2018 Subaru BRZ Review - Porsche on a Budget 

BRZ/86 or Miata? Also thanks to our early video access Patreon supporters Michael H, Somark L, Sean R, Oliver U, Arthur E, David C, Israel C, Luke M, De Kun L, James M, Paul B, Julian M, Graeme P, Ethan L, Charles E, Pavo B, LeaseCosts Canada, Stephen Y, Edgarson R, Ryan J, Curtis K, Kevin D, Robert P, Ben M, Allen G, Andrew R, Nick L, Joe, Waleed M, Hyogo M, Omar, J, Paul B, Matt W, Bill B, Kelvin K, Carlos L, Forrest W, Carlos S, Kevin S, Jeremy S, Brad M, Eli G, 10ShapedFist, Phuong N, Santhosh B, Peter S, MK, Andy B, Casey A, Rob J, Andrew L, Jayjay S, Emil, Christopher K, Alex S, Artur N, Alexander M, Edward A, Carlin M, Haley W, Pablo O, Kevin J, Jim G, Kirk H, Emile H, Brylon E, Matt P, Johnson L, Glenn K, James S, Rohit S, Grant H, Jim W, Henry K, Sean F, Kim H, Joel P, larusso, Dallon H, Nealon Y, Giliar D, Matthew G, Paul F, Jesse Y, John D, Devin B, Eric W, Brian H, Jonathan P, Aaron A, Fei D, Chad S, Cameron P, Derek R, Hugo G, Justin M, Nelson C, Eric Z, Griffin O, Daniel R, James B, Doanh L, Aaron B, Christopher S, Jayjay S, Armel M, Jordan R, David, Maciej S! Check out the cool rewards at www.patreon.com/thestraightpipes

Everyone says it's a kid's car. I'm 72 have a 2018 BRZ Premium with a tune, Catback a 22mm front sway with 235 x 45 performance summer on 8" Kinsea rims. Going to go with 7 -10 pounds of boost later this year. The BRZ is too much fun.

Something you may not know about the BRZ - the head rests are reversible. When reversed they are shaped to accept a driver wearing a helmet. Nice detail Subaru.

I'm genuinely considering buying this as my next car, FRS/BRZ is such a nice car.

I'd rather have good handling than speed...

Nailed it on this review! I have a 2014 BRZ that I daily drive year-round, track, drift, ice race, etc. and have loved it. The BRZ and 86 really came into their own after the changes in 2017+ The balance in the new cars is just about perfect. You can easily smooth out the torque curve and gain a little bit more power with an aftermarket header and a tune. Brakes are easy to make track worthy with high temp fluid and better pads/rotors too. I just swapped over the suspension and 4.3 diff from a wrecked 2017 BRZ, can't stress enough how well they perfected the suspension tuning on the refresh. You can make these cars into whatever you want to use them for. It's almost the perfect affordable sports car formula, and awesome that they exist in the market.

I hope you guys actually buy both a Miata and BRZ and make some episodes on the side with them!!

BRZ + Miata comparison and tandem drift. I'm in. As soon as I start working I'm contributing to your patreon. Don't let us down. BTW you guys are my favorite channel right now. I can hit the like button before the video starts and be sure that it'll be justified just a couple of minutes into the video

Happy to see you reviewing the new BRZ. I was watching your review of the 2013 blue one over and over again, while I was waiting for my own to be delivered. You guys deliver great content, so happy to see you develop that fast. Owning the car for 5 months and it never gets boring.

I've had this car for 5 years with a Vortech Supercharger (which gives about 280hp) and it's been a blast! The only other upgrade was the tires (because I like staying on the road ;)

You guys deserve more subs

I've seen a number of 86 and BRZ reviews and I enjoyed this one so much more. Think it's easier to just listen to a conversation rather then a person standing there alone talking directly to the camera lol you guys are fun to watch

Love the title, sold my Cayman, bought a BRZ for daily & a Miata for AutoX & never looked back. My budget is so much more friendly & I’m twice as happy. Believe what you want, but I get the exact same amount of fun from of the BRZ as I did the Cayman. Do yourself a favor like I did & throw on some KW Clubsports, sticky tires & a catback exhaust, you’ll thank me later. By the way, I’m 51yrs old & have owned several sports car, including cars that cost close to 100k.

