30,000-Mile Update
Our Subaru BRZ’s poky rate of mile accumulation has lent a seasonal-affair feel to its regular updates. It was the tail end of summer 2023 when we last checked in on our rear-wheel-drive sports coupe, professing joy for its quick responses, lithe handling on its Michelin summer tires, and awesome value as a driver’s machine. Cold, crummy weather has since returned to Michigan, though, and our experience once again turns to copious amounts of opposite-lock motoring as we navigate snow-covered thoroughfares on the Subie’s 16-inch winter wheels and tires. So it goes.
Most of us still adore this little car and love driving it—even when the weather is inhospitable. “The BRZ is 80 percent the fun of a Porsche for a third of the price,” one driver noted in the Subaru’s logbook, adding, “If I had $30,000 to $35,000 to spend on a fun car, I’d pick this one.” Another concurred: “In between stints, it’s easy to convince myself that this car is not as good as I made it out to be in my mind, but then I drive it again, and it’s exactly as good as I remember.”
Surprisingly, the BRZ’s relative practicality also continues to draw praise. Road trips to Virginia and Wisconsin have helped hold our car’s average fuel economy to 26 mpg—that’s 4 mpg better than its EPA combined estimate—and multiple drivers have commented on the ability of its cargo hold (aided by fold-down rear seats) to swallow more stuff than the Subie’s diminutive proportions would suggest. Still, the BRZ’s practicality does have its limits, especially when employed as an airport taxi, a lesson one salty driver learned when shuttling a friend and his multiple pieces of oversized luggage: “This noisy, cramped, unrefined little car wasn’t likely his ideal ride home after a 15-hour flight, but it beats paying for an Uber.” Indeed, of the BRZ’s many talents, cosplaying as a Chevy Suburban is not one of them.
In terms of maintenance, our car’s service needs have continued to be straightforward, if a bit more expensive than we’ve grown used to. Since our last update, the car has gone to the dealer for two scheduled pit stops at roughly 24,000 and 30,000 miles, both of which included oil-and-filter changes, tire rotations, and inspections. The first visit cost $139, but the second came to a hefty $549 on account of the dealer also replacing the brake and clutch fluids as stipulated by the owner’s manual. Those last two items seemed rather premature to some of us, but considering how hard our car has been exercised over the past 15 months, it’s probably a safe play.
Speaking of which, the most significant thing to happen to the Subie recently is the performance-enhancing experiment we undertook last fall. You see, for as entertaining as the stock BRZ is, our experience at Virginia International Raceway during the car’s previous Lightning Lap outing revealed that its brakes struggle under serious, repeated abuse. Subaru has since addressed this shortcoming with the release of a more track-oriented BRZ tS model for 2024, but we wanted to see how much of an improvement could be made to our long-termer with some simple bolt-ons.
To that end, we installed a set of track-oriented XP12 brake pads ($437) from Carbotech and fresh OE brake rotors ($364) and replaced the stock brake fluid with high-temperature Castrol React SRF Racing DOT4 fluid, which we got off Amazon for $56. To boost the car’s purchase on the pavement, we then fitted our Limited model’s 18-inch wheels with stickier (but street-legal) Bridgestone Potenza Race tires, which were $1220 per set on Tire Rack (their 225/40R-18 size is 10 millimeters wider than the BRZ Limited’s standard 215s, but it’s the closest size Bridgestone offers for that tire, and they fit on the car with zero issue).
With the new rotors bedded in (we paid Carbotech $40 to break the pads in for us), we returned to the test track to gauge the improvements, and the results were significant. Around the 300-foot skidpad, lateral stick increased from 0.95 to 1.01 g’s, accompanied by greater stability at the limit of adhesion. Likewise, braking performance vastly improved, with stops from 70 and 100 mph dropping to 143 and 285 feet, respectively (down from 162 and 318 feet.) A strong initial bite when applying the brakes was a boon to driver confidence. All told, we saw big gains, which should equate to a quicker lap time around VIR—and we’ll report back on that just as soon as we finish crunching the data from our most recent Lightning Lap event. We’ll also compare our results with the BRZ tS once we get one to test.
