We’re not getting a BRZ STI, so please don’t ask. Instead, Subaru will gladly sell you a BRZ that has been upgraded to look like an STI, such as with bigger brakes, better handling, and different visual cues. And while it’s not the huge change we’ve been waiting for over a decade, the BRZ tS, which is also known as Tuned by STI, does its job well.
Every BRZ has a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated boxer engine paired with a six-speed manual gear that sends 224 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to the back wheels. It’s not a machine that does this.
Should the tS have more power? Of course. A little less low-end torque would make the BRZ feel faster going slow. Subaru, you should give that car a turbo. Still, the boxer engine is fun to rev up to its top speed of 7,000 rpm before slamming into second, and it’s pretty fast once it’s going. It only takes a minute.
But great handling is more important than speed in a straight line. Some people thought the basic BRZ was too soft. The Hitachi dampers are used to make them more controllable. The front dampers can be changed, which helps keep the front of the car softer (marginally). The rear dampers are fixed, which makes the ride rough over bumps and undulations. All of these factors contribute to the overall attraction.
In some places, the TS is really cool. Unfortunately, the car has a very rough ride, but it is very predictable, and the body roll is very quiet. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires that come standard have great grip, and the frame is well-balanced. The steering is very quick, feels great, and gives you feedback. At this price, only the Mazda Miata can match it.
The bigger brake rotors are 12.8 inches across the front and 12.4 inches across the back, 1.2 and 1.0 inches bigger than the original model. They’re better at getting the BRZ going again without making it too jerky. The gold-painted brake calipers and wheels also subtly reference STI models from the past.
The BRZ tS is a car for drivers. It’s alright, though, if you take it every day. The ride is indeed rough on the highway, and the noise level is unbearable, but Subaru Technica International made the inside nicer. A lot of STI badges are all over the place, and the seats are lined with blue details. The dashboard and door panels also have extra suede accents. It looks like a small step up from the top-of-the-line BRZ Limited.
The sport bucket seats are very comfy, with good support for your back and buttocks and enough support for track days. They’re good at making the rough ride smoother. In a car that wants to be light, it’s not a surprise that it’s hard to find the best seating position with manual changes. The seats are heated, though, which is nice.
The BRZ has a few high-tech features, but you won’t notice when you’re going over a mountain pass. The infotainment pictures are old, and the 8.0-inch touchscreen takes a long time to react. Normal Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can get rid of it completely, but they both need a wire. The digital instrument cluster looks great and is based on retro designs. It has STI graphics that are only found on the tS type. A one-of-a-kind boxer picture appears at the beginning to make people laugh.
At least the tS comes with Subaru’s EyeSight driving assistance technology. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot tracking, and other features used to be available only to automatic car owners. Now, manual car owners can also enjoy these features.
One good thing about the BRZ tS is that it doesn’t have to follow the STI’s price rules. Prices for this version start at $36,465, including delivery, which is a little more than the Limited model. That is still a good price compared to other cars on the market. For example, the base model Miata RF costs $38,790, and the Performance Package GR86 costs $32,415; both of these prices are for higher-end models.
In this way, the Subaru BRZ tS is not a true STI car. I really hope it’s not, though. The new BRZ, on the other hand, is a little more polished, tight, and sharp than the old one. That should be enough to make most people want to buy.
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