Would you buy it again

gravitylover · 10-30-2014, 10:35 PM

After two years in my XV I'm thoroughly bored with the car. It's got 63,000 miles on it and I've spent enough hours in it to make myself crazy over every sluggish and bouncy episode. Yeah it's great in bad weather but ... blah

There are mechanical issues starting to pop up that I don't want to deal with and I don't think should be happening yet and the thing has way to many rattles for its age.

Some of you have had your cars for a while now and I need to know what you think. Are the niggling issues really something to be concerned with? Is the low clearance actually a problem? How reliable has it been and if there have been problems have they cost so much you regretted the purchase? From what I'm reading it seems to be a good car in that respect but I figured I should ask. I'm looking at a (certified) used '13 6 speed with 15k.

soslow · 10-30-2014, 11:04 PM

Yes, I'd buy my BRZ all over again.

But it is far from brilliant as a daily driver and hardly workable as an only car.

gravitylover · 10-31-2014, 12:54 AM

At the moment the other car in the house is an 06 Outback but if the weather is bad there is pretty much NO chance my wife would let me take it for the day. I'm working on getting a 4 X pickup or Astro AWD for those days, I'd need it to transport mt bikes and the inevitable Home Depot runs anyway.

Is it really unbearable in the winter? I've had a few lightweight rwd sports cars and didn't die and this one seems to be so much better balanced that it seems the right rubber would make it not only easily controlled (within reason of course) but probably fun too.

You say it's not a great DD. Why?

soslow · 10-31-2014, 01:02 AM

Its perfectly fine in the winter with snow tires.

Minus the 10 minute warmup time and windows the stick.

It's brilliant if want you want is a sports car that's better at being d every day than most other sports cars. But if what you expect is a normal car than look elsewhere. Of course mine is 110+db loud so that certainly makes it less friendly.

I love my car but the only reason I can DD it is because my fiance has a regular car for all the things I can't do with it.

gravitylover · 10-31-2014, 01:28 AM

Thanks. Yeah that was my impression from tonights test drive. More comfortable than others but not touring car comfy. Heh sticky windows and Subies, an issue I'm all to familiar with. A little shot of lock deicer solves the problem. Is there a block heater available for this motor? I have one on my XV and it's indispensable, the heat comes up within two blocks of leaving the house on even the coldest mornings.

Am I right in that basic maintenance costs are pretty much on par with other Subarus?

I see in a couple of other threads people debating the use of carseats, sounds like an unnecessary PITA to me. What about when the parents are 5'2" and 5'6" with twins @ 4'11" and done growing? Will the kids hate me? Remember I'm looking at a 6 speed so for me to really reach the clutch right the seat was kinda far forward, in the auto I sat in on the lot I had it at least 3 or 4 clicks further back.

Has anybody put a hitch on? I need to use it for a bike rack not towing.

soslow · 10-31-2014, 01:29 AM

Its fine with car seats. Take her car if taking the whole family.

Some people have cone up with clever bike rack solutions, using the tow point mounts.

gravitylover · 10-31-2014, 01:37 AM

Thank goodness I'm well past car seats, my kids are 15. Tiny like their still 11/12 though...

CopperTopNWOR · 10-31-2014, 09:27 AM

Their are available tow hitches on the market for them. Can typically handle up to a mini trailer with a set of tires and a toolbox on it. A lot like a miata in that respect.

As long as you aren't like soslow and put a loud exhaust on it the car is just fine as a daily

Andrew025 · 10-31-2014, 09:30 AM

I would buy it again, except I would get the limited instead of premium.
Unlocking the car, getting my daughter in the car, carrying stuff out of the car while holding keys to lock/unlock gets old.

I got mine for a pretty good price though.

OrbitalEllipses · 10-31-2014, 10:09 AM

Would buy it...but not new. If I was in the near $30K market again, I'm not sure what I'd do, but it would need more factory oomph.