I've had my BRZ for almost 2 years and I love it. It's such a fun car to drive, the heel toe is perfect, and it gets really good MPGs. I'm 6'4" and fit just fine. Highly recommend. A simple tune fixes the torque dip. Mine has an Open Flash Tablet tune (switch between 93oct & E85 tune), UEL header, Borla axle back exhaust, & Dunlop tires. Also have brand new snow tires on 16" Legacy GT wheels (mounted & balanced $275 on craigslist). The BRZ rips in the snow, no problem because of the limited slip diff. You can run E85 with just a tune, no other mods. Buy a BRZ, it's an economy car that's insanely fun to drive. Manual Mandatory. PS: Traction Control off is hold the left button down for a few seconds.

You guys are almost at 300,000 subs already! Seems like not so long ago I congratulated you on 200k! So happy to see you guys growing so fast. You deserve it!!! So happy you guys got to review an FT-86.

I have a 2017 86 860 edition and I just love everything about it :) I am so glad you guys got to review it

Just subscribed after watching a few of your videos. Great cinematography, funny banter and your enthusiasm shines through. Keep up the great work! 👍

Awesome review! I agree on all points! I have a 2018 that I have lightly modified; I would highly recommend each of the mods I've done. -Performance Pack - The Brembos are total overkill for this car... and I absolutely love it. The Sachs are pretty amazing too. Unbeatable value for the dollar. -Apex ARC-8's (17x9 +42) with BFG Sport Comp II's (245/40R17) - the single biggest handling modification I have ever seen to any car. The wide tires and sticky rubber add an almost insane amount of grip - the car is damn near unflappable now, and an absolute scalpel on canyon roads and autocrosses. -Adams Ceramic Coat (DIY) - protects that beautiful but OBSCENELY soft Subaru paint. -Clutch pedal adjustment - moved the breakaway point for the clutch slightly closer to the floor, per personal preference. -Radium master cylinder brace - firms up the brake pedal feel under medium+ load by preventing firewall flex. Quick and easy. -Raceseng Contour shift knob - 500g shift knob replaces 200g stock knob; gives a more sure and confident feel going into gear due to the increased mechanical advantage. -Helix convex side mirrors - gets rid of all blind spots. -Helix side markers (smoked) - gets rid of the hideous orange markers.

I love these guys. They clearly have a great friendship and this comes through every video. Also, I like the playful give and take banter. Keep it up guys. For Canadians, you're cool. (Just bustin' ya). 😋

I bought an FRS 2 weeks ago and really love the car, already there are a million ideas going through my head. Brz, frs, 86 are truly so much fun, I smile every time I jump in it.

I have been waiting this for so long 😭

I had a 2016 and traded in for a 2018 50th anniversary PP and love the new suspension. I'm not in a position to afford modifications so appreciated the calipers and rotors being larger as brake fade was pretty quick in my 2016. I think it's a gem of a car for the price point.

Wow. Such a comprehensive review, liked how you compared the BRZ to Miata and WRX. You reviews are a joy to watch.

I love how positive these guys are with their reviews. They’re not like all the other car reviewers who bash on cars for simple things

Saw this at your meet back in June, one of the Subaru guys brought it. My expectations were low but I was really impressed!

Can't undo what you've said. I'll be waiting here for that tandem drifting video to come out... (Love u guys)

Im watching this because I'm having withdraws from my BRZ tS being in storage during the long Minnesota winters. Great video. Thanks guys

It’s been about a year and a half since I bought my daily, a 2017 BRZ because of this video and I still love driving it all the time even through the winter in Alberta.

Love this car just got my 2019 Limited, loving everything about it.

Creeping up on 300,00 subs, congrats guys. Been following sine about 5,000 subs, I've enjoyed watching the growth of the channel.

just got my dream car. 2017 brz with the performance package. just upgraded the catback to a nameless cat back exhaust and it sounds amazing and is so much more fun to drive now. cant wait to get wider wheels and coilovers

YAS! Two Canadian car dudes doing what they love. With already so many car channels on RU-vid, I hadn't thought that I'd enjoy a new one so much. Yet, I do. You guys are fantastic, keep the cars and the dialogue going. Extra points for ripping on Oshawa ;P

You guys had me at "life is hard" . SUBSCRIBED!!

