Did anyone go from MK7 GTI to BRZ?

[Sport-Tech]

Originally Posted by g e

....I have Michelin all seasons on it now, and the handling is decidedly softer than with the Primacies. this spring will get some Summer tires....

What Michelins are you using? I ask because a few others have posted that the Pilot AS 3+s/4s give you better handling than the Primacies do.... and for me the convenience of not having to swap wheels twice a year makes a bit of grip loss at the limit a tolerable sacrifice, but I don't want mushy.

[Narwhal]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

What Michelins are you using? I ask because a few others have posted that the Pilot AS 3+s/4s give you better handling than the Primacies do.... and for me the convenience of not having to swap wheels twice a year makes a bit of grip loss at the limit a tolerable sacrifice, but I don't want mushy.

I would say that if you get any amount of snow more than a couple of flurries through the winter just stick with the full winters. All season tires are nice and help when the temp drops, but the grip still isn’t anywhere near true winter sets when you have to get through ice/snow/slush

[Sport-Tech]

Originally Posted by Narwhal

I would say that if you get any amount of snow more than a couple of flurries through the winter just stick with the full winters. All season tires are nice and help when the temp drops, but the grip still isn’t anywhere near true winter sets when you have to get through ice/snow/slush

Well aware of this, I don't have to drive when there is snow on the roads here.

[g e]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

What Michelins are you using? I ask because a few others have posted that the Pilot AS 3+s/4s give you better handling than the Primacies do.... and for me the convenience of not having to swap wheels twice a year makes a bit of grip loss at the limit a tolerable sacrifice, but I don't want mushy.

AS3+ tires

I’ve joked elsewhere on this forum that they make my BRZ handle like my old man’s Buick

They aren’t that bad, but I feel I lost an edge and I miss that

[Narwhal]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

Well aware of this, I don't have to drive when there is snow on the roads here.

Ah, in that case, I haven't used the AS3+, but I got the BF Goodrich g force comp 2 A/S tires and they've been solid. Obviously not as much grip as a summer tire but it's handled rain, the cold, and little slushy stuff quite well. Nice and quiet too. Could be worth a try if you want a decent A/S that's a bit cheaper than michelins

[AK2112]

Originally Posted by Narwhal

Ah, in that case, I haven't used the AS3+, but I got the BF Goodrich g force comp 2 A/S tires and they've been solid. Obviously not as much grip as a summer tire but it's handled rain, the cold, and little slushy stuff quite well. Nice and quiet too. Could be worth a try if you want a decent A/S that's a bit cheaper than michelins

Do you have the comp 2 AS Plus (the newer ones)?

I only ask because I've driven comp 2s in the past and they were loud as shit but I've heard the plus has somewhat fixed that.

[Narwhal]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

What Michelins are you using? I ask because a few others have posted that the Pilot AS 3+s/4s give you better handling than the Primacies do.... and for me the convenience of not having to swap wheels twice a year makes a bit of grip loss at the limit a tolerable sacrifice, but I don't want mushy.

Originally Posted by AK2112

Do you have the comp 2 AS Plus (the newer ones)?

I only ask because I've driven comp 2s in the past and they were loud as shit but I've heard the plus has somewhat fixed that.

Yeah, I have the new ones! Didn’t get my 86 yet but in my GTI they’ve been pretty quiet.

[C R]

It's happening.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Strat_FRS]

You'll enjoy the BRZ. I tune and have a lot of seat time in the GTI, R, STI, Focus RS, etc as well as the BRZ and Gen1 and the engagement of the BRZ is higher while the overall power and speed are lower. However you are engaged and enjoying more of the time.

[Up4speed]

Originally Posted by C R

It's happening. Attachment 208556

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Congrats!!
Anxious to hear your thoughts once you get some seat time in the car

[C R]

Originally Posted by Strat_FRS

You'll enjoy the BRZ. I tune and have a lot of seat time in the GTI, R, STI, Focus RS, etc as well as the BRZ and Gen1 and the engagement of the BRZ is higher while the overall power and speed are lower. However you are engaged and enjoying more of the time.

Following your progress on YouTube! Just put our GTI back to stock this weekend, those things are so much fun when tuned. We'll miss it for sure.

Originally Posted by Up4speed

Congrats!!
Anxious to hear your thoughts once you get some seat time in the car

Break-in complete! Just drove over 500 miles home north of Austin, TX from New Orleans, back roads only and not a single rock chip!

I'm very happy with the switch because of the potential and the future track time I'll be seeing with the BRZ, but I was definitely missing the GTI's power and comfort on the way back. Super tired right now, but I'll put some thoughts together sometime tomorrow. 🤙

[Sport-Tech]

I'd love to see a thorough comparison review with the BRZ/GR86, Mk 8 GTi, and new Civic Si. Similar price, overlapping markets, probably a lot of cross-shoppers.

[C R]

A few random thoughts comparing the BRZ to my last GTI. The BRZ is at 650 miles now, just drove it around some back roads this morning and started getting some higher rpm.

Background: I have owned 8 new GTIs since 2006, last 3 were 2015 GTI (42k miles), 2017 GTI (66k miles), 2021 GTI (7k miles).

The driving position is as good as it gets on the GTI, and I'm happy to report I could get very comfortable on the BRZ (except for the seatbelt). I'm not the kind that gets so low I can barely see over the steering wheel, but for those who like that view, the BRZ's seat can get very low.

