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Test Drive: 2017 Subaru BRZ Limited
2017 Subaru BRZ Limited in Crystal Black Silica
2017 Subaru BRZ Limited
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 156
Fuel used: 6.8 gallons
2015 Subaru BRZ
by Don Sikora II
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2015 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
During summer 2012, Toyota and Subaru sprung jointly developed affordable rear-drive sports coupes on the American market as 2013 models. Toyota sold the car through its youth-oriented Scion brand as the FR-S; Subaru’s version was dubbed BRZ.
First Spin: 2023 Nissan Z
2023 Nissan Z
It’s tough out there for traditional sporty/performance cars these days, especially for the true two-seater or 2+2 sports cars. The things just don’t sell like they used to American shoppers, and as a result, the automakers who are still sticking it out in this segment have had to get creative. Toyota partnered with BMW to revive the Supra for 2020, and renewed its partnership with Subaru to introduce a new-generation version of the Toyota 86 rear-wheel-drive sports car (now dubbed GR 86) for 2022 (Subaru’s variant continues as the BRZ). Mazda partnered with Fiat to share some of the load for the 2016 redesign of the MX-5 Miata; Fiat got its own version in the revived 124 Spider, which only lasted through the 2017-2020 model years before it was dropped.
First Spin: 2023 Subaru Solterra
2023 Subaru Solterra
The stereotypical Subaru owner is an outdoorsy nature lover who’s at least a bit more environmentally conscious than the average American consumer, so it seems inevitable that Subaru would eventually enter the electric-vehicle market. And now it has. The 2023 Solterra is Subaru’s first pure EV: a two-row, five-passenger compact crossover SUV that is built on a platform shared with Toyota’s new bZ4X pure-electric SUV.
First Spin: 2022 Subaru WRX
2022 Subaru WRX Limited
Among hot-rod compact cars, the all-new, redesigned-for-2022 Subaru WRX doesn’t really have any direct competitors. This rally-racing-bred, all-wheel-drive sport compact’s closest historical rival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, has already been gone for seven years–it was discontinued after the 2015 model year. At the moment, the WRX’s nearest competitor from an engineering standpoint is the redesigned-for-2022 Volkswagen Golf R, though that German-built AWD hatchback is significantly pricier to start and not rally-terrain focused like the WRX. Subaru identifies two equally new front-drive-only performance compacts as the WRX’s main competition: the 200-horsepower Honda Civic Si and the 241-horsepower Volkswagen GTI hatchback, both of which are also redesigned for ’22. Likewise in the ballpark (and also front-drive-only) are the 276-hp Hyundai Elantra N and Veloster N hatchback, and the Honda Civic Type R (we don’t know yet how powerful the soon-to-be-revealed new-generation Type R will be, but the previous-gen car made 306 hp).
First Spin: 2022 Toyota GR 86
2022 Toyota GR 86
As American new-vehicle buyers continue to choose SUVs in significantly greater numbers than traditional passenger cars, affordable cars of any type are less prevalent than they were as recently as five years ago. Enthusiast-friendly examples are a rarer breed still. When you sharpen the search to affordable, track-ready, rear-wheel-drive sports cars, you quickly determine they are approaching unicorn status.
Test Drive: 2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT in “Hako” pearl white (a $425 option)
2020 Toyota 86 GT
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 227
Fuel used: 9.6 gallons
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you’ve come to the right place. Join the editors of Consumer Guide Automotive as they break down everything that’s going on in the auto world. New-car reviews, shopping tips, driving green, electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.
6 of the Worst Selling Cars of 2020
Point taken: This is a strange time to try and make any sense of auto sales numbers. Pandemic-depressed auto sales plummeted 35 percent in May and were down 25 percent in June. There’s some indication that consumers are becoming accustomed to doing business in the era of social distancing however, as July sales were only down about 20 percent.
2020 Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary in Pearl White/Solid Red two-tone paint
2020 Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 230
Fuel used: 13.2 gallons
