2024 Subaru BRZ

Overview

The Subaru BRZ is what sports car dreams are made of. Lightweight, nimble, and—best of all—affordable. Like its Toyota GR86 mechanical twin, the BRZ shines a light on driving engagement. Features like the standard six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and sunk-down 2+2 seating orientation have helped make the BRZ a multiple 10Best winner and a 2024 Editors' Choice honoree. The little coupe is powered by Subaru's 228-hp 2.4-liter flat-four engine, providing just enough oomph to make it feel quick. The low-effort manual transmission and confidently responsive handling make this car a serious weekend warrior. But the BRZ also manages to be surprisingly practical with a plethora of interior storage cubbies, rear jump seats, and a decently large trunk capable of hauling a week's worth of groceries. The driver-centric interior certainly won't win any luxury awards, but it has enough modern technology to make daily driving enjoyable.

Where This Vehicle Ranks

#2 in Best Affordable Sports Cars

1

Toyota GR86

STARTING AT: $30,395

2

Subaru BRZ

STARTING AT: $31,315

3

Mazda MX-5 Miata

STARTING AT: $30,170

What's New for 2024?

Subaru adds a tS model to the BRZ lineup for 2024. This adds things that would-be BRZ weekend warriors might immediately do after purchase. The tS adds 18-inch wheels, larger rotors and upgraded pads, and Hitachi suspension dampers. Visually, there are some details that set it apart inside and out. The engine, though, goes unchanged. The BRZ now comes standard with Subaru's suite of EyeSight driver assists to models equipped with the manual transmission.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Subaru offers the 2023 BRZ in two trim levels: Premium and Limited. We'd spring for the Limited, as it adds desirable features such as 18-inch aluminum wheels, summer tires, and blind-spot monitoring. A six-speed manual is standard and is the transmission best suited for Subaru's sports car, but those who prefer an automatic can get one on the Limited trim for $950.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Under the hood of the BRZ is a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four engine with 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission. Our test car tipped the scales at 2843 pounds, which is a little heavier than the last BRZ but still quite svelte by today's sports-car standards. Our driving impressions revealed tons of steering feedback, sure-footed cornering composure, and the ability to swing the tail out. Its ride quality is on the firm side but it contributes to the car's playfulness. While every model comes standard with a limited-slip rear differential, the Premium model rolls on a set of 17-inch wheels, while the higher-performance Limited wears 18-inchers. The top-of-the-line tS trim adds a specially-tuned suspension system and upgraded brakes, both of which contribute to improved road manners.

0–60-MPH Times

The 2.4-liter is more responsive than the previous model's 2.0-liter engine, even if it's not enough to make the BRZ the quickest car in town. But it does improve acceleration times significantly: The Subaru BRZ we tested with the manual transmission reached 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, nearly a full second quicker than the previous-gen BRZ tS.

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Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

According to EPA estimates, the most fuel-efficient BRZ is the one with the automatic transmission, which is rated for 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Those estimates dip slightly for models with the six-speed manual to 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg for highway travel. On our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, a manual-transmission BRZ managed 32 mpg while an automatic model delivered an impressive 37 mpg. For more information about the BRZ's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Inside, the BRZ sports a driver-centric design and 2+2 seating configuration, and the cabin boasts a sporty aesthetic with modern technology. Facing the driver is a 7.0-inch fully digital gauge cluster that makes the tachometer the main attraction, with the circular readout even switching to a linear graph in the Track drive mode. A pair of heavily bolstered front seats look to keep passengers securely in place during hard cornering, and they're dressed up with red accents to promote the coupe's racy intentions. A sizable cargo area that can hold four tires (for track days, of course) with the rear seats folded remains a pillar of the coupe's practical nature.

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Infotainment and Connectivity

Every BRZ features an 8.0-inch touchscreen mounted in the center of the dashboard that acts as the hub for its infotainment system. Thankfully, the display doesn't rely solely on touch inputs, with physical knobs for volume and tuning functions, as well as several hard buttons. The system comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and access to SiriusXM satellite radio.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Subaru's EyeSight driver-assistance system, which adds forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control, is currently offered on automatic-transmission BRZs. We expect a version of it to come to manual-gearbox models as well. For more information about the BRZ's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Available forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Available adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Subaru provides competitive, albeit unspectacular, limited and powertrain warranties. Unlike the Toyota GR86, the BRZ doesn't come with complimentary scheduled maintenance.

• Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance

Specifications

Specifications

2022 Subaru BRZ Limited
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $31,455/$31,455
Options: none

ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 146 in³, 2387 cm³
Power: 228 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm

TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 11.6-in vented disc/11.4-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4
215/40R-18 85Y

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.4 in
Length: 167.9 in
Width: 69.9 in
Height: 51.6 in
Passenger Volume: 78 ft³
Cargo Volume: 6 ft³
Curb Weight: 2843 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.4 sec
100 mph: 13.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec @ 101 mph
130 mph: 26.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.2 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 140 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 152 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 316 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.99 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 23 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/27 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

2022 Subaru BRZ Premium Automatic
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $30,590/$30,590
Options: none

ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 146 in³, 2387 cm³
Power: 228 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm

TRANSMISSION
6-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 11.6-in vented disc/11.4-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP
215/45R-17 87W

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.4 in
Length: 167.9 in
Width: 69.9 in
Height: 51.6 in
Passenger Volume: 78 ft³
Trunk Volume: 6 ft³
Curb Weight: 2863 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.8 sec @ 97 mph
100 mph: 15.8 sec
130 mph: 30.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Speed (redline ltd): 135 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 167 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 349 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.89 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 37 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 480 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 25/21/30 mpg

More Features and Specs