Anyone coming from more powerful cars to the BR-Z?

[BRZErskine]

Originally Posted by jasonojordan

I highly disagree with that statement. There is no way they could market that kind of car for that price point. Bump that price up at least 5-10k and you are more in the ball park.

You are right. My numbers were a bit skewed because I was using 25k as the price point for the BRZ now, since thats what I got my limited for. technically it is closer to 30k msrp. So adding 10 to 15k would put it around 40-45k. I would still buy this over a WRX STI.

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[Yanbags]

My previous car was a 2013 STi. I had bought it brand new because it was my dream car from my teenage years and man did it bring me a lot of joy. I started getting a lot of seat time at the track with the STi - primarily at Englishtown Raceway Park, NJMP, and Watkins Glen. I did a bunch of DE events with PCA, and the STi was an extremely capable car having no problem keeping up with the 911s in my groups. Spent a lot of time and money to get the car set up exactly how I wanted it with top quality mods and man that thing was a rocket. The winter months were insanely fun; it was incredible what you can get away with by having a proper set of winter tires. After getting more serious about track time, I've been feeling that the car is just too porky and I really wanted to get into a light-weight RWD platform.

I had test driven the BRZ about 3 years ago when I first got my STi but it didn't really call to me at all. After test driving the BRZ again, I took a more spirited approach to the test drive. I swear I was sold instantly. The first track day I did with the BRZ was at Watkins Glen with nothing other than upgraded brake fluid & pads and I couldn't stop smiling. The BRZ out of the box is so incredibly sorted, I couldn't believe it. Even the street manners are so much better than the STi.

Long story short - the BRZ is slow as a slug in a straight line compared to the STi, but driving dynamics and the way the car moves around around a corner has me with an ear to ear grin every time. 1000% no regrets. I've had people say "you gave up your STi for that!?" Like OP said, once you drive a twin the way it's meant to be driven, everything about the car makes sense. I don't think there's a single *new* car out there in the market that comes close to what the twins give you for the money.

[BRZErskine]

Originally Posted by Kuya Moose

I currently have a 2006 Pontiac GTO and a 2001 Subaru Outback. I test drove a BRZ while my Outback was in for a major maintenance, and fell in love with how it drives. I don't care that my GTO is three to four seconds faster down the dragstrip. Outside of the local track/strip, I don't go any faster than 70 MPH, and I don't street race... so there really isn't a point to having all that power other than the few times I have some fun at the track. Sure, getting on the highway is cool, but that's only like less than five seconds of fun. I'd rather enjoy normal driving and not have twisty roads be a chore.*

The Engineering Explained guy explained it best in his video explaining why he's selling his STI. Once you get past the ego and desire to have bragging rights on power, you'll come to realize that a lightweight car that is fun to drive is better to have. Why have fun less than 5% of the time in a way that may get you in trouble with the law, when you can have fun 80% of the time safely without getting into trouble?

The only car I've driven that comes close to the BRZ in enjoyment is the MX-5. Thing is, I hate Mazda's current weird alien spaceship designs. I like how the new Fiat that's based on the MX-5 looks, but I hate soft-tops. I joined this forum, because I'm a huge fan of the BRZ and hope to get one.

(*I also used to have a gutted Saturn SC2 as an autocross track car, and that thing was crazy fun. Autocross is so much funner than drag racing. I didn't want to get too long winded with my personal experience, since this post is already four paragraphs long including this one.)

Exactly, I never raced anyone on the street in my STI or 370z. Most likely due to the fact that I was close to 30 years old before owning either of these cars.

I really wanted a high hp car because of the many years of driving slower cars than all of my friends when I was young.

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[Mr.Impreza]

I came from a 2002 Subaru WRX STI with 300hp
And a 2007 BMW 335i with also 300Hp.

I was enjoying the 300Hp club, however the BMW felt way too heavy for my taste. Also very unreliable.

I used to always think the 86/BRZ were slow but once I test drive them I fell in love instantly. One of my favorite cars today and always want to find reasons to drive it!

Another nice thing is the NA motor. After forced induction, NA is just more fun for me and every little part makes such a difference
I also love the simplicity of these cars.

