[SnowVert]

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

Price has nothing to do with it, it's image style and target buyer, different categories. Anyone looking for a American sports/muscle car surely wouldn't consider a BRZ.

I wouldn't write it off that easily. True, most BRZ buyers and Camaro buyers are looking for different things and wouldn't necessarily cross shop the other. But all cars are competing for the same thing, sales, and therefore all are in competition to some extent. Also, a Camaro has American muscle car heritage, but by the strictest definition, it isn't American. Australian design produced in Canadian plant. Finally, a Camaro is a muscle car, but nowhere near a sports car. Too heavy to qualify in that category...

Originally Posted by Mayhem

Don't own one, but I've driven em. And considering the possibility of picking up a BRZ soon.

Coming from a Camaro SS/RS... The things that stood out to me..

-Handling was amazing.. And it was extremely fun to whip around the city & curvy roads.
I had more "fun" driving the BRZ than the SS even without the power/torque/looks.

-The power is lacking. But that is not what this car is about. If you don't get that, your loss.

Given the dynamics of the car... It really doesn't need much more power and even in it's current state, is still worth the current price tag. I would pay a little more for a little more though. As well engineered this car is, and as much as it has achieved a fantastic driving experience... Torque in particular is another enjoyable driving experience factor that was sadly missed. In particular for those of us who have driven vehicles with a handful of torque. I get why it was sacrificed... buuuuut it would still be nice to have more in the future.

I'd still say you're definitely getting your money's worth without a question.

Fingers crossed on some kind of power upgrade for the '14. I don't imagine STI coming until MY '15 though. They have other kits they are offering first and it wouldn't make sense to put them all out together. I wouldn't be disappointed to see it for '14 if I am wrong though.

Anyway, they are not muscle cars... so if you can get by the narrowmindedness expressed by the blind fanboy's... and see it for what it is... and maybe even read up on the intent behind the engineering and design for this car... They definitely succeeded.

-It's small inside and out. Back seats are pretty bad. As the salesman so eloquently put it... "Uhm... Sir those are not for adults. Children only!"

Anyone 6' + claiming to fit back there is blowing smoke. At 5'9 with the driver seat in my driving position, it was "interesting" to say the least. No adult is going to sit straight or lean back in the rear seats. You could fit two people back there if you needed to for a short time.

But it's a 2 door coupe, so if you are considering buying it.. You're not buying it for back seat practicality. And to be honest, it's ridiculous to even consider the back seat of a 2 door sports coupe as a factor in purchasing one.

-Visibility is a lot better in the twins, than the Camaro. But then most cars on the market have better visibility than the Camaro.

-BRZ Looks better in person than in photo's but still not as good as a Camaro. At least BRZ production #'s are rather limited compared to FR-S and... definitely when compared to Mustangs/Camaros. So you'll run into less of them on the street.

But if looks is a key concern for you, the Camaro is your pea****.

-Interior... It's kind of a no brainer given the cost difference, but the interior of the twins is no where near that of he Camaro's.
The FR-S interior is pretty awful. The BRZ is better, and it's cheaper to do a bumper swap than an interior swap. So even tho I prefer the FR-S front end... I'm lookin at a BRZ and then a bumper swap. Sorry but I hate the Mazda smiley face look on the BRZ and can't fathom why they went that route just to be "different". "Different" isn't always a good thing.

Anyway... in the context of a daily driver. The BRZ a solid choice hands down, as long as you don't need cargo space or back seat passenger space or torque.

I am holding off until I hear about the official 2014 changes/updates/offerings.

The downsides for me... Sound. I am fond of v8's.
Torque.... I am fond of torque.
Power.. Just a little more please?
"Practicality" - - Not a generous amount of space for cargo or 2+ people.

The upsides?
Fun
Purchase price
Fun
MPG
Fun
Cheaper insurance.
FUUUUN...

This sums it up very well...

Originally Posted by Fiveg56

Member Snowvert owns one. Ask him.

Yes I do. It has become my daily driver (other than heavy snow days, that low ground clearance is a killer). it is a blast to drive. After about 2500 miles, I'm averaging only about 25MPG, but I find myself standing on the gas almost every start. I imagine on a long stretch of open highway it could easily manage a 35MPG average. It is a bit (but only a very little bit) underpowered, but as previously stated, that isn't why this car was build and designed.

This car nailed the "fun to drive" factor. The handling, the balance, the thrill of throwing it into a corner while having extremely predictable control over where the back end is going and what you are planning on doing with it create a driving experience that very few other cars can match. You can't point at one thing on this car and say "... and that is what makes this car great!" It is the entirety of the package. Nothing on it is great, but everything works together perfectly to make the driving experience great.

the build quality on it seems almost perfect. I have the touchscreen with Nav which is standard in the BRZ and I do have to say it is absolutely horrid. The buttons are too small and I usually don't hit the one I'm aiming for. The Nav doesn't allow you to input locations while driving unless you do them through the voice recognition system (which never seems to recognize what I'm trying to say). That I would say is my only complaint though. The back seat is a joke and is only suitable for small children. You can fit an adult or two back there, but everyone is going to be uncomfortable until the drive is over. The trunk space is as small as my Convertible with the top down, but it is more user friendly especially with the pass through back seats, which the Camaro Convertible does not have. The interior is cramped compared to the Camaro, but the front seats have some pretty tight side bolsters. I gladly give up a little comfort for the sense of being held tightly in place.

All in all, it is just a fun car. There really isn't a better way to describe it. Ive found during the month and a half that I've owned it, I choose to drive it much more frequently that I do the Camaro. However, once the temps warm up and I have the option of putting my top down, I'm sure that pendulum will swing back the other way. But considering that a $26,000 car can be just as much fun to drive as a $45,000 car is saying quite a bit...

I do plan on upgrading to a C7 in a year or two and I will most likely be trading both the BRZ and SS for that car. If I were able to keep one or the other, I would most likely keep the BRZ for the simple fact that it is more different from the Corvette than the Camaro is. Variety, after all, is the spice of life...

Now, which do I drive today?