Moving on from BRZ?
 

Hi guys,

I am entering my third year of BRZ ownership.

It used to be a daily driver for almost a year when I had an evo 9RS as a weekend car.

Last year the Evo was replaced with a 981 Cayman S which was again recently replaced with LCI M2.

Now that I have an old A6 as a daily and two rwd weekend cars, I defnitely fancy a change.

If you guys can come up with suggestions as to what can possibly replace the brz I would love to hear them!



Thanks!

You've given us no context as to what you're looking for.
Nothing can replace the BRZ in that case. Cheap, recent RWD car that is basic, gets good gas mileage, shares some of the parts bin with one of the cheapest platforms around at the moment.

For me the Cayman and the M2 are the most natural upgrades to the Twins. Since you already have/had both, and apparently didn't like the Cayman, it would help if you give some details about what do you enjoy in your BRZ and what are you looking to change.

The Twins are hard to replace in their own niche, with the Miata being the closest alternative. Other than that you're typically looking at more power and weight (like your M2) and also more cost.

For myself I'm ogling a Lotus Elise as a replacement for my BRZ further down the line, that might suit your desire, being one of the few alternatives that would be lighter and rawer by far than the BRZ.

Supra or wait for the 400Z

Yea sorry that was my bad!

Looking for something that has a higher ground clearance with a bit more comfort. It should still be fun to drive with preferably a little bit more torque.

I found brz as a daily doable, but in certain situations like cross-country trips I had to be more wary of speed bumps and steeper slopes.

Completely agree with you, and that is why I am a little unsure as to what I should replace it with.

To expand on why the Cayman was with me for only a few months: the 981CS was absolutely brilliant to drive - but maybe not so great as a long-term ownership proposition. I should know because I had a 987 Boxster S for 8 years before buying the Evo and BRZ. The 987S had issues that kept me awake at night: IMS issues being one of them. The 981S completely solved the IMS, but recent revelations about the slim chance of bore scoring started to surface on forums - I couldnt enjoy a car knowing that it comes with a long-term engine defect(!).

Also the CS came with PASM with lowered ride height and that gave me huge headache just driving it to a supermarket or a friend's house.

The BRZ was so refreshing to me because it has always been a worry-free ownership. It gives me that little bit of Porsche driving experience without the defects or the hefty costs associated with premium German brands.

Tried flirting with the idea of owning an Elise or Exige for a long time, but in the end they felt too raw for me - and those rattling interior parts!

Hmmm, more ground clearance, fun to drive, more comfort for road trips....

Sounds to me like you want something like the Cadillac CT4-V or CT5-V, or one of it's European counterparts. If you insist on manual, then you'll need the new CT-4V/5V Blackwing or an older CTS-V.

I would also throw in the sporty SUVs if you want a more usability and comfort but still have fun on the road. The Macan seems to be an excellent do-it-all SUV if you don't need too much room in the back.

Since you have fun cars to play with on the road, get yourself a nice jeep wrangler. Something for those off the beaten path weekend adventures.

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How to spend op's monies!

Sounds like some people have made some decent suggestions. I don't know anything about comfort or ground clearance, so I can't say much. Good luck!

civic type R or ND miata

911.

Hmmm? Is it me,or does this sound like a thinly veiled way for the OP to brag about the cars he has? Just sayin'.

Isn't that more or less why we are all here?

more comfort and ground clearance and still fun to drive... Safari/Rallycross BRZ

Some great suggestions!

Looking into SUVs as well.

Just a little concerned about car's stability during spirited drives.

911s and Macans are out of budget sadly. Would ideally like to make some savings from the replacement car.

Older Civic Type Rs certainly sounds great. Test drove an FK2 Type R and it felt very nice and more refined than BRZ. Miata feels a little too small for overnight trips.

Cadillacs are awesome! Would love to own one but sadly not possible over here.

Even Camaros are beguiling, if only they make RHD ones. Rented one whilst on a business trip in the US and it was a fantastic cruiser and fun to drive.

Oh too bad! (didn't catch your location until you mentioned it).

I'm Team Camaro as well, and almost bought one when I got the 86 (I did own a Gen3 Camaro).

i will never buy a camaro... saw one involved in an accident right in front of me... camaro was coming out of a plaza and the incoming car smacked it around the rear fender... car spun around 4 times and the air bags never deployed.... awesome safety features :rolleyes:

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure most cars don't have airbag sensors around the rear fenders. The downside to camaros for me was how tiny they are inside for such a large(relatively) car

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Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

More ground clearance - Check
More torque - lololol Check
More comfort and cargo space - Check
Fun to drive - Check

it was around the rear fender/rear bumper area.. there's no way there's no sensor around there... and the impact was pretty big too.. the other car was easily going 40 mph

Actually, not likely. Airbags are designed to protect in frontal and (in cars that have them) side impacts. The side impacts would be a t-bone into the area where the air bag is (front doors, a-pillar).