Now I'm a 200Hp club fan. I'm planning on picking up a 4 door Civic SI also for a family car in the future.

[DarkSunrise]

My past 4 "fun" cars have been a 2009 STI, 2009 Boxster S, 2005 350z AE, and 2013 FR-S. All had 300+ hp other than the FR-S. If I had to rank them:

1) The Boxster S was my favorite - roughly the size/weight of the FR-S but with 310 hp. Wasn't a huge fan of how the car looked, but everything else was pretty damn amazing. Might buy another 987.2S one day, it was that good.

2) The FR-S is a close 2nd, lots of smiles and fun times with it. Surprises folks in faster cars at the track. Still enjoying it and no matter what else I buy in the future, I'll probably always keep it as my track car, especially having finished a set of track mods on it.

3) The STI hatch would probably rank 3rd. Loved the blend of utility and power, but the handling and feedback were a letdown. Interestingly a lot of friends/family (non-car folks who rode as passengers) liked this one the best. Maybe it was the alcantara/leather seating and roomy interior.

4) I'd place the 350z 4th. I liked this car, but it never blew me away in any category. It wasn't light enough to make you feel connected to it like the Boxster S or FR-S, but also not practical enough to justify its extra weight compared to the STI hatch (AWD, rear seats and a hatch). Sort of the worst of both worlds - heavy and impractical.

I can't say any of them have been bad. There are certainly times I miss having 300+ hp, but the FR-S has earned its spot in my garage.

[nikitopo]

A BRZ is very close to the power-to-weight ratio of a WRX. There are still differences in torque curves and real life drive situations, but if you high rev a BRZ you won't miss a lot. It also depends where you are living. Only issue, is on high altitude where the NA engine stays pretty much breathless. Did you have a chance to drive to Colorado Springs?

WRX STI for me is another story. If the BRZ is a fun car, then the STI is the weapon car. Those that had this car and still saying that BRZ is better, they never realized or explored the full potential of the STI or they never needed such a car. Different drivers, different needs ...

[Elleteeh]

I had a 2013 BRZ when they first came out. Had it for a year and then traded it in cause I wanted to get the WRX. I managed to get 3k worth of equity back. I ended up with '13 WRX hatch for my wife and a '15 STi for myself. In the end, I missed the BRZ very much. I learned the hard way that all this talk of HP could never trump the amount of fun I had with my BRZ. The STi was as good as it gets for me. It just wasn't going to be my long term car. I always said had the STi shed some weight, became a coupe, and changed the looks on the tail then I'd be perfectly happy and content.

So here I am now, about to return to the BRZ. I've missed some minor updates since I've sold my old BRZ, plus I'm going to benefit from getting the refresh due to all the updates it's getting. So aesthetically speaking this car checks all the boxes for me that I want right from factory. It looks pretty close to the STi concept from the auto show awhile back. That's all I could ask for. I know how the car drives already and now I can jump back to a car that's light and pretty nimble. Power means nothing to me at this point, give me looks and a fun car and I'm set.

[Packofcrows]

Let's see...

"...more powerful cars to the BR-Z?"


Does our old Ford Mini-Van count? HA!

[BRZErskine]

Originally Posted by Packofcrows

Let's see...

"...more powerful cars to the BR-Z?"


Does our old Ford Mini-Van count? HA!

Ha, yeah there are plenty out there huh...I guess I should have specified...all of the aforementioned cars have been my daily driver / only car. I do not have kids, or have the need for a family car. I work from home so it could be argued whether or not I even need a car at all.

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[humdizzle]

Lol i've had a modded r35 gtr and now the 458 along side my FRS. Like others have said once you get past the whole ego thing the FRS is great. I do think everyone should have at least one 'fast' car in their life, something in the 10 second range 1/4 mile... just to get it out of your system. I did that and realized that I could care less about holding the wheel straight and pressing a pedal to beat someone by a few lengths. If thats what you need to feel good about yourself you have some issues. Power gets old after a while... a stock GTR is ridiculously fast.. yet you see soooo many modded ones because people just want more and more.

[drew_kar]

Miss the torque from my old v6... But that's about it.


