MotorMouths

Subaru’s BRZ is simple, relatively uncomplicated and wholly uncompromised. Despite this, it is one of the most rewarding cars we’ve ever driven. If this is all that’s required to make a sports car with elegant control, why isn’t every manufacturer doing it?

The automatic ultimately lets the $29,365 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited more convincingly pretend it’s a normal car, that it’s just another corpuscle in the traffic stream. But it’s a pretense. This is one of the world’s best sports cars, even when it’s shifting itself.

Distill the comprehensive goodness of the 2013 Subaru BRZ down to a single desirable property and it is this: Profound control. It offers a level of engagement that, until now, has been either too costly or too impractical for the average enthusiast.

Nimble, comfortable, surprisingly roomy given its compact exterior, and fantastically light weight, the 2013 BRZ is about as perfect a package as we could ask for.

It’s not the fastest car I’ve driven this year, but it is the most engaging car I’ve driven in a very long time, so if you’re an enthusiast looking for a car that involves you in every aspect of the driving experience, you owe it to yourself to go give a BRZ a try. Believe the hype. It really is that good.

The Subaru BRZ marks the return of what you crave. The philosophy Subaru followed while developing this car should be music to a car enthusiast’s ears, with light weight, a low center of gravity and rear-wheel drive being the pillars.

The BRZ is a handful of sports-coupe sunshine that does something brilliant, even revolutionary: It feels fast, even though it isn’t, particularly. The end result is a small car with decent around-town ride quality combined with a feisty, lean and taut feel.

The new 2013 Subaru BRZ is an affordable rear-drive sports coupe that proved to be a tossable delight. Frankly, I haven’t had this much driving fun in a long time.

The BRZ is terrific — it’s a classic sports car designed for people who like to drive rather than people who equate performance with tire smoke. It’s also the last car I expected to see in a market where 40 MPG is the new black.

This car is undeniably down on power to other performance cars of its ilk. But to dwell on this deficit misses the point of the BRZ. It has a balance of old-school thrills and connectivity to the road that additional power would probably upset.

Subaru’s 2013 BRZ sports coupe is such a ball that you seldom notice the few aggravations. The price is remarkably reasonable for the look, feel and joy that you get.

The Subaru BRZ is aimed directly at those who want a sports car but don’t have Porsche money in the bank. Getting right to the driving—look out, Miata. Mazda finally has real competition.