2013 BRZ vs 2014 WRX (non-STi)
 

Due to needing a car with a more room in the back I recently traded-in my 2013 BRZ for a 2014 WRX hatchback (hatchback goes away for the 2015 model year and orders for 2014's stopped in September).

Just wanted to share some of my initial thoughts on the WRX vs the BRZ, most of which should not be a surprise.

WRX Pros:
- Well the obvious, space. I have the WRX hatchback and there is considerably more legroom in the back. I am 5'11" and in the BRZ, my kids maybe had 1-2 inches for their feet... An adult behind my seat in the BRZ? Not going to happen. I also have three kids and the BRZ would only allow for 2 children in the back (2 sets of seatbelts). In the WRX when I set my drivers seat to my normal driving position, I have a ton of legroom behind the seat and I have no problem sitting back there even for an extended trip. I can also fit one carseat and two booster seats in the back Which means I can haul the whole family in the WRX in a pinch if something happened to our minivan. There is tons of cargo space in the back even with the rear seats up, but with them down, way more.

- Power. Again, this is very obvious and I am not trying to knock the FT86 here. Anyone who test drives the FT86 knows the car is not that powerful compared to most cars in the segment that cost under $30K (Mustang, WRX, Gencoupe, Focus ST, etc). The WRX is just incredibly powerful. More than I was expecting (I had not really pushed a newer WRX). Part of that is AWD where the WRX limits wheelspin and a lot of it is the additional HP and TQ. At the flywheel the WRX is rated 268hp and 244ft lbs of tq. I believe this number to be conservative and MotorTrend agrees. The 2013 WRX (non-STi) they tested did 0-60 in 4.7secs, the 1/4 mile in 13.5 sec at 100mph, and the figure 8 in 25.6 seconds. Compare that to the BRZ which rated 0-60 in 6.4 1.4 in 15secs at 93mph and the figure 8 in 26.3 secs. Again, none of this was a surprise to me, but in the real world the WRX is a beast off the line and with so much more torque on hand it passes so much easier than the BRZ. Being honest, the BRZ for me needs more power, and especially more torque. Nothing drastic but enough to make the car more competitive with rivals.

- AWD for winter. I would not say AWD as a whole is a plus, because those of us who have owned lightweight RWD cars know how damn fun they are. It (AWD) is clearly superior for performance purposes with regards to off the line acceleration but where the AWD is noticeable is for someone like me who lives in Minnesota and might see snow 6 months out of the year, and rain for the other months. The WRX is just so planted and confident in inclimate weather. It is a nice plus for sure for the weather. And while I was fine driving the BRZ around in the winter with dedicated snow tires, the car was still easily to slide around (which can be fun) and it made me nervous when my wife drove it. The WRX with the same snow tires installed is a tank. You are just planted to the road even around slippery corners.

BRZ pros:
- Handling. Not that the WRX handles poorly, but the BRZ's steering is tighter. The low center of gravity of the BRZ is a big advantage IMHO, as it really allows the BRZ handle so well. Lightweight RWD is a blast and you can easily lose the backend of the BRZ but in a very controlled manner. AWD is also very confidence inspiring, but the WRX (by design it seems) has a tendency to understeer whereas the BRZ does not. BRZ is more neutral but both cars actually have similar driver feedback even more the BRZ has electronically assisted steering and the WRX uses a traditional hydraulic pump. I prefer the handling in the BRZ.

- Gearbox. My WRX came with a short throw shifter installed by the dealer (a must in this car) but even then it is not as good as the Asin in the BRZ. Not that the WRX is bad, but the BRZ is just that good. The stock shift knob in the WRX is just awful (think 1980's pickup truck) and I have a Cobb shif knob on the way which will help with throws. I do find the BRZ shifter to be a little more notchy as well. On the flip side I find the clutch in the WRX to be smoother and easier to engage. If the manual gearbox in the 2015 WRX (a six speed and supposedly improved over the previous gen WRX) is as good as they say it could give the BRZ a run for the money.

- Fun factor. I guess it depends on how you define fun. The power of the WRX can be a blast and the WRX has power in spades. It is just so quick. But the BRZ is just so much fun around a corner and I feel more connected to the car and the road in the BRZ. So take your pick depending on what you prefer, but for me, I find the BRZ to be a more fun car to drive if there are curvy roads involved.

- Interior. My BRZ was a Limited model and the WRX is a base model. So this is not going to be a real even comparison, but I found the BRZ to have better plastics in most of the cabin. Both cars have softer plastic on the dashboard, but the BRZ is just a step up. That said, I was expecting the worst from the WRX after reading some reviews, and I have to say it was not nearly as bad as some claimed. The WRX seats are pretty good, but the BRZ Limited seats are better. That said, the leather and Alcantara does not breathe as good as the perforated cloth seats in the WRX, but I would take the BRZ seats in a head to head battle. Both steering wheels are smaller and have a great feel to them but the WRX does have steering wheel audio and phone controls which is really nice. The BRZ's touchscreen radio is just horrible and it was often a chore to change tracks, stations, etc. The BRZ also would sometimes take forever to pair my iPhone whereas the WRX radio is almost instantaneous. I won't miss the BRZ touchscreen at all and Subaru really needs to improve it. Overall there are pros and cons for both, but I would say the BRZ is better with the superior seats, and slightly better plastics.

MPG. BRZ all the way. I expect to get about 5mpg less in the WRX. Power and AWD comes at a cost at the pump.

- Exterior. This is very subjective. The cars just have different design goals. The BRZ is just such a good looking classic sports car, whereas the WRX has loads of character and is very masculine. Personally, it is a toss-up for me.

