visibility Out The Windshield
- Fine For Me On The Highway
- Nav System Hiccups
- Spotting the Low Clearance
- Slower Than Claimed
- I Like the Limited Seats
- A Daily Driver If You Want It to Be
- Hunt for Red October (with Video)
- A Frugal Five Thousand
- Can You Give Me a Lift?
- Which Would You Rather?
- I'd Keep the Stock Wheels/Tires
- Insider Bluetooth Tip
- Side Effect of the Seats
- Struttin'
- Pain in the Neck
- In Your Face
- BRRRRRZ
- Fan Club
- No Fun for Feet
- Start Saving Up
- Impreza Head Unit Should Be Standard
- The Reason
- A Sporty Outlook
- Keyless and iPhone Don't Mix
- Taillight Condensation
- Well, It's More Practical Than My Car
- Slightly Different
- Yeah, It'll Carry Your Turkey
- Another Use for the Rear Seats
- Unplanned Holiday Slog
- Navigation System on the Fritz
- No Coat Hook
- Weather Calls for Fun
- Weeee!
- Brace Yourself
- No Matter What Anyone Says, These Are the Best Times
- First Stint
- BRZ on GMR
- BRZ On GMR. In Photos
- Plus-One for the Audio
- Old School But Annoying
- Agricultural Transmission
- 7,500-Mile Service
- Taillight Condensation Repair
- 10,000 Miles Driven So Far
- Real World Trunk Test
- It's Just Fun on a Back Road
- Kinda Needs an Armrest But I Don't Want to Give Up the Storage
- January Fuel Economy Update
- Easy Air Filter Access
- Interior Advantage
- Can You Tow it Behind a Motorhome
- Is It Vain to Want This Vanity Plate?
- Head Unit Frustration
- Blinded By The Light
- At Home Above the Fray
- Backing Up Is Hard To Do
- Bystander Approved, Even If They Don't Know What It Is
- Fuel Economy Update for February
- Nice To Be Part of the Subaru Club
- It Can Be Fun in the City
- Programming The RPM Shift Indicator
- One Of My All-Time Favorites
- Audio Controls With Equalizer
- Approach Lighting
- Dome Light Left On
- Sports Car Driving
- Detent-less Climate Control Knobs
- Fuel Economy Update For March
- Flamed
- Street Racer
- Carving Canyons
- Daytime Running Lights
- Waiting for the Convertible
- It's Got a Good Pedal Box
- Happy To Take It Home
- Controls Are In Close Proximity
- Drive Daily For Best Results
- Fuel Economy Update for April
- Grown To Enjoy The Way It Sounds
- Tuner Friendly
- Still Pretty Rare on the Road
- Perfect for the City
- Attracting Attention
- Squeaky Rubber
- Proper Floor Mat Retention
- 15,000-Mile Service
- I Wish I Was Back in England
- Makes Driving More Exciting
- Is a Child Seat Practical?
- Attention Getter
- Fuel Economy Update For May
- Touchscreen Stylus
- Light Effort
- Adjustable Verbosity
- It's Photogenic
- Smart Seats
- Finding the Fluids
- Fuel Economy Update for June
- Road Trip to Utah
- Utah Road Trip, Part 1
- Utah Road Trip, Part 2
- Utah Road Trip, Part 3
- MotoGP Road Trip, Part One
- Utah Road Trip Fuel Economy
- MotoGP Road Trip, Part Two
- Utah Road Trip, Final Ramblings
- MotoGP Road Trip, Part Three
- MotoGP Road Trip, The Wrong Seat
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
We knew what we wanted to do with the Toyobaru twins (the 2013 Subaru BRZ and 2013 Scion FR-S) the second they were announced. And now, with the arrival of our new 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited, our plan is finally taking shape.
Our Scion FR-S is destined for endless weekends of wrenching, dyno testing and still more wrenching in a quest to extract every last drop of performance from its rear-wheel-drive chassis.
And our BRZ? It will get nothing and like it. Well, we'll add some oil here and there and whatever other maintenance it requires over the course of a year. Apart from that, however, it will remain bone stock.
We'll concentrate on whether its 200-horsepower flat-4 makes the grade in day-in and day-out driving. Unlike much of our testing, which requires extensive exploration of the local mountains, this BRZ will likely spend much of its life commuting, shopping and otherwise being used like a typical Subaru. In the end, it might have a rougher life than the FR-S. We'll see.
What We Got
Mechanically, our new 2013 Subaru BRZ is nearly identical to our 2013 Scion FR-S. This means our Subaru has the same 2.0-liter flat-4 with port and direct fuel injection that's good for 200 hp and 151 pound-feet of torque. While a six-speed automatic transmission is available, as with our FR-S we opted for the six-speed manual. Our BRZ also has a Torsen limited-slip differential, sport-tuned suspension and Michelin Primacy HP tires sized 215/45R17 at each corner just like our Scion.
Unlike our FR-S, which is available only in "Base" trim, we got the top-of-the-line BRZ. Subaru calls this the "Limited" and it costs $2,000 more than the "Premium" model which already includes Bluetooth, USB inputs, HD radio and navigation. For your 2 Gs you get keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, faux suede and leather interior trim, heated front seats and heated mirrors. It still doesn't include steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. In these cars, the wheel is for steering; it's not simply a place to hang your hands until you get to work.
Our 2013 Scion FR-S is a stripper and carries a sticker price of $24,930, while this loaded Subaru BRZ carries a heavier $28,265 price. While we paid for our Scion, Subaru provided this BRZ for the purpose of this test.
Why We Got It
The 2013 Subaru BRZ (and its mechanical twin, the Scion FR-S) represent a new era in small, light, rear-drive performance, and this means different things to different groups of people. On the one hand you've got the tuner crowd. The minute it hits their driveway, they're thinking about upgrading the wheels, tires, suspension and engine as soon as they can. We're down with this mentally and so, back in June, we bought a 2013 Scion FR-S with the intention of modifying it to see exactly what this little car was capable of.
Tuning, however, isn't everybody's bag, and the twins represent a return to simple, easy-to-drive cars that are rewarding beyond their numbers. That's why some owners aren't going to touch a thing. They're not going to ruin the ride in the hopes of more Gs. They're not going to ruin the in-cabin noise levels in hopes of gaining a tenth here or there. They just want a basic sports car that does extraordinary things when called upon.
This test is for them. We'll be leaving our BRZ alone for the duration of this test. If it needs tires, we're likely to replace them with similar ones and not super-sticky rubber — that's what the FR-S is for.
When we first tested the 2013 Subaru BRZ, illuminated by the experience we said, "Perhaps there's a lesson here. If this is all that's required to make a sports car with elegant control, engaging feedback and enlightening limits, we have only one question: Why isn't every manufacturer doing it?"
Will we still feel this way after a year without real power, without adjustable suspension, without the creature comforts that dominate the automotive landscape today? Without the current mantra of "more, more, more!"?
We've been impressed with the Subaru BRZ each time we've driven it. Now we've got 12 months and 20,000 miles to see if that feeling holds up when the BRZ is put to the test of being a daily driver. Follow along with our Long-Term Road Test blog for more on our 2013 Subaru BRZ.
Current Odometer: 1,679
Best Fuel Economy: 32.5
Worst Fuel Economy: 22.6
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 28.1
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Remember when I ripped on our Scion FR-S for not having steering wheel audio controls and clumsy head unit buttons. I take it back (except for the missing wheel controls). Not because I think they're good, no, because the BRZ's is so much worse.
First off, the virtual buttons are small. I don't have sausage-like fatty fingers, either. Secondly, the buttons are seldom responsive. It takes a couple of tries to get a track to skip forward. Perhaps they should have taken a look to the Hyundai/Kia interfaces for inspiration?
At least the sound quality is decent.
Yes, it fits. Even a big donkey bike like this five-inch travel 29er. Seat is dropped, but I was amazed how easily I was able to jam this big boy in there.
More photos after the jump.
I had to lean the passenger seat forward, but this is a viable bike hauler if there's no need for passengers.
Rear wings. Decklid spoilers. I've never been a fan of them. Sure, some cars might look a little better with one (1995 Mustangs), but the thought of tacking on something that generally has no performance enhancing qualities bugs me.
In some cases, those wings are actually detrimental to performance, causing drag without any appreciable downforce.
As far as wings go, the BRZ's isn't all that bad. In the absence of an actual rear undertray diffuser, tough, I doubt the wing does anything. I prefer the FR-S' cleaner lines. That little flip up on the trailing edge also reminds me of a 550/575 Maranello (but only very slightly). I'm really more thankful that Subaru didn't put some ridiculous STi-type monstrosity on top of the trunk. But you know some yahoo will put one on there someday. Ugh.
What do you think? Wings, or no?
Subaru put the BRz's tachometer in the middle, which is exactly where it belongs on any car that will be driven hard. I appreciate this.
I also find the redundant digital and analog speedometer useful.
This small bin in the BRZ's dash is one of the few physical differences that actually matter between the BRZ and FR-S interiors. The Subaru's start button eats some space but still allows enough room for a narrow bin. With the exception of the USB/auxiliary inputs, the Scion has a full-width bin.
There's still room for the phone in first, third and fifth gears.
The new BRZ isn't Subaru's first sports car. How could you forget the mighty XT they had in the mid-'80s? Turbocharged! All-Wheel Drive! Fighter cockpit-style controls! Flip-up headlights! Ok, maybe dynamically it wasn't exactly an RX-7's rival. And it wasn't a lean, elemental sports machine like today's BRZ, but it was cool in its own way.
Over a quarter century after Subaru aired this commercial, its theme is still relevant. I can envision a modern dad expecting his kid to come home with an Impreza or Forester, only to see junior roll up in some sleek sports car that can't possibly be a Subaru.
"That's a tight-ass-looking Subaru, man. I've never seen one of those before."
I got the impression that a lot of people shared this sentiment declared by a rather eloquent fellow at a gas station south of San Jose. He wasn't the only person giving the BRZ long looks at that Shell, or at the Santa Monica Chevron several hours earlier. In fact, the BRZ draws attention like few other cars can, and certainly like nothing else in its price ballpark.
So it would seem that this $26,000 exotic could get by on its looks alone, which is something I can't say about many Subarus (if any at all). Obviously it doesn't have to, though, as you've no doubt already read our many poetic waxings about the BRZ and its Scion FR-S sister. I'm certainly not immune to its charms, as I discovered with the FR-S. But those observations came from bombing around a few canyons and zipping around town. A road trip requires a completely different skill set, so the 2013 Lexus LS launch event in Palo Alto, Calif., would be a perfect excuse to see if the BRZ's appeal extends to the open road.
It would've been faster to take Interstate 5, but whereas that highway provides tractor trailers, laser-straight tedium and signs alerting you to the Congress Created Dust Bowl, the 101 boasts brilliant scenery, long sweeping turns and signs alerting you to myriad road-side attractions like the Carlton Hotel in Atascadero (pictured). True, you can't go as fast, but if you've got the time, it's the better drive. And after all, it's about the journey, man.
And the BRZ made it a better journey, just as interesting cars are apt to do. It should come as no surprise that the BRZ's handling talents were appreciated through those sweeping turns, while there is an inherent and constant coolness that comes from driving something small and sporty on a lengthy trip. The engine also impressed, as it was able to keep cruise-controlled pace in sixth gear over several medium-sized grades. And while some have complained about its noise, I kind of like its mean little growl when you dip into the throttle.
Yet such trips are ultimately about comfort and I'm pleased to report the BRZ did not disappoint. The ride is well damped and not once did I find myself rolling my eyes as I'm apt to do in cars that incessantly bob, crash and jiggle over less-than-perfect pavement. My fear of regretting my car choice somewhere near Ventura and suffer for six hours thereafter never came to pass.
At the same time, the BRZ once again amazed for its seat comfort and space. Small Toyotas and Subarus have not traditionally been comfortable for all 6-foot-3 of yours truly, yet the BRZ/FR-S provides lots of headroom (more than the new LS, actually) and sufficient space for my legs. I say sufficient since I could've used a bit more seat travel to stretch my right leg, but I only started to yearn for that as the hours wore on.
I was originally going to take the Jag up to Palo Alto, but I'm glad I ended up with the BRZ instead. It gave me a chance to fall even harder for these wonderful little Toyabaru twins, plus it was a wee bit more efficient than the XF Valdez. I'll let you know just how efficient when I wrap up my trip tomorrow with the return journey, this time on I-5.
This strip of padding covered in soft (presumably) fake leather is a great touch in the interiors of both the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S. I often find myself on road trips wanting to rest my arm up there, so not only is the padding and pleather appreciated, so is the significant ledge it covers. A nice, unique touch to be sure. So too is the nicely padded regular armrest lower on the door.
Unfortunately, I wish the Toyabaru consortium would've paid similar attention to the center console.
For one, there is no center armrest. I don't know why sport compacts so often lack center armrests, but it's an irritating tradition that carries into the FR-S/BRZ twins. I understand that putting an covered armrest would hide the removable cupholder unit, but why not make the suggested armrest in question slide rearward like those of other cars do? Not only could I rest my arm, but the cover would provide some additional hidden storage as well. At the very least, they could swap out the hard plastic that makes up the center console in favor of the soft-touch, squishy stuff on top of the dash. My elbows are more apt to come down on the former.
And while we're at it, have that squishy stuff line the center stack as well. After several hundred miles this week, my right leg was getting sore after hours of making contact with the center panel's hard plastic cover. I can imagine that prolonged aggressive driving would be even worse as the contact would be harder.
The BRZ and FR-S are already home runs. These are the types of mid-cycle changes that could make them perfect.
Relaxing scenic routes are wonderful, but sometimes you just want to get home. So my return trip from the Lexus LS launch in Palo Alto would primarily be on Interstate 5 after a brief drive south on the 101 and east on the picturesque CA 152 that connects the two different north-south routes.
Ultimately I was glad I took both routes, because I-5 revealed different things about the BRZ. First and foremost, I'd gladly accept a few extra pounds if it meant adding some sound insulation. There is an awful lot of road noise, which was far more noticeable on the 5 given the different pavement and higher speeds. After a few hours, the tire roar and overpowered sound system were getting old.
Speaking of different pavement, the 5 also presented the first instance where I deemed the BRZ's ride unpleasant. However, that was entirely the fault of the craptacular right lane on the 5 that has been patched repeatedly and poorly after decades of being pounded by tractor trailers. As much as I despise those who park themselves in the left lane, the 5 didn't really give me a choice.
I also found myself using the navigation and stereo controls more on the way back. I'll keep this brief since I'll probably cover them in a separate post, but I liked the navigation system functionality save for the "traffic dead ahead!" alert that went off countless times despite only one traffic incident actually existing. The stereo controls border on terrible. The touch buttons are too small and often don't respond to your first touch. If someone asks me "Why would you buy the Scion instead of the Subaru?" This is one possible answer.
Finally, one thing that was the same between the 101 and I-5 was the BRZ's fuel economy. Simply put, the BRZ did better than the EPA estimate of 30 mpg highway. I got 31.2 on the way there and 31.8 on the way back. I certainly wasn't driving in Fuel Sipper Smackdown mode, either; instead driving typically with cruise control at 8 mph over the limit.
So to wrap up, the BRZ is a blast to drive in canyons, makes the morning commute fun, is a good choice for road trips, is surprisingly comfortable and very fuel efficient to boot. It's also easily amongst my Top 5 favorite cars.
I decided to peruse the anonymous reader comments on my four blogs devoted to the BRZ last week. While these folks represent but a tiny fraction of our readership, I was picking up some general themes and figured I'd weigh in. It's Monday, I'm caffeinated, what the hell?
