2025 Subaru BRZ – EXPRESS YOURSELF

2025 Subaru BRZ

 EXPRESS YOURSELF.

UMPIRE, Ark.—The car is sublimely balanced. The steering is crisp. Short gear throws click into place. The boxer engine steadily sends torque flowing to solidly planted rear wheels, giving it the stick of a grand touring racer.

As the car whipped through winding, rising and falling ‘S’ turns and screamed down straightaways in the Ouachita foothills. I must confess heresy crept into my mind. The best sports car for the money on the planet might no longer be the Mazda Miata; it may be the Subaru BRZ.

“Wait,” gearheads must be saying, “what about the Toyota GR86?”

Yes, Subaru and Toyota collaborated to develop the BRZ and GR86, both come to life in Subaru’s Gunma assembly plant in Japan, both have Subaru’s bulletproof, 228-hp, 2.4-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine under the hood, and both sell in the $32,000-$37,000 range. And, yes, yours truly sang the Toyota’s praises to the rooftops last year. 

Still, minor differences make the Subie a little more fun to drive.

The BRZ has stiffer front springs (7%) and softer rear springs (11%) compared to the GR86. It also features a 1mm-thinner rear anti-roll bar mounted directly to the body and a hollow front anti-roll bar with aluminum front knuckles. These changes contribute to a more neutral balance and sharper front end response. 

The GR86, in contrast, carries over from the previous generation a rear suspension setup with a subframe-mounted anti-roll bar and more playful spring rates. That makes the rear a little more willing to step out and creates a pleasant oversteer.

The difference is in how one approaches driving at speed. The GR86 works well for those who barrel into turns and use braking to help turn. The BRZ works better for line drivers; we focus on finding straight-ish lines through the entry, apex, and exit points to maximize speed through the latter two. 

Neither approach is better. I like the control of straight-line braking maneuver and accelerating through the apex, which overcomes centrifugal force and maximizes speed through down track, a racing school term for the stretch after the exit point.

We tend to focus on top speed as a defining metric, but in road racing, that does not matter if one starts the straight sections slower than the other cars.

STI, Subaru’s motorsports division, also thinks this is the way to go. Our tester was a top-of-line BRZ tS ($37,415, delivered). It had more gizmos and doo-dads, like performance-designed front seats, a remarkably customizable digital instrument cluster, a killer sound system, and lovely hardware underneath that further enhanced control and stability. 

That includes STI-tuned front and rear Hitachi® dampers and a high-performance Brembo braking system, including 4-piston front calipers, 2-piston rear calipers, and larger pads and rotors to enhance stopping power, fade resistance, and pedal feel.

The tS comes with 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels paired with 215/40 R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires for superior grip and quicker turn-in. 

According to Motor Trend, the BRZ tS has a top speed of 140 mph. I did not evaluate this because, frankly, I have deep respect for the Arkansas State Police, who, when you think about it, only have four advantages: faster cars, better drivers, radios, and teamwork. Oh, and guns and badges.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is also exhilarating to drive but does not provide the elegant power of the boxer engine. The term boxer means it does not look like a three-dimensional Y; instead, it is more like a low box. The cylinders are not in a V-configuration but lie flat, horizontally opposed. That lowers the mass and balances engine weight laterally, thus creating a lower and broader center of gravity.

The engine performs differently. Rather than spooling up rapidly, the power band is a little less vertical. It still reaches top power at the same time but does so with less urgency. This makes for a longer sweet spot, so the difference in gear selection is less critical. The car works beautifully in third and fourth gear in rapidly changing situations and exceptionally well in fifth and sixth on long straight sections. 

We averaged around 24 mpg in a week, which went by too quickly. If you need to tow, you do not need a sports car.

The BRZ and GR86 are larger, so they have more trunk space and rear seats than the Miata. The rear seats seem perfect for small, legless people, but at least there is enough room to take the car on a weekend adventure. There is no way Blonde Bride could fit her weekend accouterment in an MX-5.

Cabin

The BRZ’s cabin features a driver-focused layout with easy-to-reach controls. Quality materials and careful assembly lend a premium feel. Comfortable sports seats for the driver and front passenger make for a comfortable road trip. 

Technology highlights include a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and the available digital instrument cluster. 

Safety

The Subaru BRZ has a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning. Optional safety features include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The BRZ has received positive safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA. 

Reliability

Subaru is known for its strong reliability, and the BRZ continues this trend with no significant reported maintenance issues. We like that it is naturally aspirated, not another small-displacement turbocharged plant that must work too hard.

Predicted reliability ratings are above average. Subaru provides a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Kelley Blue Book says the BRZ should maintain above-average resale value.