2019 Subaru BRZNick Tragianis / Driving OVERVIEW Subarus BRZ still has a few tricks up its sleeve PROSFantastic handling, low weight, sharp looks, excellent platform for tuners CONSShifter isnt the most precise, back seats are virtually useless, engine doesnt sound particularly refined at lower RPMs VALUE FOR MONEYGood WHAT TO CHANGE?I dont think it needs more power, but I cant help but think what itd be like with another 50 horses HOW TO SPEC IT?Sport-tech RS Car enthusiasts are a stubborn bunch. They chide automakers for building boring appliances devoid of soul and feedback, and for cramming an alphabet soups worth of driving assists and technology down their throats. Then, they list their demands of their perfect car as if theyve conducted countless hours of market research before taking all of Nakatomi Plaza hostage.We want a simple and fun rear-wheel-drive sports car! And we dont want it to cost a penny over $30,000! Oh, and a fully gassed-up helicopter waiting on the roof in five minutes, or else well, uhh, post even meaner comments online!Trouble is, when an automaker actually comes trough and gives enthusiasts what they supposedly want, theyre met with crickets. See, if theres anything most enthusiasts are exceptionally capable of, its not putting their money where their mouths are. Case in point, the Subaru BRZ. On paper, its the perfect affordable sports car. Two doors, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive is a solid formula, but after nearly seven years on the market, this plucky little number is largely unloved and ignored. Maybe its because it isnt a crossover, or because Subaru (and Toyota) refuse to give it more power. Whatever it is, the BRZ deserves more love, because hope youre ready for this hot take its still a damn good car. Period. At the heart of the BRZ is Subarus familiar 2.0-litre Boxer four-cylinder engine. Putting out 205 horsepower and 156 lb.-ft. of torque, its hooked up to a six-speed manual. For the most part, its a good combination although the engine sounds coarse, almost tractor-like puttering around town, it comes alive after 5,000 rpm. It loves to be wrung out, melting away most qualms you have about it needing more power. But if you do care about such metrics, the BRZ does the zero-to-100 km/h sprint in the mid six-second range. Yes, like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a V6-powered Sienna will outrun you at a stoplight. And yes, like the Miata, thats not what the BRZ is about. Its not a point-and-shoot type of car; you need to pay attention to your RPMs, gears, and your hands and feet.By and large, the BRZ is a satisfying drivers car. You sit low to the ground, the seats are well-bolstered, and steering is communicative and incredibly responsive, though its a bit disappointing to see Subaru succumbing to buttons on the steering wheel when earlier BRZs were blessedly free of such distractions. Steering wheels are for steering, after all. It does ride stiff over bumps and its loud on the highway, but come on, the BRZ is a sports car it lets you carry a fair bit of speed through tight corners and stays remarkably flat and composed when you push it. Its one of the very few sports cars today that lets you appreciate its performance capabilities on the road, without getting in trouble with the law.The six-speed manual is a bit of a mixed bag, though. It’s considerably more engaging than the automatic, especially considering the BRZ weighs about 1,270 kilograms. The stick is also pleasantly notchy, but not exactly precise; the shifter itself is rather tall, and theres a bit of play when youre actually in gear. And while the BRZ is an absolute riot to bang through the gears, downshifting can be frustrating going from third to second, the shifter sometimes catches on the reverse lock-out, lending to some less-than-graceful handiwork. Youll definitely need to finesse your technique a little bit. Its easy to knock the BRZ for its age save for a minor rework two years ago, the cars largely unchanged since it first launched for the 2013 model year but thats arguably what makes it good. Unlike the Miata, the BRZ doesnt quite become an extension of your mind and body, but the footprint is rather small and the car itself feels pleasantly mechanical. Youre actually in control when you sit behind the wheel, and there isnt a collection of computers programmed to make you look like a better driver than you really are. Oh, sure, you can tailor when exactly the stability and traction control intervenes, but thats about it. Fans of active exhaust systems, line lock, and launch control need not apply. Hell, you dont even get blind-spot monitoring, automatic braking, or various proximity sensors.You do, however, get Subarus snazzy Starlink infotainment system. Controlled through a seven-inch touchscreen, its rather intuitive and includes all the usual refinements GPS navigation, Bluetooth, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Subaru BRZ Raiu