Of course, there were some drawbacks when driving this configuration on the street. While the Bridgestones performed well overall, offering increased grip yet with enough tread to traverse wet pavement without hydroplaning, the upgraded brakes squealed loudly whenever we touched the center pedal. Most drivers likely would tolerate this for a few days leading up to a track day, but we quickly grew tired of living with them day after day. “I hope the teeth-clenching screeching of the track brake pads is part of a break-in period because they got on my last nerve on my commute home,” noted one commenter. Though we’re pleased to have the stock brakes back on the car for this time of year, there’s no denying the benefits that a few small enhancements can make to the BRZ’s track worthiness.
Months in Fleet: 15 months Current Mileage: 30,817 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 26 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 340 miles
Service: $1166 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
Specifications
Specifications
2023 Subaru BRZ Limited
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $32,115/$32,115
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: 77 ft3
Cargo Volume: 6 ft3
Curb Weight: 2839 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 5.4 sec
100 mph: 13.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec @ 102 mph
130 mph: 25.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.6 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.9 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.0 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 140 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 318 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.95 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 26 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 31 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 400 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/27 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain
5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
20,000-Mile Update
As our BRZ enters the latter half of its 40,000-mile test, it’d be an understatement to say that we’re pleased with Subaru’s little sports coupe. Our Limited model’s winter wheels and tires are back on the shelf in our garage—they were useful in the cold and snow, but good riddance. Once again wearing its stock 18-inch Michelin Pilot 4 summer rubber, grip levels have returned to normal, and praise is flowing strong. “The BRZ has cemented itself as my choice over the Mazda Miata,” senior news editor Eric Stafford noted in the BRZ’s logbook. “Its versatility and razor-sharp handling make it a budget Porsche 718 Cayman.”
High praise indeed. Granted, some small things continue to annoy us, like the fact that you can only utilize the easy-to-read bar-graph tach layout in the digital dash when stability control is deactivated or when Track mode is engaged. The around-town clunkiness of the BRZ’s clutch pedal also has failed to win supporters. Same goes for the lack of wireless phone mirroring, the level of road noise that enters the cabin on certain surfaces, and the awkwardness of the center armrest and cupholders—though the ability to house four Big Gulps, including one in each door pocket, has been a boon for some. But those all are minor issues, the result of having no major gripes.
The highlight of the last 10,000 miles was the BRZ’s trek from Ann Arbor to Virginia International Raceway and back for our third Lightning Lap track day, where we got to hang out and turn a few laps with some of C/D‘s enthusiastic followers. Accompanied by our long-term Honda Civic Si and Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0, our Subie got some much-needed exercise around VIR’s 4.1-mile Grand Course configuration, putting big, healthy smiles on our faces in the process.
However, that outing did remind us that, in its current form, the second-generation BRZ could benefit from some track-focused upgrades, particularly stronger brakes that are less prone to fade. Subaru is addressing this for 2024 with a sportier tS model, but we think a few simple enhancements could make a meaningful difference to our car. Stay tuned.
With recent road trips to Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as well, the Subie’s average fuel economy has crept up to 26 mpg, some 4 mpg better than its EPA combined estimate. As a means of long-haul transportation, the BRZ is more economy-plus than first class, yet its front seats are plenty supportive and all-day comfy, which help it cover miles far better than you’d expect for a car of this ilk. The complication for some is the temptation to avoid highways in favor of slower, meandering routes on back roads—the better to enjoy the BRZ’s lithe handling and crisp reflexes.
On the maintenance front, two routine service visits at approximately 13,000 and 18,000 miles set us back $235 and $119, respectively. Both entailed oil-and-filter changes and tire rotations, with the pricier of the two stops including a more comprehensive inspection and an additional fee for a cabin air-filter replacement. We have yet to address a recall-related issue for the car’s telematics that could disable some of its functions, such as remote door locking and unlocking, but we’ll have that looked at during its next dealer visit.
Familiarity with our BRZ may have set in, but we’re hardly bored with Subaru’s excellent little two-door. As we look ahead to further exploring its potential with another track day or two, we’re sure that its stay with us will come to an end sooner than we’d like.
