Subaru BRZ....2012

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Any major issues that a (potential) buyer would need to look out for on these ?

If I've got no family to fill up the back seat, I don't really need a functional one.

Would involve keeping the Colorado, and trading the Captiva....
 
I've never heard of any.

I had a 2016 WRX with basically the same engine, except with turbo, and I never had a problem. Flogged first over 40K miles over 3 years.
 
Certai. Years you'd have to check had weak valvesprings that would crack. It effects certain Impreza station wagons brz and certain crosstreks
 
Originally Posted by john_pifer
I've never heard of any.

I had a 2016 WRX with basically the same engine, except with turbo, and I never had a problem. Flogged first over 40K miles over 3 years.


Except for the turbo, D-4S injection scheme, and high rev-limiter. Not really apples to apples.

Unlike the WRX (and besides being RWD vs AWD), the BRZ (and FR-S) have a Torsen LSD in the rear - yay, not having to add FM's during gear oil changes!
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Google valve spring recall


Yep, looks like 2012 and some 2013 model year cars.

Shannow - have a Subaru dealer run the VIN to see if the recall was already done.
 
Test drive one on the motorway at speeds you'd drive and see if you can put up the noise.
I drove one once which was stock and there is simply too much road, wind, engine and tire noise for me to live with. Just saying.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
Test drive one on the motorway at speeds you'd drive and see if you can put up the noise.
I drove one once which was stock and there is simply too much road, wind, engine and tire noise for me to live with. Just saying.


Thanks...that was the first place that I headed on Saturday when I thought "F' it, I'm taking that for a drive"...I found it OK, but the Colorado is a Colorado, and the Captiva a Captiva, and both have A/Ts....the twisty scenic hill just out of town (2 miles from where I type this, it was glorious)...

Actually, here's one of my favourite roads...I live at the 1:48(ish) mark....the whole road has been dropped to 50MPH, used to be 65 with some 70 bits, but the hill at the start is fun...



But man, you should see it now...after the fires, it's like a moonscape with black sticks poking out of the ground...
 
I have nothing to add to this thread other than the heartiest possible endorsement of this car. It is excellent.
 
The BRZ/86 reminds me of my Club Sport in that it's a light RWD coupe equipped with a motor that needs to be kept in the power band to make relatively rapid progress.
I like them.
 
There are a few things I don't like. 1. It rattles inside. Everything is made cheaply, no noise insulation. 2. Very strange gear ratios selection. I don't understand how people with even basic knowledge could do this. 4-th gear is pretty much useless as it very close to the 5-th gear. 3. The red zone on the tachometer starts at 7500 but the engine cuts off at 7300. Probable last minute ECU modifications. 4. Fuel gauge is a joke. It is way off. Very inconvenient especially when the tank is almost empty. It shows empty when there about 10 litres in it. 5. Misleading markings on the wiper switch lever. Wipers move faster when you try to decrease the speed. 6. Seat heating is too high for me. I'd like to leave the heating on all the time for the winter but even on low it is too high. And the high setting is useless. Also in the dark the switched are not illuminated. How am I supposed to use them in the dark? 6. The car has a fake rear fog light. There is no light bulb inside the light. I don't like when they save a couple of dollars this way. I want to have a fog light.
 
The first year of the BRZ in the US was '13, and it was not very reliable. Unusual for a Toyota. I would get a newer model, like '17 and on, after they fixed all of the problems. It will cost a few thousand more, but major engine work is really not OK.
 
Having driven one, and directly having talked with the owner, and having heard on-line - they typically have a gravelly 2nd gear synchro. Toyota / Subaru I think spec'd 75W-90 GL-4 for its superior heavy-use gear protection at the price of synchro smoothness cold. Also, I guess a bit of 2nd gear synchro "weakness" in design? Also, as stated above... D4S injector (fuel leak?) issue? Nice that it has dual inj though.

Also, tuning: has a notable paucity of torque at lower rpm's and a big "hole" in torque (a drop in torque, I think) partways up the rpm curve.

Minimal sound insul?

Elemental drive, but not terribly easy to live with day in, day out?
 
Here is a "Talking Cars With Consumer Reports" making mention of the issues(not specific) with the Toyota/Scion FR-S & Subaru BRZ. This doesn't make the car a "DON'T BUY" but, they mention this going in.

CR doesn't mention specific issues, just that there are some... At 18:45 in the video, they mention this especially the older models. The CR episode is from 2013 which covers 2012 models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYulHB7vhCI
 
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In my mind anything a BRZ/F86 can do, the Nissan 370Z or Chevy C5 Corvette does better, faster and louder. A base one of either is only 20-30% more to get into used these days in the states then the Subaru Toyota 2 door lovechild. Not sure about the pricing situation down under though.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
Test drive one on the motorway at speeds you'd drive and see if you can put up the noise.
I drove one once which was stock and there is simply too much road, wind, engine and tire noise for me to live with. Just saying.


I think a visit to an audio-video auto shop to install some insulation may cure some of it...

But now that I think of, .... I think OP/Shannow is OCD enough that he can do the open the panels, install some self stick insulation, than chase the little noises/rattles.

Now, what should the car be named: 5# of Chocolate? Black Widow? Honey?
 
If you, Shannow, DO buy it and you do contemplate interior noise reduction - then visit www.sounddeadenershowdown.com . Said site is active, but owner retired. Good, good info there. Note though than adding sound deadener adds weight - which doesn't help the car's power / torque challenges. Other source of good info: google "keep_hope_alive" ... exactly as shown, with underscores. A acoustics engineer's youtube name.
 
Originally Posted by GZRider
In my mind anything a BRZ/F86 can do, the Nissan 370Z or Chevy C5 Corvette does better, faster and louder. A base one of either is only 20-30% more to get into used these days in the states then the Subaru Toyota 2 door lovechild. Not sure about the pricing situation down under though.


Are 15 year-old Corvettes as reliable as a Subaru/Toyota half its age?
 
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