I’ll say it again: you guys have amazing chemistry and you actually laugh at each other’s jokes and comments. What a great channel. You guys rock!

I’ve watched and enjoyed so many videos just to now realize I wasn’t even subscribed. You just earned another one🙌🏾

I bought a 2020 BRZ tS - best, most perfect car for me, reunites and balances everything i ever dreamed of in a car, including simplicity and even a trunk. handles extremely well on my backcountry curves.

I own my 2nd BRZ which is a 2018 Limited w/ track package. I installed a OFT Stage-2 Tune, JDL UeL Headers Catted, Invidia N1 Cat-back system. And let me tell you, this car is something else right now lol. It is "extremely" enjoyable & fun to daily drive. With this setup, it never gets boring at all. At the moment, the engine runs 205 WHP directly to the wheels. However, in the future, I plan on installing Invidia Overpipe and Invidia Frontpipe Catted. I never plan on boosting my BRZ, and wish to keep it N/A due to reliability factors.

I recently got a 2018 Brz premium...I love this car and honestly stock it's great 😃

Bruh the editing and quality of these videos are on point.

I agree with you guys on all aspects you covered on the BRZ. I have a tS and absolutely love it (and I'm not rich). It was well worth the extra money and I was able to get the dealership down to $32K USD. Awesome video and review. Keep up the good work!

Bravo on the mini-911! As a long time FRS owner (bought one new in 2013), I think the same! It’s like a 1980’s 911, smaller, less powerful than the current 911’s, but dynamically so close. I once test drove a used 996 and it felt like a larger FRS, eerily so. Like Twilight Zone weird....I have nearly 90k hard miles on mine (well maintained with a fresh clutch and Tein coilovers, better pads and rotors, stainless steel brake lines and a Nameless track delete-saving LOTs of weight). I’ve been researching a new car, which I intend to buy summer of 2019....my wife has a 2018 civic Si and my son has a Mk7 GTI; and during the Si purchase process I test drove the Type R, Audi RS3, a Cayman and several other cars. I was set on buying the new M2 Competition, but to be completely honest, I’m thinking of getting either the TRD GT86 or the Premium model BRZ (both spec’cd with the better Brembo brakes and the Sachs dampers, basically the mods I made to mine). For the money, I’m finding it very hard to justify buying ANY OTHER CAR. I remember when I first bought my FRS, I had come from a nicely modified 2006 STi (I bought new and modified to perfection myself)... the dealer insisted I would get bored with the FRS. He was so far off the mark, it isn’t funny. My FRS has simply been perfect. If I were rich, I’d own a GT3RS, but I’m not. I just cannot think of another car sold in the US better than these cars anywhere even close to this money. It’s cheap enough you can THRASH the bloody piss out of it and not worry; it’s not so ridiculously fast that you can drive it HARD all the time; and it’s not stupidly big and fat like even the 911’s have gotten. It’s the best RWD car you can buy. Period.

Thumbs up for the chemistry!! So good!

2014 Subaru BRZ owner. Satin white pearl exterior. Tomei unequal length headers. TRD quickshifter. TRD exhaust. K&N cold air intake. TRD lowering springs. Tune. Enkei RPF1 black wheels. My future mods will be Tomei front pipe, Bilstein dampers, and 2017-up BRZ Tail lights. You guys hit all the notes with this review, it is a poor man’s Porsche, it does look more expensive than it is, it does need more power... and so on. I truly love this car.

By the time Jakub was done driving I had found myself on Craigslist looking at used BRZs and FRSs...many with rebuilt titles, so maybe there should be an into car to this hahah. Great video guys!

Great review, I didn’t want it to end! You may have talked me into one. My kids are still little, so they can squish in the back for a few blocks.

All the people complaining about the title: this IS the closest you can get to Porsche handling and Porsche attention to detail (the details relevant to the driving experience) for under $40.... Even $50,000. 911s used to be simple machines--never cheap, exactly, but not luxurious.

I have a 2013 and love it. 245 17” with Fortune Auto lowering it 3” from the ground. Gold LCA rear from Whiteline. Catless EL Header to cat back Perrin exhaust and tune. Have to have the short shifter kit. OEM audio sound system. Daily driver. The car now has that power I was looking for and the handling.

