Anyone own both a BRZ and a WRX?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by James H

Have you thought about getting a vintage sports car as fun car? MR2 or a fox body Mustang.
You should have taken your motorcycle to Old Town Road and keep riding until you cant no more

Now there is a thought. Doesn't have to be a sports car but anything vintage that can be a fun weekend toy.

[Stephen W.]

The wife is on her second STi, a 2016, (She had a 2011 hatch). Up until a couple of weeks ago I had a 2006 STi that I'd had for 13 years. My year old BRZ is fun but in a rather sedate way compared to my 06 STi. It's got the looks, the feel, the handling but... I don't get that big grin when I accelerate in the BRZ like I do in an STi. Plus, I'm not a drifter so wagging its tail end is not my thing and the BRZ will do it at very low speeds with the "nannies" turned off. I'd be very content with the BRZ if it made more hp with low down grunt. Oh and I'm closer to 70 than 60. Also, the wife and I have decided to sell out motorcycles.
Me and some friends with our MV Agustas and our driveway last year.

[akthegreat]

Don't want 3 Subarus, but want something similar to the BRZ?

Simple answer;

Honda S2000

In a good used condition and lightly used it will only appreciate in value, IMO.

Also, 9K RPM redline & VTEC baby.

Sorry, it is a convertible. Just keep the top up.

[qqzj]

Well, if you like 370Z, you should buy a G37x used. Very good car. Saves you a bunch of cash as well. You seem to live in a cold place in winter. That helps too.

Originally Posted by AnalogMan

JoeC, DarkPira7e, scoobydrew, thank you, very much!! I appreciate the benefit of your actual ownership experiences, and your objectivity. On a BRZ forum, it wouldn't be surprising to hear a chorus of 'hell yeah go for it!', because the BRZ is a great car. I appreciate your thoughtful, reasoned comments.

JoeC and DarkPira7e, you're right. I'm looking for something semi-niche, a small, light 'sports' car (I'm a hard-core gear head, and have owned well over 100 cars in nearly 50 years of driving). Like millions of other people have carped, if the BRZ had 'more power' (like, the 268 hp WRX engine) it would be a no-brainer and I would have bought it a year ago. But that will never happen, thanks to the Toyota bosses and their need to protect the Supra from cannibalization.

I hope to keep my WRX for as long as possible. It's such fun to drive! In some ways it reminds me of some of the old Saab Turbos I used to own, great ergonomics and visibility, practical but with power and handling.

My budget is up to $30k's. Enough to buy a new BRZ Limited, or something else used.

The 370Z came very close a couple of times. It was a blast to drive, in many ways like a BRZ, a simple, elemental car but with a lot more power. But with the non-existent visibility and cramped interior, I didn't see using it that much. No car is perfect, especially in my price range. In hindsight, I probably should have bought a 370Z. It seems like the closest to what I'm dreaming of.

I used to ride motorcycles in my younger years (teens and 20's). It was a loooonng time ago. At this point in my life, I don't want to be the stereotype of the 60-something guy getting back into bikes after 40+ years, and then killing myself on it because my reflexes aren't what they used to be (besides, my wife would probably kill me sooner than the bike if I brought one home; I still have scars from two near-fatal accidents as a teenager on them).

Thanks again!

[qqzj]

Originally Posted by akthegreat

Don't want 3 Subarus, but want something similar to the BRZ?

Simple answer;

Honda S2000

In a good used condition and lightly used it will only appreciate in value, IMO.

Also, 9K RPM redline & VTEC baby.

Sorry, it is a convertible. Just keep the top up.

Agree. The best thing about S2k is that if you spend $20k to get a good AP2, use it for 10 years, you probably will be able to sell it for $20k 10 years later. If you have extra cash, get a NSX. After 10 years, you can make a bundle.

[hongkongbeef]

I have a 2016 WRX, 2017 BRZ PP, and a 2019 Ascent so I don't think it's silly to have 3 Subaru's. WRX and BRZ are completely different cars. WRX is much faster but I feel the BRZ is more fun to drive. BRZ has a very analogue feeling that's difficult to explain. BRZ has much better seats than the WRX. I did want a new Miata but having 2 small kids I still needed to have those (tiny) backseats for occasional use.

[qqzj]

I am surprised you can tolerate the CVT with such a big car. If it had a decent 6 or 8 speed, I would have already owned one.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[MilkyWitness]

Owned a 2018 WRX for a few months. Shifter and rev hang sucked pretty bad, handling was good but not even near close to how good a BRZ or STI feels. Turbo was nice, felt very fast, but I now own a 2019 BRZ and enjoy it way more than I did with the WRX.

[Ernest72]

Originally Posted by AnalogMan

I've been shopping for a BRZ since the beginning of the year. Along the way, She Who Must Always Be Obeyed In All Things (Mrs. AnalogMan) decreed that before I could buy another mostly impractical sports car, I had to get something that would be 'practical' year-round transportation, particularly usable in the winter in our new home in snowy New England.

So, much to my surprise, earlier this year I test drove, and bought, a WRX (6 speed of course). I never paid much attention to them before, both because we don't need another 4-door car (wife has a Crosstrek), and because of the whole 'vaping bro' stereotype of the WRX (being in my 60's, I don't quite fit that demographic). But it was so much fun to drive, great visibility, roomy enough for our needs, that I couldn't resist. The stiff and jittery ride might get old after a while, but that's a decision for the future.

