Insurance Group: 31
MPG: 36.2
CO2: 181
0-62 Mph: 7.6 secs
BHP: 197 BHP
Range: 398 miles
PROS: The BRZ is fantastic to drive and comes with a good amount of standard equipment.
CONS: It won't hold its value as well as its competitors, and some of the interior materials feel a little bit cheap.
The BRZ is fitted with the same 2.0-litre flat-four boxer engine as the Toyota GT86 which develops 197bhp and 151lb-ft of torque. 0-62mph takes a not-particularly-astonishing 7.6 seconds and flat out you'll be doing 120mph. Peak power and torque arrive between 6000 and 7000rpm and you really have to work the engine hard to get the best from the BRZ; however, the car's low weight means that it never feels sluggish.
Handling-wise, the BRZ is absolutely superb. The boxer engine means that the car's centre of gravity is very low, and the Subaru feels sharp, precise and aggressive to drive.
The suspension has clearly been set up for handling rather than comfort and because of this, some of the ride quality is lost on rougher surfaces. Refinement is an issue too: there is plenty of wind, road and engine noise, especially at speed; however, if you're in the market for a BRZ, refinement and comfort are unlikely to be near the top of your list of priorities.
The BRZ isn't the prettiest car in the world -- you'll be wanting the Audi TT or the VW Scirocco if looks are your priority -- but it's a well-proportioned, handsome brute. That aggressively-styled front end looks good too.
This is the top-of-the-range Lux model and as such it comes with a good amount of standard equipment including alloy wheels, climate control, electric heated leather seats, electric windows, keyless entry and a CD player with MP3 connectivity. On top of this, you can specify sat-nav for £1000 and metallic paint for £500.
Subaru has an impeccable reputation for reliability and there is no reason to believe that the BRZ should spoil it -- the whole car feels very well made and the interior plastics feel robust. What's more, the car comes with a 3-year/60,000 mile warranty as standard.
The BRZ should also be a very safe car thanks to its seven airbags and host of driver aids. Euro NCAP has not yet tested the Subaru, but a five-star rating is almost undeniably in the offing.
Practicality is where the BRZ slips up. Coupes are not renowned for the spaciousness of their rear quarters but even so, it's hard to fathom out quite why Subaru bothered with rear seats at all. A field mouse would find it cramped. On the plus side, the boot offers 243-litres of space which is good for a coupe.
The Subaru BRZ 2.0i SE Lux is priced at £26,495.
The BRZ is arguably good value when you consider that there are few, if any, cars in this price range which offer the same amount of driving pleasure; however, the Scooby is unlikely to hold its value as well as its more desirable rivals from Ingolstadt and Wolfsburg.
The BRZ won't exactly be cheap to run. The official fuel economy figure is 36.2mpg but this will be hard to achieve, especially if you're driving the BRZ quickly (i.e. revving the nuts off it). CO2 emissions are reasonable at 181g/km and this means that the Subaru falls under VED band I.
If you're looking for a driver's car, look no further. Although the BRZ's rivals from Audi and VW offer much more prestige and quality, they can't match it for pure driving pleasure. On top of this...
You might want to read reviews for other Sports cars that you can then compare to the Subaru BRZ. Here are some popular Subaru BRZ alternatives:
