1000 Miles and 1st Week Review

[Be-Are-Zee]

Here is my come to ownership story and first impressions.

Being a bit of car guy you can take my review for what it's worth...nothing.

Since graduating in 2006 I have owned the following vehicles (in order)

2006 Pontiac Torrent
2007 RX-8 GT Auto
2008 Saturn Sky Red Line Auto
2009 RX-8 R3 - First Manual
2011 Hyundai Tuscon
2011 GMC Terrain
2009 RX-8 GT Manual (first and only used vehicle)
2014 Mazda CX-5 (Still Have)
2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i M-Sport

and now my DD a 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited Manual

I happened across my BRZ by accident really. I originally took a 7 hr road trip to trade in the brand new Bimmer for a used 09 RX-8 R3 at a Subaru dealership in Texas. Upon arriving and test driving the 8 I was ready to sign the paperwork when a black BRZ caught my eye. I called my wife (who is expecting our first very soon) and told her to pick between the 8 and BRZ. After reading some safety reviews she leaned toward the BRZ despite the smaller and less accessible back seat which will barely fit our car seat.

So there I was 400 miles from home set out for a specific hard to find R3 ending up with a BRZ I am pretty sure I could have found closer. I wasn't disappointed however as this just meant a nice long road trip home in a brand new BRZ (Lil'Breezy is her nick).

Ok so now the review.

Engine:

Overall I am happy however the power dip at 3k rpms is a bit of a shame. It's not as noticeable now that I am out of break in period and can drive harder in a higher rpm band. The general acceleration is plenty quick enough for me (although slower than my Bimmer SUV was and the R3). The engine noise is pleasant sounding with a bit of a growl. The exhaust note is also enjoyable but not too harsh.

Steering:

Not sure how they managed to impress me as much as the 8 has but they did. And with electronic power assist at that (same as my previous 8's). The steering feel is probably my favorite aspect of this car.

Transmission:

At first I didn't like how immediate the clutch engaged but after getting used to it I like the quick smooth shifts it allows. It may be harder to learn on for some new stick drivers but once you get into it you will love it too I'm sure.

Seating:

The front seats are comfy and supportive and I have no complaints. Even without lumbar support my road trip was fine. The back seats are not for adults but they will fit car seats if you are not too tall (I'm 5'10").

Interior:

The overall fit and finish is decent with soft surfaces and an aluminum looking dash. The head unit looks a little aftermarket and not very well integrated but it is functional. The lack of buttons or dials can make browsing radio stations more attention demanding due to the touch screen but I'm getting used to it.
Here is where I am hugely disappointed...the sound system. I seriously think a base corolla has a better set of speakers. I will be getting the OEM reference series ASAP.
One other area of disappointment lies with the cup holder system and arm rest. The cup holders themselves are in an awkward location and make for a hard arm rest surface. I look forward to purchasing an aftermarket solution to this. It was very noticeable on my road trip home.
Trunk storage is decent but made better with the fact that the rear seats can be folded down. I do wish they were split folding however.

Exterior:

The car looks amazing and the lights are very well done. I am also a big fan of true keyless entry where the key never leaves my pocket.

Overall the car is a blast to drive and with a few aftermarket upgrades it will be a great DD. I have a 45 mile commute one way through back country roads and the BRZ is a blast to roll through them on. It makes getting up for work that much easier.

My first stop on the way home at a drive through I received my first car compliment. "Sick car man" to which I replied "thanks, just bought it this morning".

My wife said the car looks much classier than the college looking RX-8 and loves to ride shotgun.

[RurumariGhost]

nice glad you like it!

[sklimo]

Congrats!!!! Welcome to the obsession!!!

[TommyFive]

Now that the BRZ is broken-in, what are you going to trade the it in for?

[Be-Are-Zee]

Originally Posted by TommyFive

Now that the BRZ is broken-in, what are you going to trade the it in for?

Lol this is so true. My wife hates my obsession and money wasting. I lose about 5-10k with each trade in.


I think next will be the new RX whenever it comes out. I really like this BRZ so I might just get it out of the bumper to bumper range.

The joke around my office is that when I need an oil change I just get a new car.

[GTHachiRoku]

Nice write up! Definitely like the look of the BRZ over the RX8.

The more I read on this forum, the more I'm convinced I definitely went into the wrong line of work lol.

[reeves]

Congrats! Boxer > Rotary!!

I too look forward to my 45-60min daily commute now!

[thill]

Nice review. I think you make some valid observations. I was a big time Mazda guy as well and really am enjoying my BRZ. The MPG is pretty dang impressive for a sports coupe. I am averaging about 26mpg with about 90% city driving. An RX-8 would not break 19 with similar driving style

[mush]

Originally Posted by Be-Are-Zee

Lol this is so true. My wife hates my obsession and money wasting. I lose about 5-10k with each trade in.


I think next will be the new RX whenever it comes out. I really like this BRZ so I might just get it out of the bumper to bumper range.

The joke around my office is that when I need an oil change I just get a new car.

that hurts! im about to lose some money for trading in. money comes and goes though, as long as ur happy:happy0180:

[BRZfan]

BE-ARE-ZEE said:

Steering:
Not sure how they managed to impress me as much as the 8 has but they did. And with electronic power assist at that (same as my previous 8's). The steering feel is probably my favorite aspect of this car.

Subaru/Toyota made sure that the axis of the steering mechanism was centered to the real center of the seat position. Not all cars are designed this way.

[BRZfan]

That (trade-in depreciation) AND any state sales taxes. In Michigan the sales tax is at least 6.0% (it may have been increased recently).

Originally Posted by mush

that hurts! im about to lose some money for trading in. money comes and goes though, as long as ur happy:happy0180:

[Be-Are-Zee]

Originally Posted by BRZfan

That (trade-in depreciation) AND any state sales taxes. In Michigan the sales tax is at least 6.0% (it may have been increased recently).

Sales tax is less of an issue with trades. You only pay tax on the difference. In my recent case of Bimmer to BRZ my trade was worth more than what I paid for the BRZ and so I paid zero sales tax.

[Be-Are-Zee]

Originally Posted by thill

Nice review. I think you make some valid observations. I was a big time Mazda guy as well and really am enjoying my BRZ. The MPG is pretty dang impressive for a sports coupe. I am averaging about 26mpg with about 90% city driving. An RX-8 would not break 19 with similar driving style

Great point I forgot to mention. So far I am averaging 33 mpg. That's a 50:50 mix of hwy and city. I'm starting to driver harder now that I am broken in so we shall see how much it declines.

[thill]

Originally Posted by Be-Are-Zee

Sales tax is less of an issue with trades. You only pay tax on the difference. In my recent case of Bimmer to BRZ my trade was worth more than what I paid for the BRZ and so I paid zero sales tax.

Yes. Although not all states (California for example) recognizes this. My car history used to be similar to yours until I got married and had kids. I have slowed down trading and buying cars quite a bit. Well, except this year when I traded in a 2013 Genesis Coupe that I drove for 14 months for a 2013 BRZ...

I have no plans to get rid of the BRZ. It is the most fun I have had with a car since my 1995 RX-7. And I have had lots of cars since then (11 cars since 1996).