Here's Why the BRZ Is the Best Value In Sports Cars Right Now - 2022 Subaru BRZ Manual Test Drive
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- It's getting harder and harder to find enthusiast cars under $30k USD. The market is full of high horsepower and very expensive cars, but what about something that doesn't break the bank and is still fun? Well, this is one of the only cars left and for 2022 Subaru updated it in a big way. Follow along as we dive into the latest BRZ and what makes it truly special.
Link to the Insta360 camera I'm using: www.insta360.c...
#subaru #brz #gr86
Are you still disappointed they didn't turbocharge these?
Yes
yeah man, 228hp isn't going to cut it on this
NO. Every other car is turbo, so it’s nice that they still make NA sports cars. Plus, who wants a $45,000 BRZ?
No turbo needed. NA is more fun IMO. Save the turbo for the honda boys.
No it's fine you should get one and make ton of content like others are doing
Really cool that you showed a bike fitting inside. That would be a big selling point for me if I were shopping this vs the MX-5, which I don't think they even make bike racks for.
I'm both a licensed bicycle AND car racer. I love bikes. I love cars. I love to know which cars I can fit my bikes inside. Keep up the good work!
I love this car but in auto as a daily city driver I tested both and went with auto totally happy about it
Put it on sport mode and enjoy
The 2.4 makes about 45 more hp than the old 2.0. Huge upgrade.
I wanna swap one of the 2.4 into my 14.
This isn't right. The 2013 FRS made on average 169 WHP, not 141. 15% of 169whp is around 25 additional HP, not 45. No idea how you messed up the math and got 45.
@@D-AVG idiot reviewer.. also new car is dyno at 210, 202 whp.
So they are coming in slightly higher then manufacturer statement.
@@D-AVG 2022 BRZ is underrated. They are dynoing on average 213whp. 169whp + "45" = 214. Factoring in 15% drivetrain loss for a RWD car, the 2022 BRZ is making 250hp. The old 2.0L's made 205hp. 205 + "45" = 250.
Two ways to disable the ACS Active Sound Control: You can tell your dealer to disable it when you purchase or go in for a service (p.403 in the owners manual) or you can unplug it from the passenger side dash panel
Is it a fuse?
For having three pedals this is a thumbs up
2:25 I am here for the bike test. Not disappointed.
Good review thanks. I own a MX5 ND Club and I have been thinking about BRZ. I guess I will have to drive one to experience the difference. Of course, you cannot beat the open air experience of the MX5 which is another level.
Hey Kurt!
It's incredible to see how your presenting style has come on throughout your videos! This is a cracking video with brilliant production quality.
I love your content. Found your content because I'm a 997 C2S owner and you had some good how-tos!
I really appreciate the kind words Kern! I sure do miss my 997, I hope you're enjoying yours!
Already bought one. was in stock on the lot at MSRP. Got it in silver like the one you have here in the video, but mine's the base model. i got no complaints other than that it's winter and can't really drive it without it getting covered in salt. Never had a little sports car before. Always had AWD Turbo's or other practical vehicles. Decided it was time to go out of my comfort zone and try something different. I was told to buy a Toyota, so I bought a BRZ.
Enjoy it! Great choice.
I test drove and loved the Miata but it was the BRZ that got my money. Luckily my local Subaru dealer honored MSRP and I can't wait to attend the EVO driving school this year. Your review totally nailed why I think this car was a perfect choice for me to learn fundamentals of a RWD, normally aspirated sports car.
Enjoy the car David, it's a good one!
@@EatSleepDrive I enjoyed my 2018 GTI but haven’t smiled about a car this much since 1986. That was a Shelby GLHS.
@@aroundomaha are you attending driving school to learn how to drive manual or just driving overall?
@@alexgonzales8002 How to autocross better.
@@aroundomaha Thats a great choice. They will make you see how there are levels of driving.
Good review. Underscores the horrid trend of fatter cars, widening, heavier. What a fresh breath
Bought my GR86 because they are a great price, fun and makes me feel young again.
Another great review. Thanks. You also hit the nail on the head when you talked about how a nice compact designed sports car makes the car more fun to drive in the real world. Definitely not disappointed it is not a turbo charged engine. Since it is naturally aspirated you know the engine will last a long time, it keeps the costs down, it has a nice, linear power delivery and you don't have to go through so many oil changes. I have a 2019 Type R and a 2019 Toyota with an inline 4 NA engine. Although my Toyota is my daily, I have to do more frequent oil changes in the Type R because that turbo really cooks the oil and those oil changes add up.