Many were in regards to my post about the Toyabaru's steering wheel. You see, someone at Toyota passed along a bit of information, I thought it was interesting. People interpreted my comments as follows: "If you have a steering wheel with buttons on it, you're not a real driver and your car is a pathetic automotive excuse best left for little girls." I wasn't saying that, so please unwedge your underwear. A Ferrari Italia has 800 buttons on its steering wheel, and I'd venture to say that's a real driver's car. (And by that I do NOT mean a car for real drivers, there is a difference). The BRZ's wheel is simple, uncluttered and its spokes are nicely small. It's refreshing, points to the car's focus and comes closest to a racing wheel in terms of design than anything I've come across in a new car. Now, that certainly doesn't mean that your car that has buttons on its steering wheel is any less special or that you're not a swell driver with lots of friends who's great with the ladies. OK?
Then there were anonymous commenters saying that we're liking the BRZ and FR-S too much. Well, there's an excellent reason for that: The BRZ and FR-S are actually that good! It's not some conspiracy. I'm not drinking Toyota-brewed Kool-Aid, nor do I have a history of bestowing great praise upon these two carmakers — quite the opposite really. I've driven both cars now for hundreds of miles in a variety of conditions and consequently formed an opinion. The same can be said for other editors.
Now, for those commenters expecting some sort of perpetual Fair and Balanced, tit-for-tat Long-Term Blog, let me remind you that we have an entire YEAR for cons to be expressed. In these early days, though, the good is overwhelming the bad. That happens with good cars. Just because we haven't said something yet, doesn't mean something else won't come up later. So just it back, drink some tea and relax there, buddy.
Subaru and Toyota set out to create a car with a very honest, specific purpose that we as car fans can whole-heartedly get behind. The two companies then teamed up and triumphantly achieved that goal. If that's not worthy of praise, I don't know what is. Are they cars for everyone? No. Are there areas in need of improvement? Yes, and some have already been mentioned.
So there. You may now commence anonymous commenting.
Our 2013 Subaru BRZ paid a visit to Timmons Subaru in Long Beach for its first service yesterday. The stop was uneventful, aside from a guy in the waiting room that felt inclined to talk politics to anyone that would listen.
We brought a laptop, knowing the service would take about 90 minutes. Sure enough, the car was ready in exactly that time. At $99, the oil change and tire rotation cost slightly less than our first FR-S service ($110) in Santa Monica. We attribute the variation in price to the to the location of each dealership. Otherwise, the staff was polite and the work was completed to our satisfaction.
Total Cost: $99.36
Total Days out of Service: None
That is, if you consider $28,000 the province of poor.
But my first real seat time with the BRZ last night reminded me that the 3 Series shrink-wraps itself around you in the same way. How you spill your rump, ribs and flab into the seats and it all finds a crevice to occupy. Then the quick clutch engagement, and how easily you can summon the BRZ's exhaust tenor.
The gearbox is much more working-class than the 3's slick action, right down to the perceptible shudder when you slot into first gear before the signal changes. But it encourages crispy, deliberate shifts. It feels like you'd have to work hard to mis-shift it.
We recently tested a new 3 Series — the 2.0-liter, no less — that rang in around $50,000. Sure, you get plenty more for that premium: Nicer cabin, a useful rear seat, badge bravado, and something much better than the BRZ's dopey radio (small icons and push-screen shown above, characterized as such because most commands require repeated blunt trauma).
But the 3 Series still sets so many benchmarks for driver engagement that it feels like the Suyota developers planted themselves in one for many hours, searching for the same sounds and sensations, for half as much money.
I was walking back to the 2013 Subaru BRZ where I had parked it on a side street in Venice when, as I approached it, I saw a man checking it out HARD. He was a 40-something, casually dressed in T-shirt and cargo shorts with a backpack hanging over one shoulder. Basically the uniform of Venice denizens. He slowly circled the BRZ, admiring it from the front, then round the back and peered in at its interior. If I had been closer to the car I would have offered him a seat to check out the cabin, as I tend to do to those curious about long-termers I drive. (Is that weird?)
Anyway, as he was walking away from the Subaru down the sidewalk, he still kept looking back at the car, like he just couldn't take his eyes off it. He hasn't been the first person mesmerized by the BRZ this weekend but definitely the one who admired it the longest.
Trying to think of what other cars that aren't exotics and are in the $25K range provoke that sort of reaction. Anyone?
I know my limitations and math is certainly one of them. After I posted my thoughts about our long-term BRZ's wing, I received an email from someone at Subaru. His message confirmed one of our commenter's statements that the wing actually reduces the car's coefficient of drag from 0.29 to 0.28. I tried - believe me, I tried - to figure out what this 0.01 reduction means in practical terms, but failed.
So I turn to you, the masses of well-educated readers, to help me come up with a meaningful figure. How many miles per gallon will this save? How much higher of a top speed will this allow for? What does this spoiler do?
So have at it, readers. The best answer wins my undying respect and admiration.
Call me crazy, but I'm not loving the interior of our BRZ. This only strikes me as odd because I was expecting to like it a touch more than the cabin of the FR-S. Sure, they're essentially the same, but I was hoping the Subaru would feel a tad more refined since it was supposed to be the more "loaded" vehicle of the two.
I'm not even sure what it is about the BRZ that leaves me cold. The odd placement of the starter button is no big deal, but the switches just above it are a little to "Mini" in my mind. The gauges on the BRZ look a little too bland, too. On the FR-S they get metallic faces that make them stand out a little more.
Again, it sounds like so much nit picking and it largely is, but so far I like the FR-S cabin better. That is all.
We've had a few FR-S or BRZ posts or stories about these cars reminding us of previous cars. A few days ago Michael Jordan met up with an RX-7 engineer. Earlier Mark Takahashi noted the lineage of the Celica and Dan Frio thought of the 3 Series. We also had our FR-S and 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S feature comparison.
I guess you can't help but do this once you're seated in the BRZ or FR-S. I suspect it's because there just hasn't been a car out like this for so long. Personally, I've been thinking back to the times I drove a first-gen RX-7, various Miatas and a Porsche 944.
I really like our BRZ's light weight, willing engine, quick shifter and honest communication. And to quote Michael from his RX-7 post: "Not too big, not ambitious, but also not too expensive."
It's very nice to once again see an affordable hardtop sports car/sport coupe back on the market that prioritizes driver involvement.
Summer's almost done. A few months from now a lot of great driving roads will be covered with rain and snow and grit. Best get a move on then. Live a little. Put down the Xbox controller and the Starbucks Lime Refresher. Pick out a route on a map, or Google Maps even. Requirement: minimal amount of straight lines. Now go drive.
I did indeed pick a route and go drive in our BRZ yesterday. Nothing too adventurous. Just a few hours out to get away from the desk and computer. Yeah, it's nice when you can classify this kind of thing as "work." But do it anyway.
Sometimes a new car's reality doesn't live up to its hype. But the BRZ/FR-S pretty much does. This thing is just cool. It revs cleanly, snarling past 4,500 rpm. The brakes bite when needed. Its solid shifter lets you know you're dealing with a machine, yet the BRZ flows through corners like Lindsey Vonn working alpine gates. First time driving a rear-wheel-drive car? No problem. The BRZ will talk you through it. You can leave stability control on if you want, but it's like a set of training wheels. Turn it off when you're ready.
BRZ/FR-S. It's the RX-7 reincarnate. It's what Porsche would build if it ever built a $25,000 sports car. It's what Honda should be building. But no, it's a Toyobaru, a name and spawn so weird that if you didn't know any better you'd swear it once battled Godzilla and Mothra in Tokyo Bay.
I'm a fan. And I want to head back out again.
Yesterday I unexpectedly had to take my five-year-old daughter to school while also bringing along my 16-month-old son. The only vehicle I had at my disposal was the BRZ. It's not normally something I'd plan to use for kid duty, but at least it has rear seats.
As you can see, both the Recaro booster seat and Britax convertible fit. But the devil's in the details.
The main issue for installing the Britax is that the contoured shape of seat cushion isn't conducive for easy seat installation. (Quote that came to mind at the time: "I don't think they had Wookies in mind when they designed her, Chewy.") Flat is best for safety seats, and the BRZ's rear seat is definitely not flat. If I were doing this on a regular basis, I might consider adding a folded up towel (or two) to try and even things out so that the safety seat wasn't squishing the cushion so much when belted in. But hey, it worked. Well, front-facing, anyway.
I suppose I was lucky that my son is big enough now that he can sit forward facing. While using a rear-facing position is best for the safety of babies, it was pretty obvious that rear-facing wasn't going to work well. The angling was just all wrong and the safety seat's back wasn't reclined the way it's supposed to be. (The child would be sitting much too upright.) Again, maybe with some towels you could get it to fit a little better.
As for my daughter, she was OK, and in fact I've been using the BRZ to taxi her around a few times solo. But that was with her on the passenger side and the front passenger seat slid all the way up. I was worried about her legs behind me. But there was enough room for her — barely.
In the end, it all worked out OK. The BRZ saved the day. And I kind of enjoyed giving my son his first ride in a sport coupe.
I took a few minutes to check out Subaru's website and the configurator for the BRZ. Just for funsies, you know. So I picked my trim (there are only two, Premium or Limited), picked my color and, well, that's it. I had forgotten that Subaru's going with a very streamlined approach for this car. I had previously written that this would be the car that Porsche would build it if built a $25,000 sports car. But I'm wrong. If it were a Porsche, it'd have inumerable options down to the color of the owner's manual case.
I'm conflicted. On one hand, I really like the simplicity of it all. Pick your color and you're done. But I kind of miss the fun of more personalization that comes about from cars like a Mini Cooper or even a Mustang. (And while there's a bit more for the Scion FR-S, it's not brimming with choices, either.)
What do you think?
Monthly sales figures are out. If you're curious, here's how the BRZ and FR-S have been selling so far.
Subaru BRZ: 623 units sold in August 2012, with 2,210 sold total this year.
Scion FR-S: 1,913 units sold in August 2012, with 6,332 sold total this year.
Among the many things I like about the BRZ is its low hood and the subsequent view out the windshield. Thanks to the low profile of the flat-4 engine, the BRZ provides a more expansive and engaging view of the road than what's typical for a sport coupe. The raised fenders are also cool as they help you place the car when cornering. Among the car's many other qualities, it just furthers my impressions that this is truly a driver's car.
Captain Obvious here, but if you're looking to buying a BRZ, long-distance comfort shouldn't be high on your priority list. Like James wrote last month, the BRZ is kind of noisy, has the frustrating audio interface, lacks a proper center arm rest and is kind of stingy on interior storage. But having driven our BRZ for a couple four-hour highway drives, I'll say it's still perfectly adequate for trips of this duration. The seat and ride quality are still comfortable enough, and it's not that noisy (I think our old Nissan 370Z was worse). The fuel range isn't all that great either, but you can still easily get more than 300 highway miles out of a tank.
If I owned a BRZ, I'd have no problem doing 300-mile drives. Say, to a race track for a track day, for instance.
I've noticed that our BRZ's navigation system isn't quite 100 percent healthy. There have been a few times that I've looked at where the navigation system is positioning the car icon on the map only to notice that it's not quite right compared to where I actually am. (It'd be off by about half a block or so.) There have also been two instances in the past couple weeks when the nav system's voice broadcast a "GPS signal lost" warning.
The ground clearance on our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ isn't super low for a sports car, but it's low enough that you don't want to be pulling up too close when parking in spots with curbs or concrete blocks. Its front spoiler also sticks out a bit.
Obviously, the familiarity that comes with driving a car every day — and thus knowing exactly where it begins and ends — is the best way to avoid heartache in the parking lot. Lacking that familiarity, I've been parking the Subaru with a high level of caution... I just don't pull up that far in parking spaces. Usually, this works fine because the BRZ, at 166.7 inches long, fits in most spaces with room to spare.
But last night when picking up dinner, I encountered an on-site parking aid — mirrored exterior glass on an adjacent storefront. I could see exactly how far to pull up in this space.
I think most owners will adjust quickly to parking the BRZ (and FR-S). Forward visibility is pretty good, the car itself isn't that large, and the vast majority of first- and second-year Toyobaru owners are going to be obsessively careful.
There's a residential street in my neighborhood that provides a quicker east-west route than two more heavily traveled roads nearby. Inevitably, people push the speed limit of 25 mph, putting kids, bicyclists, pedestrians and other drivers at a bit more risk.
In an attempt to get people to reel in their acceleration, the city posted a radar-driven "Your Speed" sign. It does raise driver awareness — for a few seconds, anyway.
Last night I discovered that our BRZ fibs a bit. According to the sign, its speedometer reading is 2 mph higher than its real speed. (The radar speed sign is pretty accurate, based on tests of other Edmunds cars, two personal cars and a bicycle).
I'm guessing Dan's AEV ProCal can't be pressed into service here, so we'll just have to consider the misread as a ticket buffer.
How about your cars' speedometers. Are they dead on?
It could totally be me, but the simulated suede/leather driver seat in our 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited feels just a little bit cushier than its all-suederette counterpart in our Scion FR-S. It's as if there's another 1/8-inch layer of cushioning in the Subaru. And I found it quite to my liking on the drive home last night.
Since I would buy a Toyobaru with the intention of driving it every day and leaving it pretty much stock, I would end up with a BRZ Limited exactly like this one.
I remember when the power and torque ratings first leaked out for the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S, and I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing — 151 pound-feet at 6,400 rpm. Apart from dedicated track-day guys, what modern-day enthusiast would put up with that kind of sky-high torque peak? There's a reason not everyone drives Civic Si coupes and S2000s.
Of course, Kavanagh's dyno-testing subsequently showed that in actuality the 2.0-liter engine's torque curve is more or less flat, with the bulk of that pound-footage available way, way earlier than 6,000.
And that is exactly how the BRZ feels in traffic. You really only need to be around 3,000 rpm to have usable grunt. Lately, I haven't been getting out the door before morning traffic loads up on the infamous South Bay Curve, but it's not hugely taxing in this car. At one point, I noticed vehicle speed had dipped to 6 mph but the BRZ held 2nd gear just fine. Of course, I still worked through the gears quite a bit, and the pedals are close enough together that it's pretty easy to blip the throttle a bit here and there to keeps things progressing smoothly.
I didn't spend the whole weekend in traffic, as we made our way to Fontana for the IndyCar race on Saturday. I agree with Brent that the ride quality in this car is totally livable. Nah, it's not like a Camry, but if you know what you're getting when you buy one of these (that is, a car you'll love on back roads and take to the occasional track day), you'll be totally fine with it.
The BRZ rides firmly, but it's not harsh. And in trade for the compliance you're giving up, you get a ton of feedback. Granted, you can't really make use of that information on the freeway, but, along with the quick steering, it encourages you to pay more attention to everything going on around you and whets your appetite for longer, more interesting drives in the BRZ.
There's a Scion FR-S billboard ad along my route. "Driving Is Back," it says. Driving never left my world, but the ad guys' sentiment is right on for this pair of coupes.
My spouse swears the navigation system prompts in our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ sound like submarine sonar. So he shot a quick video while we were out on an errand this morning and being guided by the BRZ's navigation lady. That video is after the jump, followed by a clip of sonar in a real sub. Similar, aren't they?
You'll also notice just how robotic the voice navigation is in the Subaru — and if you listen carefully, how the nav lady misidentifies "State Route 91" as "Stage Route 91." It's not an isolated occurrence. Every single California state highway (and we have many of them here in Southern California) is a stage route in her world. Is it a simple mispronunciation or is there a software engineer out there who imagines we still travel by stagecoach out here?