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[raven1231]

Originally Posted by BRZErskine

The 370z was a great car, don't get me wrong I wasn't meaning to bash on it. However, there were a few things I really didn't like about it. Mainly, the engine.

I know this is a V6 and isn't supposed to be as rev-happy, but the engine really felt wheezy towards the top end of the rpm band, and I mean well before redline. Don't get me wrong, the car was fast, but when you are driving it hard it feels like the engine is fighting you, like it isnt comfortable doing what its doing if that makes sense. The engine starts vibrating, and you can feel this in the steering wheel and shifter. The best comparison I can give is driving my dads 1998 4 cylinder, manual transmission Ranger. This was a manual trans truck, no tach included from factory on the dash. You literally shift when it sounds / feels like you are supposed to. Low rpms are fine, the engine feels very nice and torquey in the Z, but the last quarter of the rpm band feels too much like that ranger 4 cylinder vibrating that you are guessing at how high the rpms are...

Secondly, and I did test drive another 2009 370 base model while I owned the STI to confirm...and maybe the later models of the 370 have improved...

There is a lot more play than you would expect in the steering wheel. It is not as direct as the STI or BRZ. I'd give it 3rd out of all the cars I have owned. Compared to the other 2, it really does feel sloppy.

Same with the shifter in the 370z, it feels very loose or artificial compared to the 2 Subarus. I will even say that both of my Subarus have had the same issue with shifting into second and third gear when cold from new. However, the shifter in either if them still felt more direct and tight, which made me feel more connected to the car.

Lastly, I was never a fan of the interior of the 370z.

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Thanks I appreciate your feedback. The 15 and up wrx shifter is terrible stock (have no idea on the STI), but I do love the one in the twins!

As for the engine that's interesting to0, I used to have a 350z and can't remember if it had that issue or not but I'd imagine it did. I did like the seating position and shifter in the 350z though.

This video really made me want to get back into a z though ha ha

[BRZErskine]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

A BRZ is very close to the power-to-weight ratio of a WRX. There are still differences in torque curves and real life drive situations, but if you high rev a BRZ you won't miss a lot. It also depends where you are living. Only issue, is on high altitude where the NA engine stays pretty much breathless. Did you have a chance to drive to Colorado Springs?

WRX STI for me is another story. If the BRZ is a fun car, then the STI is the weapon car. Those that had this car and still saying that BRZ is better, they never realized or explored the full potential of the STI or they never needed such a car. Different drivers, different needs ...

I have not yet made the drive to Colorado Springs I've only got about 400 miles on it, so I haven't even really driven it yet.

I agree with you, I never came close to realizing the full potential of the WRX STI. I never drove the car anywhere but on the road, never on a track, and I rarely drove it hard.

I realize that the many of the things I love about the BRZ are the exact same things I loved about the STI, mainly how direct and precise the steering inputs are. Simply surgical in both cars. Every movement of the hand translates into a movement of the car. I like the feel of the BRZ slightly better, just because the wheel is smaller.

I remember the STI felt more firmly planted at high speeds around corners, with very little if any body roll or twist. The 2015 STI suspension is amazing. AWD probably has adds to the more planted feel, as well as the STI coming with bigger wheels and tires from the factory. You can feel a bit more of a twist of the car in the BRZ at high speeds around corners, due to back end wanting to slide out, less rubber, RWD, whatever. To me, this provides a bit more fun feeling on the daily drive.

Its like you said, it's what you are looking for in a car. I've always wanted a rear drive, good looking coupe. Even after owning the STI fir a year, the BRZ has been enough for me so far, at below 4k rpms.



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[BRZErskine]

Originally Posted by raven1231

Thanks I appreciate your feedback. The 15 and up wrx shifter is terrible stock (have no idea on the STI), but I do love the one in the twins!

As for the engine that's interesting to0, I used to have a 350z and can't remember if it had that issue or not but I'd imagine it did. I did like the seating position and shifter in the 350z though.

This video really made me want to get back into a z though ha ha

Ha I dont blame you there. Thats a quick 370Z!

I would suggest driving the Z back to back with whatever other car you are contemplating buying / trading if possible. As obvious as it seems, this helped me the most in my decision.