15K miles isn't all that much, a year and a half of driving around. Mine turned 6 weeks ago and I just hit 20K miles. The only out of warranty type issues I'd worry about are the various window seals and light gaskets that seem to go. A catastrophic engine failure can't really be predicted. As long as the price is right, I'd do it again...I just don't think the price was right the first time around.

itwillboost · 10-31-2014, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Would buy it...but not new. If I was in the near $30K market again, I'm not sure what I'd do, but it would need more factory oomph.

15K miles isn't all that much, a year and a half of driving around. Mine turned 6 weeks ago and I just hit 20K miles. The only out of warranty type issues I'd worry about are the various window seals and light gaskets that seem to go. A catastrophic engine failure can't really be predicted. As long as the price is right, I'd do it again...I just don't think the price was right the first time around.

I agree 100% but I was just offered a chance to trade my car in and get a new fully loaded 15 STI for 20k and I turned it down. I love my car, if I wasn't so impatient I could have definitely saved quite a bit though.

Annihilator817 · 10-31-2014, 10:19 AM

My 11 WRX is a total POS. Worst car I've ever owned.

Unreliable, handles like ****, basically tears itself apart due to the ridiculously soft bushing and mounts.

It'll be the last Subaru I ever own for sure.

OrbitalEllipses · 10-31-2014, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annihilator817

My 11 WRX is a total POS. Worst car I've ever owned.

Unreliable, handles like ****, basically tears itself apart due to the ridiculously soft bushing and mounts.

It'll be the last Subaru I ever own for sure.

Good thing this thread is about the BRZ.

Annihilator817 · 10-31-2014, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Good thing this thread is about the BRZ.

Though it is in the BRZ section, it is most certainly not specifically about the BRZ.

OP is talking about his XV Crosstek, another about his LGT.

OrbitalEllipses · 10-31-2014, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annihilator817

Though it is in the BRZ section, it is most certainly not specifically about the BRZ.

OP is talking about his XV Crosstek, another about his LGT.

He is bored of his cars and wants to know if we too, are bored of the cars we bought...which is the car he is looking at buying.

So no, it is specifically about the BRZ.

chanomatik · 10-31-2014, 12:20 PM

He's asking ABOUT the BRZ and comparing it to his other cars. And I'd never buy another 2011 WRX (or any WRX) again, but I wouldn't nix all of Subaru based on my experience with that half-assed car. I actually think the other vehicles in the lineup fare better under scrutiny because they serve more specific purposes. The WRX is too middle-of-the-road. Either go with the STI to have a better start for something that drives better, handles better, and is relatively more reliable, or get another Subaru that has more room, gets better gas mileage, and is less expensive to replace parts for in a pinch.

Concerning the BRZ, I have almost 50k on mine at 24 months of ownership. I tend to agree that it's not something I'd buy for almost $30k brand new, but used, I'd definitely purchase again. Maybe if it had an FA25 making about 225HP, I'd buy again for full MSRP.

The windows don't stick if you park your car under a cover. I've had my car parked under a port tent from Costco for a full winter and now this winter and haven't had window issues anytime I park it under one. The winter prior, yes, window sticking issues ALL THE TIME.

The car doesn't make enough power to make you question the transmission's ability to take abuse. It's an Aisin transmission mated to something that only makes about... 160WHP? Not much. And the engine seems robust enough. I don't worry about it.

I worried about my WRX all the time and it proved it was worth worrying about since the shift fork broke and the next owner blew up the engine. The lightest mods were thrown at it. So sad. So sad.

Cbgrandtheftauto · 10-31-2014, 10:46 AM

I love my BRZ! I feel I paid to much for it and the monthly payments are stupid high for what it is. I feel I should pay what some local FR-s owners pay monthly.

The car does suck in the winter. Reprogramming the windows every day gets annoying. When it iced over here I could t get out of my driveway with those horrible Prius tires. Wider wheels and stickier tires has helped in the summer and at AX. I do have dedicated snow tires fir winter use, but they go on my RS since I got it fixed.

I do love the nimbleness and the excellent fuel economy it gets! My RS gets good mileage as long as you keep it out of boost, but I can beat the **** out of the BRZ and still get better mileage!

