BRZ vs Cayman/Corvette
 

Hey guys, first post here. I'm looking for my 1st fun car, ya I have never owned a sports car. The cars that interest me are BRZ/FRS, cayman, or a Corvette. I get it, these cars are totally different. But older Cayman's, 07/08 Vetts and newer BRZ are roughly the same price. So ya, I'm considering them all. Don't live near a Porsche dealership and maintenance is SCARY so mostly Vette vs BRZ. Just would like to hear opinions from people who have owned or drove all. This will be an every day driver, parked outside, 48mi to work 3 days a week, etc.

Like I said, I have never owned a sports car, 40 years old and just got miss diagnosed with cancer and said F-it. These cars are all now cheap enough to pay cash and forget it. Just curious which one you would enjoy the most.

I have test drove the BRZ/FRS but both times just the dealership "loop".

Welcome. First off all three cars are great. The handel well and preform great. Brz would be on the bottom of the list overall. Still fun.

You sound like you did your homework already, so I'll just go from what I seen and talking to people that take them to track days/ help them learn.

Porsche, they are great till they brake. Then you really feel the Porsche price tag for repairs. That's all the complaints I hear from the Cayman. If buying used be on the look out for the IMS baring. Many have been recalled and fixed, but some are unknown.

Corvette, same thing great till they brake. But depending on your mechanical knowledge you save on labor. Prices are pricey but it's still GM guts and what nots.

Brz. So far engines are ok. Common problems are fuel injection issues and notchy trannys, and bad throw out bearings.

Besides that problem/complains are space. If you are a loner or have one friend then it's no problem. If you have more baggage then it's an isssue. If you can call it that. Another complaint is gas. These cars run best on high octane fuel. So 91 is now your go to fuel. If you ever bitched about gas prices, then you'll bitch even more.

The brz is great on gas out of the three.

Other than that, it's really up to you what kind of sports car you want. If you just full power and don't care about gas, corvette.
You want power and better drivability and that "look at me I drive a Porsche" get the cayman
If you want a entry level cheap bear bones "sporty" car that's reliable for daily driving get a Miata.

Get the brz if you don't want a convertible and want a place to keep your hat on the "back seat" and like the look.

the BRZ is way more practical than a Corvette, and modding it is probably a lot cheaper than modding a Corvette as well. there is a huge aftermarket for the BRZ too (Corvette as well, but I am not sure about the Cayman), so that is a plus. I think the aftermarket for the twins is one of the largest.

you can always go FI with the BRZ and slap on some good tires/wheels and get great lap times. hell, even just changing out the tires from stock will get you an instant and noticeable improvement. just be careful when you're doing your suspension mods since it is very easy to ruin the balance of the car (the way it is stock is pretty good IMO but dat wheel gap tho).

if you also want to buy the BRZ new, I would recommend the 2017 with performance package as well since you get the Brembos and better dampers (plus all the other significant MY17+ changes).

Don't want to do mods, just want a fun reliable car. Not looking to track just fun weekend drives. I have been itching to get another bike but know that's a bad idea. Thought a fun car might scratch that itch.

I really think they have made some great improvements on the 17 but I doubt I will buy new. Only thing I don't like is the spoiler, looks too rice rocketish for me. Other than that I think they made some good improvements. Don't really think the PP is worth it for someone not planning to track the car.

The initial price of those 3 cars may be the same, but the upkeep/maintenance and repair costs are not. The BRZ is in a totally different price category than the other 2 cars. Just price up oil changes, tires, a brake job and other stuff like that. The Porsche and Corvette will need a lot of maintenance soon too

My gf recently got herself a C7 Z51. We're learning that running costs on a vette are higher than you would expect.

To put it into context, ONE replacement front tire (OEM MPSS ZP) on a C7 costs roughly $375. Replacement OEM brake pads were $500. I can only assume prices for the C6 will be similar.

Reminder that BRZ's have the PITA spark plug change cost every 60k mile interval, as well as the TOB issues that long-term owners will be paying out of pocket to fix. Not cheap.

@Norcalkid as a 40 year old "kid" I'd say there are plenty of other cars you might want to look for. BRZ's are fun for cheap but at the cost of comfort and features. Porsche and Corvette's have better suspensions for instance, have enough power to run A/C full blast in traffic, etc. while a BRZ is only near Corolla-quality on its interior and comfort.

This thread title made me laugh.

My mother owns a Vette, stepdad owns a Cayman, and I own a BRZ. Out of the 3, I love driving the Cayman the most. It seems the most balanced in terms of power, ride quality, and driving experience.

if you have 120k to spend...
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULIuS_wO6o0&t=0s"]415 HP Porsche Cayman GT4 by Sharkwerks - One Take - YouTube[/ame]

or if you have 70k to spend...
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjeKSumjcRA"]425 WHP Coyote-Swapped Porsche Cayman by Limitless Motorworks - One Take - YouTube[/ame]

buy a 370Z...the poor man's porsche

In my opinion the C6 would be a more fun daily/weekend driver than a BRZ. Having power on tap and the loud pedal is always fun.

The BRZ is probably more practical from a comfort/MPG/cost perspective.

I have raced both cars (autocross) and the BRZ is much more fun in that regard, however.

If this is a last go around, last hurrah kind of a car. Skip straight to the corvette. You could find a well maintained C5Z or low mileage LS3 C6 and love life.


Corvette maintenance costs are cheap except for tires and weird specialty corvette only parts. Brakes, engine, transmission etc... dirt cheap on the LS equipped cars.


If you're considering those three vehicles, just don't even consider a BRZ unless you HAVE to have something new. It isn't even in the same ballpark in terms of performance, and everyone deserves to drive something fast in their life.


Also: Highway mileage on my old LS6 car was high 20's - low 30's sometimes. So....mileage in a corvette is not bad, you have to remember in 6th gear at 75 they're cruising at idle RPM for the most part. :lol:

Wait, 3 days for your work week? What do you do? Man I need a job like that.

Honestly with your commute I'd go BRZ. It will get the best gas mileage if you baby it, several people on here including me get 32 mpg dd'ing it.

Are you mechanically inclined? If you can do your own work then you might chance a cayman. Or maybe get a normal dd and something a little older and more fun like a 2nd or 3rd gen Supra or an MR2 or look for a deal on something interesting in your local want ads, craiglist or auto trader.

And you say you won't mod it, but if you go to meets and drive some of the modded cars you might change your mind, Just a few tweeks can really change the behavior of the car.