Photo: Subaru
Subaru has announced pricing for the 2017 model year BRZ coupe, the one with all the mid-life updates. For the regular model, prices have crept upwards by $100, reaching $25,495 in the case of the 2017 BRZ Premium.
However, the big story is the 500-unit Limited Edition Series.Yellow. It starts at $29,695. If you also include the desination and handling charge, you end up with a $30,515, which is almost as much as entry-level premium cars like the Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series.
That kind of stuff isn't going to fly because while in 2012 the BRZ cornered the market on affordable sportscars, there's now a brillaint thing called the 2016 Mazda MX-5.
The 2017 BRZ has left a lot of people feeling underwhelmed. The car gets a slightly revised 2-liter engine with 5 extra hp and 5 lb-ft more torque.
The one upside is the styling. We think the BRZ looks very nice, especially when compared to the 2017 Toyota 86 restyle. That one has developed a big wart on its nose and some wrinkls for staying in the sun too long.
The new headlights are sweet, with their bumerang-shaped LED rings, which are standard. Also nice is the fact that all models get this aluminum trunk spoiler, not just the Limited.
On the inside, the BRZ looks slightly better, thanks to an optional little screen that shows your G-forces next to the rev counter and a StarLink update. While it's nice to have that in the car, the finish of the square screen inside a round hole is... proverbial.
It's not all cosmetics. Subaru, being the engineering gooroos that they are, went through the whole car and updated it. All the good stuff has been bundled up into the Performance Package, which you can order for $1,195. It gives you bigger Brembo brakes and matchin lightweigh alloy wheels. Considering the BRZ is technically a slow car, we wouldn't get those unless we planned to do a lot of track days.
The standard BRZ gets new shocks, but the Yellow Editon and the Performance Package have even better Sachs ones. Sway bars, struts - all that kind of stuff is stiffer for the entire range.
Another change from the 2016 model year to this one is the Spot mode, which is now Track Mode. The electronic nannies let you play a little bit more with the tail of the car, so Subaru says that kind of stuff is best left for the track... hence the name.
That kind of stuff isn't going to fly because while in 2012 the BRZ cornered the market on affordable sportscars, there's now a brillaint thing called the 2016 Mazda MX-5.
The 2017 BRZ has left a lot of people feeling underwhelmed. The car gets a slightly revised 2-liter engine with 5 extra hp and 5 lb-ft more torque.
The one upside is the styling. We think the BRZ looks very nice, especially when compared to the 2017 Toyota 86 restyle. That one has developed a big wart on its nose and some wrinkls for staying in the sun too long.
The new headlights are sweet, with their bumerang-shaped LED rings, which are standard. Also nice is the fact that all models get this aluminum trunk spoiler, not just the Limited.
On the inside, the BRZ looks slightly better, thanks to an optional little screen that shows your G-forces next to the rev counter and a StarLink update. While it's nice to have that in the car, the finish of the square screen inside a round hole is... proverbial.
It's not all cosmetics. Subaru, being the engineering gooroos that they are, went through the whole car and updated it. All the good stuff has been bundled up into the Performance Package, which you can order for $1,195. It gives you bigger Brembo brakes and matchin lightweigh alloy wheels. Considering the BRZ is technically a slow car, we wouldn't get those unless we planned to do a lot of track days.
The standard BRZ gets new shocks, but the Yellow Editon and the Performance Package have even better Sachs ones. Sway bars, struts - all that kind of stuff is stiffer for the entire range.
Another change from the 2016 model year to this one is the Spot mode, which is now Track Mode. The electronic nannies let you play a little bit more with the tail of the car, so Subaru says that kind of stuff is best left for the track... hence the name.
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