I bought and totaled a BRZ. Then I bought another. - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 02:59 PM

I am a long time lurker and probably have set the record for the shortest amount of time before totaling a BRZ.

A bit of background first. Two years ago I started a new job and purchased a Cadillac ATS 2.0T. The ATS was a good car and reminded me very much of my E46 BMW, but it had a major flaw--it was an automatic. After nearly two decades of driving manuals, I had married and decided on an automatic to share the car with my wife (who drives manual...long story). This was a poor decision and I quickly became bored of the car.

After much pestering of my wife, she gave me the go ahead to trade in her Honda Fit and shop for a new car. Cars I tested or considered before landing on the BRZ:

-2012 Porsche Cayman S
-2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS
-2016 BMW M2
-2016 Focus RS
-2016 Golf R
-2015 Lexus RC-F

Cars I've owned:

-1988 Toyota MR-2
-2002 BMW M3
-2006 Honda Civic Si
-2014 Honda Civic Si
-2014 Cadillac ATS 2.0T

After test driving quite a few cars and nearly pulling the trigger on the RC-F, I ended up getting a hot deal on a 2016 Pure Red BRZ. I then promptly proceeded to roll it into a ditch.

After getting an insurance settlement, I went ahead and replaced the 2016 BRZ with a 2017 World Rally Blue BRZ with a 6-speed manual. After 350 km on the clock, here are my impressions:

-The suspension is stiff, but well damped. For those who have driven Magneride equipped GM cars, it reminds me of the dampers in Sport mode.
-The LED headlights are stupidly bright and angled poorly. I was flashed high beams twice on the drive home.
-The infotainment system and navigation are not flashy, but work well and are leagues ahead of Cadillac's CUE system (sad, no?).
-Dual zone climate control in this car is laughable.
-The car heats up really quickly--I like this.
-The 2017 steering wheel is tiny and I love it. The leather feels cheap, but I am okay with that.
-The car is not loud with the sound tube plugged. Majority of the noise is tire noise, which is pretty easy to remedy by replacing the stock tires.
-The stock tires and brakes are not awful. My initial impressions when I test drove the BRZ was that it was underbraked, but it's not the case. It really is the tires and their lack of grip, but the lack of grip suits the character of the car.
-Stock power level is more than fine. I've yet to have issues with merging, keeping up with traffic or passing when need be. This is with keeping the revs less than 4,000 RPMs due to the break-in period.
-This car is really attractive. I was waiting in a school parking lot to pick-up my nephew and kids were doing laps around the car.
-My wife hates riding passenger due to lack of height adjustment, but she loves driving it.
-The doors don't automatically lock over 25 kph or unlock when stopped. Really Toyota/Subaru?

All in all, I am very pleased with this car. It feels like an amalgamation of all of my old cars.

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 03:05 PM

A few pictures after washing it, sealing with Black Fire Diamond and applying Aquapel. There's already a rock chip on the hood.

Tcoat · 11-15-2016, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-The LED headlights are stupidly bright and angled poorly. I was flashed high beams twice on the drive home..

They can be height adjusted by the wheel on the left of the dash.

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tcoat

They can be height adjusted by the wheel on the left of the dash.

Not in the 2017s!

Tcoat · 11-15-2016, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

Not in the 2017s!

No? They did away with that? Well sonofabitch that is dumb.

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tcoat

No? They did away with that? Well sonofabitch that is dumb.

Yep. Super dumb.

86Boyz · 11-15-2016, 03:15 PM

Did you turn TRACTION OFF?

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86Boyz

Did you turn TRACTION OFF?

Nope. I took delivery of the 2016 on a night when it was 0 C and raining. The rest is history.

DatsunDimer · 11-15-2016, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

Not in the 2017s!

Per the 2017 release
"Automatic LED Low & High Beam Height Adjustment"

EDIT- That was meant to agree with you @unhappymeal ...the headlights are suppose to be auto-leveling.

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DatsunDimer

Per the 2017 release
"Automatic LED Low & High Beam Height Adjustment"

I will need to double-check, but I didn't see a dial on the left side of the dash like in the 2016.

unhappymeal · 11-15-2016, 03:25 PM

Additional observation: the tire valve caps don't screw all the way down and leave some thread exposed. I'm not sure if this is a dealership screw up or a Subaru failure, but it's annoying none the less.

track junkie · 11-15-2016, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

I will need to double-check, but I didn't see a dial on the left side of the dash like in the 2016.

It isn't mentioned in the 2017 BRZ owners manual. Hopefully it's dealer adjustable.

Unhappymeal can you feel any difference in the handling between the 2016 and the 2017 BRZ. Can you detect if the 2017 is more responsive to steering inputs than the 2016.

ryoma · 11-15-2016, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by track junkie

It isn't mentioned in the 2017 BRZ owners manual. Hopefully it's dealer adjustable.

Unhappymeal can you feel any difference in the handling between the 2016 and the 2017 BRZ. Can you detect if the 2017 is more responsive to steering inputs than the 2016.

there's obviously a difference in handling since his 2017 didn't end up in a ditch on the 1st day.

