Overview
The Subaru BRZ is what sports car dreams are made of. Lightweight, nimble, and best of all, affordable. Like its Toyota GR86 mechanical twin, the BRZ shines a light on driving engagement. Features like the standard six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and sunk-down 2+2 seating orientation have helped make the BRZ a multiple 10Best winner. The little coupe is powered by Subaru’s 228-hp 2.4-liter flat-four engine, providing just enough oomph to make it feel quick. The low-effort manual transmission and confidently responsive handling make this car a serious weekend warrior. But the BRZ also manages to be surprisingly practical with a plethora of interior storage cubbies, rear jump seats, and a decently large trunk capable of hauling a week’s worth of groceries. The driver-centric interior certainly won’t win any luxury awards, but it has enough modern technology to make daily driving enjoyable.
What’s New for 2024?
We expect the BRZ to add Subaru’s suite of EyeSight driver-assists to models equipped with the manual transmission. The system was announced for the Japanese market, and we anticipate that the change will come to North America as well.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Subaru offers the 2023 BRZ in two trim levels: Premium and Limited. We’d spring for the Limited, as it adds desirable features such as 18-inch aluminum wheels, summer tires, and blind-spot monitoring. A six-speed manual is standard and is the transmission best suited for Subaru’s sports car, but those who prefer an automatic can get one for $1500.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Under the hood of the BRZ is a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four engine with 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission. The 2.4-liter is more responsive than the previous model’s 2.0-liter engine, even if it’s not enough to make the BRZ the quickest car in town. But it does improve acceleration times significantly: The six-speed manual BRZ Limited we tested sprang to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds and reached the quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 101 mph. That’s nearly a full second quicker to 60 mph than the previous-gen BRZ tS. Our test car tipped the scales at 2843 pounds, which is a little heavier than the last BRZ but still quite svelte by today’s sports-car standards. Our driving impressions revealed tons of steering feedback, sure-footed cornering composure, and the ability to swing the tail out. Its ride quality is on the firm side but it contributes to the car’s playfulness. While every model comes standard with a limited-slip rear differential, the Premium model rolls on a set of 17-inch wheels, while the higher-performance Limited wears 18-inchers.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
According to EPA estimates, the most fuel-efficient BRZ is the automatic, with 25 mpg combined, 21 mpg in the city, and 30 mpg on the highway. Those estimates dip slightly for models with the six-speed manual to 22 mpg combined, 20 mpg in the city, and 27 mpg for highway travel. Once we have the chance to run one on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, we can evaluate its real-world mpg. For more information about the BRZ’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Inside, the BRZ sports a driver-centric design and 2+2 seating configuration, and the cabin boasts a sporty aesthetic with modern technology. Facing the driver is a 7.0-inch fully digital gauge cluster that makes the tachometer the main attraction, with the circular readout even switching to a linear graph in the Track drive mode. A pair of heavily bolstered front seats look to keep passengers securely in place during hard cornering, and they’re dressed up with red accents to promote the coupe’s racy intentions. A sizable cargo area that can hold four tires (for track days, of course) with the rear seats folded remains a pillar of the coupe’s practical nature.
Infotainment and Connectivity
Every BRZ features an 8.0-inch touchscreen mounted in the center of the dashboard that acts as the hub for its infotainment system. Thankfully, the display doesn’t rely solely on touch inputs, with physical knobs for volume and tuning functions, as well as several hard buttons. The system comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and access to SiriusXM satellite radio.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance system, which adds forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control is currently offered on automatic-transmission BRZs. We expect a version of it to come to manual-gearbox models as well. For more information about the BRZ’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Available forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
- Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
- Available adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Subaru provides competitive, albeit unspectacular, limited and powertrain warranties. Unlike the Toyota 86, the BRZ doesn’t come with complimentary scheduled maintenance.
- Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
Specifications
Specifications
2022 Subaru BRZ Limited
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $31,455/$31,455
Options: none
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 146 in3, 2387 cm3
Power: 228 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 11.6-in vented disc/11.4-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4
215/40R-18 85Y
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.4 in
Length: 167.9 in
Width: 69.9 in
Height: 51.6 in
Passenger Volume: 78 ft3
Cargo Volume: 6 ft3
Curb Weight: 2843 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.4 sec
100 mph: 13.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec @ 101 mph
130 mph: 26.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.2 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 140 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 152 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 316 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.99 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 23 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/27 mpg
2022 Subaru BRZ Premium Automatic
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $30,590/$30,590
Options: none
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 146 in3, 2387 cm3
Power: 228 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 11.6-in vented disc/11.4-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP
215/45R-17 87W
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.4 in
Length: 167.9 in
Width: 69.9 in
Height: 51.6 in
Passenger Volume: 78 ft3
Trunk Volume: 6 ft3
Curb Weight: 2863 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.8 sec @ 97 mph
100 mph: 15.8 sec
130 mph: 30.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Speed (redline ltd): 135 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 167 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 349 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.89 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 37 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 480 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 25/21/30 mpg
