Test Bench – Subaru BRZ | Pleasure, without excess

Since the BRZ came onto the scene, a curious paradox has been floating around Subaru showrooms. In fact, all of this brand's creations have adopted all-wheel drive. Except one. The BRZ is propelled only by its rear wheels. Driving enthusiasts are delighted because this “old-school” sports coupe provides a lot of thrills at a reasonable price, and this, without even flouting the Highway Safety Code.

For a manufacturer as serious as Subaru, is this rear-wheel drive coupe really reasonable? Probably not, but Subaru was able to seize a favorable opportunity here by partnering with Toyota to amortize the development costs. For the company with the star-studded badge, it was also a question of re-entering a segment that it had abandoned nearly 30 years ago. Indeed, since the withdrawal of the XT (1986-1991) and other SVX (1991-1996), Subaru had no sports coupe in its catalog.

In an era where SUVs are proliferating, acquiring a coupe — and a sporty one at that — can seem quite irrational. Especially when it comes at a high price. Which is far from being the case here. A BRZ is sold for the same price as a subcompact.

Compromises to be made

Purists will have no problem. Digging your head into your shoulders to get into this coupe lurking close to the asphalt, or to get out of it, is part of the experience. A flashy car, rather spartan in terms of the cabin or trunk. None of this is of any importance to them.

As is the case with classic cars (or vintage cars, depending on your point of view), behind the wheel of the BRZ, the impression of speed is felt well before reaching the limits prescribed by law. The car is noisy, sometimes bouncy, but never stingy with sensations. We become one with it. We feel it living under our feet, our hands, our buttocks.

The grip provided by its tires combined with the balance of its chassis delights in winding roads. In its tS version, the BRZ benefits from a suspension revised by the subsidiary STi (Subaru Tecnica international). The suspension is firmer, therefore moderately comfortable, but we don't care. On the contrary, this stiffness amplifies the feeling of maneuverability of the BRZ, which behaves like a kart with its frank and direct steering.

No one mourned the loss of the 2.0L engine that powered it in its early days. This engine, rather sluggish, gagged the BRZ. Especially at low revs where you had to constantly play with the lever to keep this engine in the revs. The 2.4L engine that now powers it has more impressive cavalry, certainly, but the torque remains its main Achilles heel. Little chance that Subaru (with the help of Toyota) will revise this aspect.

Fortunately, the manual gearbox lever, while a little catchy, is quite easy to use. The automatic? Don't even think about it unless you want to reduce your carbon footprint. The difference is still significant: 1 L/100 km and 23 g/km of CO₂. On this subject, we will also criticize, considering the cylinder capacity, the consumption of the mechanics and this obligation to water it with Super to extract all the quintessence.

Old fashioned

Getting in and out of this coupe, which seats its occupants very low, requires a lot of flexibility, as has already been said. It is therefore advisable to learn to slip in and out with a minimum of agility. Visibility is also not this car's strong point, which makes certain maneuvers (when parking, for example) more hazardous than others.

The interior presentation is nothing exceptional. Nor is the quality of the materials. On the other hand, the finish is impeccable. Compared to these vehicles whose dashboards burst the screen, the BRZ sticks to the bare minimum. And frankly, that's a good thing! The main controls are correctly identified and easy to access. And the BRZ offers, as in the good old days, an emergency brake lever within reach. Nothing better to make this coupe waltz, again and again, in the hands of enthusiasts for whom driving remains a passion and not an obligation.