2024 Subaru BRZ

Most of us think of Subaru as making sensible family cars with all-wheel drive. But there’s a different side to the company, one that has led to motorsport success with WRX models. And this, the BRZ, the fruit of Subaru’s collaboration with that other bastion of prudence, Toyota.

Instead of all-wheel drive, the BRZ coupe is Subaru’s only model with rear-wheel drive — because enthusiasts prefer that setup. Like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the BRZ doesn’t have excessive power. This allows drivers to relish the car’s balance and agility with less chance of spinning off into the undergrowth.

This generation of BRZ debuted only two years ago, so everything is still quite fresh. Whereas some sports cars are expensive, the BRZ remains relatively reasonable. This might mean being able to stretch to the Limited trim, which is the slightly more popular choice.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of sports cars, including the Subaru BRZ.

Subaru has introduced a new top trim this year, the tS. It comes with an upgraded suspension and brakes, plus 19-inch alloy wheels wearing performance tires. The standard inclusions of forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking — plus adaptive cruise control — now extend to all BRZ models with the manual transmission, not just those with the automatic.

The obvious small/inexpensive/rear-drive/big-fun rival is the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It’s a convertible, starting at around $29K, but there is the RF variant with a retractable hardtop. The Toyota GR86 is the other outcome of this joint Subaru/Toyota project and is in the same price bracket as the BRZ. If front-wheel-drive fun cars are acceptable, the Mini Cooper S (with 189 horsepower) starts at $29.1K. Or check out the larger, more comfortable and more practical Volkswagen Golf GTI from just under $32K.

Before buying a new BRZ sports car, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are exceptionally strong.

A nimble, rear-drive car doesn’t need a lot of muscle. So, although the BRZ’s chassis can deal with more than the 228 horsepower available, it all feels controllable. Launch the car from a standstill, and 60 mph will come up in 5.4 seconds. Not exactly knuckle-whitening, but enjoyably brisk. For comparison, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has 181 horsepower and is about 0.3 of a second slower.

Peak power is achieved at a high 7,000 rpm, which is a good thing, allowing for fine throttle modulations through fast corners (preferably on a track). It wouldn’t be so easy if there were a turbocharger on board. Meanwhile, the 184 lb-ft of maximum torque makes its presence felt in low-end punch.

Every new BRZ comes with a mechanical Torsen (torque-sensing) limited-slip differential for optimum traction. And we’ve found that there’s plenty of information coming up through the steering wheel. As perhaps someone’s first car with rear-wheel drive, we think the BRZ is ideal.

The BRZ’s firm ride is enhanced by a front strut tower brace. Enthusiasts will be happy because it feels so precise — passengers not so much. At least the front seats are well-shaped, supportive, and sufficiently comfortable over a long trip.

Fuel Economy

Gasoline bills are not going to be the main reason for buying a BRZ. Especially since Subaru recommends using premium 91-octane stuff. The BRZ returns 22 mpg in combined city/highway driving with the manual transmission or 25 mpg combined if it has the automatic. Mazda also tells MX-5 Miata owners to fill up from the premium pump, but the manual version achieves 30 mpg combined. The automatic reduces that figure by one mile per gallon.

The cabin works well for two people, even though the seating is known euphemistically as 2+2. It never equals four. Rear legroom is tight at 29.9 inches, and the coupe’s roofline leaves little headroom. This is all fine, though. The 2024 BRZ isn’t trying to be a Toyota Corolla. However, we would appreciate a little more sound insulation.

A set of sporty aluminum pedals in the driver’s footwell provides a better indication of the BRZ’s character. So does the digital instrument cluster, whose design is inspired by the flat-4 engine configuration. The red engine start/stop button in the new tS comes with the STI (Subaru Tecnica International), the company’s high-performance division that tuned the suspension in this variant.

Overall, we think the BRZ looks more expensive than it really is. The shape is classic coupe with a long hood, small cabin, and short tail, completed here by a cool little rear spoiler. Weight is kept in check by using aluminum for the roof, hood, and front fenders. The 2024 BRZ also stays nice and low, all the better to feel what’s going on.

Premium trim comes with 17-inch alloy wheels in dark gray. Limited trim’s 18-inch alloy wheels have a matte gray finish. And the 18-inch wheels fitted to the new tS trim come with a dark gray metallic finish.

Digital instrument panel
This standard 7-inch display can put the rev counter right in the center, or drivers can shift it to the left and read things like coolant temperature or lateral G-forces.

Track mode
In its wisdom, Subaru gave the BRZ sports car a track setting in the traction control system. It affords the driver some leeway to get the tail out and countersteer into the slide before the system kicks in. In this mode, the driver information display turns the rev counter into a bar graph, like real race cars. Traction control can also be turned off completely.

Eight-wheeler
One cool little feature is that the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) can recognize two sets of wheels. Owners can drive to the track on their regular wheels and tires, swap those for a racing set, and trundle back home on the originals. Folding down the rear seats creates enough space for that other wheel/tire set, plus a few tools.

Leather-wrapped steering wheel
This might seem trivial, but a lot of base cars come with bare plastic steering wheels. It’s crucial for a driver’s car to have plenty of grip for all its wheels, even this one. Perhaps, especially this one.

Blind-spot monitoring
This comes in at the Limited trim level and is a good thing to have. Rear-quarter vision is not so great because of the BRZ’s rear pillars.

New tS model
Brembo brakes with 4-piston front calipers, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires, and a specially tuned suspension using Hitachi components make the tS a real enthusiast machine.

A flat-4 engine graces the space beneath the BRZ’s hood. The difference between a flat-4 and the vastly more common inline-4 is that the latter unit’s cylinders are all, um, in a line. The former has two pairs of cylinders opposed horizontally. It’s a Subaru specialty and helps keep the car’s center of gravity nice and low.

Displacement is 2.4 liters, with no turbochargers or the like. Output is 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, going solely to the rear wheels. The Premium and tS trims come with a 6-speed manual transmission exclusively. The midlevel Limited has the 6-speed manual transmission as standard but also offers a 6-speed automatic transmission as an option.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Subaru’s new-car warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This is all typical for the class. Subaru offers free scheduled maintenance for the first two years or 24,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

This generation of BRZ was awarded the highest accolade of Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS); however, it’s still in testing with the new IIHS protocol and hasn’t been rated for 2024.