For 2022, Subaru has made some welcomed changes to its BRZ. This includes more power, better exterior design as well as some inside. It competes directly with the Mazda MX-5, Toyota 86 and Mini Cooper. 

Its engine is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine co-developed by Toyota. It’s good for 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. That’s a significant improvement over the previous year. 

There’s only a six-speed automatic transmission available and no manual at this time. You’ll be rewarded with some nice exhaust notes and some decent performance with a 0-60 time in about 6 seconds. It’s a lightweight sports car that tips the scales at only 2,800 pounds. There’s a limited-slip differential that does a great job of putting down the power. 

Our limited edition upgrades the wheels from the standard 17-inch to a better-looking 18-inch wheel. It’s a very light and well-balanced car that will beckon its driver to push it hard and fast on curvy roads. Sure it’s not super fast in a straight line but the way it handles on the open road is nearly sublime. Tires are Michelin 215/40R18s. 

As far as driver-aids go, there is blind spot monitoring, auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, reverse auto braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and eye-sight technology. 

Visibility is really good looking out its large front windshield as well as side visibility and the reverse back-up camera gives you a nice view as well. The main downer is when you look out of the rear corners. These areas are nearly blind as the large B-pillars block your view. 

Seatbelts are not height adjustable but the steering wheel is. The front heated seats are manually adjustable and have no lumbar support. In regards to the back seat, forget about it. There’s barely room for a dog back there or a circus midget. In fact, you’d barely have any room to put a child seat in the back, unless you move the front passenger seat all the way forward – even then, it’s going to be tight. 

Its large 8-inch touchscreen is easy to operate and easy to read. There’s native support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You can also do things like make an appointment with its built-in app and also setup maintenance. For audio sources, you have AM/FM/XM Satellite, and Bluetooth audio. 

Your instrument cluster is digital and rather customizable. With a few button clicks on the steering wheel, you can arrange the kinds of information you want to see at any given time. Overall, Subaru has added some nice changes inside with upgraded materials, design cues and looks. 

Pricing for the BRZ starts around $29,000, our Limited test model raises it up a bit to $33,000. When you compare it to other cars in this bracket, it starts to become clearer of the BRZs value. It’s a budget-friendly sports car that’d be great to drive on autocross tracks and is presented in a very sporty-looking package. 

Pros : chassis balance, improved.

Cons: no rear seat and limited storage

Competes with:
Toyota 86
Mazda MX5 Miata RF
Mini Cooper JCW
Fiat 500 Abarth
Car Coach Score:

Performance: 6
Handling: 9
Safety: 8
Visibility: 8
Seating: 4
Technology: 6
Features: 7
Design: 8
Quality: 8
Value: 7

Total Rating: 71