Jaxx · 10-31-2014, 06:39 PM

No. transmission is terrible 0/10

The 2nd gear syncro is garbage its been bad since i drove it off the lot (with 68 miles on it)
i have had 8 subarus before the FRS. All but one have had the "glass" transmission nothing has compared to this crapbag. My 93 wrx with 178k miles shifts better.

its the cheapest car i have ever owned payment wise .. should have spent the extra $ and gotten a 15 wrx

fwiw it is a 13 frs series 10, purchased(leased) may 31 2014, 0 down,0 deposit,$247.00/month, 36 months, 15k miles per year

soslow · 10-31-2014, 08:48 PM

Lolwut.

Change the fluid. Even on stock fluid the trans was fine except for cold mornings. Sounds like you got a bad unit.

gravitylover · 10-31-2014, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annihilator817

My 11 WRX is a total POS. Worst car I've ever owned.

Unreliable, handles like ****, basically tears itself apart due to the ridiculously soft bushing and mounts.

It'll be the last Subaru I ever own for sure.

BZZZZ, wrong answer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

He is bored of his cars and wants to know if we too, are bored of the cars we bought...which is the car he is looking at buying.

So no, it is specifically about the BRZ.

Yup just about the BRZ and you guys are the "experts."

Not so much are you bored with yours but do you feel it was a good purchase and if it experienced a catastrophe tomorrow would you get another one or move on. Other than the expected internet whining I think the sentiment is most people are happy with what they bought outside of minor things. Having been through a few (15 or so) low option vehicles over the last 30 years I think the complaints about the details are silly.

I want to know the dirt. With a focus on light weight and the economy side of the car is it too light duty to handle being a daily driver in todays world? Suspension bits, brake pads/rotors or stuff like the clutch and associated drivetrain parts, do they last or is that something to expect to need to replace at 50k/75k or ...? What does a clutch cost? Is premium gas really necessary because around here it tends to be 30 or more cents a gallon above regular.

Yes I understand the stock rubber isn't a first choice for my needs, got that under control. I think it may be time to invest in a Seasucker bike rack anyway but with hitches easily available it's nice to know that I can use it as a family ride car sometimes too. I'm still going to get a pickup for the tough work and bad weather...

Kostamojen · 11-01-2014, 02:57 AM

Yes premium gas is required, and try to stay away from high Ethanol blends. That 30 cents is a fixed cost you can calculate for based off your driving, but you make up for it with the better mileage (I get 33mpg on the freeway).

Anyway, yes I would buy it again. I'm spoiled now, I try and test out any other car and it immediately has to be compared to the BRZ... The twins have such a good seating position and driving feel that its hard to drive anything else now and enjoy it, at least anything affordable.

quentinberg007 · 11-01-2014, 03:15 PM

Yea. I only bought mine 2 months ago, though.

No issues with my 6MT syncros, either. When it is really cold in the morning, it takes a moment to get in first after coming to a stop sign, but most of my manual transmissions have done that.

noodleface · 11-01-2014, 05:03 PM

Yes, in a heartbeat. I traded my '10 WRX hatch which seemed to fit my lifestyle perfectly. No, it's not the best daily driver nor the most practical particularly in New England. But, it is hands down my favorite car I've ever owned. If anything, the flaws melt away when I get behind the wheel.

gravitylover · 11-02-2014, 08:54 AM

Heh, jprice is funny.

Thanks guys. I'm on the fence right now and the wife is

I think I came up with a roof rack solution though and there are some great ideas out there for the back of the car so carrying bikes isn't as difficult as I first thought. Space for the gear is a different story

jprice130 · 11-01-2014, 05:03 PM

Why yes I would buy it again....and I did!!

I bought a Limited AT BRZ in June 2012 and loved it, but then I got hooked on autoX and realized that the manual transmission was the way to go. So in Aug 2013, I traded in the BRZ for a MT FR-S and am still loving it. I'm married and have 4 kids, so it's obviously not practical for family stuff, but it's been a great drive-to-work / autoX car and I have a mini-van for all the family hauling duties. I also live in NC, so challenging winters aren't really an issue for me.

