My WRB BRZ is delivered!

[cwik]

Originally Posted by kensic

no kick off parties?!?!?!! what??? scion treats their customers better?

lol nah you don't need attention.

congrats man! awesome stuff.

does your car come with steering controls? im guessing no

I had a handful of people swarming around the car, taking pictures, etc. as the dealer was describing features on the lot.

Speaking of attention, on my way to and from dinner, I had 2 people follow me until I stopped in order to hear what I thought of the car, plus a few thumbs up from strangers on the street. I'm sure these cars will be more common later in the year, but after driving it a measly 20 miles, I've already got plenty of attention!

There are no controls on the steering wheel, but I don't find myself wishing they were there.

[ayau]

[Enemies]

Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaats!

[cwik]

Originally Posted by kensic

Please write a journal review like that guy with his FRS.

Let me get around 100 miles before I start to put my all of my thoughts into words.

My initial impressions are great. Let me share some very basic info before I write a more full review.

Exterior
I was worried after ordering my car with the chrome fender trim for a few reason. First off, and most obvious in my opinion, was that I was afraid it would either look too blingy (ie, why is there chrome on a sports car?!?! This ain't no cadillac of old) or too cheap (ie, the silly 3-hole "vents" you see people put in that general region on cars that have a KBB value of $4000). Secondly, I was worried since I saw very few people on this forum comment or admit to ordering it. I'm happy to say I love it. I'm sure some don't like it, but I don't regret it at all. I don't think it's too much having that, fog lights, and the day time running lights.

I'm also really glad I got world rally blue. After seeing some of the initial reviews with the light silver, I was worried that a lot of the lines would be hidden with such a loud color. The pearl finish definitely gives it some distinctive lines, far more than I could tell when I saw a red pre-production one at a dealership a few weeks ago. It's definitely a unique color compared to the "safe" color palette of most cars you see on the road.

The wheels are great too. If you've seen the pre-production models in real life, you know what I'm talking about. I was not crazy about them from the pictures I've seen, but they're a *lot* darker in real life.

From my basic inspection, the body panels all line up, and there's really nothing I could find wrong with it. I will mention that I did see quite noticeable orange-peeling with the paint. I think it's probably uniform across the car, but I really noticed it on the back fenders when climbing into the car.

To anyone who has not been around a car with keyless entry, it's pretty cool. I'm sure the effect may wear off after time, but I don't think it will ever completely wear off .

Interior
No surprises here. The pedal is indeed the smaller one that someone pointed out in another forum post (ie, the bottom of the pedal does not stretch towards the brake pedal). I was surprised that I wasn't over powered by "new car" smell . I suppose that's because there's not too much leather (the seats have alcantara, the soft dash material is rubberish and not leather, etc.).

The seats are fantastic. I absolutely love how they hug you. I'm a pretty skinny guy, and 6 feet tall. To be comfortable, I think I have the driver seat all the way back (no leg room for anyone sitting behind me), and when going side to side, I have very little sliding in the seat. I'd imagine for more portly people, the seats should still hold you quite well, you'll just have a bit more pressure on your sides. The headrest is great too. It looks awkward in pictures, but it feels natural and comfortable.

I didn't play too much with the stereo, but am not very impressed with it. It's a bit slow, lacks the polish of any modern smart phone, but does its job. One thing I despise and will need to read the manual for is the iphone integration. I've got an iphone 4 paired to the car, and every time I leave the car, the ringer volume is either off or on the lowest setting (can't remember). I wish it would just leave it alone.

The key fob was a bit disapointing. My brother's S2000 key was very cool and textured, and my GSX-R600 key just looks damn cool. This on the other hand is all black plastic, no rubber buttons, doesn't have much weight to it. Good thing it'll be in my pocket 90% of the time due to the keyless entry !

The headlight leveling is pretty neat. It's got distinct selections (not free spinning, but falls into ruts, kind of like how most scroll wheels on computer mice "click"). Regardless of the "clicks", the headlights change their focal point smoothly.

My short drive
As I mentioned earlier, this things growls more than I thought. I couldn't really tell when the "sound tube" was working or not, meaning it's probably a very gradual change and not binary. I don't know if it will get old, but I really like the engine note. It doesn't sound like it's going to explode with rage and passion like some other cars, but I think it sounds very natural and fitting. I get the impression they weren't trying to make it all bark and no bite, nor were they trying to hide what it sounds like. At low RPMs, it's easy to have a conversation in the car with the passenger, but as you get closer to 5K, you'll have to raise your voice a bit.

The clutch and transmission impressed me. I find the clutch pedal has a natural weigh and movement... a bit on the lighter side, but like the sound of the engine, it's fitting. The shifter tight. It was easy to throw it between the gears, I had no questions as to which gear I had hit, there was a positive engagement, and decently short throws. I will mention that it was a noisier shifter than I'm used to. Of the dealers and cars that would let me drive their manual cars, I test drove a GTI, 370z, Mustang GT, and a 135i. Maybe I wasn't paying attention since it wasn't my car with the test drives, but I feel like the BRZ had the noisiest shifts (a "snick" noise). It wasn't a crunch, and it's not really that concerning to me, but just my observations. Of the cars I test drove, I found the 135i the best at having smooth shifts when letting go of the clutch. The 370z was the worst, and took immense consentration and practice to not get a hurky-jerky upshift from 1st to 2nd. I'd say the BRZ's smoothness is somewhere in between. I almost felt that the 135i was too easy to drive and must have beeing doing some magic between my hands & feet and the tires. I don't get that feeling with the BRZ. The BRZ seems fully connected, but maybe the lower power or lower weight means that you don't get the super jerky gear changes. It didn't bother me, but I should mention that gear shift lever vibrates a bit. I know this can drive some people nuts, but I don't mind. If I recall from my drive, you can *see* it shake a bit, but only if you're paying attention. On the flip side, with your hand on the lever you can definitely feel it.

I couldn't be more pleased with the handling. I took some really sharp low-rev 2nd gear turns which did not push the car at all, but felt solid! There's very little body roll, and I'm having troubles finding where they put all of the weight of the car! It didn't feel like it wanted to oversteer or understeer, it just felt like it went where I pointed the car. Take this with a grain of salt as I mentioned I wasn't pushing the car at all. It just felt planted. I found the steering to be really light in slow speed parking lot situations, but with some momentum, it's got a pleasant weight to it. Not sure if this is due to the electronics or physics, but I like the dual characteristics. My roommate (with a 335xi) commented on the steering when I was lane changing during our tiny stint on the highway. He said "this cars steering is impressive. It just goes. It doesn't think or roll or anything, it just turns. It's incredible really." It reminded me of the reviews I've read, where it just goes where you point it.

We've all read that since it has a lower center of gravity, the car didn't need to have its suspension incredibly tight. I'll trust the engineers on that, but it was a bit of a bumpier ride than I was expected... but I do know it can get a lot worse. It's not harsh or unbearable by any means, but you really do feel everything on the road. I'm a fan of the suspension. This truly gives you a level of feel for the road that I haven't really found in the cars I test drove.

To be honest, I have a hard time not smiling while driving this car. The engine alone does not put this smile upon my face. I remember test driving the 370z, and planting my foot to the floor (wasn't my car :P) and grinning like a fool with how much oomph was available. I haven't really trashed the engine yet, but I've got a pretty good idea what to expect. It's a solid engine, and I like its predictable linear power. As I mentioned above, it makes an echanting burble. It feels spritely, not overpowered. And to be frank, I couldn't be happier (ask me again in a year). To re-iterate what we've all read, it's great to be able to drive a car at its limits, rather than barely tap what's available. It means I get to have more fun by being more engaged, squeezing what I can out of it, and focusing on technique rather than brute force. I'm not saying the engine is weak or the low point of the car, I'm merely saying that other cars have better straight line performance for roughly the same money. But seeing how adamantly we're all following this car's launch, I don't think I need to convert anyone on the joys of twisty roads.

Driving around downtown Seattle and my parking garage which has a medium grade to it, I didn't hear any scraping noises. Its ground clearance is decent, but I suspect it's lower than most cars I'm used to. I'm glad to see it's probably not going to be a problem for most people.

Wrap up
This went on longer than I expected. A lot of the reviews are saying this car is "balanced". I totally agree, especially at the price we're paying. Yes, there's faster cars, cars with better interior quality and luxuries, but we're paying for a sports car, and I think Subaru delivered with flying colors. This isn't a rip-and-snort kind of car, but that's not what I was looking for. It's a small, back-to-basics sports car. My word is "fitting". The interior is fitting for a car of this price. The playful/maniacal look of this car is fitting to its handling characteristics. If it looks more brute like, I'd expect it to go quicker in a straight line, but instead it's fitting. The grip and weight of the clutch is fitting for a car of this weight, and the feel it's trying to achieve (and succeeds imo). The engine sound is fitting; it's got nothing to hide, yet it's not obnoxious. The engine characteristics are fitting too. It's got enough power to kick the backend out in turns (from reviews I've read, not personal experience yet), but not enough to get you on the front page of jalopnik or autoblog with your car torn in half after striking a tree.

My roommate has a manual 2011 335xi. He's been driving me around a lot lately and I really started to second guess my pre-order. I thought that since I could afford his car, why wouldn't I get it while I'm young? It's got some surprisingly aggressive pick-up, felt stuck to the road, makes me feel like I'm at the intersection of luxury and sport, and I dig the styling. But after picking up my car, it just feels that much tighter, and so much smaller. It feels like it was built with a single purpose in mind, which I interpret as putting a smile on your face and trying to make you giggle like a madman. It does this by being comfortable with itself as "just a sports car", and not spiralling into an identity crisis like other cars.

My car feels raws, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Unless you're power-hungry or getting beaten at stop light drag races gets under your skin, I have a hard time seeing anyone being disappointed with this car.

Hopefully the pre-ETA delivery of BRZs is a trend that continues for all of you, but in the mean time I'd suggest getting your loan & insurance stuff prepped now so you're not running around to get it all done come game day! Nothing's worse than seeing your car, and not being able to drive it off the lot same day. This nearly happened to me.

I leave you all with a picture showing the size difference between my car and the 335xi (moving to another post so that you can read this review on a single page without scrolling)

[cwik]

Here's the size comparison

[fistpoint]

That "snick" sound in the shifter is coveted by some...

Would you compare the clutch to an older or new(2012) Civic/RSX in lightness? Assuming you've driven either.

[Dark]

Congrats OP. Enjoy the ride.

[ayau]

can you comment on the rev hang (or lack of)?

also, can you provide some info on your ETA experience? how did you get yours so early?

[cwik]

Originally Posted by ayau

can you comment on the rev hang (or lack of)?

also, can you provide some info on your ETA experience? how did you get yours so early?

No rev hanging .

My ETA experience was much like everyones. Basically no information the whole way. I asked the dealership back in December 2011 to give me a call/email/text/carrier pigeon the moment they have information as I was seriously looking to buy. They took my contact info and assured me they would get in touch with me.

I called late February after I heard some dealerships were taking pre-orders. After asking, and to my horror, they said they were taking pre-orders. We cleared a few things up, and then realized that they were *going* to start taking pre-orders on 3/1 (it was probably 2/20ish at this point). By 2/27 I had given them $500 non-refundable and all the options I wanted, so the first thing on 3/1, they submitted my pre-order. I really think getting the car so early (first?) was its location (west coast) and luck.

[cwik]

Originally Posted by fistpoint

That "snick" sound in the shifter is coveted by some...

Would you compare the clutch to an older or new(2012) Civic/RSX in lightness? Assuming you've driven either.

I'm not bashing it, but getting used to it, and letting others know.

I have not driven either of those cars. I really only test drove new cars that had really caught my attention lately:

-GTI (seems to get a 90% in every category, no 100% though)
-370z (love the appearance, power is nice too)
-TT (I like how it's like a baby R8, but no manual for anything but the TT RS put that out of my consideration... I did test drive a regular TT and the manu-matic transmission drove me nuts and wouldn't hold onto any gear for me)
-Mustang GT (I've heard nothing but praise for the engine, and the sound was intoxicating)
-Lancer Evo X (ridiculously fun car, but it seemed too over the top, and I couldn't justify spending that much on insurance)

I tried to test drive an MX-5 and Speed 3, but they actually turned me away because I looked young, they were busy, and "they wanted me to try everything and go to them last". Go figure.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by cwik

No rev hanging .

My ETA experience was much like everyones. Basically no information the whole way. I asked the dealership back in December 2011 to give me a call/email/text/carrier pigeon the moment they have information as I was seriously looking to buy. They took my contact info and assured me they would get in touch with me.

I called late February after I heard some dealerships were taking pre-orders. After asking, and to my horror, they said they were taking pre-orders. We cleared a few things up, and then realized that they were *going* to start taking pre-orders on 3/1 (it was probably 2/20ish at this point). By 2/27 I had given them $500 non-refundable and all the options I wanted, so the first thing on 3/1, they submitted my pre-order. I really think getting the car so early (first?) was its location (west coast) and luck.

thanks! that's awesome.

i hope there are more people writing reviews like this one. car journalist reviews get stale after reading so many of them.

[Xlr8]

Nice review and initial first impressions. Thanks for Posting. Enjoy Your Car and Congratz!!

[ayau]

since your brother has a s2000, i'm assuming you've driven it.

can you compare the clutch feel between the s2000 and the brz? is it a longer/shorter clutch travel? how about the engagement point?

[ayau]

also, if you don't mind, taking some videos would be greatly appreciated.

it doesn't have to be anything specific. it will just make the time go by faster for everyone else that's still waiting.