The BRZ's odo just spun past 5,000 miles. Sorry I didn't hit it on the nose, but the display had been showing outside temp (it only shows one function at a time — odo, trip odo, temp, take your pick) and by the time I remembered "Hey, we should be close to 5,000 miles" it had passed.
Thus far the BRZ has been trouble free (as I'd hope a car with just 5k on it would be, but that's not always the case). Fueling up today, it came to light how impressive it's been with fuel economy: our BRZ has been averaging 27.3 mpg against the EPA's "combined" number of 25, despite our staff's spirited driving style.
The BRZ is low to the ground. So am I. But I'm not as young/agile as I used to be, so getting in and out of low-slung sports cars like this ain't as easy as it used to be either. Thankfully, the BRZ features a soft, grippy surface on the sill (the portion after the seam) where I can place my hand to help push me up and out. The slightly tacky surface feels similar to that of a golf club grip, which helps prevent one's hand from slipping off.
Yes, even if it was just a standard plain plastic door sill (as seen before the seam) I could still use the same egress method. But the fact that the designers considered that people would be using the sill in this fashion and made the extra effort gets the little road ripper some extra points.
There were two gray cars in my driveway on Sunday afternoon. Our Dark Gray long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ was on the left, and my husband's United Gray 2011 Volkswagen GTI was over there on the right.
On the surface, these cars have little in common. Rear-drive, front drive. Two doors, four doors. Coupe, hatchback. Tiny backseat, big backseat.
But for a big chunk of would-be BRZ/FR-S customers, I think the GTI could be one of the more compelling arguments against Toyobaru ownership.
Making an argument for the BRZ over that four-door GTI is easy, though. To start, it's rear-drive and you can shut off the stability control, so it's a good candidate for a track day right out of the box. The GTI? Not so much.
Even if you're just going to drive on back roads, the BRZ is the obvious choice. It has a better driving position with better sightlines, and quicker steering with loads more feel. And you can just tell getting into the car that it likes to change direction — its responses to your inputs are satisfyingly immediate.
In contrast, the softer-tuned GTI is not that much fun on a back road, and I can't think of the last time my husband took it on one. But it's a quicker car, and the difference in commuter traffic is much wider than a comparison of 0-60 and quarter-mile times indicates. The VW has a lot more low-end grunt, and its 2.0 TSI engine serves it up ice-cream smooth, whereas you're going to work for it a bit with Subaru's naturally aspirated FA-series 2.0-liter.
Ride quality is also downright compliant in the VW, and even in this base model, materials quality is a couple levels up from the Subaru and, frankly, most other cars in this price range. The seats are cushy and roomy, and the cabin is pretty quiet. And thanks to the aforementioned backseat, we can take family and friends to dinner whenever we want.
Essentially, it's a choice between fun and convenience. The BRZ buyer still has the luxury of pushing certain realities off to the side, whereas maybe the GTI buyer does not. Oh, also $900. A base 2012 GTI 4-door stickers at $25,365. A base BRZ Premium (ours is a Limited) costs $26,265 in theory.
Which are your taking?
The added grip provided by the new tires on our FR-S is certainly nice. So is the fact that they don't sound like a band of screaming Comanches around every corner. However, I would ultimately stick with the stock wheels as found on our BRZ. I would also stick with the stock tires, or at least something similar.
The reason? As is, the BRZ strikes an ideal balance (for me any way) of driver involvement, agility, comfort and road noise. The FR-S' bigger wheels and more performance-oriented rubber create more impact harshness and drown out the stereo, conversation and my own thoughts. If you were to attend a lot of track days, sure, get the wheels and tires. But, since I would almost certainly never do that, I'd stick with the stock wheels that actually look pretty cool and eventually switch to a tire that maintains similar comfort/quiet properties but doesn't squeal so readily. Besides, slipping around can actually be more fun anyways.
Warning: This blog entry will not be relevant to you unless (1) you buy a 2013 Subaru BRZ and (2) you and your significant other have more than five smartphones or tablets between you.
As you might imagine, it doesn't take long for our staff to max out the number of allowable paired Bluetooth devices in most of our test vehicles. Five is a typical limit, and that's what it is in our BRZ.
So I needed to delete a device before I could pair my phone, but it's not immediately obvious how you're to do that in the BRZ.
First, you need to find your way to the Bluetooth menu and the paired device list.
But when you get there, you'll note that the Delete "button" is grayed out and nonfunctional. To make it functional, you need to press and hold the entry for the phone/tablet you want to delete, and then, the Delete button becomes active.
Maybe that procedure would have been clearly spelled out had I bothered to RTM, but even if it is, it's an odd way of deleting a device. But now I that I've done it once, I'll remember it for next time — just as a real BRZ owner would.
I've gone on record as saying the simulated suede and leather seats in our 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited are a smidge comfier than the all-simulated-suede seats in our 2012 Scion FR-S.
However, in autumn temperatures at or near the century mark (welcome to Southern California), I have to retract from that a bit. You see, those genuine leather bolsters get quite hot and don't seem like such a good idea after all. Should've parked in the garage.
Not sure why the BRZ trunk lid struts just now caught my attention. I must have half-expected to work around some gooseneck hinges while loading a few items into the trunk this morning. While not what you'd consider a premium feature, it's a good stroke of design and an appreciated effort to maximize that small space. With the price points both Subaru and Scion targeted, it would've been easy to skimp here and fudge the trunk numbers.
On most counts the driving position in the 2013 Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S is just about perfect for 6-foot 2-inch tall me. The one glaring exception is the seat belt, specifically the non-adjustable upper anchor.
As you can see the webbing wants to ride up my neck, and I find myself constantly pushing it back down to keep it at bay. If I could move the anchor down a notch or two I imagine the belt would naturally settle into a more comfortable path across my shoulder.
The little leatherette loop that's provided for the purpose on top of the seat is of little use — it lives below the level of my shoulder and its weak snap catch can't deal.
I guess I need to figure on wearing a collared shirt when I drive these machines.
It doesn't get any more accessible that this. The engine oil filter on the 2013 Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S sticks up like a small town water tower at the front of the engine, and you're reminded of it every time you add any of the recommended 0W-20 motor oil because it stands right next to the oil fill cap.
The filter sits in a nice little drip pan, too, so there's no excuse for making a mess of things.
Of course you still have to get the oil out, and for that you have to go underneath, as per usual.
The oil drain plug sits just aft of an expansive exhaust heat shield that you're only seeing because I've removed an engine undercover that's held on with something like a dozen bolts. But you won't have to remove any of them because the undercover sports a good-sized access hole in the critical area. Point is, it's liable to be hot under here for a good long time, especially on the passenger side, where the upstream catalytic converter lives.
Still, this looks like a mud simple DIY oil change.
By the calendar, it's mid-October. By the thermometer, it's August: 85 degrees in these environs today.
Being a black car with a black interior, the BRZ was more than a little toasty when I got into it this afternoon. But after just a few minutes on the "Full Auto" setting, it was a proper little ice chest. Powerful blowers and small cabin is a good combination.
The BRZ and I made a trip into Orange County Friday. And it was there, in the parking lot next to a Shakey's Pizza Parlor, that I saw the BRZ's bright, bright sales future.
I was getting out of the car when a half-dozen twentysomething guys in jeans and football jerseys ambled out of the restaurant. They stopped dead. They looked at the car. They looked at me. They looked back at the car. And you could read their minds: What in the holy heck was I doing with the BRZ, the car of their dreams?
Just lucky.
We've seen that child safety seats and bikes will fit in the back of our BRZ. I can now tell you that this 5-foot, 3.5-inch editor fits in the back seat. Having occasionally curled myself into the rear of Porsche 911s and other bitty-backseat cars, I had to try the BRZ out.
The discomfort, oddly enough, wasn't from inadequate leg room. With the front passenger seat in a quasi-normal position, my knees barely brushed its back. The backseat itself is nicely bucketed and has good lumbar support. The problem is that the low-slung front seat has no clearance. It felt like I was pushing my feet into a nicely padded, but really constricting ski boot. I could only make my feet fit completely under the seat by going pigeon-toed. That would be hard on the knees after a while.
No one is trying to sell the BRZ as a family car. But if any BRZ-loving buyer tries to con his or her co-signer into thinking that it would be a fine car for three or four people in a pinch, I can report that pinch is indeed the operative word.
After my first opportunity to drive the BRZ and the Scion FR-S back to back, let me say that I have heard exhaust systems that are capable of making the Subaru flat-4 sound interesting, but the stock system in the BRZ is not one of them.
With my first spare dollar after making a monthly payment on the BR-Z, I would start saving for the Apexi RS Evolution Extreme Catback exhaust that transformed the Scion FR-S. Really, the very, very first dollar.
We've hardly gushed over the Impreza's stereo head unit, but I'd much rather have it than the terrible standard navigation unit found in the BRZ. Actually, I like it better than the non-nav head unit in the FR-S as well.
Its physical radio preset buttons will always score points for me, the iPod interface works well with the tune/track/ch knob and the screen is large. Sure, it doesn't allow you to alter the sound settings whilst driving (among other functions), but in general, I'd much rather have this than the so-called upgrade navigation unit that is also an option on the Impreza. Its tiny "buttons" are almost unusable, there's no tuning knob and you can't simultaneously see the radio presets and radio information.
Let's also not forget that removing the standard navigation system would theoretically lower the BRZ's price.
These aren't the differences between Camaros and Firebirds I'm talking about. With those cars, there were enough styling and interior differences to project and cater to the different attitudes of prospective buyers. But the FR-S and BRZ are, near-as-makes-no-difference, the same car.
So what makes me want an FR-S over a BRZ? Easy. Petty, but easy.
It's that radio.
There's no other option on the BRZ and I will refuse to put in an aftermarket head unit. The BRZ's system looks aftermarket enough as it is - mildly ill-fitting and cheesy. Not to mention it washes out even with indirect sunlight. And, as Mark already mentioned, it's difficult to hit the buttons and it's slow to respond.
Some times, it really does come down to something as simple as the radio.
What's your preference?
The view over the hood can often hint at (or loudly proclaim) a car's personality. A visual cue that lets you know, even if you're slogging through traffic, that your ride has some personality and performance. It could be a hood scoop (or scoops) that does it, such as the shaker on a second-generation Trans Am or the twin nostrils atop the hood of my '98 Mustang Cobra. Also effective are humps over the front wheels, as if the car's taut, athletic body simply wraps over them. It's a design cue I happen to dig that's seen rather exaggerated (but still cool) on a C3 Corvette, less so on an old Opel GT and as subtle but still effective blisters on the BRZ.
A number of the truly keyless, proximity-based smart entry/start keys don't like to work when face-to-face with an iPhone — and by that I mean, literally, face to face. Keep most in your pocket alongside our favorite addiction and, if the phone is between the FOB and the car, it's unlikely to work. Switch places, however and it's fine.
You -> pocket -> key -> phone = bad
You -> pocket -> phone -> key = fine.
Unless it's the Subaru BRZ's key. It can't be in the same pocket or gym bag as an iPhone and still work. Big deal? Not really, but I keep my wallet in one front pocket and my key/phone in the other. This car just requires a different routine.
Dewdrops, fogging, condensation in your BRZ/FR-S taillights? You're not alone, and neither are we. Our longterm 2013 Subaru BRZ has teary taillights, too.
Subaru of America released a Service Bulletin for this issue — 12-131-12. Seems the mounting bolts on early cars were overtightened, cracking the plastic mounting boss and allowing moisture in. Apparently the fix is simply to replace the taillight housing. So that's what we'll have the dealer do at the next visit.
FYI the updated taillight housings were introduced into production cars on 09May2012 starting with VIN D*601678.
Chris' post a few days ago about the FR-S and his Ducati plus the subsequent commentary made me think about similar thoughts I've had about IL's BRZ/FR-S twins and my own car (2008 Corvette). Some people wrote they wouldn't buy a BRZ/FR-S because it's not practical enough. Fair enough, I suppose. But if you were unwise enough to buy a Corvette and then subsequently add two kids into your life, a BRZ and its backseat (however small) might actually seem like a practicality upgrade.
Oh, and the typical transaction price of a used '08 Vette coupe compared to a BRZ? Pretty much the same as both are in the $25,000 to $30,000 range.
I did profess my love of the FR-S recently in this post. And the thought of replacing the Corvette with something with a backseat has definitely entered my mind a few times. I suspect nobody is going to be cross-shopping used Corvettes with new BRZs, though it is interesting for me to compare the two.
Both are really fun to drive, though for very different reasons. The BRZ definitely feels like the more proper driver's car. It's light and super communicative. I thoroughly enjoyed driving it on one of my favorite routes a couple months ago. Yes, its limits are modest, but that's sort of the point. It's a Porsche Cayman on a budget.
Ah, and then there's the Corvette. In contrast, it feels big and unwieldy, even if it has much higher handling limits than the BRZ. Through some aftermarket additions, I feel like I've partially negated my Vette's undesirable traits, but it's telling that my wife still hates driving it, whereas she actually enjoyed driving the IL BRZ when she had to take it to work one day. But for me, one swift stab on the throttle is enough to largely atone for its sins. The BRZ's 2.0-liter flat-4 is nice, but it wilts entirely compared to 6.2 liters of American V8 thunder.
I'm fortunate that my job at Edmunds provides a nice safety net of an additional car to drive. Without it, I suspect the Corvette would have been sold by now. Would I have bought a BRZ or FR-S? I really don't know. Maybe. A Mustang would perhaps seem to be an ideal compromise of the two worlds, but I feel like a BRZ and Mustang rank pretty equally in my mind.
Now maybe if a turbocharged/supercharged BRZ/FR-S model would come out...
The main dynamic differences between the 2013 Subaru BRZ and the FR-S lie in their ride and handling. I prefer the BRZ's ride and the FR-S' handling. The FR-S is sprung slightly softer in the front and stiffer in the rear. It rides a little busily in the rear as a result, a slight bobble, like it's a shade underdamped. Or something. It's not as settled or resolved as the BRZ's ride, which has a more familiar gait. Subaru's ride tuning is better.
But the FR-S' more tail-lively handling better suits the car, especially at stock power. Also, its softer front end gives the steering a more natural feel than the BRZ. It's a difference you can notice when you've got one car of each flavor readily at hand, as we do.
Really though, these differences are nuance-y, and I always look forward to driving either one. Pragmatic aspects like feature content, price, availability and dealer access are more likely to sway a decision toward one car or the other. That, and brand loyalty.
I'm half of a household of two, and since neither of us have bulky hobbies like cycling or snowboarding (though we already know a bike will fit while a microwave won't), the 2013 Subaru BRZ's 6.9-cubic-foot trunk capacity would meet our needs 95 percent of the time.
What you see here is most of a $130 grocery store trip... yeah, I paid extra to get a pre-brined turkey. Ah, Trader Joe's, you know me too well.
I say "most" because at California prices, that still didn't net me enough food to pack the trunk tight, so the salad greens and eggs had to ride in the cockpit for their own protection. Even on a short drive, the Toyobarus just aren't cars you can drive gingerly, and over the course of two miles, the 15-pound turkey reorganized the bags.
And so if I owned a BRZ, I would indulge my spouse's obsession with OEM cargo accessories...
I had a cargo net in mind, but this cargo organizer would probably do a better job protecting the greens and eggs. Disregard the total price shown here... while looking at the organizer, figured I'd build a BRZ to my own liking — Premium trim, white paint.
In other news, a long weekend is upon us, so I'm hoping to flee the suburbs and take the Subaru BRZ somewhere besides the grocery store.