I had a WRX before and while I do miss boost, I still prefer the BRZ/FR-S much more.

10-30-2014, 10:35 PM	#1
gravitylover Scooby Newbie Member#: 334328 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mahopac NY Vehicle: 2013 BRZ Premium 6MT Mid Life Crisis White	Would you buy it again After two years in my XV I'm thoroughly bored with the car. It's got 63,000 miles on it and I've spent enough hours in it to make myself crazy over every sluggish and bouncy episode. Yeah it's great in bad weather but ... blah There are mechanical issues starting to pop up that I don't want to deal with and I don't think should be happening yet and the thing has way to many rattles for its age. Some of you have had your cars for a while now and I need to know what you think. Are the niggling issues really something to be concerned with? Is the low clearance actually a problem? How reliable has it been and if there have been problems have they cost so much you regretted the purchase? From what I'm reading it seems to be a good car in that respect but I figured I should ask. I'm looking at a (certified) used '13 6 speed with 15k.

10-31-2014, 06:39 PM	#18
Jaxx Scooby Guru Member#: 177 Join Date: Aug 1999 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Austin, Texas, USA Vehicle: The 93 W/EJ20K-sold Subaru-less :(	No. transmission is terrible 0/10 The 2nd gear syncro is garbage its been bad since i drove it off the lot (with 68 miles on it) i have had 8 subarus before the FRS. All but one have had the "glass" transmission nothing has compared to this crapbag. My 93 wrx with 178k miles shifts better. its the cheapest car i have ever owned payment wise .. should have spent the extra $ and gotten a 15 wrx fwiw it is a 13 frs series 10, purchased(leased) may 31 2014, 0 down,0 deposit,$247.00/month, 36 months, 15k miles per year Last edited by Jaxx; 10-31-2014 at 06:56 PM.

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10-30-2014, 11:04 PM	#2
soslow Scooby Specialist Member#: 95027 Join Date: Sep 2005 Chapter/Region: MAIC	Yes, I'd buy my BRZ all over again. But it is far from brilliant as a daily driver and hardly workable as an only car.

10-31-2014, 12:54 AM	#3
gravitylover Scooby Newbie Member#: 334328 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mahopac NY Vehicle: 2013 BRZ Premium 6MT Mid Life Crisis White	At the moment the other car in the house is an 06 Outback but if the weather is bad there is pretty much NO chance my wife would let me take it for the day. I'm working on getting a 4 X pickup or Astro AWD for those days, I'd need it to transport mt bikes and the inevitable Home Depot runs anyway. Is it really unbearable in the winter? I've had a few lightweight rwd sports cars and didn't die and this one seems to be so much better balanced that it seems the right rubber would make it not only easily controlled (within reason of course) but probably fun too. You say it's not a great DD. Why?

10-31-2014, 01:02 AM	#4
soslow Scooby Specialist Member#: 95027 Join Date: Sep 2005 Chapter/Region: MAIC	Its perfectly fine in the winter with snow tires. Minus the 10 minute warmup time and windows the stick. It's brilliant if want you want is a sports car that's better at being d every day than most other sports cars. But if what you expect is a normal car than look elsewhere. Of course mine is 110+db loud so that certainly makes it less friendly. I love my car but the only reason I can DD it is because my fiance has a regular car for all the things I can't do with it.

10-31-2014, 01:28 AM	#5
gravitylover Scooby Newbie Member#: 334328 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mahopac NY Vehicle: 2013 BRZ Premium 6MT Mid Life Crisis White	Thanks. Yeah that was my impression from tonights test drive. More comfortable than others but not touring car comfy. Heh sticky windows and Subies, an issue I'm all to familiar with. A little shot of lock deicer solves the problem. Is there a block heater available for this motor? I have one on my XV and it's indispensable, the heat comes up within two blocks of leaving the house on even the coldest mornings. Am I right in that basic maintenance costs are pretty much on par with other Subarus? I see in a couple of other threads people debating the use of carseats, sounds like an unnecessary PITA to me. What about when the parents are 5'2" and 5'6" with twins @ 4'11" and done growing? Will the kids hate me? Remember I'm looking at a 6 speed so for me to really reach the clutch right the seat was kinda far forward, in the auto I sat in on the lot I had it at least 3 or 4 clicks further back. Has anybody put a hitch on? I need to use it for a bike rack not towing.

