The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Engaging handling
- Excellent balance
- A good overall value
- Track-ready
Dislikes
- Meh interior
- Comical back seat
- Not as fuel-thrifty as you might think
- OK, a turbo might be fun
Buying tip
features & specs
Entertaining for novice and professional drivers alike, the 2025 Subaru BRZ is one of the world’s most enjoyable sports cars.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Subaru BRZ? What does it compare to?
The BRZ is a traditional two-door sports car. The little coupe is a near-twin to the Toyota 86, and it also competes well with the Ford Mustang and Nissan Z.
Is the 2025 Subaru BRZ a good car?
Oh yeah. It’s a blast to drive as it’s a reminder that you don’t need a mountain of power to have a lot of fun. It is, of course, a cramped coupe with limited features, so our scale holds it back to a TCC Rating of 5.8 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Subaru BRZ?
This year, the BRZ gets a new Sport drive mode that’s said to sharpen throttle response, while the Limited trim has darker red accents inside compared to last year’s model.
The BRZ is a classic rear-wheel-drive sports coupe in both style and performance. Its long hood and sloping roofline give it a Jaguar-esque profile, even if its details aren’t quite so crisp. Still, the latest BRZ looks pretty darn good. It’s not very dressy inside, though. Then again, at $32,265 to start, our expectations aren’t all that high.
Every BRZ is powered by a 228-hp 2.4-liter flat-4, which does without a turbo but is only tasked with motivating around 2,800 pounds of sports car. Somewhat skinny tires make the BRZ easy to drive to its limit, after which controlled drifting (on a closed course, mind you) is quite possible. The BRZ tS has sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires that grip better, though.
These cars are a delight to hustle thanks to quick, communicative steering and strong brakes. They’re not very quiet for daily driving, but then again that’s not really the point here. A 6-speed manual is standard, while the Limited trim is also available with a remarkably solid-shifting 6-speed automatic. Fuel economy isn’t a BRZ forte, though its 22 mpg combined won’t break the bank.
Inside, you’ll find exceptionally supportive manually adjustable seats wrapped in cloth or a combination of synthetic suede and real leather. The rear seats are best thought of as additional storage, and the BRZ is unique (Toyota 86 aside) among small sports cars in that it can haul a set of track tires and wheels plus a jack to track day. Neat party trick.
All BRZs come with adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warnings, and automatic emergency braking.
How much does the 2025 Subaru BRZ cost?
The BRZ starts at $32,265 in base Premium trim, which buys cloth upholstery, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPaly and Android Auto, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The $2,500 upcharge for the Limited buys nicer upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels with good Michelin rubber, blind-spot monitors, and a few other niceties.
Where is the 2025 Subaru BRZ made?
In Japan.
2025 Subaru BRZ Styling
The 2025 Subaru BRZ is a svelte coupe.
Is the Subaru BRZ a good-looking car?
It is from the outside, though the BRZ’s interior is nothing special. We rate the 2025 Subaru BRZ at 6 out of 10.
This coupe has classic long-hood, short-deck proportions that work well. You’ll find plenty of scoops up front and big headlights that dive rearward toward muscular front fenders. The truncated greenhouse can give the BRZ a somewhat awkward side profile. At the rear, the short overhang and pint-size decklid suggest a small trunk, though the BRZ is actually somewhat spacious when it comes to its cargo-hauling ability.
It’s not as interesting inside. An 8.0-inch touchscreen takes up much of the dash real estate. A handful of toggle switches are a fun touch, but don’t look for much in the way of dressy materials or bright colors. BRZs are very dark inside.
2025 Subaru BRZ Performance
The 2025 Subaru BRZ doesn’t have to be rocket fast to be fun.
The 2025 Subaru BRZ wouldn’t be our pick for daily commuting, but it’s an excellent weekend thrill ride. It handles well, has excellent steering, and exceptional balance, plus it’s just quick enough to be entertaining. It’s a 9 here.
Is the Subaru BRZ 4WD?