There is no legroom behind the 2013 Subaru BRZ's driver seat when I'm sitting in it. For optimum comfort, I put it all the way back on its track. If I'd been in Brent's car seat situation, I might have had to call for a cab.
Thing is, those small bucket seats do give you some possibilities for secure storage that you wouldn't get with a large open hatch. For example, on Thursday, they transported a couple pumpkin pies for a distance of 30 miles with no damage to the deliciously flaky crusts.
However, I also had a 20-pound roasted turkey in tow, and since I couldn't trust it not to distribute its juices throughout the carpeted trunk, that left me with one alternative.
My passenger got to hold the turkey.
He reported that seat comfort was excellent, by the way, and says that it contributes to the car's suitability for daily-driver use. But he also feels that road noise levels are high in the BRZ — high enough to deter him from buying one. I agree with him that this is not a quiet car, but to my ears, it's about average among the sporty coupes and sport compacts in this price range and still significantly more serene than an STI or Evo.
I went into the Thanksgiving holidays intending to take some kind of interesting drive in the 2013 Subaru BRZ, something in the spirit of Mark and Kurt's autocross day in the FR-S and Focus ST. Well, it didn't happen.
What did happen was an unplanned, two-and-a-half-hour drive to Corona, California. Corona is about 50 miles from my house. Our relatives had already eaten the turkey and stuffing when we arrived. This was one of those drives that makes you start thinking that an automatic-equipped BRZ isn't such a bad idea after all. Of course, I could never bring myself to buy this car with an automatic. But I'd understand if someone else did... well, I'd try to understand anyway.
So the clutch takeup in our long-term BRZ is not bad at all. It's still way easier to manage in traffic that sport compacts of a decade (or so) ago. And there's enough torque to hold 2nd gear until you drop below about 8 mph. The issue in traffic is that the clutch takes kind of a long time to engage, so if you're not deliberate with your left foot, you'll jostle your passengers around as you clumsily rush the 1-2, 2-3 upshifts. Fortunately, I had plenty of time to perfect my technique.
The seats were great during our drive (and during the part where we just sat). I never got uncomfortable. And the car was quiet enough for my taste, quiet enough for a sport compact, at least at the speeds we were traveling.
The audio system was kind of a bummer. None of the equalizer settings seems to make it easy to hear talk radio, and none of them make my music sound that great. Then again, I rarely listened to the radio in our 1985 Porsche 911 — and like that car, the Subaru BRZ is not the kind of car you buy if you want to listen to the radio.
"Not receiving navigation data."
This is what the BRZ lady says (or something close to that) within a few minutes of setting off. It's happened the last four times I've driven the car, and I wasn't in a tunnel, parked next to a giant building or in some other obvious place where the GPS signal would be lost.
After this happens, the navi then struggles to figure things out. In the above photo, the car is not where the map says it is. In fact, the icon was moving forward along Pico Boulevard when I took this photo despite being safely parked at a traffic light. It was actually further ahead than where I actually was.
So, not only does this navigation unit make using the audio system iritating, it doesn't really know where it is, either. Now, consider that this same unit comes on the all-new Subaru Forester introduced at the LA Auto Show this week. If navigation is an important feature for you, the Forester would look awfully silly compared to the Honda CR-V, Chevy Equinox (MyLink is great), Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and even the Ford Escape.
Every year I seem to drive incredibly impractical cars to the LA Auto Show. Impractical, at least, for wearing a suit and needing a place to hang my jacket. Last year? The NSX. Two years ago? My BMW Z3. Three years ago? How the hell should I remember, but I'm sure it wasn't great.
This year, I selected the BRZ. Moron. No coat hook, either. To make matters worse, I even made a trip to the dry cleaners the night before the show. On the upside, unlike the NSX and Z3, it was at least easier to drape my jacket over the passenger seat. I also suppose I could've put it across the back seat as well.
Still, no coat hook. That's the moral of the blog.
One of the biggest disappointments with living in Los Angeles is the complete lack of weather. It's just so...boring. Except for late fall/early winter.
Starting sometime in late November, though, things start to get fun. Clouds roll over the mountains and water falls from the skies.
I saw the weather report and rushed for the keys to the BRZ. It's still got the stock tires unlike the FR-S and I'm assuming rain will make the BRZ the most fun car in the world. Lack of power only matters when you've got too much grip.This is the way I make long-term decisions.
Unfortunately, Riswick had it for the first few days of rain, but I've got it this weekend. Anyone know a good parking lot?
Rear-wheel drive.
Light weight.
Craptastic Prius tires.
Rain.
Slick California Roads.
Things that don't mix: Tiny, hard-to-use-while-stopped touchscreens with tiny buttons and cars with too-firm suspension. It's even worse when a terrible song comes on the radio and you've got to change things QUICKLY. The only solution is to form a triangle (triangles make things strong) out of your thumb, middle and pinky fingers to build a strong enough base so that your index finger may, hopefully, possibly, hit the right button. o
I found a short video that represents this well after the jump.
Oh, but I shouldn't complain about the radio on a performance car? Please. The engine sounds terrible and this is 2012, if a car can't have a working radio it deserves zero passes. This interface is a case of trying to do far, far too much with far too few resources.
Sometimes it's easy to find fault with the cars you can buy in 2012, as "features" like computer-controlled throttles, electric power steering and increasingly less defeatable stability control systems override more and more of the driver's authority from the cockpit. And that is why you are required to feel at least a little bit happy about a car like the 2013 Subaru BRZ.
Even in its stock, pre-turbocharged, no-quicker-that-a-Mini-Cooper-S form, the BRZ is a fun car to drive to work. It has quick steering with good feel, a really nice brake pedal feel with immediate bite, and a superbly tuned chassis that permits very little body roll around corners but doesn't slam the door on compliance. So, traffic permitting, left turns and curvy entrance ramps can be taken with gusto, but the suspension calibration's not so stiff you'll be unhappy once you're on the freeway. It's not that loud, either. ("The BRZ's quieter than your WRX," I tell my spouse, "mainly because it doesn't have all that driveline noise." Someday we'll settle this with a sound meter.)
Honestly, cars that toe the control-comfort balance this deftly don't come around every day. There's the Miata, I suppose, but I've never driven a Miata with this much room in its cockpit. My old 240SX (S14 and totally stock) offered a similar package, but its ride was harsher, its steering less precise and its seating position much farther from optimal.
Besides that, I'm acclimated to the BRZ's six-speed manual gearbox now, and I really enjoy the mechanical feel of each gear change. You're not going to run through the gears lightning-quick (at least, I'm not), but this is one of those cars that makes you feel smart and skillful when you rip off a smooth upshift or nail a rev-matched downshift.
Driving the Subaru in heavy, heavy traffic is not that enjoyable (only in a Prius or EV does severe traffic bring anything resembling delight), but in light-to-moderate traffic with regular slowing, I seize the opportunity to do some heel-and-toe downshifting. When I finally find room in my schedule for a good road with good curves, I'll be ready.
There's something about hopping in a good sports car to extinguish any problems from your mind. That's what happened as I drove the 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited home last night. And yep, even though we've had it since July, this was actually my first time driving it.
Like the Scion FR-S, it's fantastic. It's got the right stuff, as Dan Gurney used to say about the second-gen Toyota Supra. I know Gurney was right, because I owned one.
The BRZ is light on its feet, has direct steering, a positive-shifting manual gearbox, supportive seats and a nice steering wheel. And yes, there's just enough power. Sure, you have to downshift sometimes on the highway to make a strong pass. But it's a sports car...you're supposed to shift it. And like it.
If you get in the BRZ and you're not immediately excited to be driving, there's something wrong with you. I mean anytime, even slithering around clogged freeway traffic.
In a world that sometimes seems like it's gone crazy, the Subaru BRZ stands as something that's so very right, so very good and so utterly fun.
I took our 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited to Glendora Mountain Road over the long holiday weekend. Of course, the one morning I had free for a strafing run on this fabulously twisty piece of tarmac, the surface was wet from the previous night's rain.
No matter, if anything it just made it more exciting.
Unfortunately, there were some thick blankets of fog to slow me down, but in general the BRZ and I had the road to ourselves. Rain keeps the cyclists and other motorists away.
I was thoroughly impressed with the precision and sports-car competence of the BRZ, as I kinda figured I would be. In the wet-to-drying conditions, the tires provided excellent and very consistent grip levels. You could really dive the car into corners hard, and the front would hang on pretty well before it would start to push.
With admittedly less than an abundance of power on tap, there was a high level of rear grip exiting the corners, too. Its lack of power helps it as a rain car, since things are unlikely to get drastically out of shape in a hurry like in a big-motor machine. But even still, oversteer could usually be coerced with an aggressive throttle mash, something you have to try a lot harder to achieve in the dry.
Everything worked as it should: The steering was spot-on precise, brakes held up fine, seats held me in place and the pedals are perfectly-placed for easy heel-and-toeing.
If you read the last long-term update on our 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited, then you know we took it for a wet-weather run up Glendora Mountain Road. It proved, yet again, how terrific this little sports car truly is.
In retrospect, I kind of wish I had gotten on the mountain a bit earlier in the morning when it was still raining so the road would've been fully wet for the entire flogging session. But, maybe I would've encountered even more fog.
Regardless, enjoy photos of our rainy/foggy morning on GMR after the break.
The BRZ's touchscreen interface is pretty awful. Not MyFord Touch awful, but still pretty bad. Small icons placed haphazardly around the screen make navigating the audio system particularly perilous in traffic. At this stage in the evolution of in-car electronics, the manufacturers would do well to standardize some of this stuff. If they don't, NHTSA might well do it for them.
But here's a pleasant surprise. The also-crummy audio system is decidedly less crummy with the discovery of this 7-band graphic equalizer. You can dial in some decent bass with some definition and just enough top-end to bring out guitars, cymbals and vocals without getting too crispy.
You don't expect to find this kind of EQ in most cars these days. You're lucky to get bass/mid/treble in some nicer Benzes. The multi-band graphic EQ is just another quaint artifact from the days when people valued good sound in their car and desired some level of control over it. Now we keep all our music as compressed files on our phones.
I always soften a bit toward a manufacturer or their audio partners when I find one of these. Granted, the touchscreen virtual sliders are kinda dumb, nothing like actual knobs or faders. But in these fast-forward times, we take what we get.
I know these snapping seat belt loops are meant to help get the belts out of the way, thus aiding ingress/egress to and from the back seat. If you regularly put adult friends back there, however, you'll likely be looking for a new group of friends.
I know these loops are also meant to evoke some sort of classic sports car vibe, and I think they do. Sorta. They're cool, but seem more like an affectation. In the end, you're usually still yanking a handful of nylon webbing over your head as you contort into the back seat, or else trying to avoid snagging your ankle in the hanging material near the floorboard. Such are the perils of keeping yourself on the right side of the windshield.
The BRZ's shift action is not what you'd call greasy. It's not buttery, slick, slippery or any other of a handful of adjectives you might use to describe, say, one of Acura's better manual gearboxes. Instead, the throws are chunky, deliberate, notchy, agricultural, or any of a handful of adjectives that describe a transmission that's not offensive in any way, but one you can't quite call refined.
I've only had the opportunity to drive a couple of WRXs, neither of them stock. So I was curious to hear from our in-house Subie guru Rex Torres if this shift characteristic was shared across the family. He agreed that it was, saying that his own WRX exhibited the same feel. Then he urged me to drive the FR-S, saying that something — bushings, linkage, special sauce maybe — feels different in the FR-S.
So I'm taking it tonight to find out.
We had some trouble scheduling routine maintenance on our 2012 Subaru BRZ. It seems that dealerships in our neighborhood were all too busy to service our car. What began as a simple oil change grew to a frustrating pinball between three different dealers...
The service drive at Subaru of Santa Monica was packed as we pulled in last Thursday. An advisor greeted us promptly. We explained that our BRZ was due for its 7,500-mile service. "There are a lot of cars ahead of you. Chances are that we won't get to yours today," he responded. Even though he offered to schedule an appointment for us on another day, we were put off by the initial denial. We left.
Back at the office we dialed Timmons Subaru in Long Beach. Denied again. This time we requested an appointment for the coming Tuesday. "Our next available appointment is for a week from Tuesday," the rep explained. We reminded him that this visit was basically just an oil change. "Um, we like to schedule appointments for regular service." I asked him what would happen if I just showed up. He repeated himself, "We prefer to schedule appointments for this type of service." Frustrated, I declined and hung up.
My next call was to South Coast Subaru. I waited for the weekend to pass. Monday morning I called, requesting the same Tuesday appointment I tried at Timmons. "No problem, sir. What time would you like to come in tomorrow? We open at 7:30." I added that our taillights were fogging and we'd like to have that fixed also. His response was, "Not a problem." At 7:30 the next morning a service advisor met me at the car, noted my concerns and pointed me to the waiting area. After 90 minutes my advisor broke the news, "Mike, your service is done. They're washing it now. We ordered the replacement taillight housings and will call you when they arrive early next week."
I was not wowed by South Coast Subaru. But Santa Monica and Timmons were such a disappointment it was a relief to find timely, courteous and so far, competent service for our BRZ. We'll keep you updated on the foggy taillight fix.
Yesterday we drove our 2013 Subaru BRZ to South Coast Subaru to follow up on the taillight condensation issue we experienced. This turned out to be a quick fix. It also changed my opinion of this dealer for the better.
I left South Coast Subaru neither impressed nor disappointed following routine maintenance at 7,500 miles. But after this visit I change my mind. I'd recommend this dealer for service. These guys went the extra mile.
I needed pictures for our starving readers. So without saying as much, I asked permission to take some photos of the repair process. With insurance guidelines and whatnot, such a request is sometimes frowned upon. But our advisor and the mechanic, both David, took time to walk me back to the garage to observe. I'd like to think they would do the same for any interested customer. And I think that is pretty cool.
The repair itself took about an hour. I arrived at 7:15 for my appointment and the car was pulled around back shortly thereafter. The TSB called for removal and replacement of the entire taillight housing and seal behind it. Hopefully this solves the problem.
Our 2013 Subaru BRZ reached the 10,000-mile mark while we were driving in this morning. So far we've had just one maintenance item of note, the taillight condensation. That problem was fixed under warranty. Subaru has also paid for routine service to-date as part of its free maintenance program. No breakdowns. No cost to own. We can get used to this.
I don't know how I managed it, but my 24-inch, must-be-checked-to-your-final-destination rollaboard bag was even fatter when I returned from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ was my assigned vehicle for the night, and I inadvertently found the limit of its trunk space, at least when it comes to trunk height.
The bag just cleared the opening of the BRZ's trunk. And with some twisting, it just fit into the trunk with half an inch at most to spare in the height department.
I measured the height of both the opening and the trunk itself, and logically, they're both 15.75 inches. The photos I've included here with my tape measure distort that a bit (I had to come in from a weird camera angle to take advantage of the fading daylight), but take my word for it: It really is 15.75 inches high. So in its expanded form, the bag was probably 15.25 inches thick, give or take a quarter of inch.
One further note: Although I positioned the bag sideways, it would have gone in wheels first if I'd been so inclined because the trunk is just a hair over 31.5 inches deep. For me, the BRZ has enough trunk space to serve as a personal car (provided I drove it by myself 90 percent of the time), because this 24-incher is the largest suitcase I own and I don't currently have other hobbies that require bulky equipment.
Finally, I carved out some time to drive our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ on a good road. It was a late-hour decision, as you can see in the photo, so only my husband went with me. Our drive took us down some of our favorite roads in the San Gabriel Mountains. It was a mini celebration of six months of marital bliss. Then, we went out for sushi.
