you're right to complain about the sound system. I have friends who are automotive engineers and they often lament the fact that $20 extra per car could bring the system to a whole other level. And it is increasingly difficult to just "upgrade" in the aftermarket. The average buyer is not going to want to crack a digital bus and add a time-delay processor and amp.
Subaru has been horrible about that for a while. I had a 2014 WRX and the audio system was absolutely garbage. Like McDonald’s speakers all around. That, and the receiver could only hold 1 Bluetooth device in memory at a time. Total bummer. I thought they fixed that for the 15+ generation
I’m most likely getting the 86, leaning towards it but it has the same audio. I’ve never done audio work, but I’m a former mechanic. Would like to upgrade it when I get the car. What should I need?
@@Salvaba Basically, the first thing I used to ask a customer before an install is 'how far do you want to go?". Most folks want sound quality to approx. double. Back in the day this was ultra-easy. Today it is harder. What I would do is first get the specs on the factory speakers. They are the "low hanging fruit". You need to know impedance info. That's critical. It looks like the BRZ has re-purposed aftermarket head-unit, which is good for the installer. Usually it means no proprietary digital bus system, or wacky impedances. We always kept a list of the most sensitive speakers, that also sounded good. Back in the day, Infinity had the best high sensitivity products. What this means to you is that you get more sound per watt. It takes 100% more power to raise 3dB. So if a speaker is 3dB more sensitive, it needs half the AMP power to drive to the same levels. Once you swap the speakers, you have your first check-stage. If U are happy, you stop. If not.....we always added a self-powered subwoofer with signal derived from the rear speakers. You lose the rears, but who cares. No concert ever plays from the back door. Luckily, there are still aftermarket subs made to do this. If you still are not satisfied, we would then put an AMP into the system. (if the head unit only had 12Watts of power, we would likely do this sooner than later!). But when I was an installer we'd go: Speakers-->sub-->Amp-->signal processor/Eq--> time delay system.
Just purchased my BRZ last week (thankfully no dealer markup) and i can agree, road noise is pretty loud and the radio is fairly medicore. Still small price to pay, and i love the Car.
I have the 1st gen, 1st to 2nd shift is painful when not revving high, but I found what works for me is rev it to about 4k, and then upshift, makes it less painful, but still have to wait almost a full second before I can let the clutch out. Still a car I love to death.
Depending on which type of MT fluid your car's require GF4 or GF5. If its gf4 this Motorcraft XTM5QS full syn fluid is like liquid magic for pesky synchros. Its pricy but exclent, secret for the S2000, RX8 and Miata, guys. Mostly Assin 6 speed cars.
@@zydomason 1) double clutch doesn't help shift up synchro engagement 2) double clutch doesn't fix rev hang. The main issue is that the entry rev speed has to be excessively higher than engaging shafts rev speed for 1-3 gears. Applying double clutch mates the rev speed between engine and engaging shaft, which makes it harder to shove in synchros. I think this is due to triple clutch synchro setup with OEM transmission oil that slips too much. Changing the transmission oil to a higher quality (sticky?) helps tremendously + shifter rear/torqueing bushing swap makes it more direct for shifting. With sticky oil, proper mission oil warm up plus pre-lubricating synchros before driving off makes night and day difference, especially in cold temp. For the rev hang, it is not super bad by itself, but since 1st to 2nd rev drop is high + starting rev has to be high, the rev hang just feel awfully long under normal condition. On aggressive driving condition, people just need to learn to slowly drop clutch, mate the engine to the transmission and reengage gas seamlessly.
The previous generation had an OEM armrest that you can order. It’ll likely be the case with this one as well so lets see if Toyota/Subaru follows through.
Was fun to see you follow another 22 in traffic - gave a sense of actually seeing it on the road. I’d be disconnecting that “active sound” speaker - sounds digital like a 2005 driving game :D
So glad I found your video , having just test drove the car with the intent to buy one. Im 6’2” and the first thing I noticed was the door arm rest..my elbow falls right in the hole. Also too much hard plastic and yes too much noise , this is not car for long drives. We are big Subie fans but with all the little things I didn’t like Im taking a pass..and Im going to wait and drive the new WRZ soon. Here I thought is was just me ..Being 68 years old so I felt very vindicated after watching your video. Thanks Go bear
I found that if you adjust your clutch pedal to have that bite point couple inches off the floor rather than really uptop like it came from factory, it doesn't feel rev hangy. This will ensure gas input happens much more in sync with the release of clutch. Revs do drop slower than last gen. But it doesn't linger around like most hondas.
