Overview

The BRZ sports car is one of today’s most exciting and affordable automobiles. Like its Toyota GR86 mechanical twin, it puts an emphasis on driving fun. It’s small, light, and nimble – perfect for a compact rear-drive coupe that needs to be well-honed for maximum enjoyment. With features like vivid steering feedback, a standard six-speed manual transmission, and a low seating position, the BRZ will provide hours of entertainment behind the wheel.

The BRZ operates on Subaru’s 2.4-liter, 228 horsepower flat-four engine and can accelerate quickly for its small size. With a manual transmission option available, the BRZ has an easy-to-use shifter that makes it feel confident to drive. The car's responsive handling combined with its impressive grip while cornering make it perfect for autocross weekends or other driving events.

Not only is the BRZ surprisingly practical, with plenty of useful interior storage cubbies and a rear jump seat that’s capable of hauling small children or bags of groceries, but if you fold down the rear seat there should even be enough room to fit a second set of sticky tires.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The BRZ has a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four under the hood that produces 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. You can get it with either a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels . The 2.4 feels more responsive than the previous model’s engine, even if it's not enough to make the car quickest on its feet in town .

While the six-speed manual BRZ Limited we tested didn't improve significantly in acceleration times, it did spring to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and reach the quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 101 mph which is nearly a full second quicker to 60 mph than the previous-gen BRZ tS. Our test car tipped the scales at 2843 pounds, heavier than the last BRZ by today's standards but still quite svelte for a sports car .

Our driving impressions revealed that the car has great steering feedback, is able to remain composed when cornering, and can swing its tail out. Its ride quality is on the firm side but contributes to the car's playfulness. Every model comes standard with a limited-slip rear differential while the Premium model rolls on 17-inch wheels and higher-performance Limited wears 18-inchers.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

As stated by the EPA, the most fuel-efficientBRZ is the automatic with 25 mpg combined, 21 mpg in the city, and 30 mpg on the highway. Those estimates lower slightly for models with a six-speed manual to 22 mpg combined, 20 mgp in cities, and 27 mpgin highways. However, we have yet to test it on our 75-mph highway fuel economy route as part of our comprehensive testing regimen. Once we do that though, we can provide you with more realistic numbers. For additional details about BRZ'sfuel efficiency , please consult the EPA's website .

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The BRZ has a driver-centric design with 2+2 seating, and its cabin has a sporty aesthetic complete with modern technology. The digital gauge cluster is 7.0 inches and fully makes the tachometer the main attraction, while also having a linear graph in Track mode.

The two front seats have extra large bolsters to keep you snug while going around curves, and the red accents underscore the fact that this car is meant for racing. You sit low in the vehicle for a great view of what's ahead, thanks to slender front roof pillars. And when you need space for lumber or other big items, just fold down the back seats—you can even fit four tires back there.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The BRZ comes standard with an 8.0-inch touch screen in the center of the dashboard that operates as the hub for its infotainment system, which is a great feature. The display has physical knobs for volume and tuning functions, as well as several hard buttons, so you don't have to rely solely on touch inputs. Additionally, the system includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and access to SiriusXM satellite radio.

Is a Subaru BRZ reliable?

Overall the Subaru Brz reliability is 57.15 and that makes it very reliable. The chart below illustrates exactly how this ranks compared to some other cars, but the average overall rating is 57 as some comparison.

Can you still order 2023 BRZ?

The BRZ remains one of the best sports cars offering value and driving dynamics for driving enthusiasts. The 2023 Subaru BRZ rear-drive sports coupe is a carry-over model with no changes and is available for ordering now.

Is the GR86 better than the BRZ?

Despite the identical power, weight, and tire offerings of each, the Toyota GR86 just edged out the BRZ at the test track, posting higher grip on the skidpad (0.98 g vs. 0.93) and reaching 60 mph 0.1 second quicker, in 5.8 seconds. On our figure-eight course, the GR86 was a full second quicker.