The BRZ is the most entertaining car I've driven on these roads since our long-term Mazdaspeed 3 left. I know, I've previously said our Ford Focus ST is great fun, and it really is, but there's something about the BRZ that makes me enjoy it just a little bit more. I think it's probably a combination of the Subaru's seating position, which is just spot-on for a 5-foot-10-inch, 150-pound adult, and this small coupe's lightweight, unencumbered feel.
Plus, the steering is just quick with lots of feel. And the suspension calibration keeps body roll in check without making the ride too rigid over crumbling bits of blacktop. And thanks to the Subaru's HID headlights, the fun doesn't stop when the sun sets because, even at the low-beam setting, you can see a bit farther down the road than with conventional halogens.
At times, I still wish the engine in this car had a little more personality, but on these roads at my pace, you don't really need an engine with exhaust character or a ton of torque. This car offers just enough grunt to accelerate out of corners, and good pedal placement makes for easy heel-and-toe downshifts to keep engine rpm in the useful range. I can't wait to take a longer drive.
I haven't taken our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ on a long trip yet, but sometimes, after a couple of hours in it, I think there should be a center armrest, something James mentioned right after we got the car. Neither Subaru nor Scion sells one as an accessory in the U.S., though at least one aftermarket vendor makes one.
Problem is that retrofitting this armrest (or any official accessory that Subaru eventually brings to market) will eat up a lot of the storage in the center console. Mind you, the cupholder unit in the console is a flimsy thing, but I like that you can remove and reposition it further back so that my elbow never bumps my metal water bottle.
Also during a recent drive on some back roads, I had my water bottle, my phone, my garage door open, my keys and two cans of macadamias stowed in the console's various slots. It all remained secure through tighter turns. So maybe I don't want an armrest after all.
You would think that a car like the 2013 Subaru BRZ or its Scion FR-S cousin would be the sort that underperforms when it comes to real-world MPG. Why? Because they beg to be driven, that's why.
Thankfully, that's not the case. The 2013 Subaru BRZ is EPA-rated to deliver 22 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg in the typical mix of each that we all really drive. In just under 6 months and just over 10,500 miles our BRZ has averaged 26.3 mpg. Compare that to its 25 mpg combined rating in order to be suitably impressed.
The first three months included many road trips, and during that period we bested the 30 mpg highway rating on no less than 8 fill-ups. Over the last three months it stayed closer to home and didn't get out on the open road much, but it still averaged 25.6 mpg and beat its EPA combined rating without the benefit of a single 30+ mpg tank.
You want to talk about range? We don't often run a tank dry, but our Subaru has gone as far as 356.9 miles between fill-ups. We put 11.4 gallons into its 13.2-gallon tank that day, so 400 miles isn't impossible in the right sort of conditions.
Of course all of this was done on 91-octane premium, the required fuel for this car.
A few months we saw how easy it is to get at the 2013 Subaru BRZ's oil filter for a DIY oil change. Turns out the nearby air filter is every bit as in-your-face and easy to swap out.
Simply unfasten the two exposed clips at the top and pry the clamshell airbox open with your fingers. It's a tight squeeze, and you have to apply constant pressure to keep it open, but it comes right out.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S may be the same car, but they're not the same car. If I were buying something to autocross, to turn into a T4 SCCA racer, it'd be the Scion all the way due to its lower price and slightly briefer equipment list.
But the Subaru BRZ would my choice for a daily driver. Appearance-wise, I like the wider-at-the-top front grille styling. Most of all I prefer the interior.
Navigation and satellite radio are standard on the Subie but are not available without a dealer-installed or aftermarket upgrade in the Scion. I'm neutral on this point because I can replicate navi to my satisfaction with an iPhone app. Beyond that, the Subaru's high-level Limited trim has no equal on the Scion side, so it's the BRZ all the way if you want heated seats, pushbutton start with proximity door unlocking or automatic climate control.
I only care about seat heaters to the extent that my wife is a huge fan. Pushbutton start is a "whatever" gimmick at first glance but I do like being able to keep that proximity key in my pocket without having to fish it out to start the car and lock or unlock doors. But when it comes to A/C, sign me up for the set-it-and-forget-it convenience of automatic climate control. Full auto, 73 on the dial and I'm happy. I'd rather concentrate on the drive in a car like this and let the thermostat sort out my comfort.
At the end of the day the BRZ, particularly the Limited, has daily-use convenience features the Scion doesn't offer. Then again I recently returned from an SCCA National points race weekend. T4 is a competition class that's caught my eye, just as showroom stock once did. I'd strip all that stuff out for race prep. Maybe I need to look at the Scion.
You can tow any car behind a motorhome if you use a trailer. But that's not the preferred method for motorhome aficionados. The ideal scenario is pictured above: a so-called "dinghy" vehicle rolling behind on its own four wheels, ready to be unhooked and driven around on side trips while the motorhome sits parked with its awnings unfurled and its sliders popped out in full relaxation mode.
This towing technique goes by many names: dinghy towing, flat towing and four-down towing to name a few. As you can imagine there are mechanical implications for the car involved.
The strictly pavement-only 2013 Subaru BRZ isn't the first sort of car that comes to mind for this activity but, then again, not everyone who tours the U.S. in a motorhome is looking to explore off road when they stop. You could be planning to tour the racetracks or interesting winding mountain roads of this country in your retirement. Why relegate yourself to something overly pedestrian?
Is the 2013 Subaru BRZ up for it? Can you flat tow it behind a motorhome?
In a word, no. In two words, forget it. In three words, bring a trailer. And it doesn't matter if we're talking about the automatic or the 6-speed manual transmission. Both are similarly prohibited.
Automatic: nope.
Manual: nope.
It's not as if Subaru doesn't know what this is. They use the common term right there in the owner's manual.
No huge loss, I suppose. The BRZ isn't a perfect match for this demographic. It would have always been the outsider's choice. But I am curious why the 6-speed manual can't manage it.
Maybe this guy and his family of skulls are fans of 1970 cartoons, but that license plate would be perfect for our 2013 Subaru BRZ. Would you agree?
The photo doesn't quite convey how unnecessarily frustrating it is to do, but try reading then selecting a preset from that list of radio stations with the tip of your finger at the end of your outstretched arm while driving on a bumpy L.A. freeway at 65 mph in traffic and you'll understand.
Perhaps the motion-damped stylus that comes with the Fujitsu FA601US head unit has gone missing. Perhaps nobody listens to the radio any longer because I can much more easily select SAT, DISC, or USB than a radio preset.
And don't even get me started on the difficulty of actually tuning a radio station without a knob. Even if it's prohibited to adjust the fader, treble, bass or midrange while the vehicle is in motion, at least the audio system in our 2012 Subaru Impreza has knobs and physical buttons.
By my completely unscientific estimate, about 50% of the available real estate on the BRZ's touch screen is either artistic design or unused space. Why did they not render the presets as, oh I dunno, squares?! instead of the quarter-inch tall ribbons that they are? This isn't the first time Subaru has let us down in the audio head unit department either.
Okay, I feel better. Now get off my lawn.
This unedited photo of the Subaru BRZ's touchscreen display in action is an exact representation of how it looked as I drove down Pacific Coast Highway with the sun behind me. Even sitting at a red light and putting my hand over the display to block the sun, viewing my options were nearly impossible.
We've already had problems selecting presets, changing stations and with a finicky navigation system. But not being able to see what you're doing is a different problem altogether.
Next time I head east in the afternoon, I'll be sure to select an album I can listen to in its entirety because knowing what I'm selecting is definitely not an option.
Taking the Subaru BRZ home on crowded streets, sitting in L.A. traffic and waiting for the lights to change is not my idea of fun. So instead, I decided to take a romp in our local back roads after work and see what the BRZ was like in the mountains.
And yes, it's just like everybody's been saying since we've had the car. I didn't have to be drifting or reaching the car's limits of grip to enjoy the simplicity of it all. Even though I left the stability control on and spent a vast majority of my time in third gear (and well below the speed limit) it was still a great time.
I'm not 100-percent sure I'd want this car as a daily driver but on the weekends, I'm sold.
I love the window line on our 2013 Subaru BRZ. Aesthetically, the BRZ is one of my favorite designs on the market for new cars today. But seeing what's behind you when backing out of a parking spot can prove difficult.
When I back out of a parking spot (as a force of habit) I try to do more than just look in the mirrors. It's saved me from hitting a few shopping carts, other cars and my fair share of texting pedestrians. Seat belt on, engage reverse gear, right arm goes over the passenger seat, swivel head to the right to see this:
In this case, less is not more. If I had a passenger, seeing out of the right side of the car would be near impossible. I do quite a bit of head shuffling to make sure there are no small children behind me then check the driver side:
Reversing in the BRZ isn't the most graceful exercise with all the required head bobbing and double checking you'll have to do. The rear 'windows' really are fashion pieces but at least they do that job well.
First it was the teenage boy in the church parking lot with the mop-like hair. "Dude, I like your car," he said. Then it was my wife's friend (a hair stylist with, I must admit, much better hair than the teenager) who came over to our house. "It's so cute!" she exclaimed, after seeing the 2013 Subaru BRZ in my driveway. Later that afternoon: My shirtless neighbor, washing his Tahoe, noted that the BRZ "looked pretty sharp."
It was three positive comments in one day for the BRZ. Not too shabby. Yet curiously, nobody actually knew what the BRZ was.
Presumably, this is because the BRZ (and FR-S) is still pretty new and quite limited in terms of sales numbers compared to mainstream cars. Nor does it enjoy massive marketing. But I think it's a credit to the car's designers that people do notice, even if they don't know what it is.
Not all affordable performance cars can pull this off. Our long-term Ford Focus ST is a good example. Most people just assume it's a Focus painted to resemble the hue of a Tropicana carton. Only a rare few actually realize it's something special.
Of course, there's something to be said for the appeal of an undercover performance car, too. But if I had to open my garage everyday and take my car to work, I know I'd much prefer the seductive (and eye-catching) styling of the BRZ.
We added about another 1,000 miles to our 2013 Subaru BRZ during February. The miles were largely from commuting around Los Angeles and resulted in an average of 25.6 mpg. That matches the EPA's 25 mpg estimate for combined driving.
Lifetime, our car actually continues to slightly beat the EPA estimate with an average of 26.3 mpg. That's pretty impressive considering how easy (and tempting) it is to drive the BRZ enthusiastically.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.6
Best Fill MPG: 32.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.3
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): 25
Best Range: 357 miles
Current Odometer: 11,668 miles
Recently, I wrote an update about how few people seem to know what our 2013 Subaru BRZ is, even if they do like the way it looks. Well, I should update that observation slightly with the following: Subaru Impreza WRX drivers definitely know what our BRZ is.
While driving our Subaru BRZ, I've gotten grins and thumbs from just about every other WRX driver I've seen on the road. I never really thought of it before, but it's actually kind of cool to be part of the "Subaru club" particularly because a lot of WRX owners are really into their cars. The BRZ naturally speaks the car enthusiast language.
I'm not sure if I'd get the same reaction from WRX drivers in a Scion FR-S. (Granted, it's not easy to tell the two cars apart from a distance.) Additionally, though, I don't think there's nearly as strong of a built-in fraternity feeling with the Scion brand as there is with Subaru.
Thinking about it, this would be a reason, albeit a minor one, for me to consider buying the BRZ over the FR-S.
Recently editor Travis Langness wrote an update on our 2013 Subaru BRZ noting how he took the car to some local back roads to truly enjoy it after suffering in typical Los Angeles traffic. I totally get that, thinking back to when I took the BRZ on some of my favorite driving roads last year.
Still, I would add a counterpoint: In cities not as congested as L.A. (and with not as poor of roads), the BRZ can still be a lot of fun.
Given its modest tire grip, small size and excellent communication through the steering wheel, you can sweep around city street corners at decent (though still legal) speed and really feel the BRZ work its way up to its handling limits. It's the sort of fun you can't really get from anything else these days, with the exception of a Miata.
All you need to do is throw in some heel-and-toe downshifting during braking, and you've got your own little faux autocross on your way home from work.
One of the neat little features I like about our 2013 Subaru BRZ (and Scion FR-S) is the programmable rpm-based shift indicator light. It's a little red light in the gauge cluster that flashes (there's a corresponding beep, too) that notifies you that the engine has achieved a certain rpm. The main use of the light is to make it easier to know when the engine is approaching redline as you're accelerating hard so that you know when to upshift. You can use your peripheral vision to spot the light (or just listen for the beep) instead of having to focus your eyes on the tachometer itself.
The activation rpm of the light is adjustable. It's a little finicky to do, and you'll have to read the owner's manual first, but basically it involves pressing the car's "DISP" button a bunch of times. In the photo above, I set the light to activate at 6,900 rpm. It's adjustable from 2,000 rpm to 7,400 rpm. In the photo, you can also see a "b," which indicates the light's beeping noise is active as well (the owner's manual calls it a "buzzer," but the sound is more like a quick series of three beeps). You can turn off the beeping noise, as well as the shift light.
The beeps aren't that loud (if the radio's on, you'll probably miss them), and the light isn't nearly as prominent as you'd get from a dedicated, racer-style aftermarket shift light. But for what it is, I think it's pretty cool that Subaru and Toyota designed it into the car.
A lot of cars have been run through the Edmunds long-term test program over the years. It's hard to say exactly how many of those I've driven, but it's easily more than 100. Within that group, there are certain cars that I truly enjoyed and would love to own and put in my own garage.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ is one of them.
Just about everything seems right about this car. The styling is crisp and distinctive. I really enjoy the communicative steering and modest-yet-entertaining handling and how they are complemented by a not-too-stiff ride quality. Acceleration isn't blazing, but its quick enough to still have fun without putting my driver's license at risk. You get solid fuel economy, too.
Inside, there's nothing dramatically special about the BRZ, but little touches like the red accent stitching on the steering wheel or digital speedo go a long way. It's also reasonably functional as a sports coupe, with comfortable and supportive front seats and enough trunk space and rear-seat room to make daily driving and/or long road trips quite easy to do.
Finally, I love how you can get all of this for around $26,000.
If I were to rank all the long-term cars over the years in terms of favorites, the BRZ (and, yes, Scion FR-S) would be in my top five of all time.
When I connected my iPod to our 2013 Subaru BRZ's audio system for the drive home yesterday, it sounded awful, flat, and shallow. I've already ranted once (here) on how difficult it is to press those teeny, virtual buttons. So, imagine my surprise, three menus deep, to find this.
Not only is it increasingly rare to find more than just bass and treble adjusters in a "modern" stereo, but to be able to save several profiles is a wonderful idea, especially for car audio. One moment I might be listening to AM radio for "traffic on the tens," and need to bump up the midrange. The next I might be listening to my iPod and want a pleasing curve like the one I saved to the memory.
Well done, Subaru, or is that Fujitsu?
You'll forgive me the dark and grainy photo, but it wasn't until this dark morning that I realized our 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited had an automatic approach-light feature.
Sure, many cars light up the interior when you press the unlock button on the remote, but the BRZ Limited's standard, keyless access/ignition feature does this simply by approaching the car with the remote in your pocket. I don't recall seeing this feature on sub-lux cars. I like it.
This morning I walked out to our 2013 Subaru BRZ and found the dome light left on. At the time I had no way of knowing how long it was lit. So I hustled upstairs, grabbed the key and climbed inside.
The fact that the light was still on seemed like a good omen, I rationalized, as I crossed my fingers and pressed the start button. It chugged briefly before turning over. It must be my luck day. I was half looking forward to push starting the Subaru, but I'm glad it didn't need to happen. After a handful of interrogations, I learned that the light was on for a few hours prior to me seeing it. Tragedy averted.