Thanks for the video man. I'm keeping my eye on this car, I think I'm going to buy this generation of BRZ/86. I was surprised to hear about the rev hang, it's probably for environmental/eco reasons as you mentioned. Also the paint looks very nice, great choice 👍.
Hmm, these issues are pretty similar to my 2017 GT-86. Rev hang less so, but low speed driving is somewhat tedious/jerky do the the aggressive throttle mapping.
I’d also like to add that subaru most likely carried over a similar system regarding down shifts, give the car a big boot on the gas every time you are about to downshift again the ecu knows what you are doing. Basically hit the gas all the way in the same way you would clutch kick just a very quick full pedal input and immediately release while releasing the clutch. You may have instinctively been doing this already but if not you’ll notice no matter how fast you were going downshifting in this way always yields an effortless perfect downshift (works for va wrx’s and last gen brz’s guys!!)
I’d just like to say that I do not own a brz however I do own a 2019 fa20 powered wrx, in regards to the rev hang I’m willing to bet subaru carried over their sneaky perfect rev match up shift feature. All you need to do is disregard what your tach is showing you and go ahead and shift at a faster pace almost as if you were at WOT just remember to keep your foot completely off the gas until you are fully in gear and released the clutch. In essence the ecu already knows how fast you’re going in your current gear and also what rpm it will need to be at once you have upshifted the car is waiting on you (also this works for stock tune va generation wrx’s) please try this and report back to us to help spread this info!! Ps please like this comment so he can see it!
The center console elbow positioning is driving me crazy. I keep hitting the button to open the lid with my elbow, and then when I put my right elbow back on the console it falls in the gap.
I have an ND MX-5, and did the sound tube delete modification. It helps more when the top is down. When I watched the review done by "Everyday driver" on this car, they mentioned the engine sound getting piped in to the interior, and the need to reduce it. I would think that there will be a way to reduce some of that interior noise eventually?
Really looking forward to your long term impressions, thanks for sharing! Do you plan to PPF the front bumper or ceramic coat the paint? I had a 2013 BRZ for 7 years and while the rest of the car’s paint looked great with basic detailing, the front bumper and front half of the hood very quickly degraded (LOTS of paint chips) with normal highway driving. It’s definitely something I plan to do with the new GR86. Any plans to add lower eccentric camber bolts before the first track day?
Useful info you might not notice on a test drive, Thank you. How is the clutch/shifter compared to the S2000? How is the fuel consumption? Looks fantastic in that blue!
Good to see these reviews as this is a potential future car. Surprising to hear about the amount road noise for a non-convertible and Rev hang for a NA engine. How does the road noise compare to a ND Miata (RF or soft-top) and S2000 with top up?
The rev hang is programmed in for emission purposes. Turbo doesn’t automatically make your car have rev hang, once you let off the throttle to shift, you block off the throttle body and all intake and turbo air anyways (which then either gets released by a blowoff valve or recirculated with a bypass valve). You can get rid of it with just a simple tune tho.
@@kunfupandarofl Good points. I guess the rev hang is becoming the norm in many cars, but the FK8 Type R is well tuned as it is much better than the SI on the rev hang department
That rev annoying delay is do to emissions, after you cut the fuel the throttle will remain open for a little bit to burn any fuel residue left behind the intake valve. Another aspect that can add to worsen the problem is the weight of the flywheel, I don't say that this second situation is specific for the brz, but it is a factor to consider
@ 06:53 I paused to appreciate this photo and noticed this is my local safeway here in Milpitas! No wonder the drive looked so beautiful, the bay area has some of the best scenic backroads to drive. Calaveras Road is one of my favorites
Which trim level did you get? Curious on how noise levels compare to the first generation car. Interesting on the rev hang. That doesn't seem to be an issue with first gen 2 liter. '
I had the first gen 86 and am thinking to get the new one. As I really enjoyed it in the past, the road/wind noise really bothered me. I wish I could hear engine noise more than road noise. Some reviewers say the road noise is tempered in the new generation and the platform is better. May I know your opinions? Thanks
get a $60 active noise canceling headphone from Amazon and you are good to go. Spending hundreds thousands of dollars on sound deadening+audio system upgrade for these types of cars is just waste of money nowadays. I think 2nd gen road noise is lower due to tires + wheel changes. When I sat on 2nd gen with the doors closed, the ambient noise penetration wasn't noticeably different from my 1st gen.
Since you own an NSX, don't you think the BRZ is less smooth as far as the clutch take up? I have a Type R and it is night and day the difference in shifting for me.
Hi thanks for sharing, I have a question about the gas. As per online information, BRZ and 86 need 93, but I saw you are adding 91, do you feel anything wrong with the car?