10-31-2014, 01:29 AM	#6
soslow Scooby Specialist Member#: 95027 Join Date: Sep 2005 Chapter/Region: MAIC	Its fine with car seats. Take her car if taking the whole family. Some people have cone up with clever bike rack solutions, using the tow point mounts.

10-31-2014, 01:37 AM	#7
gravitylover Scooby Newbie Member#: 334328 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mahopac NY Vehicle: 2013 BRZ Premium 6MT Mid Life Crisis White	Thank goodness I'm well past car seats, my kids are 15. Tiny like their still 11/12 though...

10-31-2014, 09:27 AM	#8
CopperTopNWOR Scooby Specialist Member#: 295724 Join Date: Sep 2011 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: NW Ohio Vehicle: 2022 WRX WRB	Their are available tow hitches on the market for them. Can typically handle up to a mini trailer with a set of tires and a toolbox on it. A lot like a miata in that respect. As long as you aren't like soslow and put a loud exhaust on it the car is just fine as a daily

10-31-2014, 09:30 AM	#9
Andrew025 Scooby Specialist Member#: 303408 Join Date: Dec 2011 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Portland, Or Vehicle: 04 STi WRB	I would buy it again, except I would get the limited instead of premium. Unlocking the car, getting my daughter in the car, carrying stuff out of the car while holding keys to lock/unlock gets old. I got mine for a pretty good price though.

10-31-2014, 10:09 AM	#10
OrbitalEllipses Scooby Guru Member#: 178811 Join Date: Apr 2008 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: MoCo Vehicle: 2011 White Corolla Over 400hp	Would buy it...but not new. If I was in the near $30K market again, I'm not sure what I'd do, but it would need more factory oomph. 15K miles isn't all that much, a year and a half of driving around. Mine turned 6 weeks ago and I just hit 20K miles. The only out of warranty type issues I'd worry about are the various window seals and light gaskets that seem to go. A catastrophic engine failure can't really be predicted. As long as the price is right, I'd do it again...I just don't think the price was right the first time around.

10-31-2014, 10:19 AM	#12
Annihilator817 * Banned * Member#: 296742 Join Date: Oct 2011 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: RI Vehicle: '16 STI, '11 WRX, '96 328i DSP	My 11 WRX is a total POS. Worst car I've ever owned. Unreliable, handles like ****, basically tears itself apart due to the ridiculously soft bushing and mounts. It'll be the last Subaru I ever own for sure.

10-31-2014, 12:20 PM	#16
chanomatik Scooby Guru Member#: 159474 Join Date: Sep 2007 Chapter/Region: SWIC Location: Phoenix, AZ Vehicle: 2017 Impreza Sport Lithium Red - OLDKID	He's asking ABOUT the BRZ and comparing it to his other cars. And I'd never buy another 2011 WRX (or any WRX) again, but I wouldn't nix all of Subaru based on my experience with that half-assed car. I actually think the other vehicles in the lineup fare better under scrutiny because they serve more specific purposes. The WRX is too middle-of-the-road. Either go with the STI to have a better start for something that drives better, handles better, and is relatively more reliable, or get another Subaru that has more room, gets better gas mileage, and is less expensive to replace parts for in a pinch. Concerning the BRZ, I have almost 50k on mine at 24 months of ownership. I tend to agree that it's not something I'd buy for almost $30k brand new, but used, I'd definitely purchase again. Maybe if it had an FA25 making about 225HP, I'd buy again for full MSRP. The windows don't stick if you park your car under a cover. I've had my car parked under a port tent from Costco for a full winter and now this winter and haven't had window issues anytime I park it under one. The winter prior, yes, window sticking issues ALL THE TIME. The car doesn't make enough power to make you question the transmission's ability to take abuse. It's an Aisin transmission mated to something that only makes about... 160WHP? Not much. And the engine seems robust enough. I don't worry about it. I worried about my WRX all the time and it proved it was worth worrying about since the shift fork broke and the next owner blew up the engine. The lightest mods were thrown at it. So sad. So sad.

