2015 Subaru BRZ

Pros: Lithe, agile handling; true sports-car personality; nice selection of standard equipment; good fuel economy for a sports car; relatively affordable pricing

Cons: Some enthusiast drivers will wish for more power; low-slung body and long doors make for tricky entry and exit; barely usable back seat; no options available

CG Says: The Subaru BRZ sees minor trim changes and the addition of a limited-edition model for 2015. The special BRZ Series.Blue model includes exclusive features such as a ground-effects body kit, black alloy wheels, unique interior trim. The Series.Blue is limited to 1000 units in the U.S. and comes only with a manual transmission. The rest of the BRZ lineup sees minor appearance updates such as larger-diameter exhaust tips and new paint colors. Like its near twin, the Scion FR-S, the Subaru BRZ attempts to blend the pure enthusiast appeal of a finely honed rear-wheel-drive sports car with the accessibility and everyday practicality of a compact economy car. It succeeds on most counts. The typical sporty-coupe demerits–most notably a somewhat stiff ride and a tiny back-seat area–are here, but they’re tempered by the BRZ’s respectable fuel-economy numbers and sprightly all-around performance. A BRZ costs more than an FR-S, but the price difference is offset by a higher level of standard equipment–and the top-line BRZ Limited model offers desirable comfort and convenience features that can’t be had on an FR-S.

Links

2014 Subaru BRZ Best Buy Review

2014 Subaru BRZ Review

2016 Subaru BRZ Review

Future Collectible: Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