I'm just kidding lol, I couldn't resist. enjoy your car

pinski · 11-15-2016, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

After 350 km on the clock, here are my impressions:

-The suspension is stiff, but well damped. For those who have driven Magneride equipped GM cars, it reminds me of the dampers in Sport mode.
-The LED headlights are stupidly bright and angled poorly. I was flashed high beams twice on the drive home.

I can't believe they did away with the leveling control! That said, when I first got it new from the dealer, mine were pointed at the highest setting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-The infotainment system and navigation are not flashy, but work well and are leagues ahead of Cadillac's CUE system (sad, no?).

This must be a significant improvement over the pre-17s then. Ours is garbage, warmed over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-Dual zone climate control in this car is laughable.

Huh. I think it works rather well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-The car heats up really quickly--I like this.

Most cold mornings I don't even turn on the climate control after pulling out of the garage. Just the passive heat flowing through the plumbing is enough to keep the little cabin warm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-The 2017 steering wheel is tiny and I love it. The leather feels cheap, but I am okay with that.

Is it as cheap feeling as the pre-17's? Mine is barely a step above plastic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-The stock tires and brakes are not awful. My initial impressions when I test drove the BRZ was that it was underbraked, but it's not the case. It really is the tires and their lack of grip, but the lack of grip suits the character of the car.

Depends on your purpose. The car is underbraked for even the most laid back track day. Mine all but completely faded after a 30 minute session. Fluid and pads are a worthwhile upgrade, imo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

-The doors don't automatically lock over 25 kph or unlock when stopped. Really Toyota/Subaru?

I always thought this was missing as well - I don't get why they left it off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unhappymeal

All in all, I am very pleased with this car. It feels like an amalgamation of all of my old cars.

Welcome! Glad you decided to stay in the fold after rolling the '16. As much as I enjoy mine, if I somehow crashed it, I doubt I'd be back.

11-15-2016, 02:59 PM	#1
unhappymeal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Drives: 2018 Miata RF, 2017 Golf R Location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada Posts: 253 Thanks: 171 Thanked 281 Times in 116 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I bought and totaled a BRZ. Then I bought another. I am a long time lurker and probably have set the record for the shortest amount of time before totaling a BRZ. A bit of background first. Two years ago I started a new job and purchased a Cadillac ATS 2.0T. The ATS was a good car and reminded me very much of my E46 BMW, but it had a major flaw--it was an automatic. After nearly two decades of driving manuals, I had married and decided on an automatic to share the car with my wife (who drives manual...long story). This was a poor decision and I quickly became bored of the car. After much pestering of my wife, she gave me the go ahead to trade in her Honda Fit and shop for a new car. Cars I tested or considered before landing on the BRZ: -2012 Porsche Cayman S -2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS -2016 BMW M2 -2016 Focus RS -2016 Golf R -2015 Lexus RC-F Cars I've owned: -1988 Toyota MR-2 -2002 BMW M3 -2006 Honda Civic Si -2014 Honda Civic Si -2014 Cadillac ATS 2.0T After test driving quite a few cars and nearly pulling the trigger on the RC-F, I ended up getting a hot deal on a 2016 Pure Red BRZ. I then promptly proceeded to roll it into a ditch. After getting an insurance settlement, I went ahead and replaced the 2016 BRZ with a 2017 World Rally Blue BRZ with a 6-speed manual. After 350 km on the clock, here are my impressions: -The suspension is stiff, but well damped. For those who have driven Magneride equipped GM cars, it reminds me of the dampers in Sport mode. -The LED headlights are stupidly bright and angled poorly. I was flashed high beams twice on the drive home. -The infotainment system and navigation are not flashy, but work well and are leagues ahead of Cadillac's CUE system (sad, no?). -Dual zone climate control in this car is laughable. -The car heats up really quickly--I like this. -The 2017 steering wheel is tiny and I love it. The leather feels cheap, but I am okay with that. -The car is not loud with the sound tube plugged. Majority of the noise is tire noise, which is pretty easy to remedy by replacing the stock tires. -The stock tires and brakes are not awful. My initial impressions when I test drove the BRZ was that it was underbraked, but it's not the case. It really is the tires and their lack of grip, but the lack of grip suits the character of the car. -Stock power level is more than fine. I've yet to have issues with merging, keeping up with traffic or passing when need be. This is with keeping the revs less than 4,000 RPMs due to the break-in period. -This car is really attractive. I was waiting in a school parking lot to pick-up my nephew and kids were doing laps around the car. -My wife hates riding passenger due to lack of height adjustment, but she loves driving it. -The doors don't automatically lock over 25 kph or unlock when stopped. Really Toyota/Subaru? All in all, I am very pleased with this car. It feels like an amalgamation of all of my old cars. Attached Images

11-15-2016, 03:05 PM	#2
unhappymeal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Drives: 2018 Miata RF, 2017 Golf R Location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada Posts: 253 Thanks: 171 Thanked 281 Times in 116 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	A few pictures after washing it, sealing with Black Fire Diamond and applying Aquapel. There's already a rock chip on the hood. Attached Images

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