I would be more concerned about not being able to shift into gear then my phone being crushed. Rev matching means you want the RPMs to be the same when shifting gears. That allows smoother shifting and max power. Great video overall keep it up.
I’m just interested- do you have the upgraded sound system over standard or do you have the regular stock one that is in the base trim ?????? That would be very unfortunate if it were that bad AND was the upgraded version
How did you deal with android auto canceling and saying your device time and date don't match the car or isn't set? It's my biggest problem with my brz cause I don't mind the Rev hang too much.
My 2017 Accord sport had noticable rev hang too. Really ruins the driving experience when you are trying to shift quickly when driving spiritedly. When I test drove a new 2017 Wrx, I felt like the rev hang was worse than the accord. I was told it is to minimize the amount of unburnt fuel. I wonder if car mfg have another way of handling this emissions issue.
Is the rev hang as bad as the wrx? Because the wrx rev hang is insane. Takes forever. It's also kinda weird that it even has any rev hang because I remember driving a stock 2015 BRZ and it was pretty smooth compared to other cars. I didn't think the extra .4 liters would make a difference.
One of the thing I'm not a big fan of the BRZ is the way it sounds (at least when I listen to from the video, but I should listen in-person bit more)... the engine just doesn't sound as "raspy" or "punchy" compared to AE86, and S2000. Hopefully changing the muffler and exhaust will make the engine sounds better
Is the stereo different in the GR86? Allegedly the cars have slightly different engine tuning as well...I wonder if the rev hang is present with the GR86?
Might consider some sound deadening solutions to improve the road noise / stereo. Did that in my Civic 10th gen and noticed a huge difference. Even doing the trunk alone helps especially with mid bass!
@@Zygrene yeah. Honestly Fenton even a bit of it in the trunk would really help with helping the bass shine a bit without distorting… you really don’t need much of it to make it work.
@@scottanthony3426 just used the Noico 80 mil all around. Likely will layer with some closed cel foam but tbh I wish I would’ve rather gotten something better like Soundskins instead. Still pleased with the results but makes the car feel more solid all around
I was seriously considering trading my 128i and going to a 22' brz. But my #1 concern was interior stuff and seeing how 4 out 5 of your complaints were interior related... think ill stay with the 128i! 👍🏽
If the 128i is anything like my brother’s 135i then be prepared for unscheduled repairs as you put on miles. He had tons of problems with the HVAC/blower system ($2500 repairs each time something failed every 6 months, but there were some warranty repairs in there as BMW warranties their work for like 1 or 2 years after the first time) and the fuel system having failures. I loved the older BMW’s, but his experience with the 135i was enough for me to forever stay away from modern turbo bmw, at least outside of warranty. Hopefully you have had a better experience, it sounds like you like the car and plan to keep it so I’m guessing it hasn’t been bad for you. A BRZ/GR86 is going to be a very different commuting experience than a BMW, so if your main concern is daily comfort you might want to stick with the plusher German cars.
@@joeracer302 the 128i has been good so far. Knock on wood! I have a late model, The last of the hydrolic steering, naturally aspirated, strait 6 bmw's! Based on being the end of the run I'm thinking everything is sorted. On track I am neck and neck with BRZ/FRS's (gen1?). Swapped cars with a frs owner for a session, and man the FRS is FAR more enjoyable on the track and the BMW far more enjoyable for daily duties. Perfect car for me is someplace in the middle, a moded 128i or a more refined fully optioned 22 brz/86. Driving the 2 back to back is truly an interesting comparison! FRS is a SPORTS car and 128 is a SPORTY car. They achieve same results but accomplish them in completely differnt ways!
@@petert7807 the I6 NA BMW are the safe bets . I’d love to still grab a 128i in manual or maybe an E46 even if its just the base motor as long as it’s manual these cars are the last of the modern refined analog cars.
Always loved the versatility, size, and classic RWD dynamics of the 1 series but it's a compromised driving experience compared to the much more focused BRZ/86. Probably more enjoyable as a daily though!
I have a '17" 86 mine has a space for my phone in front of the shifter , I added a stock powered sub from my out forester and totally changed the sound in my car
I think the cabin noise has always been bad, would you say is noisier than previous generations? Second point related to the audio system, kind of related.
The way you keep having to down shift right after you hit third really makes me question if the car is anybetter than the last model. Can't leave it in third for those turns?
