There is no mystery to this. You either like to drive small, light fast road rockets or you do not.
If you do, a Subaru BRZ should be on the shopping list. It is one of the few rear-wheel-drive small, light and fast purist sports cars with a rear seat (for insurance purposes) on the market today. Another is the Scion FR-S, which shares a production platform with the BRZ.
For the record, BRZ is short for boxer rear-drive zenith.
Before this review of a recently tested 2015 BRZ gets underway, let's list several drawbacks to small road rockets.
One, they are not the safest vehicles on the road. If the driver is involved in an accident that is more than a fender-bender, a cemetery beckons.
Two, sight lines are poor. One glance to the right rear by the driver settles that issue.
Three, for practical purposes there is no rear seat even though one is provided. Can an adult sit there? Try it. How about a child? Good luck.
Four, entry and exit can be excruciating for, let's say, a balding 50-year-old guy with a paunch, but not for lithe and limber younger folks.
That being recorded, there are virtues to a road rocket such as the BRZ. The biggies, of course, are style and performance.
Subaru's 2015 BRZ sports car is offered in BRZ Premium, Limited and new Blue limited-edition models - all with revised suspension damping for improved handling and ride.
Each BRZ wears a low-slung body that combines a swept-back roofline, bulging front fenders, short overhangs and pronounced rear haunches for a lean, athletic stance.
A 200-horsepower, 2-liter, naturally aspirated, double overhead cam, boxer four-cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Boxer engines (flat opposing pistons) are a specialty for Subaru, the BRZ engine is not shared with other Subaru models, and can be mated to a new six-speed manual gearbox or optional paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmission, sport-tuned suspension with front strut brace and Torsen limited-slip differential
With only 2,778 pounds to push, plus the driver, the BRZ stick shift can race from 0 to 60 miles per hour in close to 6.5 seconds. With an optional $1,100 automatic transmission, add a second or two.
If at the race track or on a remote road with no traffic in sight, this coupe can be severely tested. What is neat is that both traction and stability controls can be turned off for a more wicked spin around corners. They are not completely off as a Torsen limited-slip differential sends torque to wheels that need it to keep the car from spinning out of control.
The center cupholder can be removed to create more elbow room for the driver's shifting needs. It can remain in place for use in less aggressive driving situations. Instrumentation emphasizes a large analog speedometer and similar-sized tachometer.
Downshifting at high speeds and economical use of brakes (11.6-inch front, 11.5-inch rear, ventilated) help guide the 17-inch performance tires through tight turns. These brakes have been tested to bring the BRZ to a stop from 60 mph in a distance of 114 feet. This is excellent stopping power.
Steering is tight. Balance, front to rear and side to side, is superb, if not incredible. Riding lower to the ground than the 5-inch norm (4.9 official inches), the low center of gravity contributes to good balance. A tuned strut suspension system keeps the driver upright. This system relies on MacPherson struts in front and double wishbones in the rear.
Rear wheels do the pushing, which is unusual for Subaru as all-wheel-drive has been the norm for company products since 1997.
Premium fuel is recommended for the 13.2-gallon gas tank. During the test week, the BRZ averaged 27.2 miles per gallon in mostly suburban and country driving with one person aboard. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the vehicle at 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.
As mentioned before, the BRZ comes in Premium, Limited and Series Blue with respective prices of $25,695, $27,695 and $29,490. Series Blue was the test car and, true to its trim name, it featured a blue interior color scheme. Exteriors are blue or white and the tested Series Blue model was white.
Subaru will offer 500 of these special models painted WR Blue Pearl and 500 in Crystal White Pearl, all with the six-speed manual transmission and red-painted brake calipers.
Styling tweaks can be seen on wheels, brakes, underbody and interior trim. The alloy wheels, each with 15 spokes, are black. Brake calipers are painted red, and spoilers are at the bottom of the vehicle front, rear and sides. Interior trim has blue stitching and blue leather borders for the black suede-like fabric inserts on seats and seatbacks. Bold BRZ lettering adorns seatbacks and front floor mats.
Amenities include keyless entry and pushbutton ignition, navigation with real-time traffic, an eight-speaker, 196-watt AM-FM-satellite radio, compact disc sound system with HD radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and iPod ports, auxiliary audio jack and smartphone integration. Aha Infotainment smartphone integration included with standard navigation system is new this model year.
The touchscreen is maddening. Controls are too small. On the preset radio stations, for example, be sure to have a pen, pencil or pointer handy to hit the exact choice. An adult finger might be too big. A fingernail works, though.
Other features are power exterior mirrors, windows and door locks, cruise control, intermittent wipers, leather-wrapped steering wheel, engine immobilizer, 12- and 120-volt outlets, and a spare tire stored under the 6.9-cubic-foot trunk's floor cover.
Twin large stainless steel exhaust tips are round on the BRZ, spoilers have ridges, taillights are LED, fog lamps are inset in front and fenders exhibit crisp lines, and there is a new shark fin antenna.
Once ensconced in the BRZ cabin, leg and shoulder room is good for even those in excess of six feet in height. Seats are firm and comfortable. The bolstered front sport seats are designed just for this car and. Behind the three-spoke, leather wrapped steering wheel accented with red stitching, the driver faces easy-to-see instrument panel featuring a large, center-mounted tachometer with an analog speedometer to its left.
When additional room is required, the one-piece rear seatback lowers to expand the space offered in the 6.9 cu. ft. trunk to provide enough room to now haul four-wheels, a helmet and basic supplies to weekend slalom or track events.
Scion's FR-S and the BRZ are assembled side by side at Subaru's Gunma plant in Ota-city, Japan.
Warranty coverage is three years or 36,000 miles with 24-hour roadside assistance and five years or 60,000 miles on the powertrain.
Few buyers are cut out for small and light and fast road rockets, but then even fewer want to have a big and powerful gas hog parked in a driveway, too. For most buyers in the United States, the favored vehicles are in the middle, such as crossovers, mid- and full-size sedans, light pickup trucks and the four- and six-cylinder sport utilities and minivans.
FAST FACTS
Vehicle: Series Blue edition of
2015 Subaru BRZType: subcompact, rear-wheel-drive, two-door, four-seat sports coupe
Price: $29,490
Delivery: $795
Engine: 2-liter, 200-horsepower boxer four-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual (automatic available)
Fuel: premium
Fuel tank: 13.2 gallons
Wheelbase: 101.2 inches
Length: 166.7 inches
Width: 69.9 inches
Height: 50.6 inches
Ground clearance: 4.9 inches
Leg room: 41.9 inches front, 29.9 inches rear
Weight: 2,778 pounds
Trunk: 6.9 cubic feet
Turning circle: 35.4 feet BRZ
Suspension: MacPherson struts front, double wishbone rear, stabilizer bars
Warranty: three years or 36,000 miles with 24-hour roadside assistance, five years or 60,000 miles powerwtrain