Subaru BRZ S 2013 Review

Price Guide (drive-away): $45,145
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): N/A
Crash rating: Five-star (ANCAP)
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.8
CO2 emissions (g/km): 181
Also consider: Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo (from $31,990); Mazda MX-5 Coupe (from $47,280); Opel Astra OPC (from $42,990); Peugeot RCZ (from $58,990)

As a motoring journo, there’s this unofficial rule that suggests I should have come away from my week with the Subaru BRZ S tingling with adrenaline. Well, in a way I did, but it was perhaps for reasons other than the well-trodden ‘purity of front-engine, rear-drive handling dynamics’ that the BRZ and its Toyota 86 cousin are said to deliver.

With the recently announced BRZ Sports pack (‘S’ will suffice), Subaru has added a raft of new kit to their hero car.

The dollar value of said kit equates to $7195 in the six-speed automatic or $7995 in the six-speed manual (including fitment), taking the manual version we sampled to a not-inexpensive $45,145 (drive-away), which is premium hot hatch territory.

And that’s a worry, for the BRZ S receives no extra power or torque, leaving its relatively meagre 147kW/205Nm output paling when compared to the Opel Astra OPC (206kW/400Nm for $42,990 plus on-roads) or even Ford’s vastly more practical five-door Focus ST (184kW/340Nm for $38,290 plus on-roads). In short, the BRZ is swimming with the big kids, when its specs suggest it should be in the shallower end, closer to Hyundai’s well-equipped (and still more powerful) Veloster SR Turbo on price.

What the S pack does bring is enhancements to the cosmetic, comfort and handling departments. The exterior is given a thorough going over, receiving black ‘under spoilers’ to front, sides and rear, a black boot-lip spoiler, and rear diffuser, again in black. Seventeen-inch STi alloy wheels complete the picture, though they retain the standard car’s economy-biased Michelin Primacy rubber in 215/45 size.

Moving inside, the manual car gets a new gearshift assembly and Duracon gearknob along with a brazen STi-branded starter button.

Open the bonnet and you will find a ‘STi flexible tower bar’, designed to tie the strut tops together and consequently improve front-end response, while a glimpse behind the wheels reveals STi-trademark red springs, reducing the BRZ’s ride height.

In a good news story, the enhancements can also be retro-fitted to an already-purchased ‘standard’ BRZ.

How does this equipment translate on the road? Well, opinions on the exterior appearance were divided. Those STi alloys looked good in black but still didn’t fill the arches as completely as you might expect in a sports car. Also receiving a split decision was the blackened body addenda, some feeling that it would look better in the trademark blue of the body. What is inarguable, however, is that the BRZ S shouted its presence a little more loudly than the standard car.

It’s a pity the attractive front lip spoiler is seated so low, leaving it too easily prone to scrapes from gutters, steep driveways and even excessive dips in the road. It may look cool, but it proved a constant worry during the test. On a winding back road, that just shouldn’t be an issue with a car like this.

The seats and steering wheel were retained from the standard car, though the ostentatious STi starter button and more appropriate short-shift gear-lever did lift the interior; the aftermarket-style Bluetooth control less so. The Boxer engine still sounded gruff and the cabin let in excessive road noise which, coupled to the firmer ride and clunky gearbox (which felt old-school Italian, not allowing second gear cleanly until warmed-through), made the BRZ S tiresome in day-to-day traffic.

These disappointments were tempered by certain attributes. The steering remains the best electrically-assisted system I’ve experienced and the slightly sharper responses of the BRZ S were complemented by it, revealing an eager, flat turn-in to any given corner. In dry conditions, the S was pointy, exploitable and fun as it danced around on its low-grip tyres, the ‘VSC Sport’ stability control function nicely balancing safety with fun. Add torrential rain, however, and that excitement morphed into a healthy dose of trepidation.

In the dour conditions, the stiff-set BRZ S felt edgy, the playful balance experienced in the dry giving way to a rear-end that felt overly firm, giving up its grip without warning and giving the driver a potential heart attack in the process. In short, the hero Subaru felt nervous, like it needed a far better set of tyres…

Other gripes: The engine lacked the sparkle of the best high-revving four-pots (think previous-generation RenaultSport Clio, Honda Civic Type-R), being thin in its delivery. It was however relatively frugal against its combined claim, returning 8.5L/100km on test. The brakes, though feel-some, lacked the sheer stopping ability you find in the better hot hatches, which (lest we forget) are right at this price range.

On the right road, in the right conditions, the BRZ S is (nearly) everything it should be. If it’s a second car, that’s perfectly fine, but in real-world, daily-drive conditions the chances for this car to shine are so limited that its failings quickly overcome its attributes.

That it costs nearly $8000 more than the standard car is hard to support; if you prefer form over function, then it may be for you. Otherwise, buy the standard car and invest the cash in an engine tune...or buy a RenaultSport Megane.

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