With that said, we are looking for a nice, reasonably priced RWD 6-speed manual sports car to add to the stable before they are all completely gone. Right now, the list includes this BRZ or Toyota 86, the Mazda Miata, the Ford Mustang Ecoboost with the High Performance Package and Handling Package and the upcoming new Nissan Z. Let's keep buying these cars so manufactures see it is worth it to keep them around. Again, great job and simply love that road!
Thanks for the kind words! Best of luck choosing between those cars. Lots of great options!
I’m glad they didn’t put a turbo on this. Definitely made it a lot more durable. I also had the same shifter issue with my previous gen 2017 BRZ. Sometimes it didn’t want to go into 3rd smoothly, especially if you’re in a hurry.
Their are several sensations that make driving ‘fun’. Being thrown back & pressed into a seat. Feeling of rotation with lsd in corner. Steering feel the link between driver & road. Had a rental old Honda Fit with hydraulic steering took me to a friends where I drove his Charger. The power put me into my seat but could only b done momentarily. That Fit was more fun to drive since steering feel happens every moment.
Waiting to see the 400z, even though i know the 400 will be a bit heavier. But its between this and the 400z for my next car. Hopefully the insane market prices fixes itself by then…fingers crossed lol
Will be curious to see what those are like when they hit the street. I do expect the driving experience to be quite different. 400z will definitely be fast in a straight line but the BRZ will be more balanced. Just depends what you prefer.
Being a bit of a Nissan Z car fan boy, I'm super excited for the 400Z. With the rumor of the new Supra adding in a 3 pedal manual to the lineup, would that car make your list too?
400z might be well into the 50s, you could also look at the supra with it being manual, or you could get a brz and spend 10k on a supercharger setup and have equal as fast of a car
Don’t get me wrong the supra is awesome, when it adds that 3rd pedal. But i already got a bmw in the garage, 340. Looking to get back into a nissan. I’ve always wanted a Z. I’m hoping it comes in priced to undercut the supra. I can’t wait too see the comps between the 400, manual supra, an brz/86. Those vids plus test driving each will help me make up my mind.
@@paulprince906 Why do people keep comparing the Nissan Z to the GR86/BRZ? Totally different price ranges. They already announced the Japanese Domestic Market price for the limited edition 'Proto Spec' which cost from 6,960,000 yen. The 'regular' ones won't be any cheaper than 6 million yen, which is more than double of what you would pay for the GR86/BRZ
I love how he’s sad that polar bears are almost extinct and polar caps are melting but he loves his v8s
Thank you for doing the bike fitting segment. I only use my bike 2x per yr... when the car is in for service/repair... so being able to fit a bike is a big deal
Hey! That BRZ is made for a bike. That's impressive! I have the GR86 I love the car.
Gonna be honest, clicked on this because I saw the bike test in the thumbnail, lol
I finally get my 2022 brz in 3 or 4 weeks now! I am so excited!
Great purchase!
You should review a 2022 MX5 Miata Club and let us know how they compare. As you said, there are only two/three lightweight affordable sportscars in the market.
a few people already posted videos via youtube on how to disconnect the symposer sound.
I have deposit down on a manual premium GR86. I currently have an AP2 S2000 with Ohlins, better brakes, exhaust, headers, roll bar, bucket seat, etc. I'm finding it more and more difficult to drive it because of back problems, especially with the bucket seat. I was going to keep looking for seat options but I decided that the new GR86/BRZ will offer me most of the same characteristics I enjoy about the S2000, but it will be way more comfortable and practical. Do you feel like this is a worthy replacement since you have driven both cars? The only negative I can think of would be the lack of sound, but hopefully an exhaust/intake/header will fix that.
You'll be happy with the switch. I hear you on the back front, I'm past the point of stiff coilovers. It may not have that wild vtec the Honda has but it will be better in just about every other way. And what's most important, is that you'll drive it more because of it!
@@EatSleepDrive I love this comment. build-sheet bench- racing is fun to a limited extent, but at the end of the day the true worth of the car is how many miles of smiles it gives you !
I already have a couple of small sports cars, but these new twins are definitely tempting me to grow the family fleet :)
How much do you have to put down as a deposit out of curiosity?
Besides responsibility, sure.
S2K VTEC and 6MT are better; otherwise a great upgrade overall.