This photo doesn't really depict sports car driving. Instead, it's a parking lot at a Mexican restaurant in the boondocks of Orange County (yes, such a place exists) that you tried for the first time and realized, sure, the ambience is fantastic, but the service is agonizingly slow, food mediocre and prices definitely too steep for what you get.
But I digress.
This is the point with the Subaru BRZ. You look for excuses to take it for a spin, drive it a little further than you need to, because it's such an entertaining piece. Even if that means ending up at an over-priced, underwhelming restaurant.
While big horsepower is surely big fun, the BRZ defines what sports car driving is all about: small, low and lightweight. Which, along with its perfectly tuned suspension, delivers fantastically precise steering and handling.
It makes driving a fun experience all the time. Not just when you're hammering on a back road.
In truth the 2013 Subaru BRZ's climate control knobs aren't completely detent-less. But they're darn close.
And apparently I'm a texture and detent kinda guy. So it bugs me when I try to turn the Subie's central fan speed knob up just one click, and it instead goes up two or three because there's almost no resistance.
Not a huge deal, mind you. But it's something that could be done better.
In the month of March, our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ spun an additional 1,344 miles onto its odometer and consumed 51 gallons of 91 octane fuel. That equates to 26.3 miles per gallon for the month, which is bang on its lifetime average, too.
It also means we're continuing to beat the BRZ's EPA combined 25 mpg rating. Not bad considering that this is the kind of car that compels one to use its throttle with enthusiasm.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.6
Best Fill MPG: 32.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.3
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): 25
Best Range: 357 miles
Current Odometer: 13,013 miles
Note: Cars are sometimes refueled before their fuel tanks are nearly empty. As such, "best" and "worst" fuel economy entries above are not necessarily the result of an entire tank's worth of driving.
Everybody bagged on Chris Bangle and what came to be called flame-surfacing when his first designs hit the road. A decade later, flame surfacing, 3D creases and compound curves show up in everyone's designs, from Hyundai to Ford. And here they are in the BRZ's dash, in the metal mesh grilles for the mids and tweeters.
Is Bangle vindicated? I won't go that far. But as the initial uproar becomes a distant memory, designers look like they're more confident introducing these elements into their work. And maybe someday, in the not too-distant future, we'll all realize just how ahead of its time the Pontiac Aztek really was.
I'd never driven the 2013 Subaru BRZ before so I decided to take the long way home. You can't tell much about a car when you sit in traffic except for the seats, which I really liked. I went into the Port of Long Beach and up and over the spectacular Gerald Desmond Bridge. But the best part was yet to come.
When I came down off the bridge I found myself on the race track for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The view through the windshield is what the drivers will see — at a much higher speed.
I really hate getting speeding tickets. And with the BRZ's aggressive looks, I knew I'd be a target for every cop between Los Angeles and San Diego. But I wanted to get this little sports car out of traffic and onto something fun to drive. Sure, with a tiny back seat and a decent trunk, you can use this as a daily driver. But it yearns for a winding country road where I could wind it out. So that's where I went.
I really enjoyed the BRZ's performance and handling with one exception.
It took me a while to find the sweet spot with this 2.0-liter flat-4 that delivers 200 hp and 151 pound-feet of torque. The fun starts at 3,500 rpm. There's little torque in first and second gear and the shifts are harsh with a lot of driveline lash. But once you get it revved up in third and fourth it hits its stride. And you don't have to break the law either. There's a lot of pleasure in just tucking into the curves and letting the lateral support of the seats catch you.
At a sticker price of $28,265, the BRZ could almost be called a bargain.
The headlights, fog lights and grill design are all slightly different between our 2013 Subaru BRZ and our long-term 2013 Scion FR-S.
The LED strips above the BRZ's fog lights act as daytime running lights and are part of its more refined look. They're a nice touch, but I've never seen them on.
After trying a half dozen headlight switch combinations, getting in and out of the car to see if the DRLs were on, I consulted the owner's manual. I found the BRZ's secret: Once the parking brake is engaged, the DRLs turn off. If we had an automatic transmission, the lights would turn off when Park is engaged.
Why create a feature that the owner can only enjoy if he drives by a building made of mirrors or passes another BRZ on the road? I'd like control of the lights, please, Subaru.
While driving our 2013 Subaru BRZ this week, I felt a little claustrophobic. The windows are short and, with the shallow, stylized roofline, I doubt Subaru will ever equip a sunroof. Lucky for me, the market will probably see a Toyobaru convertible soon.
About a month ago at the Geneva Auto Show, Toyota revealed the FT-86 Open Concept and here's to hoping that the automaker turns that concept into reality.
I have no doubt that the convertible BRZ will be just as much fun to drive, and it will have the added capability of taking a trip to the beach with a surfboard hanging out of the back. Count me in for a top-down version of the Subaru BRZ.
The pedals in our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ are great. They're not particularly good looking, but the placement is downright perfect.
The brake and clutch pedals are mounted higher than the gas pedal, and all three are close together. This placement makes Heel and Toe downshifting extremely easy and it's another thing to add to the long list of stuff the designers of the BRZ got right.
A few days ago I was going through our list of long-term cars that were available to drive. There wasn't much left on the list. But eyes stopped on the Subaru BRZ. I adore this car, so it was a really easy choice for me to grab the key to the "Breeze." To all of the other editors on staff who passed it over: Thank you.
Everything about the Subaru BRZ seems so well-suited to my automotive preferences. I love driving it. Period. And last night as I was wheeling out some trash bins in front of my house, the BRZ was catching some nice sunset light. I just had to stand there for a moment and admire.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ is meant to be an elemental sport coupe, one that goes back to the basics of driving. Much of that comes from the way the car steers and handles, but the interior design contributes as well.
I like how the controls are all within easy reach. You don't have to stretch out to adjust the audio volume, cruise control or climate temperature. Just move your arm a bit and everything is right there.
Small trunk. Tiny backseat. A manual transmission. Manual-adjust seats. Yep, our 2013 Subaru BRZ would seem quite the impractical vehicle for most Americans. Yet just in the last few days I've used our BRZ for mundane tasks such as grocery shopping, taking my daughter to school and picking up relatives at the airport.
It's just so enjoyable to drive that I don't mind a bit. I could use the BRZ as a daily driver, no problem.
We added about another 1,000 miles to our 2013 Subaru BRZ during April. The miles were largely from commuting around Los Angeles and resulted in an average of 26 mpg. That's slightly above the EPA's 25 mpg estimate for combined driving.
Lifetime, our car is on the same path with an average of 26.3 mpg. That's pretty impressive considering how easy (and tempting) it is to drive the BRZ enthusiastically.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.6
Best Fill MPG: 32.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.3
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway/Combined): 22/30/25
Best Range: 357 miles
Current Odometer: 14,279 miles
The first time I drove our 2013 Subaru BRZ, I was underwhelmed by the way the engine sounded. Since the BRZ has a 2.0-liter flat-4 under the hood, I was expecting that it would have a syncopated exhaust burble like the Subaru Impreza WRX. Instead, my first impression was that the BRZ's engine just sounded like a normal four-cylinder, albeit a high-revving one.
But now that I've spent plenty of time with our car, I've come around to appreciating the way the car sounds.
Part of the issue is that the BRZ's engine and exhaust notes don't immediately blow you away with awesomeness (like our long-term SLS AMG's V8 will). But there's some unfiltered mechanical honesty to the way it sounds that you pick up on after spending some time with the car. Just putting around town, you hear the gears meshing at low rpm, which I've come to find pretty cool. But my favorite is how there's a nice fizzy snarl that happens right around 4,000 rpm. This second stage, not unlike the Civic Si of yore had, eggs you on to let the revs keep climbing higher.
For a small, affordable and modest four-cylinder sports car like this, the BRZ's sound is ideal, I've decided.
A few weeks back, I drove our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ to Formula Drift in Long Beach, and it felt like it belonged here.
Now the darlings of the tuner world, BRZs and FR-Ss are flooding every car show and the modification possibilities are endless. Wheels, tires, suspension, turbochargers, superchargers, seats, wings, spoilers and more, are all becoming available from hundreds of different aftermarket manufacturers.
The Toyobarus are attracting a whole new generation of drivers to my favorite pastime: modifying cars. And the aftermarket's enthusiasm for the BRZ (and its Scion twin) confirms that people will get excited about cars when companies produce exciting cars. Every time I drive our BRZ, I think about what I'd tinker with first if I owned one.
The entire stereo would have to go, from soup to nuts. The stock stereo is awful. New head unit, speakers, amp and subwoofers. Intake, header and exhaust would go next. Then, I'd buy a second set of wheels with stickier tires for the canyons and track, coil-overs to lower it and delete the useless rear seat. I'm still working out where all this hypothetical money would come from, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
The sky is the limit with cars like our BRZ, because it's cheap, well-built and easy to work on. For a guy who hasn't left anything stock for more than five minutes, it's perfect.
Early this month automakers released their sales figures for April as well as the year so far. Since this is a quarter of the way into 2013, it's usually interesting to me to see how certain cars are selling so far. The 2013 Subaru BRZ is one of the cars I looked at.
In April, Subaru sold 812 BRZs, for a total of 2,600 this year. This means the BRZ continues to be the rarer companion to the Scion FR-S, which racked up 1,629 sales in April and 6,269 total so far in 2013. If you're seeing more FR-S models on the road, this is likely why.
I've also got a few other sales figures for other sport coupes this year.
Chevrolet Camaro: 7,949 in April, 27,147 total in 2013
Ford Mustang: 7,751 April, 25,071 total
Mini Cooper hardtop: 507 April, 1,226 total
Nissan 370Z: 568 April, 1,946 total
Volkswagen GTI 1,023 April, 4,098 total
The last time I called a long-term car a "great all-rounder" it was our Mazda 3. And I'm finding our 2013 Subaru BRZ to be another such jack of all trades, at least for a single, city dweller such as myself. Here's why I like it so much:
— It's approachable. Sure, I like the Nissan GT-R and the Mitsubishi Evo, but since I'm not a pro racer, those two are way more car than I can handle. But the Subaru BRZ has just enough power to get around daydreaming commuters but not too much horsepower where I'll be tempted to get into trouble.
— It's a great handler. Most Angelenos seem to think SUVs are the perfect vehicle for the city so they can see over each other or something. But I believe you want a car like the BRZ for maneuvering city streets. Plus, you can still have fun with it on roads like GMR.
— Sure, the backseat is not as spacious as our Mazda 3's but since I don't even use the backseat in my own daily driver, the BRZ's diminutive dimensions aren't that much of an issue. Unless I'm hauling my dog around, that is. But it IS there when I need that extra room in a pinch, for insistent friends or more groceries than the trunk can handle.
— It's not a double-taker but it is a head-turner. Our BRZ (and the Scion FR-S) is an attractive car and yet not SO attention-grabbing that I'd feel insecure about parking it on the street. In my neighborhood, there's this person who parks their black GT-R ON the street. That makes me cringe. But with our BRZ, I don't feel guilty when I have to do that or when I don't valet.
You knew this wouldn't take long. The Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are attracting attention in automotive executive suites, enough that GM North America president Mark Reuss wants Chevy to develop an inexpensive, lightweight rear-wheel-drive car.
Reuss told Automotive News that the Code 130R, a RWD concept coupe shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, drew strong feedback from young attendees. The success of The Twins has likely reignited discussions about tapping into what is still a small sandbox.
Scion has sold about 6,300 FR-S models this year. Subaru has sold about 2,600 BRZs. For perspective, the FR-S is, to date, Scion's best seller. And it only undersells the Lexus IS by a few hundred units.
Why the gap then, when the BRZ's base price is only about $1,000 more than the Scion?
Well, for one thing $1,000 is healthy scratch for the young adults that Mark Reuss wants to reach. That's a new exhaust or set of wheels. Also, Scion has nearly twice the dealers that Subaru does, so availability is an issue.
And don't discount Scion's well-greased lifestyle marketing machine. All the rally-racing pedigree in the world means little when your frenemy curates graffiti art shows and sponsors electronic music festivals.
Can Chevy hit the sweet spot? Low to mid-$20,000s? Maybe put 30-40 horsepower distance on the Twins through turbocharging? With Chevy's reach, there are no worries about availability. Reuss tells AN that GM probably wouldn't build the coupe on the existing platform that underpins the Cadillac ATS, but rather something more "scalable." Maybe that's a shrunken version of the Zeta platform, which currently underpins the Camaro and may be retired when the next-gen Camaro jumps platforms.
Together the FR-S and BRZ have sold nearly 9,000 units this year. Those aren't wild bread-and-butter numbers, but they are too big for auto execs to ignore.
Possibly you've heard about the BRZ's tires. You know, the 215/45R7 Michelin Primacy HP rubber it shares with the JDM Toyota Prius Sport Package? These rock-hard pizza cutters keep the Subaru BRZ's limits low and its fun factor fairly high.
They also squeal. A lot.
Without provocation the tires are constantly letting loose with some kind of squeak or squeal. Paint on the road only amplifies the noise. It gives away any fun you might be having. And it's obnoxious. But at least you're never actually going that fast.
This is what floor mat retention done right looks like: Two solidly engaging locking mechanisms at the rear of the mat. And that's exactly what the BRZ has.
Mats are released with a quick twist, too.
We had the 15,000-mile service performed on our 2012 Subaru BRZ yesterday. This was the second dose of routine maintenance for the Subaru. Under the BRZ's scheduled maintenance plan, the first four visits are performed by the dealer free of charge.
This service was quite painless. We called South Coast Subaru on Monday to schedule an appointment for first thing Tuesday morning. At 7:15, before we could even turn off the BRZ, our advisor greeted us at the door. He processed our paperwork and directed us to the waiting area. We waited about an hour, which was fine, since we knew the techs didn't even arrive until 7:30. It was worth the extra 15 minutes to be first in line.
The service itself was minor. It consisted of replacing the oil, oil filter, engine air filter and a tire rotation.
West L.A. traffic is a depressing place to be in a Subaru BRZ. And yet there I was yesterday, caged like a caffeinated puppy, raring to go with no ability to do so. So instead I zoned out for a bit and pictured myself two weeks prior, on vacation, and touring the English countryside. Then I had a 1.6-liter Nissan Qashqai: a comfortable, easy-to-drive runabout rather well suited to sitting in suburban traffic. If only a trade of automobile and setting would've been possible...
There was one particular road, the B3109 in Wiltshire leading roughly from Box to Bradford-on-Avon. Nothing especially technical and hardly one of those sinewy lanes you'd see on the pages of Evo with sheep sprinkled in the foreground and grand hilly vistas beyond. (I'd get a taste of that briefly in South Wales, but fog and the Qashqai dampened the fun). Just gentle bends, barely two cars wide and lined in manicured hedges six feet high, creating loads of blind corners and the general feeling that I was driving with Alice through Wonderland.
It was on roads like this where I began to understand why Britons like their cars small and agile. (The even narrower village lanes drove home the point). And it's on roads like this where the BRZ belongs. It's sharp, it's nimble and it's the perfect size. The snick-snick shifter would've been a treat to row and there are no great elevation climbs like on our own twisty roads through the mountains to flummox its humble boxer.
As I continued to pine for this glorious match of car and road, reality rears its ugly head and I come to a stop at a traffic-clogging red light intersection. "Roundabouts," I say to myself with equal parts longing and regret. The BRZ would be an absolute hoot on a clear roundabout of just the right size. Brake, blip and downshift, a quick flick left, right and left with the just-right wheel, and then back on the gas with maybe just a smidgen of tail wag if the weather's been, as the Scottish would say, "atmospheric."
