Car and Driver Reports on the Subaru BRZ After 30,000 Miles

One of the best parts of an automotive magazine editor has to be test-driving a new sports car. They’ll take it on their favorite driving roads to test its level of fun, then on the track to test its limits, and take time to comment on a few practical matters such as seat comfort, noise, or trunk space. Car and Driver went the extra mile, or rather the extra tens of thousands of miles, and brought a BRZ into their long-term fleet to see how the car is to live with on a day-to-day basis until they reach 40,000 miles. This Subaru of Plano post reports on their update after 30,000 miles.

Not just a Summer Fling

The car is kept in Michigan, where it is subject to the full effect of all four seasons. The last report was in the summer, where they praised its quick responsiveness and lithe handling. For winter, they replaced the standard rolling stock with 16-inch winter tires. And they continue to enjoy the car. One notable quote: “The BRZ is 80 percent the fun of a Porsche for a third of the price.” Another editor wrote: “In between stints, it’s easy to convince myself that this car is not as good as I made it out to be in my mind, but then I drive it again, and it’s exactly as good as I remember.”

Tackling the Mundane

When you put 30,000 miles on a car, it won’t be all fun and games. It will have to perform some everyday routine tasks. How well it does can be an important consideration for those who want a sports car but need it to be more than just a toy. The editors found the car more useful than they thought. Thanks to folding rear seats, it will carry more cargo than its size suggests. Long road trips revealed fuel economy that was four mpg better than its EPA combined estimate. Still, this is no SUV. They did recall picking someone up from the airport with multiple large bags that would have definitely fit better in almost any other car in their fleet.

No Operation Issues

Notably, the car had no needed repairs, just the scheduled service appointments. The 24K mile scheduled combo of oil and filter change, tire rotation, and inspections cost $139. A subsequent scheduled maintenance stop at 30K miles was $549 due to the scheduled replacement of brake and clutch fluid. While this task came earlier than most cars, they concluded that it is likely consistent with how this car is expected to be driven.

Another aspect of sports car ownership is that you often can’t leave them alone. Car and Driver decided to see if they could match the braking performance of the recently introduced and track-oriented 2024 BRZ tS by fitting their model with aftermarket brake fluid, rotors, pads, and a set of 18-inch technically street-legal Bridgestone Potenza Race tires. This was a recent change, so there was no reporting on the results. So far, they say the brakes squeak a lot.

If you already have your practical car with room for people and things but need another vehicle just to get to work and back, why not get one that also puts a smile on your face every time you hop in? You can see if the BRZ could work for you by test-driving one at Subaru of Plano.