I love my TRD SE 86. Tuned with headers. Like the new gen a lot as well. Watched the whole video, and enjoyed what you had to say about the car. But, the review itself was a bit long for density of content, if that makes sense. Your delivery is also a bit... well, lifeless for the most part.
And I want to be very clear that I'm only saying this because I like what's here and am wanting to see you improve. I'm not trying to be mean or disregard your effort. Edit down to 12 to 15 minutes, and add a bit of energy and charisma, and this would be a significantly improved video. I look forward to see your channels future growth.
Liked and subbed.
I've been waiting a year for a 2023 Ice Silver brz basically the one in the video. I have even bought a duckbill spoiler for it. I really hope it comes soon supposed to be end of June 23
Good review. Long live the physical buttons!
Thank you! May they live on forever!
Looks like a fun car. Glad Subaru made all the improvements!
Hey Kurt! Your old FR-S is nearing the 100k mile mark and still going strong!
So happy it ended up in good hands. I freaking miss that thing. Enjoy brother!
@@EatSleepDrive haha I bet…thank you!
I still enjoy driving my 2017 86 automatic .
Amazing review my Cleveland friend. Love the bike check. I have to fully disassemble my bike to fit it in my g35 sedan
Thank you Tony! That's surprising for the G35 sedan. Do the rear seats fold down or is it a problem of the opening being too small?
@@EatSleepDrive They don't fold down, only recline. Boo
This generation is great, I had a blast driving it. The power is super adequate. The problem is all the dealers are marking them up 10k over msrp... which will prevent many from buying.
Hope that doesn't last. People need to buy these.
@@EatSleepDrive a friend bought and and had to go to dealership 450 miles away to get one for msrp. It's so fun I almost don't think I need to wait for the Z.
I paid MSRP by ordering. It took two months but was well worth the wait in my opinion
I had to go to a neighboring state (60 miles away) to order one for MSRP. Dealers around me were all consistently at least 4k over + dealer add-ons.
Keep fitting bikes man when other reviews don't.👍
Will do!
@@EatSleepDrive Thank's😃
@@EatSleepDrive what size bikes are you trying to fit in, XL L M
Great video. Spot on insight on the brz. Love the FAKE engine noise. I bought a WRB 6MT and I am waiting for winter to fade.
Good choice!
what if i don’t know how to drive a manual. is it easy to learn in this car. i want to learn
I hope this car come with 3.0 with 6 slender boxer and turbo same beside this one it's excellent
Did you notice any rev hang? That seems to be a reoccurring complaint I've seen on this car. Great review by the way! It was cool that you mentioned your caged S13, gave some context and credibility to your comment.
Didn't notice any noteworthy rev hang. Glad you enjoyed!
how cruise control works on manual transmission.
Location for bike
Use a sea sucker for the mountain bike its 440 bucks and your good to go.
great video!
Thank you!
great road , great review
Thank you!
A great car to drive around beautiful landscapes
Agreed!
Nice car. Nice review. Is the exhaust note as loud and droney as it sounds on the video?
It's weird, the exhaust note isn't droney, but the fake engine sound they pipe in is. Extremely annoying.
Oops. Sorry. I reacted before your finished.
How do like this car compared to the 997 you owned? I currently have a 997 and am tempted by this card modern amenities and potential to be an easier commuter.
Awesome, I love them, just like mines.
Always wondered if a bike would fit in back. I thought people mentioned the dealer can turn off the fake sound. Thanks
Happy to help!
is there an RTV issue with this car?
very easy to turn off the fake sound! its unplugged in a section of the dash on the passengers side, just gotta remove a panel to expose where its plugged in !
Any diff between this and Toyota?Exactly the same car?
Is it easy to make it oversteer around corners if you want to?
Less so than the prev model because of the stickier tires but definitely still doable.
Hey Kurt ! Great Review ! I'm debating right now between a MX5 Club with the BBS, Brembo/Recaros seats and a GR86 "front look better to me" fully loaded 😄
If you only had one to recommend ? Which one would you pick ?
We need a review call MX5 vs GR86/BRZ
That's be awesome ! 🥰
Keep up the good work! 👍
From Nova Scotia ! 🇨🇦 🍁
Both are great choices! Personally I would buy the GR86, but it also depends what you plan to use it for. If it's a second car it's less of an issue, but if it's your only car a GR86 is much more practical.
Looks more upscale to me, but the older gens looked good to me also.
Agreed, definitely a step up in the right direction..
amazing car gonna get it asap
Fine choice!
