Considering the BRZ as a second car?

[Pilot1226]

Originally Posted by StanBo

Hello @Pilot1226 from another local.

I am in the same boat but with older kids. Mine are teenagers.

When our kids were in your age group my wife and I got WRXs. This opened the door for either of us to get the kids in a pinch if we needed.

If you have a four seater then you should be fine. As a parent it sounds like you truly have to figure out where is the furthest the kids will be from home where they might have to be in the back of the BRZ.

Right now my kids are pretty close to home.

I daily a 2010 tacoma crew cab. My wife has a civic sedan.

So I could take the miata or brz to work and rush home to get the kids if needed.

If you could live with the fast dip home and get to the kids then the car could be made to work. It is all about the discomfort vs fun (and oh it is fun).

There must be BRZ/86 meets in NJ that you could head out to, to see what is going on with the cars.

If you want to check out mine give me a PM.

I will tell you that after a 10min drive we were sold on the car. Dealerships let you test drive without a salesman so you can put the car thru a slight pace. I bought the car we test drove as it was still in plastic wrap and had 8 miles on the clock.

Also food for thought. I walked into my local subaru dealer and got a price for a car on their lot 4 years ago. Adulting kept me from purchasing one for all that time. I am glad I waited.

Thanks. That sounds good. In ideal circumstances, I should wait until at least August of 2020 when my wife's Honda Pilot is paid off. We bought hers in the summer of 2016. Two years might as well be an eternity, so I'm wrestling with that. I could make it work earlier, I was talking about ideal circumstances.

The reason I was looking for opinions now is because it's very likely if I didn't jump on the Outback 3.6 soon (before MY2020's redesign), I would miss out on the option to get the 3.6 and be forced into either another base 2.5i (FB series this time) or maybe some turbo variant that is not available presently (rumors suggest either the de-tuned FA24DIT in the Ascent or a variant of the FA20... I wouldn't want a DI engine whether NA or Turbo unless it had some anti-carbon tech.

Originally Posted by Xxyion

Hey @Pilot1226

I know a lot of people have put in their opinions but i figured i'd add mine as well. My BRZ is my second car. It's not my daily. In the past 6 months i've only put on maybe 500 miles in it

The BRZ is surprisingly a lot more practical than i thought when i first got the car.

Awesome. Thanks.

Originally Posted by OfficeWorker

My overall feeling is that if you buy the car, you will probably love it, and you will probably find yourself driving it more than you expect because of how enjoyable the experience is.

Excellent responses. Thank you. My concern is primarily that of the need for utility and cargo which makes getting rid of the Outback and replacing with a WRX not a viable option. I would want a fun car and a cargo car, basically. The BRZ seems to fill that niche. The WRX is an option, but the BRZ seems more along what I'm looking for (and see above reference my concern over DI)

Originally Posted by ShansBRZ

I was in the market for a new truck and while I was looking I saw a video for the BRZ. I then decided I would keep my current truck for winter and Home Depot type runs and get a sporty car to curb my mid life crisis. Lol. I looked at a lot of 40k and below cars and kept coming back to the BRZ.

Right on, smiles per gallon.



All, love the community here. Thanks for your two cents.

[OfficeWorker]

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Excellent responses. Thank you. My concern is primarily that of the need for utility and cargo which makes getting rid of the Outback and replacing with a WRX not a viable option. I would want a fun car and a cargo car, basically. The BRZ seems to fill that niche. The WRX is an option, but the BRZ seems more along what I'm looking for (and see above reference my concern over DI)

If the WRX is not a viable single option for your needs, then I feel this makes the BRZ an even better potential match for you.

It is definitely worth driving both regardless IMO, in the event you did find the WRX more fun. That said, I feel the BRZ is much more of a blast. Just sitting in the car is exciting. When I sat in one at a Motortrend show, I knew immediately I liked the car immensely and that it excited me in a way that many other (significantly faster & more expensive) cars do not. The chick who taught me to drive stick simply sat in my BRZ today for about 120 seconds and then decided she wanted an 86 to compliment her AWD SUV (she's a diehard Toyota fan). And she didn't even have time to take it for a spin yet.

I'm noticing that, if you like the type of car that the BRZ/86 is, then you generally will take an immense liking to the platform.

[Pilot1226]

Originally Posted by OfficeWorker

If the WRX is not a viable single option for your needs, then I feel this makes the BRZ an even better potential match for you.

It is definitely worth driving both regardless IMO, in the event you did find the WRX more fun. That said, I feel the BRZ is much more of a blast. Just sitting in the car is exciting. When I sat in one at a Motortrend show, I knew immediately I liked the car immensely and that it excited me in a way that many other (significantly faster & more expensive) cars do not. The chick who taught me to drive stick simply sat in my BRZ today for about 120 seconds and then decided she wanted an 86 to compliment her AWD SUV (she's a diehard Toyota fan). And she didn't even have time to take it for a spin yet.

I'm noticing that, if you like the type of car that the BRZ/86 is, then you generally will take an immense liking to the platform.

Right, my issue is that the Outback is too good of a jack of all, but also makes it a master of none. The fun factor is a little diminished, and the Mrs. would like me to have a little seat time with a stick before I consider it my primary ride (she does not know how to drive manual nor does she care to learn, which is fine with me. We never swap, I really don't care for her Honda Pilot... too much meat...)

I think I'll take a test drive of the BRZ if they have one in stock when I have my car serviced (some warranty things going on) in a few weeks so I can decide if it's for me or not. Appreciate the opinion.