10-31-2014, 10:46 AM	#17
Cbgrandtheftauto Scooby Specialist Member#: 184977 Join Date: Jul 2008 Chapter/Region: South East Location: TN Vehicle: 99 Impreza RS '13 BRZ	I love my BRZ! I feel I paid to much for it and the monthly payments are stupid high for what it is. I feel I should pay what some local FR-s owners pay monthly. The car does suck in the winter. Reprogramming the windows every day gets annoying. When it iced over here I could t get out of my driveway with those horrible Prius tires. Wider wheels and stickier tires has helped in the summer and at AX. I do have dedicated snow tires fir winter use, but they go on my RS since I got it fixed. I do love the nimbleness and the excellent fuel economy it gets! My RS gets good mileage as long as you keep it out of boost, but I can beat the **** out of the BRZ and still get better mileage!

10-31-2014, 08:48 PM	#19
soslow Scooby Specialist Member#: 95027 Join Date: Sep 2005 Chapter/Region: MAIC	Lolwut. Change the fluid. Even on stock fluid the trans was fine except for cold mornings. Sounds like you got a bad unit.

11-01-2014, 02:57 AM	#21
Kostamojen Scooby Guru Member#: 2272 Join Date: Sep 2000 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: Fire Caves Vehicle: 2019 Macan 4cyl 1993 Impreza FWD WRX swap	Yes premium gas is required, and try to stay away from high Ethanol blends. That 30 cents is a fixed cost you can calculate for based off your driving, but you make up for it with the better mileage (I get 33mpg on the freeway). Anyway, yes I would buy it again. I'm spoiled now, I try and test out any other car and it immediately has to be compared to the BRZ... The twins have such a good seating position and driving feel that its hard to drive anything else now and enjoy it, at least anything affordable.

11-01-2014, 03:15 PM	#22
quentinberg007 Scooby Guru Member#: 7887 Join Date: Jun 2001 Vehicle: 2023 Tangerine 2023 3 Cylinder	Yea. I only bought mine 2 months ago, though. No issues with my 6MT syncros, either. When it is really cold in the morning, it takes a moment to get in first after coming to a stop sign, but most of my manual transmissions have done that.

11-01-2014, 05:03 PM	#23
noodleface Scooby Newbie Member#: 111952 Join Date: Apr 2006 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: Boston Vehicle: '21 ZL1 1LE '23 Solterra '19 Forester	Yes, in a heartbeat. I traded my '10 WRX hatch which seemed to fit my lifestyle perfectly. No, it's not the best daily driver nor the most practical particularly in New England. But, it is hands down my favorite car I've ever owned. If anything, the flaws melt away when I get behind the wheel.

11-02-2014, 08:54 AM	#24
gravitylover Scooby Newbie Member#: 334328 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Mahopac NY Vehicle: 2013 BRZ Premium 6MT Mid Life Crisis White	Heh, jprice is funny. Thanks guys. I'm on the fence right now and the wife is I think I came up with a roof rack solution though and there are some great ideas out there for the back of the car so carrying bikes isn't as difficult as I first thought. Space for the gear is a different story

11-01-2014, 05:03 PM	#25
jprice130 Scooby Newbie Member#: 288225 Join Date: Jul 2011 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Harrisburg, NC Vehicle: 2014 BRZ WRB	Why yes I would buy it again....and I did!! I bought a Limited AT BRZ in June 2012 and loved it, but then I got hooked on autoX and realized that the manual transmission was the way to go. So in Aug 2013, I traded in the BRZ for a MT FR-S and am still loving it. I'm married and have 4 kids, so it's obviously not practical for family stuff, but it's been a great drive-to-work / autoX car and I have a mini-van for all the family hauling duties. I also live in NC, so challenging winters aren't really an issue for me. I had a WRX before and while I do miss boost, I still prefer the BRZ/FR-S much more.