2025 Subaru BRZ review
The Subaru BRZ is a small and affordable rear-wheel-drive sports car. Offered as a hardtop coupe, the BRZ technically has seating for four people, but the tiny second row is more practical when considered as an extension of the trunk. What sets the BRZ apart is its straightforward, fun-to-drive nature. Because it sits so low to the ground and is lightweight, the BRZ lives for tight and twisty roads where its steering and dynamic capabilities shine.
Explore the evolution of the Subaru BRZ
Get our expert take on used Subaru BRZ models, or view year-by-year changes.
Second generation Subaru BRZ
The second-generation BRZ rolled into Subaru dealerships beginning with the 2022 model year after skipping 2021. Developed in cooperation with Toyota, the BRZ separates itself from the Toyota GR86 with its slightly softer suspension and slightly altered exterior styling. For the 2025 model year, the BRZ is available in three trims: Premium, Limited, and tS. Standard on the entry-level Premium are cloth upholstery, a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, a four-way adjustable passenger seat, dual-zone climate control, a seven-inch digital instrument panel, and an eight-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™.
Moving up to the Limited brings upgraded interior trim, leather and synthetic suede seats, heated front seats, an upgraded stereo, and 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in stickier performance tires. The Limited also adds driver aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic warning, reverse emergency braking, and lane-keeping assistance. It also happens to be the only trim available with either the manual or automatic gearbox (it's automatic only for the other two trims).
As for the range-topping tS, it doesn’t add more horsepower but does come with a sportier suspension featuring Hitachi dampers, beefier Brembo® brakes, and black upholstery with blue stitching.
Model highlights
228-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine
Rear-wheel drive
Available six-speed manual or six-speed automatic
Eight-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™
Rear hatchback with 6.3-cubic-foot trunk
First generation Subaru BRZ
When it arrived for the 2013 model year, the Subaru BRZ proved less can be a whole lot more when it comes to engineering a thrilling small sport coupe. Thanks to its small size, modest curb weight, and low center of gravity, the BRZ made many heavier and tech-intensive sports cars seem overwrought and overpriced. Being a solid value certainly worked to the advantage of the BRZ, too. Tucked into the engine bay is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 200 horsepower to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. By the time the first-gen BRZ was ready for a substantial update, the 2020 model came standard with features like a seven-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, navigation, satellite radio, two USB ports, and a rearview camera.
Model highlights
Four-seat sport coupe
200-horsepower flat-four engine
Rear-wheel drive
Seven-inch touchscreen
6.9-cubic-foot trunk; split-folding rear seats
Changes by year
Latest generation from 2022 - present
2025 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Limited trim gets red leather accents on its front seats and door panels
Sport mode is standard on all trims and with both transmissions, providing sharper throttle response
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2024 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
tS trim added as top-of-the-line performance trim
EyeSight® bundle of driver aids became standard with manual transmission
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2023 Subaru BRZ
2022 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Completely redesigned, second-generation BRZ
More powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine replaced outgoing 2.0-liter four-cylinder
Updated interior and exterior styling
EyeSight package of driver aids standard with automatic transmission
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Previous generation from 2013 - 2020
2020 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Sporty tS trim with upgraded handling added
Base Premium trim dropped from lineup
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2019 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Over-the-air updates added to infotainment system
Series.Grey trim added; came with black exterior trim, suspension upgrades, 17-inch black alloy wheels, and Brembo® brakes
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2018 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Limited and tS trims gained a seven-inch touchscreen with navigation and wired smartphone connectivity
tS trim added to the lineup, featuring upgraded suspension and brakes
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2017 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Refreshed interior and exterior design
New Performance package available with stronger brakes and updated interior gauge cluster
Automatic hill-start assist and LED headlights became standard
Models with six-speed manual got a five-horsepower boost in output to 205 hp
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2016 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Limited-edition Series.HyperBlue trim added
Rearview camera became standard
6.2-inch touchscreen became standard
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2015 Subaru BRZ
Highlights
Updated suspension settings
Limited-edition Series.Blue trim added
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Looking for 2012 models or older?
CarMax only sells 2013 models and newer. But no matter the year, we'll happily buy your car.
Reliability
RepairPal gave the Subaru BRZ an overall reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Above Average. This rating ranks Subaru BRZ 24th out of 27 among Subcompact Cars.
RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Subaru BRZ is $566, compared to an average of $447 for Subcompact Cars and $591 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
According to RepairPal, Subaru BRZ owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.7 times per year, compared to an average of 1.0 times for Subcompact Cars and 1.3 times for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 26% for the Subaru BRZ, compared to an average of 11% for Subcompact Cars and 14% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Nick Kurczewski has been writing about cars for more than 20 years, and his enthusiasm for journalism has led him to cover auto-related stories around the world. From blasting down the German autobahn to covering every major auto show, his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Car and Driver, U.S. News & World Report, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com and the New York Daily News, where he served as head editor. Having once aspired to be a Formula One racer, Nick discovered sharing his passion for cars as a journalist is just as thrilling as dreaming of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
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