Months in Fleet: 11 months Current Mileage: 21,524 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 26 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 340 miles
Service: $478 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
10,000-Mile Update
Our long-term test vehicles lead arduous lives in Michigan, with stray wildlife, poorly maintained roads, and treacherous weather conditions all posing very real threats. Fortunately, we have no calamities to report regarding our 2023 Subaru BRZ, which survived its first winter virtually unscathed.
Credit for that triumph largely goes to our car being on appropriate winter tires. Specifically, last fall we swapped out our Limited model’s original-equipment Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer rubber for narrower 205/55R-16 Michelin X-Ice Snow tires mounted on 16-inch steel wheels, which together set us back $1226 from TireRack. Along with alleviating worries about errant potholes and curb strikes damaging our car’s stock 18-inch wheels, we all agreed that Subaru’s low-slung sports coupe looks cool on black steelies. Most important, the winter tires allowed us to keep enjoying the BRZ’s rear-wheel-drive goodness even when it was plowing through inches of white stuff.
Though the Detroit area’s winters have grown milder in recent years, the snowfalls we did receive would’ve challenged any lightweight rear-drive performance machine. But our BRZ trudged through most of it surprisingly well, the bite of its winter Michelins providing enough grip and stability for us to get around without our knuckles turning the color of the surrounding landscape. Granted, building speed while keeping our Subaru pointed straight required carefully working its controls and paying close attention to what it communicated to us through its steering wheel and seatback. But that’s what this car is all about. “I love how even with all the electronic nannies on, the BRZ will let you get a bit sideways before the stability control steps in,” associate news editor Caleb Miller wrote. “This is a car that will coax you out for a two-hour drive with no destination, just driving for the pure joy of it.”
Indeed, despite the suboptimal conditions, praise for our Subaru remains abundant. “This thing is just so fun and easy to steer,” noted one driver. “Dynamically, the BRZ is superb,” wrote another. Others called it “endearing,” “delightful,” and “engaging.” In short, the BRZ is a blast to drive, even if some pilots still find that its somewhat touchy clutch pedal takes some practice to operate smoothly.
There have been some shortcomings related to our car’s winter footwear, namely how the squishy tread blocks and taller sidewalls degrade the BRZ’s straight-ahead tracking at highway speeds. And the tires’ reduced dry-pavement traction means that even this modestly powerful coupe can spin its rear tires all the way through second gear. But if anything, the reduced handling limits make this car even more entertaining to drive around town. Nor were those drawbacks enough to prevent one driver from road tripping to Virginia and back over the holidays, which helped the BRZ maintain a respectable 25-mpg average fuel economy.
Maintenance has been straightforward thus far, consisting of one routine service (oil-and-filter change, tire rotation, and inspection) at around 7000 miles that relieved us of $124. More ominous is the thought that testing director Dave VanderWerp presented in our Subaru’s logbook: “With the influx of EVs, I’m most worried about losing cars like the BRZ—lightweight, pure, direct, and affordable. Will there ever be an EV in this category?” That has yet to be seen, but we’ll come back to it later. We just reinstalled our BRZ’s summer tires and need to go for a drive.
Months in Fleet: 6 months Current Mileage: 10,710 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 25 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 330 miles
Service: $124 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $
Introduction
This was a given. Redesigned for the 2022 model year and already carrying around a 10Best trophy, the new Subaru BRZ was a shoo-in for a long-term visit, especially now that it’s imbued with more power and refinement than the 2013 BRZ we last subjected to a 40,000-mile test. This is 2839 pounds of affordable rear-wheel-drive fun. Meat-and-potatoes driving enjoyment. Why’d we pick the BRZ over its also-fresh Toyota GR86 counterpart? That’s a tougher call, but this platform is still the Subaru engineering team’s baby. That the BRZ also rides better on crappy Midwestern roads than the Toyota and is slightly less tail-happy in corners should make it that much easier for us to enjoy over the next year or so.