Rear wheel drive?
Of course.
what happened with your m235i? did you sell it?
Yes sir I sold it.
I would some of the lost steering feel could come through those PS4’s, they have extremely soft tyre walls. A set of Michelin PS4S or eagle f1 super sports or semi slicks will change that completely.
Could be. I'm looking forward to trying the 86 next month which should be on different tires.
Have to ask, what road is this and where?
I can't give my secrets away, but it's in Malibu :)
dude, you need a new camera. It's running at like 15 FPS
Not at all disappointed they didnt add a turbo. I want this thing to stay under 30 and I love NA engines. This has gotten amazing reviews across the board. Can't wait for a Ts version with some brembos and nice STI wheels.
Same here!
What is seat comfort like on the 2022 BRZ/GR86 vs the 2022 Civic Si? And generally overall which is the better car to own?
brz is a better car overall. RWD, great cornering, low center of gravity, makes ppl head turn, mods for this car are endless.
I prefer the Honda seats. They're more supportive ergonomically. Bolstering is pretty close between the two.
Tough call and would depend on my needs. The Si is of course more usable and gets better fuel economy. The BRZ is more fun.
WHY DONT YOU TALK ABOUT REAR SUSPENSION SPECS ???
Do you think you can get 4 tires in this vehicle?
Absolutely.
Looks softer and less aggressive than previous models but NSX style rear lights a bit meh.
You think so? I thought it was at least on par with the prev model as far as aggressiveness. I also wasn't a huge fan of the early taillights in the last gen. They did get better as time went on though..
@@EatSleepDrive Think BRZ 2022 more aggressive than GR86 but the pink front end on both softened off. Yes first gen LED with normal style rears were a not that great and suffered clouding from water. I have 2017 GT86 U.K model and LED rears are much better in my opinion but guess they wanted to differentiate it more.
nice car，i love it
Me too!
How does this compare to your s13/s14?
It's just so hard to compare news cars to cars 25 years ago. Especially because all of my S chassis were engine swapped. SR20, RB26 and LS1. That said, the size feels similar which is great. The BRZ is also well balanced like those cars were. I would say, if you like how an S chassis drives, you would enjoy this car.
If you can find one for a good price lol. There are dealers out there asking $50k. Insane!
You can buy a loaded up mustang gt for that money
@@drunkpolack7612 50k for GT is also over priced in my opinion. Loaded or not. Those cars are good at 40k
The state of cars right now :(
@@EatSleepDrive hate to see it
@@EatSleepDrive A miracle in Madison, WI; we "built" the Limited loaded while traveling in Iowa & sent an inquiry to our local dealer; they came back with $1,400 off MSRP. Offered us above payoff for our leased Kia which we paid off. Although originally the ETA was 2/28 it arrives 1/19. Ryan Rippchen sales manager for 13 years at Don Miller Subaru west gave us an extraordinary experience; almost every other auto store in town has a double window sticker marked up 6k. Great video appears to be Mulholland drive?
Got the exact same car. Paid MSRP. No markup.
Great to hear! Where from?
@@EatSleepDrive I am in IL. Dealer name is International Subaru. 👍
@@boost331 no shit. That's where I was looking to buy, south side of the Chicago?
@@digitalsmithy Yep. They are in orland park which is about 45 min away from me. They were the only place to give me MSRP after about a month of non stop calls, emails and walk ins to every dealer within 100 miles.
I really want you to get your hands on a ND Miata to hear your thoughts comparing the two! My biggest hate on these are the back seat, it seems pretty useless and adds weight. I'm not looking for a car to haul stuff.
If you could get Mazda to respond to me that would be great....
Back seats and more space are some of the main reasons to get this over the ND. You might not want a car to haul stuff, but for someone like me and many others who can only afford one car, BRZ/GR86 is more appealing. If you have a second car, get the Miata. Miata will be more fun for most people than this car. Some people prefer the planted feeling of this car sure, but for street driving, I'd argue Miata is more enjoyable to drive
great road.
Thanks!
It would be a good daily driver if it sells at a lower price.
Agree.