Of course not. The BRZ is a classic rear-drive coupe.
How fast is the Subaru BRZ?
Speed isn’t the end game here, though with 228 hp tasked with moving 2,800 pounds of coupe, the BRZ actually has decent get-up-and-go. The 2.4-liter flat-4 could sound better, however.
With either the 6-speed manual or the 6-speed automatic, you can figure on about six seconds to 60 mph with decent power in reserve for effortless passing. It’s not twist-and-go fast, but the BRZ has no problem getting out of its own way.
The manual transmission has short throws and a clutch that’s easy enough to modulate. If you select the automatic, you’ll find firm shifts and big paddles; it’s not a bad choice, especially if you find yourself in traffic every day.
What makes these cars so fun is their handling. Subaru sweat the details to give the BRZ great steering feel and a taut but not too harsh ride. The somewhat narrow tires progressively give up grip as you push these coupes hard into corners; there’s plenty of warning before they let go, however. But if you want to goose it and drift your way around a closed parking lot, the BRZ will oblige.
Excellent brakes help bring the BRZ to a stop quickly, though anyone looking to do a lot of track time will want to step up to the BRZ tS that has Brembo brakes likely to resist fade better than the stock binders.
2025 Subaru BRZ Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Subaru BRZ does not boast a top-notch interior.
We have low expectations when it comes to coupe comfort, and the 2025 Subaru BRZ meets them. It gets a point for its supportive front seats, but it loses one each for its laughably small second row and its briefcase-size trunk. The BRZ is a 4 for comfort and quality.
It’s not all bad, though. Fold down the rear seatbacks and utility expands considerably from the 6.9 cubic-foot trunk. These cars were designed so that they can carry an entire set of additional wheels, tires, and a jack for track day. (IYKYK, right?)
Materials-wise, the BRZ is something of a bottom-feeder with plenty of hard plastics. But at $32,500 or so, we aren’t looking for soft-touch materials here.
2025 Subaru BRZ Safety
The Subaru BRZ has done well in what crash tests have been performed.
How safe is the Subaru BRZ?
It’s actually quite well-equipped for a small sports car. You’ll find standard automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, active lane control, and even adaptive cruise control in the 2025 Subaru BRZ. Blind-spot monitors come on all but the base Premium trim.
We don’t assign it a score here, however, since the NHTSA hasn’t tested it and the IIHS has only done limited evaluations. So far, however, the IIHS has given it largely “Good” scores.
2025 Subaru BRZ Features
The 2025 Subaru BRZ is a decent value, even if it’s pricier this year.
Subaru hiked the 2025 BRZ’s price by nearly $900 over last year’s figure without changing its standard feature set, but at $32,265 it is still a decent value. We rate it at 7 out of 10 thanks to its good standard equipment and a useful 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Subaru’s 3-year/36,000-mile warranty is basic, though.
The Premium trim also has LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential.
Which Subaru BRZ should I buy?
The base one is a good overall value, though we’d probably budget the $2,700 or so for the Limited trim. It adds leather and synthetic suede seats that are heated up front, 18-inch alloy wheels wearing high-performance Michelin rubber, blind-spot monitors, a better audio system, rear cross-traffic alerts, and adaptive headlights.
It’s also available with an automatic transmission for $1,800 more.
How much is a fully loaded Subaru BRZ?
The top BRZ tS starts with the Limited and adds uprated dampers, Brembo brakes with 4-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers, and a few small styling tweaks. It comes only with the manual gearbox and it costs $37,415.
2025 Subaru BRZ Fuel Economy
The 2025 Subaru BRZ isn’t as thrifty on fuel as you might think.
Is the Subaru BRZ good on gas?
It’s not bad, but it’s also not nearly as good as its low weight and low power output would generally suggest. We score the 2025 BRZ at 2 out of 10 here based on the manual transmission version, which was estimated at 20 mpg city, 27 highway, 22 combined in 2024. The automatic would rate a point higher for its 21/30/25 mpg EPA figures.
Note that the BRZ needs premium fuel.