I have a 2022 Limited 6MT that I daily drive (1500 miles so far) and love it...but elbow thing is real, my left elbow ends up in that cut out on the door handle, it's not comfortable, for right elbow I usually keep the cupholder lid closed and rest the phone towards the back part, that way at least I can rest my right elbow on the padded part (and the pads are very soft). Visibility is a little limited for me, I was merging from left and needed to cross several lanes of traffic to make a right turn, usually I like to look back over my right shoulder to see whats in the next few lanes to the right of me, the C pillars are wide enough it makes it pretty hard. I agree, audio isn't good. Another thing I really dislike is when using Apple Carplay and using GPS (Waze/Google) you can't swipe the map with your finger if you want to see whats off screen. The glovebox sticks out too far, it's not lighted and it's pretty small. I do notice the rev hang at normal driving speeds but as you said I don't notice it as much when driving it hard. Overall I'm still really glad and fortunate to own one and I look forward to driving it everyday!
@@Zygrene hate it! I think I saw a video of someone successfully finger swiping using Android but with Apple it seems you're stuck with using those annoying arrows. sux!
I think I heard that the motor sound is pumped into the stereo and you can it shut off at the dealership electronically. It was either this one or the gr86, I forgot.
I'll negatives for me would be that I just moved into the city so imma be dealing with traffic which isint the best for a first manual car situation, and my room mate n I have gridlock parking so he would have to learn to move it to get his car out or I would have to move it for him.. ever. time.... but this car would make it all worth it as I'm a die hard enthusiast and all your cons seem like pros to me!
I am in the minority, experienced the 'rev hang' in the 2017 WRX, and don't mind it at all. Other MT cars I've owned are E30, 96 outback, 04 WRX (light weight pully installed) , E46, Jeep Renegade. I find the hang makes causal drive much easier.
@@SK8EVRYDAY96 it's definitely more on the WRX then E46, but really I don't think it is as big of issue as people make it to be. During spirited driving, I don't find any 'hang' shifting in the high RPM ranges, and driving around in daily conditions, the 'hang' is welcome for shifting casually.
I have a 2018 Si and it has a setting for audio called " neural " it makes you feel as if you're at a concert tbh, but even when you turn the bass up it doesn't really do anything, mines up almost all the way and the bass still sounds a bit flat but bass is noticeable,but overall the audio in it makes you feel immersed in the music and can drown out the road noise, also alot of features you said you wish the brz had I have in my civic I just noticed
@@MrSodaBelly hell yeah, the bass part I figured out cause my treble setting was set all way up for some reason, the sou d system in it is pretty damn good I'll say, im coming from a 2008 so it's a massive improvement for me, I think the civic has 10 speakers total I read somewhere with DTS surround sound or " neural " as they call it
His idea of the cubby hole in front of the shifter he got from owning the Cayman 😉 That is a convenient place in that car. Good head's up on the issues. If I had a complaint as a bystander, it would be the piped in engine noise. Even though I can't explain the engineering reasons, I recall my stock 2800 lbs RSX-S had much less road noise than this before the mods, so It must be something else besides the weight of the car (and yes, I too would deal with the road noise if it somehow made the car more fun to drive)
What GR/BRZ performance parts are currently available from manufacturer? I saw a slide about CAI/exhaust/air filters but haven’t seen any further mention about them elsewhere?
if it says "premium" on the sales invoice then I do expect it to have a quality sound system. I am fine with changing speakers though, as long as it is not in-line crap like bose that needs to have surgery done on the car to remove the sound system. I upgraded the speakers on my 124 spider with no issues.
The road noise is probably mostly from your factor summer tires....and of course the fake noise the pipe in....(that can be disconnected) AM/FM stations are suspect at best.....XM sounds better.....Using a real streaming platform from your phone sounds best. There are a ton of eq setting that you can adjust to your particular style of music that you enjoy. Put your water bottle in the cup holder on the door. Put your phone in the dual cup holder compartment/slash arm rest.....close the arm rest.
Add dynamat to doors and 3/4 panels, ezpz, did it to our first gen, makes a huge difference. Replaced all of the speakers, head unit, and added a sub, ezpz. I usually stick the phone on the passenger seat or in the center console on top of cupholders (I usually use door ones over center console ones anyway) underneath the optional OEM accessory armrest which is a great elbow rest on the first gen. Tune the rev hang out, ezpz. Time to get an ecutek and have Zach from CSG work his magic to tune it to perfection, I guess you're close enough that they can Dyno tune it for you instead of etune. Also get csg pads, fool.
Rev hang really frustrated me on my manual 2019 Crosstrek. Hope it’s not as bad on the 2022 BRZ I have on order. Rev hang seems to be present on most or all modern Japanese cars. Nicer German sports cars (like Porsches) don’t seem to have it though.