Amazing video considering getting the 2019 ver. Around next February. I would also settle for the 2018 ver., it’ll be my first car I’ve been saving for one like this one. Again amazing video and I’ll keep up with you dudes! 🤗🤗

Damn finally a Chanel that goes right to the numbers right away.

you guys made me want to buy this car, especially because I have a vague chance of buying it in the next 5 years

What I love about this show is that, when one of them is super hyped up about the car and in love , the other one doesnt kill the vibe, yet doesnt fake it as well

Got a 2013 BRZ when it first came out. I still look at her with lust everytime I approach her. So far I have OFH UEL header, Perrin resonated catback, and OFT stage 2+. I've tracked the car, daily commute, twisties, even car camped in it at national parks and road trips. The BRZ is absolutely an amazing extension of myself.

Poorsche

I’ve had mine for about 8 months. Amazing! Winter was so much fun 😂

Spot on review... I just bought my 2018 Brz limited... and I love it...

Great car when I owned it! had the 2013 model :) best car I've owned so far. Started with a 06 sentra SER Spec-V, then the 12 BRZ and now the 17 Focus ST. Miss it every day! Had full header back )Replaced the stock EL header with Tomei EL for the rumble), all light weight pulleys, bigger radiator, intake, stage 2 clutch, and stage 2 OFT tune to take away the dip. Glad you guys reviewed this car!!!

I just discovered you guys via the /r/FT86 Subreddit and damn was this a good video! Probably the most entertaining and informative 86/BRZ video I've seen. Cheers!

Having owned an FR-S way back when, I will point out that traction control button can be held down for five seconds to turn all traction and stability controls off. There’s also a “pedal dance” that puts the car in a diagnostics mode and turns off all electronic safety measures.

I test drove a WRX back-to-back with the BRZ. For me it's the BRZ every day. Another great video from #thestraightpipes

You nailed this. The pedal position and seating position in my BRZ was so, so, so much better than my STI. As soon as you get into a BRZ, it is immediately apparent that the car was designed from the ground up specifically for the driving experience. The BRZ is more livable as a daily than a Miata IMO.

0:58 jakub you're forgetting about the rear engine rear wheel drive Subaru 360 (the true Porsche on a budget hahaha

I don't know why, but i believe all of your words. Love you guys.

I just got one! Great car. Very fun to drive. 2018 Wrblue brz w/performance package. Great review. Thanks guys.

honestly i love seeing brz/86 vs miata content, it never gets old!

Thumbs up for the Miata vs BRZ comparison video

Who the hell gives these guys "thumbs down??" Are you dead inside???

I've got an FRS, currently only has an Invidia N1 exhaust on it but so much more to come. Personally not a huge fan of 99% of the wide body kits for these cars, but I do really love that when I go to Auto X, I fit an extra set of wheels/tires, my floor jack, my helmet, ice chest and a little tub for extra goodies plus breaker bar, torque wrench etc. And I can fit another person in my passenger seat. FANTASTIC CAR 👌

The whole 86 lineup is just such a great lineup altogether, outside of that terrible torque curve that is. I currently daily a 2013 Scion FR-S 10 series, which is one of the first limited edition runs that Scion did. I absolutely love the car and how it handles, and I’ve owned 2 BMW’s previously. The back end is easy to break out and control. Great review guys!

You guys won't be "poor" for long. Its only a matter of time till we start seeing videos with the title "BUYING A $700,000 FERRARI AT AGE 24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Definitely one of the best cars ever made. This car was so good, when I drove a 911 all I could think about was how interior materials aside, I can drive just as fast and accurate in the bends and corners. But I needed the extra seats so I had to get the WRX.

I have a 2014, been autocrossing it for 4 years. Added Koni Shocks, Eibach Springs & Sway Bars, & SPC Alignment Kit (Look up Solo Spec Coupe). 17x8 wheels and a catback exhaust to round it out. Car has been mechanically flawless, still love it. As a daily driver, get some Michelin PSS/PS4S, a catback, & leave the rest alone. Great machine.

Love your review, you guys are great. It would be nice to see a review of a brz with a turbocharged boxer engine.

