BRZ Earns Car and Driver 10Best Award, Again

In their annual awards, Car and Driver doesn’t just award one car, but ten vehicles that cover a range of vehicle types, which they call their 10Best. Subaru of Rochester is happy to announce that the BRZ, along with the mechanically identical Toyota GR86, has been awarded a place on Car and Driver’s 10Best. This marks the 3rd consecutive year the BRZ has earned this prestigious award.

“To be recognized by the experts at Car and Driver three years in a row is incredibly high praise,” said Subaru of America President and COO Jeff Walters. “The exceptional value and feeling they found in the BRZ coupe is part of Subaru’s DNA.”

There are two ways to be a candidate for the list. The model must be new, redesigned, or significantly changed for the model year and have a starting MSRP of below $110,000. The exception is each winner from the previous year, as is the case for the BRZ. If no new vehicle is judged higher than the previous winner in the same category, the existing winner keeps its crown. That is exactly how the BRZ/GR86 twins won for 2024. In effect, Car and Driver does not believe there is a better light sports car on the market.

Car and Driver recognizes that the light sports car genre flies in the face of today’s automotive trends of front-drive SUVs, massive horsepower, and EVs. In their words: “Small, light, naturally aspirated, and manually shifted, this delightfully analog duo flies in the face of many current trends, and they’re all the better for it.” 

They also point out that the BRZ “was often just as quick through the challenging sections as more powerful and more expensive contenders—some vastly so. With their lithe handling, faithful steering, predictable behavior, and plentiful feedback, the GR86 and BRZ encourage you to push harder.”

The BRZ and its twin are powered by a Subaru-designed 2.4-liter flat-4 producing 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Designed to offer instant response to driver input, there is no turbocharger. To achieve classic sports car dynamics, this is the only Subaru sold without all-wheel drive. Instead, it drives the rear wheels through either a 6-speed manual transmission or or 6-speed automatic. A TORSEN® limited-slip rear differential is standard on all models. The car weighs just 2,820 to 2,883 pounds depending on the grade and equipment.

“Manual, rear-drive, and engineered to delight, drivers looking for affordable performance need to look no further than the Subaru BRZ,” said Car and Driver Editor-in-Chief Tony Quiroga.

The BRZ is admittedly a niche vehicle. The rear seats notwithstanding, it is effectively a 2-seater and trades both interior and cargo space for lightweight and the feel of a car that seems to react as an extension of your own body. It is a car that can be tremendous fun. If perhaps you commute every day alone or with just a single passenger, haul little more than groceries, but want to have fun every time you are behind the wheel, you won’t find a better choice than the BRZ. The place to find that best choice is Subaru of Rochester.