Damn it, I wish I was back in England ... and I wish the BRZ was with me.
I flew back into the office after a redeye flight from Hawaii, and all I wanted to do was collapse. I asked Edmunds' car czar, Mike Schmidt, if anything was available for a quick trip home and he said "the BRZ."
Perfect. Seriously. After five days spent in a rental car which shall remain nameless (Nissan Sentra, with a CVT that sounded like it wanted to fry itself), it was refreshing to get back into a real car. In this case, a real sports car.
Pretty much everything related to the actual driving of the BRZ is to my liking. The firm ride and tight steering which tell you it's serious about handling. Positive shifter. Perfectly spaced pedals for heel-and-toeing. Seats that hold you in place during hard cornering.
It's the kind of car that gets you excited about the act of driving, even though it isn't big on power.
And even when you're dead-tired from a sleepless flight back from paradise.
Will the kid fit? That's the question. The answer is yes. Is it practical? Not really, but it can be done. There's enough room to fold the Subaru BRZ front seat back and install a small adult up there. And by "small adult" I mean my wife, who's 5'4". Beyond that, it probably doesn't make sense.
I do have a friend, however, who hauls two kids around in his Scion FR-S, but he's dedicated. And that's what's required if you plan on doing this with any frequency.
Does any new car that costs less than $30,000 draw as much positive attention as the Subaru BRZ? Not in my experience at least. Every time I drive it I get admiring glances, thumbs up and declarations of "hey, nice car man!" Some are from those in the know, but most are from folks who simply see a small, sleek and sporty coupe and think it looks cool. That would be the "Wait, that's a Subaru?" crowd.
And since you're probably wondering, I've indeed drawn more compliments, both verbal and visual, in the BRZ than in the Scion FR-S. Perhaps it's our BRZ's cooler grey paint that doesn't scream "I'm a boy racer who really likes red and going fast and loud exhausts and look at me, look at me, look at me!"
If someone were to ask me, "What's the coolest car for less than $30,000?" I think I have my answer.
The Month of May saw another 1,417 miles tacked-on to our long-term Subaru BRZ. Besides a trip to the dealer for the 15,000-mile service, the BRZ didn't see any notable trips outside of the usual L.A. commute.
The BRZ, and by association our Scion FR-S, maintain their positive standing among the Edmunds editors. They remain immensely fun and trouble-free, making them one of the better bang-for-the-buck cars you can get.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.6
Best Fill MPG: 32.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.5
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway/Combined): 25 mpg
Best Range: 356.9
Current Odometer: 15,696
I may be 6-foot-3, but I have tiny girl fingers. Remember that woman on Seinfeld who Jerry dumped for having man hands? Well, I'm basically the opposite of her.
Why this confession? Well, the buttons on Subaru's touchscreen are so tiny and difficult to press while in motion that even I of the tiny girl fingers have trouble pressing them. I just hunt and peck away like a dim-witted pigeon, successfully pressing the desired button only about 33 percent of the time (give or take) as the firmly sprung BRZ jiggles and jostles my hand. And even if I do land the button square on, there's a good chance I simultaneously pressed part of two other buttons.
The ideal solution would be for Subaru to replace the thing...or buy a Scion FR-S. Barring that, I came up with a work-around courtesy of the Edmunds supply room.
This handy Pentel Clic Eraser ZE22 improved my press success up to at least 50 percent (give or take). In a way it makes sense. The difference in dexterity is akin to writing your name with your finger versus a pen. Beyond that, the eraser head's surface area is considerably smaller than most human fingers (girlish or otherwise), while its rubber surface provides suitable grip and texture to make the touchscreen respond. It also adds a little bit of length to compensate for the fact I sit far away, and well, those tiny girl fingers.
So there, problem solved.
One thing that makes our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ so enjoyable for me is the proximity of all the controls.
As you see here, the turn signal stalk is just a finger's stretch away from the 9 o'clock position on the steering wheel, so I don't even need to move my hand to use it. Similarly, the audio head unit and climate controls are located just to the right of the steering wheel, so I can easily adjust them on my way back from executing a gear change.
The result of this layout is that signaling a turn and lowering the radio volume feel like effortless tasks, and I'm able to devote my mental and physical energies to the primary task of driving the BRZ well. And I find this quite rewarding, even when I'm just commuting to work.
In general, I try not to get too annoyed at the budget navigation system in our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ. The way I see it, the nav system isn't really what you're paying for with this car. Instead, you're paying for the Toyobarus' rear-wheel-drive architecture and painstakingly tuned suspension and steering. This cheapy nav unit is one small way to help defray development costs on a car that's very enjoyable to drive relative to what you end up paying for it.
But there's no denying that the navigation software is rudimentary at best. For example, over the weekend, I ventured into the Sounds and Warnings submenu within the Settings menu. The purpose of my visit was merely to lower the guidance volume, as the navigation lady ("Samantha") had begun shouting prompts at the top of her lungs. After lowering the volume, I realized I could adjust Samantha's verbosity level. Verbosity? Who did the translation here?
OK, I have a dictionary. I know what verbosity means. But look at the three possible levels here: Verbose, Minimal and Compact. Verbose implies excessively frequent guidance prompts to me, but the difference between Minimal and Compact is beyond me.
I think I settled on Compact. But it doesn't really matter. This nav system provides the basic functionality that most drivers will require: It reliably gets you to your destination. Of course, a smartphone can do that, too. Either way, creature comforts aren't what matter here. Nope, it's all about the driving experience on the BRZ.
A few weeks ago, Automotive Editor James Riswick noted that our long-term Subaru BRZ was an "Attention Getter" and hypothesized that it is the coolest car currently available for under $30,000. I agree, partly because it's a rear-wheel-drive sports car that you can get sideways just by breathing on it, but also because looks so damn good.
The hunched wheel arches, subtle but strong character lines, pointed nose, sloping roof line and the stylized rear wing all make the BRZ stand out in a crowd. Classy touches like wheels with a polished face, LED taillights and DRLs give it a sophisticated look that isn't common in its price range.
Stopping for photos in the BRZ isn't an interruption or a chore. It's a feast for the eyes.
Leather is both a blessing and a curse in a car designed to go quickly around corners. Certainly it looks good. But it's slick. And by slick I mean "hang on to the steering wheel for dear life, slick." There are better materials.
Which is precisely why Subaru was smart enough to cover the BRZ's seating surfaces (the part where you actually sit) in alcantara suede. Not only does suede look good and stay cooler in the sun, but it keeps you in place while cornering. These are excellent seats.
Nice move, Subaru.
Like our Subaru Impreza, the BRZ offers easy-to-find fluid fill points in the engine bay. The coolant overflow, washer fluid, dipstick, oil-fill port and both the clutch and brake fluids (both brake fluid) are capped with yellow lids.
And though the oil filter isn't yellow, it is upright in the engine bay and positioned right next to the oil-fill port, also like our Impreza. Subaru makes it easy, all right.
We put 1,296 miles on our 2013 Subaru BRZ during the month of June. That's a low total for us, especially considering our 12-month long-term test ends in late July. We'll simply have to take it on a road trip to plump up its mileage. Of course, I've already volunteered. I'm driving it to Moab, the place in Utah, next week.
In the meantime, let's talk about mpg, as the BRZ continues to impress in this area.
The BRZ averaged 26.6 mpg during June (taking 48.8 gallons of 91-octane fuel). That's consistent with our lifetime average of 26.5 mpg. And it exceeds the EPA's 25 mpg combined fuel economy rating for the manual-shift BRZ.
Our best tank of the month was 28 mpg even, which doesn't even approach our lifetime best of 32.5 mpg. Our worst tank of the month came in at 23.4 mpg, but we've done worse (18.6 mpg), and of course, we're excluding any fill-ups that occurred immediately after instrumented testing.
Worst Fill MPG: 18.6
Best Fill MPG: 32.5
Average Lifetime MPG: 26.5
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway/Combined): 22 city/30 highway/25 combined
Best Range: 356.9 miles
Current Odometer: 16,792 miles
The 2013 Subaru BRZ is a modern-day version of the Nissan 240SX (or Honda Prelude, if you're not bothered about which wheels do the driving), and it's vastly more livable than any sport compact of the 1990s. At least that's what I think. Come Monday, July 8, I'll put that opinion on the line, as I set out for a 1,600-mile road trip in our long-term BRZ.
The destination is Moab, some 750 miles away. As usual, I'm traveling for work, and although there won't be time to hike in Zion, I'll try to detour onto as many fun roads as possible and take some photos along the way. You are officially invited to follow @eriches on Twitter, as I'll share random thoughts and photos from my travels starting Monday.
Last week I drove from Los Angeles to Moab, Utah, in our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ. The outbound trip was about 750 miles and took 11 hours. All but 50 of those miles were on the Interstate, though, so I had to make sure the return route wasn't nearly as direct: I detoured onto Utah Highway 24, then Highway 12, then U.S. 89, then Highway 9, and well, you get the idea. In all, it was about 800 miles, and with frequent stops for photography and summer construction (how do I always forget about this?), I was on the road for about 16 hours.
Of course, I have quite a bit to say after being alone in the BRZ for that long.
I'll fill you in on all my random thoughts this week and provide mpg totals, of course. For now, let's talk about comfort. No matter what any of the other editors tell you, the Subaru BRZ is a comfortable sports car, at least with its stock Michelin tires. The ride is firm over serious seams and ruts in the pavement, but it's not harsh, and the suspension is able to filter out the smaller impacts so that you're not thinking about every imperfection in the road on long trips.
The cockpit didn't exactly stay quiet, as there was a pretty even mix of wind, road (tire) and engine noise on my trip. None of it was excessive for an affordably priced rear-drive car, but all of it was noticeable. And the Subaru's weak audio system made it hard to un-notice it.
Ordinarily, I don't think much about how the BRZ's 2.0-liter engine sounds unless I'm accelerating with the commitment in traffic. On my trip, a combination of high speed limits (mostly 75 mph and 80 in a few spots) and high elevation (fluctuating between 4,000 and 10,000 feet in Utah) made its ho-hum soundtrack more prominent as I was carrying more revs. Man, I wish this engine had more personality. At least it was efficient.
You should always take the back roads when you're driving out West and you have the time. Even if you don't have the time, you should do it, especially if you have a car like the 2013 Subaru BRZ that handles well. Every one of these little roads goes through some national park or monument and you don't want to miss that.
The only problem is that Utah has some pretty high elevations. At no point were the BRZ and I below 4,000 feet, and at one point, we were at 9,600 feet on Utah Highway 12 in the Dixie National Forest. The altitude was absolutely an issue when trying to use passing zones, as fearless tourists in rental cars would pretend not to notice the dark gray sports car trying to accelerate past them and hit the gas instead of yielding.
I never lost any of these battles, but completing these passes required a fair amount of determination: It's not the frequent shifting I minded (I love shifting). It was the middling amount of torque in any gear. I was reminded how I've been spoiled in recent years by turbocharged sport compacts like the Mazdaspeed 3, Focus ST and VW GTI. The MS3, in particular, would have been great on this route.
I decided to take a break (from the other motorists) and a photo when we came upon a scenic overlook at that 9,600-foot summit. There's no alpine wonderland up here at this time of year. It's basically a high plateau with grassy meadows.
My favorite part of the drive was the section of Highway 12 that goes through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The topography along this stretch is like nothing you've seen before (well, unless you've been there), and everybody stops to take it all in and go on hikes. As a result, the road opened up, and the BRZ and I got to go through a few turns unimpeded.
I was hoping for tighter, slower corners so that I could enjoy the Subaru's quick steering and firm suspension calibration without having to work too hard. But it turned out this highway is mostly about faster, sweeping turns. But whatever, I still had fun. Just kept the 2.0-liter engine revving hard and tried to avoid momentum-killing activities like slowing down. No question, though, I'd love to make this trip again in our newly supercharged Scion FR-S.
As you'll see in the photos, the closer I got to Zion National Park and the Nevada state line, the hazier the sky got. When I got to the park entrance, I could have sworn I was entering the Angeles National Forest, there was so much smog. Then, I heard a radio report: wildfires, bad air quality all over the state. And that is why these amazing rock formations look so washed out, thereby ruining hundreds of family road trip photos.
Zion also had Southern California-style traffic jams due to an abundance of tourists with cameras (like me) and a very long tunnel on Highway 9 that was limited to a single lane of traffic (east- and westbound motorists take turns) due to a complete lack of lighting within the tunnel. After navigating through all this, it was almost a relief when I got to the turnoff for Interstate 15.
With all my detours through Utah backcountry, the return trip from Moab had me on the road for 15 hours. This experience drove home the point that the 2013 Subaru BRZ is a truly modern sports car that could legitimately serve as your only car.
By the time I took this photo, as we crossed into the small corner of Arizona traversed by Interstate 15, I'd been driving for many hours but I was not uncomfortable in the driver seat.
These are supportive seats, but they're obviously not as aggressively bolstered (or as expensive) as a full-on set of Recaros, and that keeps them from feeling confining on a long trip. But their goodness on this trip went beyond that. The cushioning in the middle of seat supported me well enough, that I never got to the point where I was shifting around, trying to find a position that didn't hurt. They were just comfortable.
In addition, the simulated suede upholstery breathes well, so even when it was over 100 degrees outside, I didn't get sweaty. (Of course, to really know how well a seat breathes, you need to drive the car across Texas.) I also found the air conditioning up to the task of cooling the small cockpit, though admittedly, I'm not a power user: I usually had it set at 74 degrees.
I thought I would miss having a center armrest or padded center console top on such a long drive, but that didn't bother me.
Instead, I enjoyed the storage provisions in this location, as I was able to have my water canteen, a cup of coffee and a bag of trail mix close at hand at all times.
I'll share my fuel economy for this road trip in my next installment.
We were reaching the end of the long-term test of our 2013 Subaru BRZ when photographer Kurt Niebuhr and I received an invitation to attend the MotoGP race weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. What a great way to log another 700 miles or so before we hand the keys back, no?
As guests of Mazda, the track's title sponsor, I thought it'd be more appropriate to drive up in our long-term CX-5, but it was already on its way to Wyoming. Since it was only a weekend trip, and we both pack light, cargo capacity wasn't an issue. My rolling luggage and camera bag fit perfectly next to Kurt's duffle.
Considering how loud I found our FR-S when I drove it to and from San Diego, I was more concerned about comfort. As expected, though, the BRZ is way quieter on the highway than the Scion. Yes, road and wind noise were ever present, but they weren't nearly as intrusive as the FR-S, which had stickier tires, suspension mods and an aftermarket exhaust.
We pointed the car north from our Santa Monica HQ at 6:30 in the morning, hoping to reach the Monterey Peninsula around 11:30. I knew the route well and volunteered to drive. I managed to torture Kurt with my oddball taste in music while the BRZ's touchscreen tortured me right back. Seriously, it has to be one of the worst interfaces to ever be put in a car. Tiny on-screen buttons and occasional responsiveness were endlessly infuriating.
Somewhere around Santa Maria, we stopped to refuel. I also decided to fuel myself up on beef jerky (my road-trip staple) and some lime-cucumber Gatorade (it's delicious, trust me). That tank averaged to 30.2 mpg, though we did start out with three-quarters of a tank. On the way up, I also decided to try my hand at the Waze iPhone app.
Some of the drudgery was accented by Waze alerting us to possible hazards and the occasional law enforcement officer collecting revenue. I also scored a few Waze points for calling out those hazards and alerts.
Just as we expected, we pulled into our Cannery Row hotel right around 11:30. I sat in the car while Kurt grabbed our tickets and information packets, then we were right back on the road to Mazda Raceway, my spiritual home.