I always smile when I see one of these coming down the road because I know I am looking at another driver who enjoys driving just as much as I do. Thumbs up on the video and thanks for doing it!

Yuri in early 20th century voice: “MEHH YOU COULD GET THE SPORT TECH RS MEEEHHHH!” Me: I’m sold.

This channel's pretty good. I like the chemistry between you two, it's funny. Today, I discovered the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and this car as well. For the current budget, I will gladly purchase this car!

Recent subscriber and hooked! 👋😀 I just picked up this exact car in exact colour last week and I love it. Nothing cheap about it. I also have a red Honda Grom and red SV Micra for my daily and loved your review on that! You are fun to watch! I’m from Toronto! Keep it up! ❤️❤️❤️

You had a 240sx? With that mustatche, you look more like a 300zx kind of guy.

I have a 2017 BRZ Series.Yellow. So far, the only mod I have done to it is wide angle side mirrors. This mod is crucial! It should have come from the factory with them. They eliminate the blind spots and they're inexpensive. The ones I got are heated. They also have a blue tint which helps reduce headlight glare at night.

been waiting for this for so long

I hope y'all hit 1 million subs. Love this vids

Just ordered a 2019 Brz sport tech, over here in Hamilton ont. Picking it up on site from Subaru next Friday right off the truck lol, should bring it by you guys for a review before she's modded ! ;)

thank you, i made up my mind. this is the perfect car for me!

You guys are great. Keep up the good work.

Finally. Waited for this so long.

You guys need to ask the companies to slap Quebec plates on every car you test. NO FRONT PLATE REQUIRED!

8:36 "I thought you said it was the BRZeee" ... "Yo man"!! Golden

This is a good review. The handles for this car is really a top notch and if you switch the wheels to the flat wide one, man this will be even funner car to drive. It feels like you and your car are one being. Its just fun to drive this car and just to add up, there are a lot of aftermarket parts for this car compare with other boxer cars out there.

I bought this exact package and color in April. I love it. A lot. Edit: If you push and hold the left traction button for 3 seconds it will turn off TCS and ESC. ABS will still be active.

I love the Tim's cup

MY BOIZZZ, LOVING THE AMOUNT OF CONTENT

Had an FR-S, surprised with how much I loved it, traded it for an Evo X that I eventually traded only due to upside down loans and now, even with a V6, I loathe my fully paid off '08 Altima. I'm still paying off those loans but the car I own is paid for and I still want another FR-S/BRZ/86, an STI or CTR but got no monies lol. Thanks for this awesome review guys!

Hey guys I do really love your work, that car is my dream car, I am 21 years old and am sure that when I get the money i'll buy the BRZ. It's just beautyfull and super fun for what I can see. I'm pretty tall too... 6'3 so it just is all a want in a car. Congrats from Mexico.

I love the BRZ! Such a great car

Yay I have this exact car in World Rally Blue

Great video guys! I bought my Pure Red 2017 BRZ Performance Pack in January and have done four track days in it so far. Minimal mods to make it reliable and consistent - 5W30 oil, front camber bolts and adjustable rear control arms, racing brake fluid and dedicated racing brake pads, and most importantly, tossed the Michelin Primacy's for a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R's. I have embarrassed much more powerful, much faster vehicles out on track in this little Subaru and I look forward to doing it all again next year! I plan to do bolt-ons and an E85 kit/tune in hopes of getting to around 200 wheel hp, an oil cooler to lower oil temps and more front camber but that's about it. Having owned a 997-generation 911 previously, it sure lacks in the power/torque department and steering feel is nowhere near as good, but dynamically it is an excellent chassis and much friendlier on the wallet in the consumables department. I would say your video title is accurate!

'Life is hard we're doing our best' LOL Keep it up lads, great work!! Those days will come!

“We’re also able to do whatever we want👀” Badass

I think it’s more of a modern take on a Porsche 944/968. Simple, balanced, light weight, affordable. The BRZ much more so but it’s the same formula. I have two 944’s and this is the one new car that really appeals to me in the same way.

I just bought a 2018 BRZ limited (sports package) and absolutely love it

I think this is now my new favorite car review channel. You guys are respectful and made it fun to watch. I ended up watching the whole video without fast forwarding.