I’m impressed with Subaru/Toyota in the engine department to be honest. My 2016 Mazda 6 GT has the 2.5L naturally aspirated Skyactiv 4 cylinder and it only makes 184 horsepower compared to the 228 this car makes (with only a 2.4L). Obviously my Mazda is tuned for efficiency and this car is supposed to be a sports car but it’s still pretty impressive to see how much they managed to squeeze out of 2.4L nonetheless. I also have to point out that your “crying” over the polar bears and ice caps at the beginning is extremely cringey. It’s exactly that kind of political ideology that has led us to the current “climate” that has unfortunately killed off the very cars you and I love (V8’s, manuals, hell gas engines altogether) in favor of a sea of shitty EVs that are expensive, inconvenient, and have questionable environmental impacts. I’m all for new technological advances but simply tossing out 100+ years of internal combustion refinement with no plan for dealing with the obvious infrastructure shortcomings in the near-term is just stupid and unnecessary…
86 front end way better imo
I agree.
There is a UA-camr who figured out that if you snap open the side panel on the right of the glovebox you can see and unplug the soundbox. He dropped the glovebox to make more room by unhinging it. Might unplug it when I upgrade my exhaust but I don’t mind it too much. (Then again, break in period, I don’t rev it out)
Edit: ua-cam.com/video/H-EUBupvQ7o/v-deo.html
Good share, thank you!
New subscriber. You mock people like me, lol.
"BRZ, with bike for scale."
:)
Oh man I totally agree with you. 2 door coupes/sports cars are disappearing. 4 door family sedans are everywhere. SUVs dominate the auto industry as they’re also everywhere. Honda/Acura, for example, discontinued their 2 door coupe production because their lame piss poor excuse is that they don’t sell enough coupes so they decide to discontinue them. So glad Toyota and Subaru still make 2 door cars. Honda/Acura is just bad at selling 2 door cars. IF no one wants 2 door cars how is it that Toyota/Subaru are still selling this car? A 2 door sports car. Like I said piss poor lame excuse by Acura/Honda. Honda/Acura went from cool car producing company to a "Dud" selling SUVs and 4 door family sedan. They're no longer cool. Toyota, Subaru are the new cool car producing companies with this car.
I do miss the days of the old Hondas .
@@EatSleepDrive I'm with you on that. Honda's golden era 90s-2010s is gone never coming back. I wished they never discontinued the Integra/RSX back in 2006 maybe it would've survived better despite the recession, coronavirus, etc... Now they're trying to rebuild their tarnished brand by bring back the Integra-a 5th gen model almost everyone hates. I just hate the fact they didn't offer it in "2 door" trim. Oh well. They're (Honda) losers can't blame them for being so.
As someone who loves spirited driving and cycling I'm conflicted when I see you ripping up the hill with a cyclist going down in the other lane. I wish they had bike paths 1 lane away from roads like these
7:20 and 10:30 👍
not sure what part of 30,000 is affordable but cool car ig
Unfortunately, average new car price is over $40,000 right now. Which is super depressing, but you know, by the numbers, relatively speaking, 30k is at least nominally "affordable."
'CRASHY ONN BUMPS'
WTF DOES THAT MEAN ???!!!###
until it starts leaking oil everywhere.
The Toyota model is the way to go. It was mean to be a Toyota. EDIT: Thumbs down, you like the new tail lights better than the old ones. shame.
Why not a turbo with 300hp and 1000kg? That would be a sports car. Missed opportunity
Would take away from 2.0 Supra sales
I think cost was their main hurdle. In order to keep it under $30 to start they never could have done it with a turbo.
300hp and 1000kg? Go buy a Lotus 🙄
@@harrybuhse8622 Engineering Explained actually did a really interesting deep dive on why this car doesn't need a turbo. His breakdown of the forces at play, make it clear from an engineering point of view why there doesn't seem to be a single review of this new gen car complaining of lack of HP.
@@ragweedmakesmesneeze idk why you're replying to me but I know why it doesn't need a turbo. The car is a scalpel. It's running on 215 tires which means excessive or sudden torque will light up the rear end. This is an engaging driver's car because the power is moderate and linear from being naturally aspirated meaning it's a dance with the car to get the most out of it and overall having pleasant driving characteristics. You add a turbo into the mix all of a sudden it needs bigger tires, upgraded internals and mechanical parts all over including the oil cooling transmission, diff, clutch, brakes, pistons, built engine bottom end and even then reliability would be hard to dial in. You also have an upset in weight balance not to mention the turbo completely counteracts the efficacy of a high revving high compression engine. It'd make more sense to drop compression and at that point you may as well just look at an EJ25. All of those additions would add considerable weight and more importantly costs that just aren't justified. You can't ask for that much out of a sub $30k car with a warranty.