Used 2016 Subaru BRZ Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2016 BRZ, so we've included reviews for other years of the BRZ since its last redesign.
The Perfect Sports Car - For the Price
Ken, 02/04/2016
updated 02/13/2018
2016 Subaru BRZ Series.HyperBlue 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
22 of 22 people found this review helpful
Keeping in mind that you can get the BRZ for less than $30,000 it is, in my opinion, the best sports car of the modern era. The driving position, steering feel, and ability for an amateur driver to push the BRZ to the limit is the reason that it makes every driver smile. The point of the BRZ (or the FR-S, or GT 86 since they are all essentially the same car) is to make a grown-up feel like a child again. The car makes me giggle, and flatters my abilities to the point where I never feel unsafe. I was in a unique situation where I was able to purchase one of the 500 Hyper Blue BRZ's and as long as I never wreck it, I expect it to be a future classic. So whenever I get the chance, I take it for a blast through the hills, or if I can leave a little early, I take the long way to work and arrive with a smile plastered across my face. In a world where most of us drive grayscale people carrying boxes, the BRZ feels extra special. It's a reminder of how much fun driving can be, and without putting in too much money, it has the comforts, look and finish of a far more expensive car. The interior has Hyper Blue stitching to match the paint, and with black accents, the BRZ feels just right. The controls are where you expect them to be, and the large, centrally mounted tachometer runs happily up above 7000rpm before a light flashes at you to shift up before you ping it off the limiter. As driving experiences go, it is hard to get more smiles per gallon for my money. UPDATE: after 10,0000 miles the BRZ has become an extension of me and I am happy to say I still love it. UPDATE 2: after 16,000 miles it’s still perfect for me.
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2013 BRZ Limited 6 Speed Manual
nevijeff, 02/28/2014
2013 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
18 of 18 people found this review helpful
As mentioned by others a lot has been written about this car and most of it is true. The car is very well balanced and is great on the backroads. Power is adequate given the weight of the car too much more and it would affect the driving dynamics of the vehicle. Shifting is very precise and short just the way you want it but in the cold weather until the car warms up shifts from 1st to 2nd can be a bit clunky. layout of interior is fantastic seats are supportive but being sport seats can be a little snug for larger people. Back seat to me are just there to save insurance costs not very practical at all. Very well appointed for the money, stock tires are way too brutal over road transitions.
A pure driver's car for under 30K
mightymeeple, 05/15/2013
2013 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
Others both professional and amateur have reviewed this car all over the internet. Let me confirm that the positive hyperbole is actually warranted. Incredible sports car for the money. If you are a car enthusiast, you must drive this car. Steering is quick and nimble, suspension is firm and confident, acceleration could be better, but who cares when you are giggling and grinning as you carve up any curve with confidence. The boxer rumble is nice, I wouldn't mind some more noise from the stock exhaust. Weak points are what you would expect: small trunk, small backseat, low entry into car tough for taller folks (I'm 6'2" and can get in okay).
A fun daily driver - but with a cost
James, 02/22/2017
2016 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
The big thing to know about this car is that Subaru/Toyota wanted a cheap performance car that would make drivers smile. They succeeded, but the cheapness can come back to bite long-term owners. I have daily-driven the car for a year and 14,000 miles, so I have had the proper seat time to write a review. The two companies decided to put the whole budget into the drivetrain. My car in this respect has been solid. I replaced the transmission, differential, and engine oils myself, and the engineers really put a lot of thought into how to do that easily. On the flip side, most nuts and bolts on this car are made out of very weak metal, leading to all the wheel studs being stripped in just a few changes. The interior rattles like crazy, the speakers buzz at higher volumes, which are needed because of loud road noise. I had two sets of tail lights leak, and my headlight ballasts went out and needed replacement. The list goes on. The car will continue to drive and handle beautifully, but the non-essentials will entropy around you. The maintenance bill won't be in the thousands, but I have constantly had $100 here and there to replace the cheap parts. I am 6'2" and 190 pounds and am triangle-shaped. Think broad shoulders and small waist. This car's seats are the most comfortable I have ever sat in. I want these for my office, house, and every car afterward. That being said, if I was an inch taller or 20 pounds heavier, I would hate them. All of my 'larger' friends hate riding in the car. My wife is tall and thin, and she hates hunching over to get in/out of the passenger side. Holding on to the steering wheel makes the driver's side easy. People like to say this car is slow. For muscle-car owners who love straight line speed, this car is not for you. I don't want any more power out of it, because I get to floor it during daily driving, and I don't get speeding tickets. It's exhilarating without being too dangerous. Countless journalists have raved about the balance and steering - all I know is that the car feels super secure going 30+ mph over suggested speed limits on turns. If I was looking at a BRZ and similar cars today, I personally would just save my money and buy a Mazda Miata RF. That being said, I still roll the windows down on a warm day and just go for a drive to relax. This car does this at a great price, and I would recommend it to a friend - if they are willing to deal with the mentioned issues.
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Great car horrible nav/media unit
stoffe, 11/07/2012
2013 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
25 of 30 people found this review helpful
This is my second Subaru and boy is it very different then all the other models in their line-up. It drives great and you feel very connected. If anything for a nimble sports car it feels a bit under powered. For the money you pay its a steal. Even if the turbo model would cost 10k$ more it would still be worth it. I even have two Recaro child seats in the back and my boys love it! They even want to squeeze in the BRZ for 1-2h trips instead of our comfy Lexus RX.
