Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the Subaru BRZ with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.
Read Peter's full review here: carsgui.de/2kvknIw
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In the dim dark corners of the internet, you will find an argument raging. Okay, there's arguing everywhere, but what I'm talking about is the ongoing blue of the Toyota 86 versus the Subaru BRZ.
So today, we're going to talk about that. Here, in its rare glory, is the recently updated Subaru BRZ.
As everyone knows, these are the same car under the skin. Heck, they roll off the same production line in Japan and they share every panel and just about anything bolted down.
There are small, detail differences like front and rear bumpers, skirts. The BRZ has bigger wheels, 17s as opposed to the basic 86's 16s, wrapped in better tyres. Is that all?
Nope. It also cost $2200 more. And there's more inside.
Some of that extra three grand is spent inside, with a vastly better stereo head unit than the Toyotas, although to be fair, they're both crap, dual zone climate control and, er, not much else. There's a Subaru badge on the steering wheel, though.
The good bits are the same - it's got the same steering wheel, switchgear and these awesome seats. Best of all, they're not covered in cheap slippy leather although wider folk will find them tight, to go with the car being hard to get in and out of.
The engine is the same, too, and as part of the 86 upgrade, picked up a maaaasive power increase of...well, 5kW and 7Nm. That's just a software tweak.
And if you come back here, you can definitely not see that the rear end of the car is stiffer, with more spot welds, different springs and dampers and a fatter anti-roll bar. Exactly the same as an 86, then.
So apart from some badging, wheels, a couple of cabin toys and not much else, these cars are different, are they? Maybe they drive differently.
...well, here it is. This is where it all happens and I can tell you categorically the Subaru is totally different behind the wheel and see how easy it is to lie? I should be in politics.
They drive in exactly the same way. The engine's updated software is the same, power and torque are the same, the gearshift is identical, the braking, handling all of it, all of it.
It's all still brilliant. This car is an absolute humdinger. You're having tons of fun at low speeds, with low grip. You've got to stay awake driving a BRZ, especially when you press this switch which loosens the reigns on the stability control. That means more fun out back while maintaining the brilliance of the front end's terrific steering.
Being mechanically identical really does mean the cars are the same. This is the third time in six months I've driven either an 86 or a BRZ and they are the same.
Now we've got that out of the way, here's some practical information.
The new dash is miles better than the old one, with these new info screens. One tells you your speed because the speedo is unreadable and the other one is switchable for things like power and torque curves.
One thing that always strikes me about this car is how small it is. It's not until you're standing next to it that you remember that it's tiny. Fine for two people, rubbish for more.
The rear seats are fundamentally unusable for humans with legs, the boot is tiny. You can forget getting anything in here apart from a soft bag and a pair of spare shoes, but you can drop the seats and ram the Carsguide pram in a suitcase or two. So it can be done.
There's two car seat anchor points, too, if you're not ready to give up your BRZ if you're in the family way, but make sure you've got a shade for the baby, because the sun comes straight through the glass.
So there we have it. For $2200 extra you get an identical car with bigger wheels, a better-but-still-not-very-good stereo system, dual-zone climate control and some tiny details.
So why pick the Subaru over the 86? Well, I reckon the $2200 extra is well-spent on the wheels, tyres and the climate control and better stereo and you'll also have one of most exclusive cars on the road because Subaru only sells about a tenth of the 86.
In the end, it's all down to spec, because these two cars are just brilliant. So whichever way you go, you'll have the time of your life.
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15 сен 2024
