Comb through the eleven years of reviews of the Subaru BRZ and you're bound to find a phrase like "carving corners with razor-sharp surgical precision".
The BRZ, and its near-identical cousin, the Toyota GR86, are such superb handlers, it's hard for some of us to imagine making them better.
Fortunately, "some of us" does not include the powers that be at Subaru, who decided that $2,650 worth of goodies from STI (Subaru Technica International) could be put to good use in the 2024 BRZ tS.
Fresh from an extensive refresh in '23, the tS gives BRZ buyers a reason to show up at the dealer this year.
Despite the STI logo on the starter button, there are exactly zero modifications to the BRZ engine. It's the same naturally aspirated 2.4-liter BOXER four that you'll find in every BRZ. And that's not a bad thing. 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque are plenty in a car that weighs less than 2,900 pounds. Zero to 60 sprints take less than six seconds.
No, the STI goodies in the BRZ tS are there to put that power to even better use than before. There are STI-tuned front and rear Hitachi dampers for improved control and stability. A high-performance Brembo brake system with gold-painted four-piston front calipers, gold-painted two-piston rear calipers, and larger pads and rotors, intended to enhance stopping power and pedal feel while reducing brake fade. The BRZ tS also has 18-inch wheels mounted with 215/40 R18 Michelin Pilot® Sport 4 tires. The Torsen limited-slip differential found on all BRZs stays right where it belongs.
And while the EPA says the 2024 Subaru BRZ tS should get 22 mpg combined city/highway (20 city/27 highway), my 100 or so miles of mixed driving (urban freeways, city streets, rural backroads) ended up delivering 27.6.
In tS trim or not, BRZs come with small (6.3 cubic feet) trunks and virtually unusable back seats. I mean, you could probably get a dog back there, and from the looks of the hair on the transmission hump, the last journalist to have the car may have done just that.
Beyond that, the tS package is about appearance---black upholstery with tS-only contrasting blue stitching on the front seat bolsters, leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter boot and parking brake boot. The standard performance-design front seats with height-adjustable head restraints feature a blue leather accent down the middle. As mentioned before, the STI logo is displayed on the red starter button and is also on the customizable 7-inch digital instrument cluster, which has tS-exclusive red accents.
All of the above is added to the BRZ Limited trim, so the non-tS-specific standard equipment includes heated exterior power mirrors; an upgraded audio system that includes a 2-channel amplifier and two additional speakers; Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Keep Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert; Steering Responsive Headlights; and STARLINK® Safety and Security.
The base price of the 2024 Subaru BRZ ts, including destination, is $36,465.
And....that's it in terms of pricing. Subaru offers the BRZ tS in seven different exterior colors (black, gray, silver, red, white and two shades of blue) and none of them are extra-cost. The only way to add to the price of the BRZ tS is with authorized accessories, some of which are dealer installed, and some of which apparently are done at the factory. Check those out here.
Is the tS worth the $2,650 premium on top of the price of a BRZ Limited?
I'd have to drive a non-tS BRZ and this back to back to tell the difference---or maybe, more to the point, I'd have to drive them differently.
I'm not a 10/10ths or even 9/10ths guy. I've never felt that I was approaching the BRZ's handling limits or risking brake fade. But I'm always happy to know that I have still more headroom on those metrics, which makes the tS absolutely worth it.
Comments