Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB - View Single Post - After owning it for several years

g e · 04-08-2017, 01:16 PM

Short answer: YES

Back story:
I had driven VWs from 1985 til I got the BRZ new in Nov 2013.

My GTI was a great drive as a commuter and as a autobahn cruiser (i85-i95 corridor mainly). Stock suspension was soft, easily found the limit with spirited suburban driving.

But what drove me off the brand was the reliability problems. My Golf and Passat had several sensor failures, cv boots torn, that had me in the service bay more than I like.

But the GTI had clutch/master cylinder issues that locked me out of all gears but 2nd. That shook my faith in the brand. With only 56,000 miles on the clock I traded in on the Limited BRZ.

The only issue I had with the BRZ was window lifts and door gaskets replaced under TSB warranty.

The Japanese know QC like no one else. As I get older I am less likely to look past QC in my cars for the sake of driving experience. One values time much more. As nice as the service guys are at my dealership, I'd rather be out driving than browsing old car mags in the waiting room.

The BRZ is lots more fun to drive than the GTI. One learns to get over the turbo rush off the line and appreciate this for what it is: an almost raw sports car with a few nods to modern living: back seat for dogs and mega Bounty rolls, decent trunk easily stows a week of groceries, a stereo that I have come to appreciate ( not the head unit UI- that is terrible) and the best handling car I have ever driven. And the seats. Incredible! I have made several 700-900 mile trips and they fit me perfectly. This is a highly subjective matter since we are built uniquely, but they sure work for me.

It's a great commuter car once you align the mirrors properly and has enough zip for On-ramp merging.

04-08-2017, 01:16 PM	#33
g e Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Drives: 2013 BRZ Location: Somewhere in The States Posts: 408 Thanks: 338 Thanked 277 Times in 163 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Short answer: YES Back story: I had driven VWs from 1985 til I got the BRZ new in Nov 2013. My GTI was a great drive as a commuter and as a autobahn cruiser (i85-i95 corridor mainly). Stock suspension was soft, easily found the limit with spirited suburban driving. But what drove me off the brand was the reliability problems. My Golf and Passat had several sensor failures, cv boots torn, that had me in the service bay more than I like. But the GTI had clutch/master cylinder issues that locked me out of all gears but 2nd. That shook my faith in the brand. With only 56,000 miles on the clock I traded in on the Limited BRZ. The only issue I had with the BRZ was window lifts and door gaskets replaced under TSB warranty. The Japanese know QC like no one else. As I get older I am less likely to look past QC in my cars for the sake of driving experience. One values time much more. As nice as the service guys are at my dealership, I'd rather be out driving than browsing old car mags in the waiting room. The BRZ is lots more fun to drive than the GTI. One learns to get over the turbo rush off the line and appreciate this for what it is: an almost raw sports car with a few nods to modern living: back seat for dogs and mega Bounty rolls, decent trunk easily stows a week of groceries, a stereo that I have come to appreciate ( not the head unit UI- that is terrible) and the best handling car I have ever driven. And the seats. Incredible! I have made several 700-900 mile trips and they fit me perfectly. This is a highly subjective matter since we are built uniquely, but they sure work for me. It's a great commuter car once you align the mirrors properly and has enough zip for On-ramp merging. Last edited by g e; 04-08-2017 at 01:29 PM.