[bcj]

Even if the demo is AT, put it in manual and use the paddles.
Won't have another new trick to concentrate on while evaluating the rest of the package.

[Pilot1226]

Good point. I'll take what I can get, I guess

[HKz]

hey if you already have a fam/practical vehicle, then why not especially if this investment would be for yourself? ...but considering the list of concerns you've posted not sure if this the best path to consider as i always say if ya gotta question it, then it probably isn't the best option for ya.

use something like Turo to rent a manual twin for a few days but IMO from everything I've read you should just keep everything ya got and get a dirt cheap NB/NC miata.

[SCQTT]

Its a toy that can be pressed into practical use if needed, but you really need to have the "want" or it will just be frustrating for you.

Before some of you DD guys jump in about how you haul firewood, I get it- you can use anything for any purpose, but that does not make it enjoyable. I know about a guy that toured the US on a 50cc Honda Ruckus. 20,000 miles in a year was doable and an adventure and charming in a way, but I bet it sucked a bunch too.

[HKz]

Originally Posted by SCQTT

Its a toy that can be pressed into practical use if needed, but you really need to have the "want" or it will just be frustrating for you.

Before some of you DD guys jump in about how you haul firewood, I get it- you can use anything for any purpose, but that does not make it enjoyable. I know about a guy that toured the US on a 50cc Honda Ruckus. 20,000 miles in a year was doable and an adventure and charming in a way, but I bet it sucked a bunch too.

practicality, especially when it comes to vehicles, is very subjective and entirely relative on your perspective.....like for example, for "most" folks it seems like since the twin's backseat occupants can't stretch their legs and arms around like in a SUV, it means the seats are "useless"...whereas I have found the seats to be awesome either for my 8 year old or for short trips when I'm with friends, and plenty accommodating when folded down for larger cargo.. for what they are, the twins have underrated practicality..

[SCQTT]

Originally Posted by HKz

practicality, especially when it comes to vehicles, is very subjective and entirely relative on your perspective.....like for example, for "most" folks it seems like since the twin's backseat occupants can't stretch their legs and arms around like in a SUV, it means the seats are "useless"...whereas I have found the seats to be awesome either for my 8 year old or for short trips when I'm with friends, and plenty accommodating when folded down for larger cargo.. for what they are, the twins have underrated practicality..

I disagree, but just like talking about the attributes of dual sport motorcycles, and how they manage the balance between street and off-road use, opinions are all over they place and it is absolutely fine to disagree.

[rvoll]

Originally Posted by HKz

practicality, especially when it comes to vehicles, is very subjective and entirely relative on your perspective.....like for example, for "most" folks it seems like since the twin's backseat occupants can't stretch their legs and arms around like in a SUV, it means the seats are "useless"...whereas I have found the seats to be awesome either for my 8 year old or for short trips when I'm with friends, and plenty accommodating when folded down for larger cargo.. for what they are, the twins have underrated practicality..

Totally agree with this POV. I chose the BRZ over the MX-5 and Cayman partially because of this. On longer trips, we have things that we want within reach, and that is the perfect place. Plus, my grandkids are still small enough to fit in a pinch. It just makes the car more usable -- and I'd rather drive the BRZ than our SUV every time I can.

[stlgrym3]

my BRZ is my 2nd/weekend car. i have a Camry as my daily driver. on that note, my 2018 4 cylinder Camry feels peppier than my 2017 AT BRZ, but that's gonna change soon :P.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by SCQTT

Before some of you DD guys jump in about how you haul firewood, I get it- you can use anything for any purpose, but that does not make it enjoyable.

I enjoy it. For my purposes, there are no drawbacks at all to this vehicle as a daily driver. I'm 6', weigh 290 lbs and drive about 30K miles per year on weekly overnight trips. If the car weren't enjoyable, it would have long since been traded or sold.

The whining about the 86 is in part a matter of perspective. I grew up driving beastly old American cars and tiny British sports cars that definitely did have times that were not enjoyable. Compared to my old Triumph, the BRZ is a luxury car that still feels connected to the road.

I also rent vehicles frequently when my travel schedule requires flying, so I get the benefit of a direct comparison with the potatoes other people are driving. Most cars on the road are not only dull, but they're designed around the manufacturing process or marketing studies instead of the driver, and it's those little design errors we don't have that make a car exhausting to drive. Right now I'm driving a Ford Flex in Oklahoma and can't wait to be back in the BRZ for a 500 mile round trip through Florida next week.

Originally Posted by stlgrym3

i have a Camry as my daily driver.

I've had to rent Camrys (Camries?). I would kill myself if I had to drive it on a daily basis. I'd drive it off a bridge, except the Camry would make even that boring.

[HKz]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I've had to rent Camrys (Camries?). I would kill myself if I had to drive it on a daily basis. I'd drive it off a bridge, except the Camry would make even that boring.

lol no need to take it in that direction...nothing wrong with cushy DDs, not every drive nor everyone has to be on rails. And to be fair, the newest Camry generation is a very good compromise of handling, styling & comfort especially with the V6

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by HKz

not every drive nor everyone has to be on rails.

Not every drive has to be on rails. But if I have a choice, I'm not going to choose to drive a potato.

Originally Posted by HKz

And to be fair, the newest Camry generation is a very good compromise of handling, styling & comfort especially with the V6

Sweet potato then. But why compromise if I don't have to?