BRZ vs 370Z vs MX-5 Review

Spikuh

I pretty much agree with everything you said, but my comment is about comparing the BRZ to its peer group. Naturally, this is just my opinion.

As far as I can tell, the BRZ does not really have a peer group that it directly compares against. Of the vehicles in production for the US market, there is the Gencoupe 2.0T and I think that is largely it for 4-cylinder, 2-door, RWD setup, although the Gencoupe is quite a bit heavier skewing the comparison some. This is why I think it gets compared to the Z so much, which (to me) makes no real sense for two reasons.

First, if you compare it to the Z, then you should compare it to the Mustang. You could use the V-6 model, but the 5.0 is probably the more apt comparison if the desire is to keep the Z as the comparison benchmark because I don't think (might be wrong) the V-6 Mustang is there yet. So now we are comparing the lightweight 2.0L flat-4 NA BRZ to the pretty-heavy 5.0L V-8 NA Mustang or the quasi-heavy 3.7L V-6 NA 370z. The only characteristics these guys have in common is they all handle well and are fairly close in pricing(?), which is not a good basis to setup a comparison on since, well...you end up with this comparison.

Which brings me to my second reason. Why are we comparing it to the Z in the first place? Is it because they both handle well and can be bought for similar prices? How does that make any sense when you can end up with a comparison like the above? Why is not being compared more heavily to vehicles that actually existed in that market segment? Cars like the RX-8 and Silvia. Both are lightweight, just like the BRZ. Both are small engines with relatively modest amounts of power, just like the BRZ. Both existed in the "entry" level RWD sport coupe segment, just like the BRZ. Both have back seats, just like the BRZ. From just about every angle I can think of, these comparisons make a ton more sense and would be far more relevant than comparing the BRZ to a Z.

Again, since that was somewhat ranty although not at you bvl, strickly my opinion on the whole comparison bit.

My hopes for the car are it does well enough to bring this segmenet back and they figure out how to put a turbo on it.

crazyyankfan

Price-wise, you're looking at a car ~$5k less than a base Z or ~$10k less than one with sports pkg. The BRZ will soon become a new teenagers/college kids standard, while the Z will never be like that due to the price.

bvl

I think you just hit the point without realizing it.

RX-8 is gone...200sx/Silvia has been gone for years (I don't acknowledge the 240 was ever sold...truck engine here while keeping the 2.0 DET engine away from us). The Mustang is a pony car in any engine configuration. It may be tuned so it can turn good lap times and hold a skid pad (despite the antiquated suspension), but that doesn't mean it handles well. Its not the tossable fun loving toy you may be looking for in a well balanced car. Point it strait and hit the fun pedal.

If those other cars were still sold today, they would be easy targets to compare. They are great examples of what would have been a marketing peer.

So if you (you being any reader of this thread) were going to put a comparo together of a new RWD sports car/coupe, what cars would you put in there?

Price range 25-35K.

I don't see much to choose from. I see the BRZ compared to FWD fun cars in future magazine comparisons as well. Say Mini-S, GTI etc...

- b

Spikuh

Hey now...don't be hatin on the KA, it's a pretty stout little engine and has a lot of potential once you throw on some FI.

And I hear nothing but good things about the Mustang these days. I think the Camaro is starting to come along pretty nicely as well.

Lug

He's also convieniently forgotten the S2000.

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Iceagetlc

So has Honda

Spikuh

I love me some s2000.

Iceagetlc

I'm 6'4", so this comparison means nothing to me. The Z was built for real sized people, not Chocolate Factory employees.

ZMan8

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shadoquad

Used Z's will.

crazyyankfan

not really tho. I worked in an university, and I simply don't see any Z here (except for mine of course lol)

daisuke149

Wow, honestly i see alot of butthurt z owners here.

I dont care what this comparison says.

A lightweight, shorter car in a track where there are a ton of sharp corners and less straights, should keep up with something heaver with more power.

On little talladega as they call it, Mikes 370z was easily hanging with the bigger beastly GTR's. He actually passed a few, Its a very short course, with sharp turns and the straights arent very long at all.

Also, why would you NOT want to compare a car against something that would normally be considered better? The point is to try and upsell the car. The Z was compared to the z4, the cayman...

Hyundai compares its cars to lexus etc.

Seriously guys.. stop getting butthurt... in the end, this comparison and article really won't mean anything. People will buy that car if they like it and they will buy the z if they like the z.

shadoquad

I'm not butthurt. I just said I'd believe it when I see it, and I kinda doubt it's as good as they're hyping. But you make a good point about comparing things up-scale. Too bad I can't agree with you out of principle, only because it's you.

Spikuh

Maybe I am giving everyone the benifit of the doubt, but no one seems upset or butthurt...

And if the automaker wants to compare their vehicle to another automaker, thats one thing, but when mags and/or people start making comparisons based on handling characteristics and ignoring everything else then what is the point of even making the comparison... It ends up being just a bunch words not evern worth the paper they are written on. Case in point, you mention the Z being able to hang with the GTR's on a certain track, so why don't we compare the BRZ to the GTR?

I guess my point is, yellow journalism is stupid...

Totally unrelated to the above, one of the first things the article says is this:

We’ve come to the Cote d’Azur to find out one thing. Has the Subaru BRZ earned its place at the top table alongside the likes of the Mazda RX-7, Nissan 200SX and Toyota Supra.

And then it never actually uses these cars as a comparison. Lol.