2024 Subaru BRZ – Dying Breed

One of the biggest challenges for new-generation car enthusiasts is the increasing cost of ownership, especially for cars made exclusively for them. They not only get more expensive, but most manufacturers keep the production numbers limited to make them harder to obtain, ultimately making things worse. Subaru is one of the few brands that offer two different affordable entry-level sports cars for enthusiasts, the WRX and the BRZ.

I already reviewed the latest Subaru WRX, which was the track-oriented RS trim. Even though the price tag is unreasonably high in the USA, it is one of the best-value sports sedans available in Canada. This week, we have the second option built for the enthusiasts, the BRZ with the sportiest tS trim. For some reason, Subaru decided not to use the RS trim name with the BRZ for the Canadian market, but just like the WRX RS we reviewed, the BRZ tS offers track-oriented features right from the factory, directly targeting the tuner crowd looking for an affordable rear-wheel-drive proper sports car.

The Looks – Exterior and Interior

Since the first BRZ was released a little over a decade ago, it has become a very popular alternative for young enthusiasts for a very good reason. What you see is what you get here, there are no gimmicks from the design perspective, and that’s what the enthusiasts want. It offers a sporty, but clean design language in a simplified fashion. The looks are what makes the BRZ differentiate itself from the crowd.

From the side profile, the BRZ looks much more expensive than its price tag, it looks quite aggressive mainly due to its low and wide stance. The dynamic styling continues at the rear with its narrow taillights wrapping around the sides. The rear spoiler enhances the sporty looks, and it comes with real dual exhaust tips positioned on either side of the rear bumper.

There aren’t many differences when it comes to the trim choice, the tS trim offers different wheels and a few blacked-out accents throughout the interior. Regardless of which trim you get, Subaru did a terrific job with the overall design – especially for a brand that had no rear-wheel drive sports car platform in the past.

Just like the exterior design, the interior is what you expect from a budget-oriented sports car. It’s simple and easy to use but also offers a lot. All important features have dedicated physical controls and they are not connected to the touchscreen. You still get the actual handbrake, and a steering wheel that has a minimal number of buttons to go through the menus in the digital gauge cluster.

The infotainment screen does not have the best quality, but it is super simple to use. I wish it came with a wireless smartphone integration, but it still offers wired Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The digital gauge cluster does not offer tons of customization options, but it shows what you need in a sports car, and nothing more. The only gripe I had was the cupholder placement. They are hidden under the armrest, which means you can either rest your arm or keep your drinks in the cupholder, which you can accidentally hit with your elbow.

As expected from a tiny sports car with only two doors, the interior space is limited. You do not feel that in the front seats, as they offer plenty of adjustment range. All seat controls are manual, which is the preferred way with this type of vehicle. However, unlike the direct competition, the BRZ comes as a 4-seater, meaning that you can still use the rear seats to place your items.

Getting in and out is not easy, and the rear seat area is a very tight space, but it can technically accommodate two front-facing child seats in the back. At 6’1″, it was a challenge to get in and sit, but just having two extra seats in the back means a lot if you daily drive it, which puts the BRZ in a unique spot in this price range.

The 6.3 cubic feet of trunk space isn’t impressive, but it is much better than its logical competitor, the Mazda MX-5. Even though it does not have a huge opening, it is deep enough to accommodate large bags and even mid-size roller suitcases. You can fold the rear seats down and place your semi-slicks for track, or carry much larger items in the back.

There are tS trim-specific features in the interior, including blue accents and STI badges, and I found it a little bit gimmicky as those changes are mostly cosmetic in the interior. Subaru decided to kill the STI model but they still benefit from its legacy. They keep teasing the enthusiasts with the STI badging on their performance-oriented vehicles, without significant performance upgrades.

The Drive – Powertrain & Impressions

Regardless of the trim you choose, all BRZs come with the same powertrain. It has a naturally aspirated 2.4-litre flat-four engine that puts out 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The boxer engine is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission with an optional automatic transmission. All BRZs come with a limited-slip rear differential, which is a must-have for any sports car.

The 2.4-litre boxer engine is a significant improvement compared to the older 2.0 engine, it offers more usable torque anywhere in the powerband, but it is still a traditional naturally aspirated engine – which means you have the rev the ring out of it to get a decent amount of roll-on power. Unlike the older generation boxer engines, it no longer comes with unequal length exhaust manifold, that’s the main reason it does sound a little bit uninspiring at higher RPMs.

All BRZs belong to track or backroads, but the tS trim offers some important goodies that make the BRZ a little bit more track-capable. The most obvious upgrade is the gold-coloured fixed 4-piston Brembo brake calipers in the front and two-piston calipers at the rear with upsized brake rotors, which offer great stopping power with no brake fading even after back-to-back high-speed braking sessions. The initial bite is very responsive and gives you accurate feedback at the limit.

The other important difference that is not as easy to see is the suspension tune. The tS trim comes with STI-tuned dampers with a firmly sprung suspension setup, which helps to reduce the overall body roll. It is a passive suspension with no adjustment options and it makes you feel the road imperfections, but that’s how you keep the price tag relatively low.

Having a firm suspension setup may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it pays dividends when you take it to backroads or a track day. The BRZ tS shines when the roads are not straight. The BRZ is very communicative with the driver, the chassis tells you what each tire is doing at the limit. The summer tires that come with the tS trim have tons of grip, so the car can put the power down even in the first gear. The steering is very responsive with the right amount of weight.

Unfortunately, the BRZ would not allow to disable the stability control completely, even in track mode. It allows the driver to oversteer and have a little bit of fun in a controlled fashion, but would not allow it to go to extreme angles, and it’s a missed opportunity for a rear wheel drive sports car. On the positive side, it does not intervene at the limit,

Even though the BRZ still does not have a lot of horsepower, you don’t need to have more power to have more fun. Since it was first released, the BRZ has been a momentum car. You need to carry the speed into a corner to go faster, something that most drivers try to compensate it with more horsepower to go faster after the corner exit. You can make the BRZ rotate with more throttle input with fewer steering inputs.

The Verdict

Even though the new BRZ is an evolution of the previous generation, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The BRZ is meant to be a fun, lightweight and affordable sports car without being overwhelmingly fast and easy to control at the limit, and we still have the same formula. Subaru decided to make it a little bit more track-capable with the tS trim, and it’s the right choice for people who want to have a tuned option right from the factory with a warranty while still having fun on track, autocross events or curvy backroads.