Enter every road curve with joy in my heart
motokoto, 05/12/2015
updated 05/15/2020
2014 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
This is a car to increase your quality of life. I love it for where I live in the San Diego foothills with no deer. However, if I lived back in the Hill Country of Central Texas, I'd have sold this car within 6 months. The headlights are set ridiculously low so literally heaven help you if there are deer on the road ahead. You won't see them until they're through your windshield. The dealership's Service Dept told me I can't get them raised up because they're high density headlights. I think the headlights are a huge safety risk in areas with large-sized wildlife. Other than that, I adore this car for the thrill of driving it. Kudos to the excellent engineers! Update: Have had the car for a while and we still love it. We have no intention of trading it in for anything else. My only gripe of note continues to be the low position of the headlights, but the freeways, canyon and foothill roads we drive don't make this a big issue for us in SoCal. No elk bounding across a Wyoming plain. Just rabbits and the coyotes are too savvy to get hit. We have found you can't always reliably shift from 4th to 6th. Seems to insist on a pit stop at 5th. Again, not a deal breaker. We've had no issues needing repairs. Everything still seems tight. This car is all about the Curves and we love it for that. Update 11/13/17: Still no repairs have been needed. I still LOVE this car! Everything I wrote above is still true. But so is my complaint about headlights. I went to Subaru twice and was told no upward adjustment possible. Didn't look at replacing them though. Not a problem in heavily populated Southern California and if you know the roads. I wish I could easily replace the speakers. They buzz on certain octaves. I don't blast them but I do play them loudly sometimes. You kinda have to because the car is a typical sporty car with some noise inside. I hate the display though. No steering wheel controls so you have to use the display for music. This is the worst point of the car. The internal temp controls and clock are perfect but music and maps is a major pain to manipulate. It's easy to read the maps on the display though. My husband and I are still very happy with this car purchase. As soon as a take a sharp curve, I fall in love with this car all over again. Like being a kid in a go cart. Update 5/14/2020: The car's still performing great. Driving is just as fun. We've followed all recommended maintenance and have had no mechanical or any other problems. It's our play car so our mileage is low, about 28K at this point. My gripes are the same as on the first day. Headlights aren't good for rural areas where wildlife leaps out at you although they're perfectly fine in populated areas. The speakers should be replaced and the entertainment panel. Happily we checked into an aftermarket Android Auto install plus better speakers and it's easy to have done. We just procrastinated since we drive our other vehicles more and they have it. I feel comfortable to recommend this as a reliable Used Car, made in Japan, if the previous owner wasn't an idiot driver and that you calculate in an Android Auto panel plus speakers upgrade. My car is a manual so automatics might be different.
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A car not pass up
zenith13, 05/30/2013
2013 Subaru BRZ Premium 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
This is my first Subaru. Coming from a celica, and with this car being made jointly by Toyota and Subaru, I felt close to home. The engineers nailed it on this one - the 200hp to weight ratio is perfect and the handling is great. I had a problem with the nav system twice and had to take it to the dealer and have it replaced, but other then that it is a great car to drive and a car that a car enthusiast should not pass up.
What's not to like
jmk651, 04/18/2013
2013 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
It really is a fun car to drive, and you don't need to be going fast. It looks great, I like the inside a lot. The seats are really comfortable (I'm 6'4"), and there's plenty of room. The value is amazing, HID's, spoiler, the keyless access is cool, It's pretty much fully loaded. So far it's been 10 months, and I haven't had any problems. I've driven it in winter, and the traction control is awesome, it really keeps the car in line. I didn't really have much problems in the snow/ice.
Do Your Homework!
Scott Smith, 08/09/2017
2014 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
There are lots of printed road tests of these cars (BRZ, FRS, and 86). There are plenty of videos as well. Read and watch as many as you can so you will know what to expect. The car is small and my '03 Kia Spectra GSX had some conveniences the BRZ doesn't have. Everyone seems to think the "burz" is underpowered. Not necessarily! Power is judged by how you apply it. I got my burz to be my daily driver, and it has plenty of power for that role. If you can live with the small size, harsh ride, some road noise, just OK radio, and if you understand that it's really not a four passenger car, and that it requires premium gas, and more, you'll be fine. Like I said, educate yourself and know what to expect. All that being said, I knew what I was getting. These are driver's cars, and that was what I wanted. I didn't even test drive mine. The salesman probably thought I was crazy, but I had done my homework. After all of the above, I hadn't even gone two miles after picking it up and I caught myself grinning from ear to ear. The car drives like a go-kart! This is a car you need to check out thoroughly before committing to.
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sports car on a budget
Shawn, 02/25/2016
updated 03/12/2021
2013 Subaru BRZ Limited 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Great little sports car. Has great handling and good looks. manual shifter is direct and precise. good visibabilty. bought this because I live in Chicago and drive 6 miles a day in traffic. Don't need a big v8 motor, as much as I want one. Good on gas, 35mpg highway, or about 18 avg combined driving. brisk acceleration( it's ok, it's a little 2.0L 4cyl.) back seat is torture for anyone, has decent trunk space. radio is kinda shitty. tiny buttons and poor sound out of crap stock speakers even with the top of line limited model. Had for 2 years and like my car but now ready for another 2 door with more power, like a camaro v8 or bmw M235i. Wish the brz had like 300 hp, not just the 200 it has. 3 years 9 months later I still have the car. I haven’t kept a car this long in at least 8 cars before. Fun car. Drive year round in snow. Chicago. Snow tires. Summer I take to race tracks. Driving fun at the limits. I Am debating to upgrade to a Porsche. But this car has been reliable and cheap to maintain and own. Update. I’ve owned this car for over 5 years now. Never left me stranded. Very reliable. Fun to drive. Will be tough to ever sell it or trade it in. Except for the new2022 coming out in the fall.
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