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Proper rear-wheel drive sports cars are a rare thing at the lower end of the market, so when the Subaru BRZ (and its cousin, the Toyota GT86) debuted in 2012, they arrived to great fanfare. Here, finally, was a back-to-basics sports coupe aimed more at drivers then poseurs, and for a pretty reasonable price.
The BRZ wasn’t without its faults but it’s rightfully become a big part of the sports car landscape, and although Subaru chose not to import the second generation BRZ to the UK in 2022, used models now look like a real bargain and are still great fun to drive.
Other than the GT86, the closest equivalents to the BRZ in terms of price and performance are the Mazda MX-5 and the short-lived Fiat 124 Spider (and its Abarth sibling), though each of those is a soft-top rather than a fixed-roof coupe. If you’re prepared to look at older models though, you can find Porsche Boxsters and Porsche Caymans for BRZ money.
If you’re on this page and reading these words then you’re already most of the way to buying a Subaru BRZ. Both Subaru’s sports car and the near-identical Toyota GT86 are very much cars aimed at driving enthusiasts, in a way that few other models are. Compact coupes like the TT trade heavily on their image rather than their driving experience, while even the Mazda MX-5, darling of sports car enthusiasts the world over, is bought just as often by people who simply want a sporty-looking car with a folding roof.
Not that the BRZ is too extreme for daily use. In fact, if you accept the 2+2 layout means the rear seats are barely usable, it’s quite practical, with much more cabin space than an MX-5 and fold-down rear seats - with a luggage capacity that Subaru and Toyota deliberately designed could hold four wheels and tyres, for owners who might wish to change a set for track days.
If you’re used to premium brands then the cabin can feel a little cheap, but it’s well-built and the driving position is among the best on the market. The controls all feel good too, particularly in motion, with direct steering and a tactile action to the gearshift.
That’s just as well, since you’ll be using it a lot. The Subaru’s 2-litre flat four engine is regularly criticised for being short on torque, meaning this is a car you really need to drive with plenty of revs to feel its performance. The BRZ feels great when you push it hard though, with lovely chassis balance, even if the standard-fit tyres don’t offer much grip.
The Toyota GT86 obviously feels very similar, while the Mazda MX-5, and the Fiat/Abarth 124 Spider offer similarly engaging handling and more usable performance than the BRZ. If you’re prepared to accept higher bills and an older car, then three or four year-old BRZ money will also get a decade-old Porsche Boxster or Cayman, while if your priority is simply performance and fun handling (and rear-wheel drive isn’t essential), there are dozens of hot hatchbacks out there, too.
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As you’ll read further down, there aren’t a great many trim levels available on the BRZ, but it’s worth noting that while equipment didn’t change much over time, later cars came with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as standard, and Subaru did slightly improve interior materials over time.
Other than that though, your choice is simple: You can go for either a manual or automatic gearbox (if you’re able to use a manual, we’d strongly recommend it as the one to go for), a small selection of colours (Subaru offered greys and whites, but going for one of the blues - especially WR Blue - is only good and proper), and a handful of different alloy wheel designs.
It’s not unusual for sports cars like the Subaru BRZ to have only one or two trim lines, and true to form, by the time the BRZ went off sale it was offered solely in SE Lux trim - though earlier models still didn’t offer much more choice than this. Equipment didn’t change a great deal over time, other than improved smartphone integration - though with a standard double-DIN removable radio, it’s very easy to upgrade earlier BRZs with more modern touchscreen systems.
The Subaru BRZ’s dimensions are:
The Subaru BRZ’s boot size is:
Prior to April 2017, the UK’s VED or ‘road tax’ system was based on CO2 emissions for both new and used vehicles. This means an automatic model will currently cost £320 per year (with CO2 emissions of 183g/km), and a manual slightly more at £365 a year thanks to its 196g/km rating. After this date, all BRZs are subject to the same flat rate of £180 a year, making these later models slightly more affordable to tax.
With a single engine, a couple of gearbox, and very little difference between Subaru BRZ models new or old, every BRZ will be in either group 30 or 31 for insurance, in the 1-50 group system. That’s unsurprisingly pretty similar to the Toyota GT86, and also similar to 2-litre versions of the Mazda MX-5.
Read our full Subaru BRZ review