There's one space left for a car in our lives, and I can buy anything within our budget (as long as it's not a Corvette, Mrs. AnalogMan refuses to get into one). For the past few months, I've been debating with myself about finally buying a BRZ. I like the car very much. It's the kind of old-school analog-feeling elemental sports car I grew up with and always loved. But, I question if it's silly to have 3 Subarus in the family? (My other car is a 2015 Mustang GT, bought as a retirement present for myself, to commemorate my first car being a rusty clapped out old Mustang when I was 16).

Along the way I also seriously considered the Nissan 370Z, love the engine, came close, but in the end couldn't deal with the abysmal visibility and cramped interior. Also test drive the Miata RF, which is still a candidate, but neither my wife nor I are especially into convertibles anymore.

Does anyone else have both a BRZ and a WRX? Is it silly to have both?

Thanks!

I have on 04 Subaru wrx wagon. Bought new May 23rd 2003. After 16 years still runs and pulls hard. When I got a new job with a longer commute I bought a 2016 BRZ new because it gets better mpg. Now I daily both and love them both. WRX is very practical, I have hauled all sorts of stuff, mountain bikes, kayaks, John boats. And with snows it’s unstoppable. Now the BRZ is just a go kart and pure fun, but lacks some torque even with a header and tune.

After kids college is paid for I will get either an old 911, 993 or cayman. WRX for winter and biking, BRZ for daily and some fun and the Porsche for the weekend and project car. I say get one, but if is really just a third toy get a used cayman.

[AnalogMan]

WOW!! Thank you everyone for all the great comments and experiences! I deeply appreciate it!

Miata ND is on the list. I test drive it a couple of times and generally liked it. It's even smaller than the 370Z. People fit OK, but the trunk is laughably small, and there's no room in the cabin for anything at all. Seems like it would be fun for an afternoon drive, but hard to pack for even a weekend getaway. Mostly, I and my wife are not much into convertibles anymore, so the top would rarely go down.

Honda S2000, I owned one for 10 years! One of my biggest (automotive) regrets was selling that car. We were living in the Pacific Northwest at the time, where there are about, oh, 3 good days a year to use a convertible. So, in a weak and stupid moment, I sold it. Mistake. Big mistake. I should have kept it and found a hardtop for it (though I looked for a factory hardtop for years and never found one close enough to get). I think about that car as well, but would feel silly paying more for one now than I sold mine for a couple of years ago.

Water cooled Porsches, 911 or Cayman, I can't abide, because of the essentially sealed engine compartment, no oil dip-stick, and insanely expensive rip-off maintenance and repair costs.

I had a 2006 Boxster S over 10 years ago. About 6 months after I got the car, the digital oil level gauge on the instrument panel showed that the oil level was increasing. One quart overfilled, and then a couple of weeks later, two quarts overfilled. There are only a couple of things that can cause that. With a dipstick, I could have checked and found out in seconds what the actual oil level was, and if it was contaminated with anything. As it was, I had to take it to the dealer. Since it wasn't throwing any codes, they refused to cover it under warranty. They charged me $250 to drain the oil, measure it, look at it, and determine that the level was fine and no contamination. It turned out to be a faulty sensor (which they did cover under warranty, but not the drain and refill). After that, I swore off cars without dipsticks in general, and German cars in particular.

An older sports car, I owned many of them back in the 70's/80's/90's, and constantly peruse the classifieds looking at them. The problem is, with anything old, you really have to check it out in person. There are so many bondo-filled cobbled together heaps out there. Everything looks beautiful on internet photos, but most are a fright pig in person. I can't bring myself to buy something from far away sight unseen, and not too many come up close enough for an easy drive. But the search for old fun stuff is never-ending.

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!!

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by AnalogMan

WOW!! Thank you everyone for all the great comments and experiences! I deeply appreciate it!

One of the perks of owning a 86/BRZ is the surprisingly functional (mostly at least) community. Just sayin'.


Also, just as a counter argument, there is some benefit to all your vehicles being from the same maker. For example, when you learn something technical about one, it is likely to apply to the others.


I did briefly have 3 Subarus (counting the FRS as a Subaru). Not sure if I would have kept all 3 if the back didn't fall off of one.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Spuds

One of the perks of owning a 86/BRZ is the surprisingly functional (mostly at least) community. Just sayin'.


Also, just as a counter argument, there is some benefit to all your vehicles being from the same maker. For example, when you learn something technical about one, it is likely to apply to the others.


I did briefly have 3 Subarus (counting the FRS as a Subaru). Not sure if I would have kept all 3 if the back didn't fall off of one.

Is the 86 more toyota or more subaru?

I feel like the drivetrain is more subaru, where the interior is more toyota...

[subaru]

Also have a modified sti, old outback turbo in the fam. Brz may go bye bye soon but sti def will stay. Not really looking to get into an argument but for me the BRZ power doesn't do it for me. For DD it can be too slow to be safe on the highway when people decide to cut you off etc. I love cornering so of course it has plenty of power for that just not practical situations or enough to ever thrill you from acceleration. The car carries an amazing amount, but the back seat is really crappy and has a terrible hump for doggo. The mileage is incredible. If I didn't have a 13 maybe it would stay longer.

buy an sti bro.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by soundman98

Is the 86 more toyota or more subaru?

I feel like the drivetrain is more subaru, where the interior is more toyota...

Anything that looks like a Toyota inside is completely superficial. Everything that the buttons connect to is the same between both cars with the possible exception of the infotainment system. I don't pay much attention to that part anyway.