BRZ Test Drive Musings

So...I was out at lunch and thought, hey, I haven't bought a car in a while, lets go drive a new BRZ. They just debuted the new Miata, and this is somehow a tie in...right? Work with me here. In my world there has to be a tie in!

Anyway, I did get to drive it back to back with the 370, so here are a few comparisons. When I test drove one last year, I went in the Cooper S, so it wasn't as direct of a comparison. First impressions, the BRZ is a slug in a straight line compared to the Z. Not even close, no how, no way. I know its faster than it seems, but man does it need a supercharger or turbo. I didn't remember that from my drive last year. Somehow it felt REALLY slow. I'm sure if I drove it for a while I would be more accustomed and it wouldn't be as big of a deal.

Another huge difference is that it is MUCH stiffer than the Nissan. That's both good and bad. For the good, it's a joy to throw around corners; light, nimble, easy to plant and hit the apex. I like that its narrower too. The Z, you can really feel the weight in transitions after you step out of the BRZ. It still feels like it has more grip and turn faster lap times, but you feel it, and of course it has huge, sticky tires where the BRZ does not.

The bad is that it would beat you up day in and day out. I'm not as young as I used to be, and this is starting to be a concern. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that, but there you go. Overall, the Z is better at being a day to day car for the elderly among us, without having to resort to a Buick or Camry. And of course its simply fun to obliterate the Civic SI crowd on freeway on ramps while the aroma of Bengay wafts about behind! OK, I made that last part up, but you get the idea.

Interior-wise, the Z has nicer materials. And that's what you'd expect given the price difference, but I actually prefer the layout of the BRZ better. The dash simply looks better and its a nice place to spend time. Seats are not as good though and I think they could use a bit more support. Rearward visibility is no contest. The Subaru wins easily here. Of course you're going slower so you need it more!

So where does that leave us? Waiting for the new Miata really. See, I knew there was a connection.

In truth, I wouldn't trade the Z for it unless it was going to be an autocross car. I don't want the Z for that (not sure I could afford the tire bill), but the BRZ would probably pack the autocross tires and cooler for you and meet you at the track. It would be a great dual duty car however.

I drove the BRZ too and wasn't very excited when I was in the hunt to replace the WRX. Wanted a naturally aspirated car so tested the BRZ, 370z, Genesis V6, and Mustang GT. Ended up buying the mustang.

Keep in mind that I was planning on buying a handling car later so that aspect didn't matter so much for the daily, even still the BRZ wasn't that exciting to me. If I was going to have one car to do DD and weekend fun I would of bought the 370z. I am someone who is kind of down on the 370z, and Nissan in general, as well. I would of considered the Hyundai but the 370Z wasn't much more money and it had "neat" to me feature like that downshift rev matching.

Don't trade the Z unless you are getting a significant upgrade. I miss my 350z. There is no significant upgrade to the 370Z unless you want more straight line speed or come into money.

Ironically kanaric, I traded a S197 GT for the 370. There's no real chance of me trading for the BRZ. My old boss bought a Genesis V6 Coupe R-Spec, and it was a fun car. More in line with a G37 I think than the 370, but a nice car. Sounded awesome.

The car that impressed me most recently was a 2013 MINI Cooper Works GP. I wasn't expecting to like it so much given the fwd, but it was a seriously nice car. It was for sale in Atlanta, maybe I should have bought it, but it was expensive for a MINI, even used.

JCW Minis are cool but they ask for way too much money for them new. At that price I almost expect AWD and near 300hp in such a car, lol.

Speaking of Z's...I don't hear much about the 350z here. .. any inclination as to why

I drive a 4,500lb SUV that's 25 years old, has 442,000mi and has 110hp. I'm sure I'd be thrilled with a FRS/BRZ.

The 350 is pretty heavy from the factory, has the same practicality as a Miata, and has weird driver assist systems that can make it seem boring around a track. However, they are awesome cars, and the VQ engine is a peach, despite what some may say. My friend has one, and after he disabled the assist stuff, its great fun to throw around, and the engine pulls nicely. Plus, the sound of an uncorked VQ35HR is absolute music.

I don't know why they aren't mentioned more often. Maybe because they are expensive, and you can get a Miata that is less powerful but will do most things better...

I do know the camber adjustment from factory is pretty much non-existent.

In reply to tjbell: I also think that it's not mentioned much because the interior isn't that good, and it doesn't handle as well as a RX-8, C5 Corvette, Boxster, S2000, M3, Miata, C4 Corvette maybe, etc. for about the same money. The curb weight for the 350z is listed from 3188lbs to 3400lbs for coupe 6-speeds; I think that the chassis or chassis and suspension is a little soft.

I disagree on the handling. Certainly its autocross results will bear this out. Also, they are in the ball park on weight too. If you look at national championship results going on now, you'll find both 350 and 370's leading their classes.

(all weights from Wiki)

RX8 - 2,886–3,027 lb

350Z - 3,188–3,602 lb

370Z - 3,232 lb

C4 Corvette - 3,239 lb

C5 Corvette - 3,172 lb

E46 M3 - 3,415 lb

S2000 - 2,756 lb

Taking this a different direction...

I am in process of selling my 2007 Cooper S. I've got a longer, rougher commute on long, straight boring roads and it just doesn't make sense beating up me and that car for that purpose.

I was thinking of a 350 or 370 as an alternative. Not as sporty as the MINI, maybe, but better than the appliance Toyota Highlander I'd otherwise be stuck with. But would the 350/370 be uncomfortable in that scenario? How much better would a G35/37 be, realistically?

Hi Basil,

My other car is an '06 Cooper S, and the 370 is a lot more comfortable for day to day driving. That's the main reason I bought it rather than a Miata or BRZ. For starters, its not as harsh but feels more "planted", and has a TON more interior room, not counting storage. But even though its softer, it still is faster with crisper turn-in and torque anytime, anywhere. The MINI feels wallowy by comparison. Its simply more pleasant day to day. I still love my MINI, but since I've had the 370, I've put 18k miles on it, and only 2k on the MINI.

Now compared to a G37, its certainly stiffer. I recently drove an '11 G37 coupe (same year as my 370), and in some ways, I like it better. It's a bit softer around the edges, but the interior is nicer still, the seats are more suited to a long drive rather than a lap at Road Atlanta, and I even liked it with the auto. They were very different experiences for two cars so closely related.

I'd still take the 370 however.

The older G35s were nice. My friend traded in his '03 350Z for an '04 G Coupe (6MT with Brembos). With some Hotchkis sways and some other minor supporting mods, it was a quick car that handled well, but also very comfortable for extended trips. Here's the link to the Reader's Rides entry: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/4831/

The longer wheelbase made the G a bit more stable than the Z.