I'm not sure why, but the BRZ managed to turn quite a few heads from our fellow race attendees. Over the trip, it was also a hit with the hotel valets (for better or worse, I suppose). We emerged from the Subaru at our hillside parking spot refreshed and ready for a fun weekend. Part of that could be attributed to the BRZ, but I think our excitement had more to do with it.
I've complained about our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ's feeble power on my recent road trip to Utah. But as I've been hinting, the BRZ returned stellar fuel economy, even though its 2.0-liter engine got a workout on the mountain passes, and even with 75-mph speed limits on much of Interstate 15.
Over 1,726 miles, the Subaru averaged 31.9 mpg. Not only does that far surpass its lifetime average of 26.5 mpg, it's well ahead of its 30 mpg EPA highway rating.
Since I was driving through remote stretches of desert for much of the trip, I didn't try to go for any range records. Actually, I really thought I was going to get a 400-mile tank on the return leg, but I chickened out and paid $5.00/gallon for 91 octane in Baker, California. That tank netted 381.7 miles, which is still well ahead of our previous range record of 356.9 miles.
The BRZ also recorded a new fuel economy high. Its previous best was 32.5 mpg, and that record was broken on one 236.1-mile tank, which netted 33.3 mpg. But then I decided to top up early once I entered the town of Moab, and my small 89.7-mile tank was good for 34.5 mpg.
|
Odo
|
Trip
|
Gallons
|
MPG
|
|
17339
|
202.8
|
6.649
|
30.5
|
|
17652
|
313.5
|
10.089
|
31.1
|
|
17888
|
236.1
|
7.087
|
33.3
|
|
17978
|
89.7
|
2.599
|
34.5
|
|
18143
|
164.9
|
5.156
|
32.0
|
|
18525
|
381.7
|
11.630
|
32.8
|
|
18863
|
337.8
|
10.966
|
30.8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Totals:
|
1729.5
|
54.176
|
31.9
|
Picking up where Part One left off, photographer Kurt Niebuhr and I cruised around the Monterey Peninsula over the Moto GP weekend. Rather than take a shuttle from our Cannery Row hotel to Mazda Raceway, we made use of the parking pass we were given.
In the grayness of the morning, the 2013 Subaru BRZ seemed to get lost in the other shades of gray in the valet circle. Can you even spot it in the photo? Personally, I like the bright red color of our FR-S, as it seems more appropriate for such a fun car.
The valets at the hotel always seemed to have some sort of comment whenever we called it up from the lot. And they were mostly complimentary, with comments like, "nice car, it seems like it can be a lot of fun, but maybe it needs more power."
At that point, I'd tell them that we slapped a supercharger on our FR-S and it cured those power shortcomings.
Of course, while Kurt and I were at the track, the BRZ was the last thing we were thinking about. It was all about the bikes and racers. As guests of Mazda, and with Mazda being the title track sponsor, we enjoyed a generous amount of access.
The highlight was a tour of the Yamaha factory team's garage, where I got to get up close and personal with moto God, Valentino Rossi's bike. Below are some shots we took (odds are, the good ones are from Kurt).
We even got to sit in "The Doctor's" debrief chair.
We roamed Mazda Raceway and the vendor island for a spell too. I fed my curiosity to someday ride a Honda Goldwing.
Meanwhile, Kurt fed his curiosity for sledgehammers.
Oh, and there some really loud bikes whizzing by. I'll talk about those in Part 3.
One feature I tried out during my 1,700-mile road trip to Utah in our long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ is the trip recorder feature. You access it through the touchscreen display, and it's able to track a bunch of interesting data: average speed, average speed while driving (subtracting out the time when you're stopped in traffic), highest speed, total driving time, highest altitude, lowest altitude and total mileage, of course.
Just before I backed out of my garage at 5:33 a.m. on my way to Moab, I hit the record button, figuring I could record the entire outbound leg.
However, after stopping for fuel and a second breakfast in Baker, California, I realized the trip recorder function had automatically stopped recording due to my extended stopover time (15-20 minutes). This was disappointing. It really shouldn't stop recording until I tell it to stop, or at least not until it has reached the hard drive's capacity limit.
As a result, I quickly lost interest in the trip recorder and never used it again during the trip. Fortunately, the Subaru BRZ is interesting enough to drive that you really don't need diversions like this anyway.
On this trip, the BRZ could have used more torque (considerably more torque), but otherwise, it was totally livable for solo long-distance travel. Driver seat comfort was great, and the ride was good enough. My bag fit in the trunk, no problem, and I always had a secure place to put my coffee. Certainly, I enjoyed the BRZ's tidy handling and quick steering, and the fuel economy was exceptional.
Would I take this same trip again in the Subaru BRZ? Maybe. Although, I'd be more likely to angle for time in our supercharged Scion FR-S. And I regret never taking this drive in our old long-term Mazdaspeed 3 while I had the chance.
Here are a few more photos from the road.
It was race day at the 2013 U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. As we had the previous two days, Kurt and I left our Cannery Row hotel in the morning, but this time we were all packed to head home after the race.
I decided I wanted to be a passenger on the return drive, and that explains the photo above. With the sun setting over my shoulder as we wound our way south on the 101 Freeway, I was hit by the glare from the matte silver dash trim.
Right. Square. In. The. Eye.
Lately, I've been falling victim to intense migraines that seem to be triggered by just this type of glare. As a passenger, at least I was able to adjust my seat and try to place the shine right behind the frame of my sunglasses. Crisis averted and yet another reason I dislike silver/chrome interior trim.
But enough of that. Here are more pictures from the track.
Kurt and I had our "I'm with the band" moment when they gave us these passes to go with our other passes.
Not a bad place to watch the race from, if we say so ourselves.
There's Colin Edwards buzzing by for his scouting lap.
I didn't shoot much during the actual race, as I was more engrossed in what was happening on track. The payback pass by Marquez in the Corkscrew will surely be on the highlight reels for years.
He may not have won, but it was a valiant race from The Doctor, nonetheless. Definitely worth a post-race high-five.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ is a driver's car. So fittingly, I find myself in the passenger seat. As Mark mentioned, we're on our way up to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to drown in the glory that is MotoGP. Mark is driving, which gives me some time to look around for that perfect spot on the Central California coast to build my winery.
It also gives me time to think.
Stuff like, "Why does Mark's iPod have so many songs by Kenny Loggins?"
"Another Roger Waters song?"
"Enya? C'mon Mark."
And, "My butt hurts."
As annoying as the first three thoughts were, it's the last one that really, really bothered me. You see, as a photographer I'm used to riding shotgun. The BRZ, however, is the only car in four to five years, or well over 200 cars, that became a really uncomfortable place to sit.
I've driven the BRZ, and the FR-S, and I've never found a fault with the driver's seat. I'll chalk the discomfort up to the slight difference in seating position one adopts when they're not pushing pedals and the general flatness of the seat cushion. Neither of these things would ever bother the driver though, and now, for more than one reason, the driver's seat is the best seat in the BRZ.
Wrap-Up
What We Got
The 2013 Subaru BRZ was one of the most anticipated cars of 2012. It was a rear-wheel-drive coupe in a category that had few of them and it was built in collaboration with Toyota. And as if that wasn't enough incentive, we also bought its Toyota counterpart for a side-by-side test just to see how the two cars would stack up.
When it came to selecting a BRZ, there weren't many options. It was either the Premium or Limited trim and a choice of six-speed transmissions. Naturally, we got the manual. That's about it. The MSRP was $28,265.
With 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque going to the rear wheels, it promised huge fun for a pretty reasonable amount of money. We did all we could to extract the most fun out of the car, along with the mundane chores of daily driver duty. Here's how it turned out.
Our Impressions
"Pretty much everything related to the actual driving of the BRZ is to my liking. The firm ride and tight steering which tell you it's serious about handling. Positive shifter. Perfectly spaced pedals for heel-and-toeing. Seats that hold you in place during hard cornering. It's the kind of car that gets you excited about the act of driving, even though it isn't big on power." — Mike Monticello
"Sometimes it's easy to find fault with the cars you can buy in 2012, as features like computer-controlled throttles, electric power steering and increasingly less-defeatable stability control systems override more and more of the driver's authority from the cockpit. And that is why you are required to feel at least a little bit happy about a car like the 2013 Subaru BRZ. Even in its stock, pre-turbocharged, no-quicker-than-a-Mini-Cooper-S form, the BRZ is a fun car to drive to work. It has quick steering with good feel, a really nice brake pedal feel with immediate bite, and a superbly tuned chassis that permits very little body roll around corners but doesn't slam the door on compliance.... Honestly, cars that toe the control-comfort balance this deftly don't come around every day." — Erin Riches
"The main dynamic differences between the 2013 Subaru BRZ and the FR-S lie in their ride and handling. I prefer the BRZ's ride and the FR-S's handling. The FR-S is sprung slightly softer in the front and stiffer in the rear. It rides a little busily in the rear as a result, a slight bobble, like it's a shade under-damped (or something). It's not as settled or resolved as the BRZ's ride, which has a more familiar gait. Subaru's ride tuning is better. But the FR-S's more tail-lively handling better suits the car, especially at stock power. Also, its softer front end gives the steering a more natural feel than the BRZ. It's a difference you can notice when you've got one car of each flavor readily at hand, as we do. Really though, these differences are nuance-y, and I always look forward to driving either one." — Jason Kavanagh
"This is the point with the Subaru BRZ. You look for excuses to take it for a spin, drive it a little farther than you need to, because it's such an entertaining piece.... While big horsepower is surely big fun, the BRZ defines what sports car driving is all about. It's small, low and lightweight, which along with its perfectly tuned suspension, delivers fantastically precise steering and handling. It makes driving a fun experience all the time. Not just when you're hammering on a back road." — Mike Monticello
"These are supportive seats, but they're obviously not as aggressively bolstered, or as expensive, as a full-on set of Recaros, and that keeps them from feeling confining on a long trip. But their goodness on this trip went beyond that. The cushioning in the middle of the seat supported me well enough, that I never got to the point where I was shifting around, trying to find a position that didn't hurt. They were just comfortable. In addition, the simulated suede upholstery breathes well, so even when it was over 100 degrees outside, I didn't get sweaty. Of course, to really know how well a seat breathes, you need to drive the car across Texas." — Erin Riches
"'My butt hurts'.... You see, as a photographer I'm used to riding shotgun. The BRZ, however, is the only car in four to five years, or well over 200 cars, that became a really uncomfortable place to sit. I've driven the BRZ, and the FR-S, and I've never found a fault with the driver's seat. I'll chalk the discomfort up to the slight difference in seating position one adopts when they're not pushing pedals and the general flatness of the seat cushion. Neither of these things would ever bother the driver, though, and now, for more than one reason, the driver's seat is the best seat in the BRZ." — Kurt Niebuhr
"We've seen that child safety seats and bikes will fit in the back of our BRZ. I can now tell you that this 5-foot, 3.5-inch editor fits in the backseat. Having occasionally curled myself into the rear of Porsche 911s and other bitty-backseat cars, I had to try the BRZ out. The discomfort, oddly enough, wasn't from inadequate legroom. With the front passenger seat in a quasi-normal position, my knees barely brushed its back. The backseat itself is nicely bucketed and has good lumbar support. The problem is that the low-slung front seat has no clearance. It felt like I was pushing my feet into a nicely padded, but really constricting ski boot." — Carroll Lachnit
"Possibly you've heard about the BRZ's tires. You know, the 215/45R7 Michelin Primacy HP rubber it shares with the JDM Toyota Prius Sport package? These rock-hard pizza cutters keep the Subaru BRZ's limits low and its fun factor fairly high. They also squeal, a lot. Without provocation the tires are constantly letting loose with some kind of squeak or squeal. Paint on the road only amplifies the noise. It gives away any fun you might be having. And it's obnoxious. But at least you're never actually going that fast." — Josh Jacquot
"I don't know how I managed it, but my 24-inch, must-be-checked-to-your-final-destination roll-aboard bag was even fatter when I returned from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Our long-term BRZ was my assigned vehicle for the night, and I inadvertently found the limit of its trunk space, at least when it comes to trunk height. The bag just cleared the opening of the BRZ's trunk. And with some twisting, it just fit into the trunk with half an inch at most to spare in the height department." — Erin Riches
"The BRZ's touchscreen interface is pretty awful. Not MyFord Touch awful, but still pretty bad. Small icons placed haphazardly around the screen make navigating the audio system particularly perilous in traffic. At this stage in the evolution of in-car electronics, the manufacturers would do well to standardize some of this stuff.... But here's a pleasant surprise. The also-crummy audio system is decidedly less crummy with the discovery of this seven-band graphic equalizer. You can dial in some decent bass with some definition and just enough top end to bring out guitars, cymbals and vocals without getting too crispy.... The multiband graphic EQ is just another quaint artifact from the days when people valued good sound in their car and desired some level of control over it.... Granted, the touchscreen virtual sliders are kinda dumb, nothing like actual knobs or faders. But in these fast-forward times, we take what we get." — Dan Frio
Maintenance & Repairs
Regular Maintenance:
The 2013 Subaru BRZ requests routine service at 7,500-mile intervals, with another at 3,250 miles for those following the severe maintenance guidelines. We had good experiences with both the 7,500- and 15,000-mile visits. Minimal wait time and a courteous staff at South Coast Subaru played a large role in that. The two-year/24,000-mile Subaru free maintenance plan made the experience that much more positive.
Service Campaigns:
We had a problem with condensation inside the taillamps of our BRZ. It required very little digging to locate the TSB addressing this issue. The repair itself was similarly stress-free. We asked the dealer to order the parts ahead of time and scheduled an appointment so we could wait while the lamps were replaced. That was our only issue beyond the routine.
Fuel Economy and Resale Value
Observed Fuel Economy:
EPA estimates for the 2013 Subaru BRZ were 25 mpg combined (22 city/30 highway). We averaged above the norm, at 27 mpg. Our best single tank of 91 octane garnered 34 mpg and covered a respectable 381 miles.
Resale and Depreciation:
The total MSRP of our 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited was $28,265. After 19,716 miles, Edmunds' TMV® Calculator still valued the Subaru at $23,757 based on a private-party sale. This marks a very strong 16 percent depreciation.
Summing Up
Pros: Fun-to-drive whether on the track or in the city, excellent driver seat comfort, rear seats work in a pinch, simple interior controls, free scheduled maintenance, strong resale value.
Cons: Average power for a sports car, front passenger seat not always comfortable for all body types, tires squeal too easily, trunk fills up quickly, radio controls are more complicated than they should be.
Bottom Line: Even with its modest power, the 2013 Subaru BRZ is a car that gets you excited about driving. It is tuned to be fun on back roads, yet perfectly capable of daily driver duty with minimal hassle. An easy sports car to live with.
| Total Body Repair Costs: | None |
| Total Routine Maintenance Costs: | $0 (over 12 months) |
| Additional Maintenance Costs: | None |
| Warranty Repairs: | Both taillamp assemblies replaced |
| Non-Warranty Repairs: | None |
| Scheduled Dealer Visits: | 3 |
| Unscheduled Dealer Visits: | 1 |
| Days Out of Service: | None |
| Breakdowns Stranding Driver: | None |
| Best Fuel Economy: | 34.5 mpg |
| Worst Fuel Economy: | 18.6 mpg |
| Average Fuel Economy: | 27.1 mpg |
| True Market Value at service end: | $23,757 (private-party sale) |
| Depreciation: | $4,508 (16% of original MSRP) |
| Final Odometer Reading: | 19,716 miles |
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.