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> Don't miss our road test portion of Comparo 2.0
> Don't miss our track test portion of Comparo 2.0
The 2013 Subaru BRZ: the Subaru no one ever saw coming. Unless you recall the SVX, or worse the XT, a 2-door Subaru sporty coupe is somewhat of a foreign concept for most, especially when only the rear wheels are driven.
Be that as it may, we could not say enough good things about the BRZ throughout Comparo 2.0, our compact sports coupe comparison test, on the road or on the track -- really, the entire week we had it.
The car's been gone for a short while now, but we still talk about it as if we'd just met a star (Ryan Reynolds for the girls and Kate Beckinsale for the guys). You know how it is; we reminisce about the good times, the funny jokes, the sights, the smells, and the sounds...
Each of us fell hard for the 2013 Subaru BRZ, the legitimate love child of track and road. The perfectly measured balance between the sight, sounds and performance drew us all in equally.
Sure, the 2013 Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec was more powerful, the 2012 Volkswagen GTI was roomier, the 2013 Scion FR-S was sharper on the track and the 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV made us smile, but the BRZ's aura and all-around abilities kept us coming back for more.
Like the FR-S, the BRZ feels as though it's made from scratch, just like grandma's apple pie; nothing is better than a pie made from scratch.
The attraction of the car demonstrates where engineering now takes chassis, design, performance, and reasonable user-friendliness to a point where they can all nearly stand on equal footing. The term "compromise" is being phased out of the automotive vocabulary, and the BRZ may be the best affordable example of overall driving perfection.
What is so attractive about the 2013 Subaru BRZ? It has a single-minded split personality. Without changing into a track suit and slipping on Nike Air Max shoes, it'll run with the best of 'em on the track. From there, no need for a leisure suit to go out and party, the BRZ may need only a quick wash before gettin' down.
Driving the BRZ involves working the sweet-shifting, stiff stick shifter through a tight gate along with the help of one of the best-judged clutch-disc friction points we've ever encountered. Rowing through the gears is a necessity in order to get the most out of the 200 hp BOXER engine, but we'd do it until the cows come home.
No one will ever tire of driving the BRZ as its suspension calibration takes the unpleasant edge off of rough surfaces, but still manages to deliver unfiltered information to the driver at all times. Turn-in is sharp, the brakes are as well. Nothing needs upgrading here for the average Joe or Jane.
Above all, the BRZ, and to a slightly lesser extent the FR-S, represents what the car world was sorely lacking: a true, dye-in-the-wool driver's car fit for track days that can easily double as a daily driver that will swallow a fair amount of stuff, and a few friends, all the while not braking the bank up front or at every fill-up. The BRZ simply does it all with more brio and in a nicer dress.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ may not be the perfect car, but it's damn close.
> Don't miss our track test portion of Comparo 2.0
The 2013 Subaru BRZ: the Subaru no one ever saw coming. Unless you recall the SVX, or worse the XT, a 2-door Subaru sporty coupe is somewhat of a foreign concept for most, especially when only the rear wheels are driven.
Be that as it may, we could not say enough good things about the BRZ throughout Comparo 2.0, our compact sports coupe comparison test, on the road or on the track -- really, the entire week we had it.
 |
| The 2013 Subaru BRZ is the Subaru no one ever saw coming. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
The car's been gone for a short while now, but we still talk about it as if we'd just met a star (Ryan Reynolds for the girls and Kate Beckinsale for the guys). You know how it is; we reminisce about the good times, the funny jokes, the sights, the smells, and the sounds...
Each of us fell hard for the 2013 Subaru BRZ, the legitimate love child of track and road. The perfectly measured balance between the sight, sounds and performance drew us all in equally.
Sure, the 2013 Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec was more powerful, the 2012 Volkswagen GTI was roomier, the 2013 Scion FR-S was sharper on the track and the 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV made us smile, but the BRZ's aura and all-around abilities kept us coming back for more.
Like the FR-S, the BRZ feels as though it's made from scratch, just like grandma's apple pie; nothing is better than a pie made from scratch.
The attraction of the car demonstrates where engineering now takes chassis, design, performance, and reasonable user-friendliness to a point where they can all nearly stand on equal footing. The term "compromise" is being phased out of the automotive vocabulary, and the BRZ may be the best affordable example of overall driving perfection.
What is so attractive about the 2013 Subaru BRZ? It has a single-minded split personality. Without changing into a track suit and slipping on Nike Air Max shoes, it'll run with the best of 'em on the track. From there, no need for a leisure suit to go out and party, the BRZ may need only a quick wash before gettin' down.
 |
| The BRZ may be the best affordable example of overall driving perfection. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
Driving the BRZ involves working the sweet-shifting, stiff stick shifter through a tight gate along with the help of one of the best-judged clutch-disc friction points we've ever encountered. Rowing through the gears is a necessity in order to get the most out of the 200 hp BOXER engine, but we'd do it until the cows come home.
No one will ever tire of driving the BRZ as its suspension calibration takes the unpleasant edge off of rough surfaces, but still manages to deliver unfiltered information to the driver at all times. Turn-in is sharp, the brakes are as well. Nothing needs upgrading here for the average Joe or Jane.
 |
| Rowing through the gears is a necessity in order to get the most out of the 200 hp BOXER engine, but we'd do it until the cows come home. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
Above all, the BRZ, and to a slightly lesser extent the FR-S, represents what the car world was sorely lacking: a true, dye-in-the-wool driver's car fit for track days that can easily double as a daily driver that will swallow a fair amount of stuff, and a few friends, all the while not braking the bank up front or at every fill-up. The BRZ simply does it all with more brio and in a nicer dress.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ may not be the perfect car, but it's damn close.