Subaru makes it simple for drivers to configure their BRZ. All versions feature a considerably stiffer chassis and a 2.4-liter flat-four good for 228 horsepower—a 23-hp increase over the previous 2.0-liter mill. More importantly, the new engine’s meatier 184 pound-feet of torque now peaks at a lower 3700 rpm, resulting in smoother power delivery. A Torsen limited-slip differential is standard, as is one of the most satisfying six-speed manual setups available. Fine by us.
The BRZ’s Premium trim level starts at $29,615, underscoring this car’s budget-conscious positioning. An intuitive 8.0-inch touchscreen, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, a push-button ignition, and other niceties are all included. But we would’ve been foolish not to step up to the $32,115 Limited, if only for the 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires that replace the base car’s 17-inch Michelin Primacy HP rubber. The heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, and microsuede upholstery with red contrast stitching that the Limited also adds are a welcome bonus. The BRZ’s optional six-speed automatic transmission, which comes with a suite of Subaru EyeSight driver aids, was never considered, though we did decide to tempt fate with roadside tax collectors by opting for bright Ignition Red paint (at no cost).
An early road trip from Michigan to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in support of our Lightning Lap event knocked out our car’s 1000-mile break-in period and helped establish its current 26-mpg average fuel economy—4 mpg better than its EPA combined estimate. We also ran it on our 75-mph highway route, where its 31-mpg result topped its federal rating by a similar amount.
Upon its initial visit to the test track, a tire-spinning launch punted the BRZ to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 102 mph, making it about a second quicker than its predecessor in both measures. It also posted a solid 0.95 g of grip around the skidpad and stopped from 70 mph in 162 feet and from 100 mph in 318 feet. We’re more than pleased with this updated car’s bang for the buck. “It only took five miles to reconvince me that this is a fantastic sports coupe,” said senior technical editor Dave Beard, who added that he “110 percent would buy one.”
Some familiar nits have already cropped up in the BRZ’s logbook. Though it is nicer and more comfortable inside than before, this updated car’s steering column still doesn’t telescope as far as some taller drivers would like. And the intimate cabin—while pleasantly straightforward when hunting apexes—is stingy on useful places to stash our stuff during commutes. At least folding down the rear seats should help it swallow an extra set of tires and wheels for track days, which we look forward to confirming.
Substantial road and engine noise inside the car—91 decibels at full throttle, 74 decibels at 70 mph—also are a part of life with the BRZ. While the song that the new 2.4-liter engine sings is easy enough on our ears, those sound measurements are even louder than what we recorded in our previous-gen long-termer, which we said was “100 pounds of sound deadening material away from greatness.” A chunk of that increased noise stems from the fake engine note the new car plays through its stereo speakers—a feature Subaru doesn’t let you control, though the owner’s manual does note that your dealer can deactivate the added sounds upon request. A quick internet search reveals a more practical solution: Simply unplug the system’s control module via an access panel on the far-right side of the dashboard. Voilà, no more flat-four backing track.
We won’t know precisely how much that fix has muffled our Subaru’s voice until its return visit to the test track. But our initial impression is that we’ve merely toned down the racket inside the car rather than altered its tone. Trundle down the highway and you can barely hear the engine. Drive it hard, though, and plenty of flat-four growl can still be heard through the firewall. And we can always plug the system back in when it suits us. Next up is fitting a set of winter tires, which will not only help our BRZ survive Michigan’s annual snowpocalypse but make its rear-wheel-drive goodness even more exploitable.
Months in Fleet: 1 month Current Mileage: 3097 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 26 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 340 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
Specifications
Specifications
2023 Subaru BRZ Limited
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $32,115/$32,115
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: 77 ft3
Cargo Volume: 6 ft3
Curb Weight: 2839 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 5.4 sec
100 mph: 13.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec @ 102 mph
130 mph: 25.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.6 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.9 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.0 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 140 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 318 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.95 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 26 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 31 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 400 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/27 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain
5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Mike Sutton is an editor, writer, test driver, and general car nerd who has contributed to Car and Driver‘s reverent and irreverent passion for the automobile since 2008. A native Michigander from suburban Detroit, he enjoys the outdoors and complaining about the weather, has an affection for off-road vehicles, and believes in federal protection for naturally aspirated engines.