All in all, I wish I could own both cars. I really do, and I will miss the BRZ. They are just very different cars that had different goals. It will really come down to whether you want more power and more practicality, or do you want the more drivers focused car? If you think you need to put people (kids or adults) in the backseat of the BRZ on a regular basis, don't bother with the BRZ. I really thought I could make it work and I was fooling myself.

I am already looking into suspension mods that will improve the WRX and thankfully they are not that expensive. First is a rear sway bar that will tighten up body roll (it is not excessive in the WRX, but there is some). But I am under no illusion that the WRX will ever handle like a BRZ.

Sorry for the novel, but I hope this helps someone cross-shopping.

interesting, so you felt like you won with the wrx, im looking into the sti myself, the hatchback, how pricy is the upkeep of these cars.

This is very similar to my thoughts on my old STI vs. current FR-S. Comes down to power/AWD/space vs. handling/looks/MPG. The only thing I differ with you on is steering. I did not like the steering on my STI, whereas I think the steering is very good in my FR-S. Anyway nice write-up.

I don't know about "won". I needed a car with a more useable backseat that can fit three kids and, living in the midwest, AWD was a big plus. Power wise? Yeah the WRX is much faster but you sacrifice handling and sportiness to get there.

The only other cars I cross shopped was the Focus ST and I drove an EVO GSR. There is a new VW GTI coming which should have potential as well along with a Golf R that will offer about 300hp and AWD with a hatchback in Q1 2015.

If you can drive a WRX with a short shifter installed (most dealers sell it this way on the lot, at least they do here in Minnesota) I would drive one back to back with an STI.

Thanks for the write up regarding the comparison, it was a good read. I've driven both the Impreza and the BRZ, and each have their own character. Thankfully both come with a market full of goodies, and both are backed by numerous vendors. Congrads on the new ride, i do love the hatchback and considered getting one, it's a shame they will stop production of it.

@thill, have you considered a cheap people hauler and saving the BRZ as a fun/weekend toy? Personalloy, I've never been a fan of dual purpose cars, which is why I have 3 cars, lol.

thill, congrats on the new purchase.

Regarding power, I disagree with your observation. Before buying my BRZ I test drove a BRZ back to back with a WRX. The power difference didn't blow me away, and wasn't enough to persuade me from the better handling BRZ.

And the WRX's acceleration figures are misleading. To achieve 0-60 in 4.7 you have to do a violent launch, and additionally only one gear shift is required before reaching 60 mph. The BRZ needs two shifts.

Anyway that was my first hand observation.

I love the WRX's. Tons of fun and the AWD is a hoot.

All of the Motortrend 0-60 times are hard launches. With AWD it might be even more violent, but it is not like you are going to go around dumping the clutch in your FT86 all day long either unless you don't mind replacing your clutch all the time.

Having owned the car now for almost 4 weeks, I can tell you the WRX is considerably faster. At launch you have AWD which just keeps the car planted and minimizes wheel spin. So even if you are not dumping the clutch the car launches much more effortlessly. And you have all that torque and hp once the turbo spools up. Between 3-5K RPM the car makes a lot of power. The car definitely is quicker than the 2013 2.0T Genesis Coupe I owned (which on paper makes more HP and TQ) and I find it faster than the 3.8L Genesis Coupes I have driven.

The one thing I have noticed is that Subaru seems to have underestimated the power and torque for the WRX via their specs. If you look at the stock dynos from Cobb Tuning, you can see that the car makes very close to the manufacturer specs at the wheel. And the WRX is so easy to make power on. With just a downpipe and a Cobb Accessport ($650) running a base Stage 2 map the car is putting down close to 300hp and 320ft lbs of torque.

Handling is where I plan on making some mods first though as I don't really feel like I want or need more power at this point in time with the car. Sway bars, better tires and an alignment and I will see how I feel. The FT86 is such a great handling car, and I don't expect the WRX to ever have that level of handling, but there is definitely room for improvement vs the stock setup which is soft. Although it is also a pretty good setup for a daily driver over bad pavement.

@thill
Congrats on the new car! Sorry to see you go..!
Totally understand your write up.. Seems like a much more practical
Car for you to own especially since your so north and with 3 kids!.. I'm sure the AWD will
Come in handy.. Subie makes a great AWD system. I used to own a forester XT.
While it won't be as nimble or light as the FRS, you will be rewarded in other ways like head snapping launches, even in the wet..
The only thing I could never get used to with full time AWD was the pull/push condition you get in higher speed turns..
Enjoy your new ride!

Congrats on your purchase. I have a 2011 STi & 2013 BRZ and will contest that this write up is pretty accurate. I love both cars but seemingly find myself driving the BRZ more due to the fact that it's fun factor and feeling like you're in a large go kart.

Not to mention the gas savings :)

I have done three fillups and am averaging about 20mpg so far which is about 7mpg less than the BRZ.

Ouch. Car is not broken in and winter fuel mix here hurts, but I am already feeling it at the pump.

That said, man the AWD is nice in Minnesota, so it is probaby worth the gas hit for that alone.

You have the perfect scenario and I really wish I could have kept my BRZ and had this car, but that was not realistic at this time. Should have the WRX paid off in 2 years and then I start shopping for my fun weekend car. S2K might be the frontrunner, but finding one in the midwest that is in good shape is getting harder and harder.

Thanks man. The more time away I spend from the FT86, the more I realize just how special the car is and appreciate what Subaru and Toyota built. They really went against the grain with the car. I am still a huge advocate for the platform and would love to see it evolve.

You could always buy mine in the future or my ITR, lol.