A crash into the rear fender or rear bumper isn't going to set off airbags because there are none there. Now a secondary hit (say the front or side hits a pole or another car) could set them off, but the initial impact would not, and actually could be dangerous if they did.

This ^

The OP is in the UK and has many, many options we do not have over here.
Oh and some of the options we have here he does not so...

I was thinking that opens him up to the Yaris that we can't get here. I also think a Jag Sportbrake would be a good choice.

The Yaris would be the perfect fit I would think!

Well there ya go OP, you're getting the Yaris that we can't get. You're going to do it for us as much as yourself :) Remember to take pictures for us haha.

A WILD TCOAT APPEARS!!

Oh, and you're required to let anyone of us that can prove we are members by logging into the forum drive the Yaris upon request.

If any of us can even travel to the UK again in our lifetimes!

I used to have a 228i, the lightest of the 2 series, ~3200 lbs. A blast to drive already, a more comfortable daily driver with more amenities, better sound proof and acoustic, better interior air quality, better all-around visibility, higher off the ground, easier to daily drive. Actually faster on the straight line and a handful in the twisties compared to the BRZ.

I've ridden in the M2 Competition; it's along the same line with firmer ride, better performance. Still balanced well, but a heavier car.

Then there's the BRZ... ~2800 lbs. Not as polished inside, loud, rough, it's down a level in comfort and amenities... but awesome driving position. Need a bit more HP, but otherwise easy to drive at full throttle. Need to be at higher RPM to have fun, like how Japanese hot hatch/sub-compact from the 90s... which is how they have the Jackal/Mr. Hyde personalities.

I don't think you need a replacement for any cars. You just want something that feel different, a new drug to get excited again. :)

What about put some work into the BRZ instead?

I have a 2013. Can't do much about the loud interior noise, but the next main complain: cheap-feeling, stiff handling. And like you I don't mind it a bit higher, up to 1cm. I rode in a friend's WRX, love how compliant the suspension is, firm, but no bouncing, just settled. Most suspension upgrade will lower the car a bit, but this can be offset by the bigger rim-tires.

Second... something my BRZ already have, a turbo, installed by the previous owner, certified too, so no problem registering the car. It's a stage 1, power up by ~60-70 HP, builds up progressively, more on the higher RPM. It'll wiggle, fighting for traction, driven a bit hard in the rain, plenty of power.

Otherwise, for a new car... the 2nd-gen BRZ? The OEM tires they use alone should make it a different car. The 400Z? The Yaris GR? Like what's already suggested above. :)

I actually tried to secure a deposit on the Yaris GR past few months, but they were all sold out!

Went to great lengths by calling Toyota corporate to get on the waiting list. Have not received any news from them since December :(

I think you made a very good point on wanting something different.

Also spot on on those points about the BRZ. Stiff handling and loud noise are always there even when you just want to 'cruise' home after a spirited drive. Cannot fault the seating position. But, overall lift of 1cm in ride height would be perfect. Turbo certainly sounds interesting.

Coming to think about it I think a 2 series might make good sense... or perhaps a WRX? If it is a rex it will be my 5th scooby, though.

Tried very hard to get the new yaris GR, but they sell so well dealers are not even motivated to call back to give me updates on the slot allocation.

Turning the BRZ into a rally car is something that has been high on my want to do list if I had spare cash to work with. There are 2" lift kits and with a supercharger for real low end grunt the car ought to be a hoot to play with.

Are we all going to ignore OP's cars are in a movie theater bathroom for some reason?

Actually it is a garage

What made you think it is a bathroom? Are you well aware that in tropical climate, which this garage is based, tiles are used on garage walls as well?

Show me your garage ;)

Sorry if my post makes some people on this forum think I am bragging my new car. I really am trying to decide what to do with my BRZ and in the past I posted on here asking technical questions about the car and received very helpful advice. So, logically as this is a car forum that I have had good experience with in the past, I was hoping for genuine and sincere ideas.

I will now move on.

To those who offered ideas, thanks again!

No don't mistake the tone, we're actually really appreciating and enjoying this. Shopping with other people's wallets is fun :) There's always going to be a few in any community that let their own insecurities color their remarks.