Seatbelt is not adjustable for height like on the GTI, so I found it would bother me after a few hours. I had to put on a sweater with a turtleneck to prevent irritation of the skin. #edit# found that feeding the seatbelt through the seat's loop is much better, should be a non-issue now.

Visibility was a nice surprise. The GTI has amazing visibility, but the forward view, positioning of the mirrors, and even rear view on the BRZ is quite good!

No auto-lock doors on the BRZ. Doesn't unlock automatically when pulling the handle either. GTI does both and it's configurable on the menus.

I constantly open the center console with my elbow, so I've decided it's going to stay open and look at aftermarket options in the future for a different type of lid/opening. It's convenient to keep it open because that's basically the best spot to keep the phone, unless you use the slot on the door's armrest. Fortunately it doesn't bother my elbow placement. The GTI's center console, while small, is adjustable for height and length.

Infotainment works fast, very efficient. Android auto disconnected a couple of times during the 10 hour trip, but on the GTI it used to black out sometimes and then it wouldn't connect again, at least on the BRZ all it takes is connecting the cable again.

Gauges are legit, all the info you need and very well laid out.

I liked that you can dim the dash lights at night to a very low level, almost blacked out, not so much on the GTI.

The seats are excellent, comfortable during the long trip (at 5'10", 170 lbs) and hold me during cornering.

The inside lights are awesome! The lights are the switch themselves, no more messing with small buttons and small lights.

Road noise is there for sure, noticeable but not something I would consider an issue. More noise insulation would make the car heavier and more disconnected from the road, so I think it has just the right amount of road noise for this type of car.

The stereo is barely usable when cruising at 80 mph, I'd have to mess with the settings, but it's much more enjoyable on the GTI

Dealer inflated tires to 44 psi, changed them to the recommended 35 psi before even leaving the parking lot.

A little bit of clutch chatter at lower rpm, normal and expected.

Steering is very direct, zero play, car goes where you point it but at the same time is not nervous or need to make a ton of adjustments at speed, not sure if that makes sense.

There is some rev-hang, but it's not bad, the RPM drops just in time to fall at the right spot when shifting slow. I don't mind it at all.

Headlights are outstanding, I have the Limited edition with the lights that steer with the car and they are really bright and properly adjusted from the factory, big improvement over the GTI "S" with halogens.

Hand brake grabs strong, better than the GTI.

Drivers seat is adjustable for height, same process as the GTI base seats, but the passenger seat only adjusts back and forth and for reclining.

Seat warmers work excellent on both cars, two settings on the BRZ (enough) vs 3 settings on the GTI.

The cup holders on the doors are actually very good, obviously not as much usability as the many available on the GTI, but I was pleasantly surprised otherwise.

Not a drop of oil burnt during the initial 650 miles, my previous GTIs did not burn oil either.

Headlights/tail lights stay on for a while after locking the car, will be looking at the options to disable those. #edit# they stay on for 30 seconds minimum, disabled now.

Seat belt chime starts beeping, and after about 20 seconds it really starts beeping, very loud.

Nothing to complain in regards to the climate controls, works as expected, very good on both cars. On the Mk7.5 GTI VW started going through the infotainment screen for some options (and of course it's bad on the Mk8), none of that silliness with the BRZ.

GTI still brings a spare tire, BRZ has a flat repair kit with tire sealant.

Nowhere to pull when closing the trunk on the BRZ, I use the logo to avoid getting fingers on the paint. The GTI has some nice handles inside the hatch

12v socket inside the glove box shuts off when turning off the car, same as the GTI. On some recent Ford cars I've driven that socket stays powered for a long time.

Gas lid - a couple of turns on the BRZ to the GTI's quarter turn, but both have a cool cap holding location.

And finally the power. Coming from a tuned GTI (over 300 whp and tons of torque at low rpm), the BRZ feels painfully slow while taking off in the 2-3k rpm range. You'll have a bunch of SUVs and trucks smoking you off the line unless you rev it out. I've owned a couple of Miata before, so I'm familiar with the feeling. I guess I was hopeful when I read a few reviews praising how strong it took off; but I'm sure that was comparing it to the first generation. I've also had DSGs on the GTIs that makes accelerating effortless.

My verdict: the GTI reigns king when it comes to daily driving, road trips, versatility, tuneability, miles per gallon. It's also quite capable in the right hands; now that the base car gets a LSD, it's a ton of fun on the corners. The Mk7 is even reliable by most accounts, and if it breaks there's a YouTube video telling you exactly how to replace it. The aftermarket and fan base for it is huge. I truly love these cars.

The BRZ is a driver's car, and with that comes compromises. Plenty of reviews already tell us what the BRZ offers. I think this combination of car is a dying breed, and I am happy to own one. Other track worthy cars I've considered to get in the past two years: Cayman, C7 Z51, Camaro 1LE, ATS-V. All of these I would have gotten used, so for $30k, I'm very happy I can get something new that with some mods will put up a fight to much more expensive cars when the roads/track get twisty.

[g e]

Originally Posted by C R

It's happening. Attachment 208556

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This is great!

I took a very similar pick of my GTI the night I traded it in on my BRZ

I don’t miss that car. I do sometimes miss the 2000 Passat wagon with manual transmission. That car was great. I was lucky and didn’t have many problems with it… for a VW…!