Subaru BRZ (2012 - 2021) review – interior and tech
Cabin design is nothing to write home about, but it’s well built and the driving position is fantastic. Low-rent infotainment can be easily replaced
The BRZ’s cabin is, unsurprisingly, much like that of its Toyota cousin, which means it’s far from being the best-designed or most tactile on the market. What it does brilliantly though is sit you in one of the best driving positions of any car on the market – low, behind a perfectly positioned steering wheel, ideally placed pedals and gear lever, and with a good view down the long bonnet.
In 2017 Subaru fitted the BRZ with a smaller steering wheel. It doesn’t change the way the car drives, but it is a more pleasing size to hold and improves the seating position even further.
The interior appeals to those really serious about driving then (and makes the lofty driving position of most hot hatchbacks feel almost precarious), but if you place any value on the aesthetic or tactile qualities of your cabins you’ll be left disappointed. At least everything is easy to understand and built with a typical Japanese solidity. The car’s stiff structure helps too – it never feels like plastics want to rub against each other causing squeaks or rattles.
The infotainment is contained within a non-integrated, double-DIN stereo unit. The graphics in the system, implemented in the 2017 changes, already look dated and the touch operation is slow. However, thanks to its standardised size, once it has become too frustrating it can be easily swapped for a newer, more up-to-date one. After the tyres, it’s probably the second thing we’d change.