400 miles on mine. I disconnected the "piped" in engine noise. I would recommend doing it. Will make a big difference. Yeah, the sound system really really sucks. Even for a $31k car, the speakers are such crap. I think the guy who ergonomically designed the interior must be 85 years old and doesn't even know what a cell phone is. One thing that drives me nuts is the teeny weenie lock unlock buttons and when you lock the car while you're driving, most will automatically unlock when you pull the door handle but not this car. I just don't understand what they were thinking on some of the interior designs.....
@@SMITHZAC000 I went out to the garage as soon as I saw your reply and tried it but nope, still locked. May be just mine but you're stuck manually unlocking it.
Curious - what difference did you notice after disconnecting the sound pipe? I don't mind the augmented engine sound at high rpm to be honest. And at low rpm the engine is quiet enough.
@@Zygrene With it connected, I kept hearing this tinny, light rattling sound as if someone was taking aluminium foil and trying to use that as a speaker. Once I disconnected it, it was interesting to hear just the actual engine noise. It was a better sounding interior, at least for me.
@@michelfortier9563 That sounds like the speaker cable is ran along the engine and is picking up interference. Disconnecting the speaker is one fix, but rerunning the speaker cable with better cable could also solve the tinny light rattling sound.
Great feedback, it was between this and the GTI, I think I'll still with GTI. BTW $30 is a nice chunk of change, shouldn't have to apologize for not having simple things like a decent stereo or armrests.
Great color choice, I love the new look. The sound is going to be as great as it is going to get. Even the Hardon Karman system in the STi with 440 watt upgrade barely does anything. I believe that it fits with the price within the low to mid 30k range tho. About the rear fenders, I wish it was actual fenders too. Since it is RWD, I would want the most grip and widest tires I can get, which means I'd have to roll the fenders to go super wide. I am debating on the blue and the white as both colors are great.
The ever increasing regulations are why we ended up with electronic throttle controls in the first place. The few remaining automotive manufacturers that are attempting to offer actual drivers cars these days face a tall task. But what's worse, dealing with rev hang (that you'll likely be able to fix via the aftermarket), or being stuck with driving yet another automatic? I'm no fan of today's cars, but I do tip my cap to Subaru and Toyota for still offering a drivers car complete with a manual transmission at this point.
just hit 1000 miles on mine over the weekend. My big complaints are the turn signal not staying put (by design) and the center cupholders. my phone is able to fit in the center with the top closed, but my elbow rests almost right on the button so it wont stay closed for long lol. I was able to disconnect the fake engine noise, and that made the inside alot quieter.
would something like a throttle commander help?> I feel these OE's are doing rev hang to ensure the cylidners are clear of excess fuel before getting back into the gas again due to emissions and yada yada
@@Zygrene That's good! A lot of cars I've driven this year have the same issue but even worse have the USB port on the front of the head unit so you need a longer cable flapping around from your phone to the unit. Enjoy the BRZ! Hope to get a ride if you bring it down to LA :)
The Toyota has a cup holder further forward it’s one of the biggest reasons for picking the Toyota, not to mention I feel the front is a little nicer, gr animation on display and the gr graphic on the start button.
I really can't understand the rev hang complaint. I own a 2015 Civic Si. It has a 2.4l NA 4 cylinder and also has rev hang from the factory. Obviously, if you plan on tuning your car, this shouldn't even be a complaint. But if you aren't I still don't see the issue. When I drive my car aggressively and shift at higher RPM, rev hang is pretty much non existent. When I'm cruising and shifting between 3-4k RPM every gear it's obviously more prominent but other than the sound that it gives off how is it an issue ? Even if you shift fast, the car does not jerk so why the complaint ? Just shift normally and let the car do it's thing and all you're dealing with really is the SOUND of the rev hang. The whole elbow room, cabin noise and cheap sound system I have gotten used to in my girlfriends '16 FRS. Then again hers isn't stock and I much prefer hearing that engine anyways. Also like how you mentioned with the amazing seating position and such a well tuned chassis the car just "feels" like a race car. It wants to be thrown into corners and revved out. It wants to be driven hard and it will reward you for it. That's the whole point of these cars in my opinion, the driving experience. Something my far from stock Civic cannot even come close to. For that reason alone I'm able to forgive the FRS for all it's issues and now that this new 86/brz has even more useable torque + an even better tuned chassis. I'm sure I wouldn't even consider these "dislikes" when I drive the car !
Are you driving on Skyline in this video??? I feel like I recognize the roads but I may be wrong LOL. Cant wait till my wheels come so I can finally get my S back on the road. If I had 30-40 grand I would def pick up a GR86 but unfortunately I dont LOL.
