Is 2022 Subaru BRZ Coupé S the Best Sports Coupé Around? FULL REVIEW

We took the MY22 BRZ for a weekend away with a couple of classic that proved somewhat less than reliable. Read about it HERE.

What it proved was that nothing can replace the reliability and friskiness of a brand spanking new car, especially a nippy little sports car. BRZ MKII follows on from over a decade of MKI BRZ, and is a brand new interpretation that follows the design ethos so carefully, that some find it hard to pick the difference.

Side by side, it is chalk and cheese.

Orders are now open for the MY23 BRZ after the 2022 model sold out in record time. Why? Upon launch, BRZ became and instant classic. People waited with bated breath for the new model with more power and more gadgets and it sold out in no-time.

Outside:

The Jaguaresque bonnet has the masculine bulges of the E-Type, giving the profile perfect proportions. A nice long, low bonnet, slinky side styling, and nipped up rump, make BRZ a good handler too.

Subaru is modest when it comes to frippery. BRZ eschews the wanton excess of slashes, cuts, bends, and folds, that make many modern a sports car tiring to look at. There is nowhere for the eye to rest, whereas BRZ is smooth and slinky. It has the advantage of making BRZ slippery, yet sexy.

The LED head lights turn with the steering but don’t have the matrix functions we’re so fond of.

Specifications HERE: MY22 Subaru BRZ Specs

This Week Review: Is 2022 Subaru BRZ Coupe S the best sport coupe around? FULL Review

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ABOVE: 2022 Subaru BRZ

Inside:

Think of BRZ as a 2-seater because the back seats are little more than decorative parcel shelves. There is grippy Alcantara and stiff bolsters to stop you sliding around like a rag doll, and believe me, you’ll want to test that out.

An 8” infotainment screen has DAB+, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are 6 speakers doing a decent job, but sound buffs will probably give that a bit of an upgrade. I found the DAB+ lost one range of DAB stations. SYD1 kept tuning itself out and although I’d saved the stations in that range previously, selecting them didn’t mean they‘d stay for the entire trip. I found myself pressing the button again every few minutes, no matter whether it was around town, or on the open road. I haven’t often had this problem in other brands, but did have the same issue in WRX.

Seats are firm but reasonably comfortable, even after several hours in the saddle. You’ll want plenty of stops on longer trips just to stretch your legs a bit because the cabin feels more bijou the longer you’re in it.

The 201L boot has a full-size spare, but the spare needs a cover. An “invertible” cover would be best, in case you want to leave the spare at home. Otherwise, bring a blanky or tarp to cover the wheel.

Instruments are easy to get at, and the older style (Toyota) cruise control stalk can be seen on the column behind the steering wheel. Automatic BRZ’s have active cruise, and the distance control rests on the steering wheel among other buttons.

The Drive:

There are drive modes to get the most out of the non-turbo flat-4 boxer. The transmission is a few cogs short of expectation with only 6 speeds on offer. Having said that, it is silky shifting unless pushed, and in town is undetectable.

Sport mode dials up extra oomph. The snappy changes get BRZ moving, but Subaru isn’t fond of publishing 0-100 figures, rumoured to be 6.1 seconds. It is up against FWD Golf GTI and the like, but the coupé is ahead in looks.

Ride is sports-car firm, and is great in corners, with sharp steering that doesn’t feel like it wants to slap up upside the head. Around town, you tend to feel most of whatever you’re driving over, which only adds to the experience.

The 1279kg coupé feels properly old school, an analogue car in a digital world, and is all the better for it.

“Eyesight “features include active cruise control, but the lane departure is by warning only.

The feeling that the rear my break away at any moment makes you feel like you’re living an experience rather than viewing it on tellie.

Clearly, weight savings include much of the sound deadening. On terrible tarmac you need to turn the radio up if you want to be able to hear it. Proper drivers will be OK with that, but gents of a certain age are going to be willing to sacrifice a little performance to get a quieter drive.

As we said in the film, Subaru’s new 14” infotainment screen would be a welcome addition.

Otherwise, the Subaru BRZ is better than its predecessor in every way. Is it as good as the competition? I think so, but then I love a coupé over a 4-door every time. It is even better if the roof comes off, but the BRZ/86 convertible concept never made it into production.

Conclusion:

Yeah baby!

BRZ is a ton of fun because it is not perfect. You have to drive it, whereas most of the new car market does almost all of the work for you. It gets boring, and that is one thing BRZ is not.

The manual is fun, but the automatic is better and that’s all there is to it. Pick another sports car that is as much fun for the money, I dare you.

There is a base model for $44,590 but for $1,200 just go the whole hog.

2023 Subaru BRZ Coupé S