2025 Subaru BRZ Starts at $32,265

Sean Tucker 09/16/2024 12:25pm

There’s a cheap and cheerful sports car in your imagination. Something not overpriced and not overpowered, with a short-throw stick if you want it, that you dream of driving hard down a winding road dappled in morning sunlight under a canopy of trees.

It’s in all of our imaginations, and it has never really existed. The sports cars of the past weren’t as smooth as that one. And the sports cars of today are too expensive and too powerful – powerful enough that the average driver can’t safely push them. Even pros shouldn’t outside of track conditions.

But two cars on sale today are as close as automotive designers have ever come to that perfect dream car. The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ – twins sold under different names but sharing almost 100% of their parts – are nearly there. The only other current competitor is the Mazda MX-5 Miata, and as a soft-top roadster, it has a different spirit.

These two are rear-wheel drive sports cars priced well under the average sale price of a new car. They boast 228 horsepower, which is the perfect figure to let most drivers have fun without risking their license or their safety.

Well, your license might be in some danger. A recent insurance industry study found that BRZ drivers get more tickets than owners of any other car.

The BRZ is on the small side and won’t fit every driver. You sacrifice some creature comforts to own one. I laughed out loud when I saw the cupholders set so far back that you have to reach behind you for your coffee, but throw it into gear, and you won’t care.

Few Changes for 2025

For 2025, the Subaru version will start at $32,265, including a mandatory $1,170 delivery fee. Prices stay low enough that even the top-of-the-line tS version, with its track-tuned suspension, remains well under the $40,000 mark.

The average new car buyer paid $48,870 last month to enjoy themselves a lot less.

For 2025, manual-equipped BRZ coupes get a new Sport drive mode “for sharper throttle response during spirited driving.” The Limited trim gets black Ultrasuede upholstery (faux suede meant to wear better over the years) with red leather seat bolsters.

That’s it for changes because this thing shouldn’t change. With so few updates for the new model year, shoppers might want to make an offer on one of the 2024 models still left on the lot. Dealers sometimes accept less for “last year’s” model even when it’s functionally the same as this year’s edition.

We don’t know pricing for the Toyota version yet.