2019 Subaru BRZ

2019 Subaru press materials specify the unchanged 2.0L FA20 boxer-4 producing 205 hp at 7,000 rpm with the manual, 200 hp with the automatic (premium fuel) — carried over from the 2017 mid-cycle refresh with no powertrain change for 2019.

Manufacturer figure for the FA20 boxer-4, manual transmission, unchanged for 2019; automatic trims are slightly lower due to fuel-map differences.

Published road tests for this unchanged first-generation chassis/engine (2017-2020 spec) cluster in the low-to-mid 6-second range for the manual; some instrumented tests (Car and Driver) have posted low-5s figures, so this is a consensus middle estimate rather than a single definitive test.

The FA20 boxer revs sweetly and sounds distinctive near redline, but reviewers consistently flag a flat, torque-poor midrange that demands high revs to access what power there is — a well-documented criticism of this generation shared with the mechanically identical Toyota 86, unchanged for 2019.

The 6-speed manual (the volume/enthusiast choice) is widely praised for short, precise, mechanical-feeling throws — one of the better manual shifters in its class; the optional automatic is competent but uninvolving and slower to respond.

The BRZ is deliberately rear-wheel-drive only across its entire trim range — unlike nearly every other Subaru, no AWD variant has ever been offered, in favor of balance and drift-friendly handling.

A single naturally-aspirated 2.0L flat-4 is the only engine offered across the range, paired with just two transmission choices (6-speed manual or automatic) — no turbo, hybrid, PHEV or EV variant exists for this nameplate.

EPA-rated combined figure for the manual transmission, the volume/enthusiast-preferred configuration for this nameplate, unchanged from the prior model year.

EPA city rating for the manual transmission.

EPA highway rating for the manual transmission.

Directly listed by fueleconomy.gov and consistent with the EPA combined MPG times the manufacturer-specified 13.2-gallon fuel tank.

EPA's standard-assumption annual fuel cost estimate for the manual transmission, which factors in the premium-fuel requirement.

Premium unleaded is required (not just recommended) across every 2019 BRZ trim, adding a real ongoing cost premium over a regular-fuel rival.

NHTSA never assigned an overall star rating to the 2019 BRZ because side-impact testing was not conducted on this low-volume nameplate; the tests it did complete scored well.

IIHS rated the 2013-2020-generation BRZ Good across moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints, but only Acceptable on the driver-side small overlap front, and front crash prevention was not evaluated because the car offers no forward collision system. It did not carry a Top Safety Pick award for 2019 (the BRZ/GR86 pairing only won TSP+ starting with the redesigned 2022 model).

The 2019 BRZ offers none of AEB, adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, or rear cross-traffic alert on any trim (base, Premium, or Limited); Subaru's EyeSight suite was never packaged for this platform in this generation.

No AEB hardware is fitted or offered on any 2019 BRZ trim, so IIHS did not run a front crash prevention test at all — there is no performance to rate, day or night.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are not offered on any 2019 BRZ trim; owners rely entirely on the car's naturally low beltline and thin pillars rather than any electronic system.

No lane-departure warning or lane-keep assist hardware exists on this platform in 2019 — confirmed directly by NHTSA's equipment fields.

The 2019 BRZ offers only conventional non-adaptive cruise control; no adaptive cruise or highway-assist feature is available on any trim or as an option.

No hands-free driving system exists for this vehicle in any form; it lacks the base ADAS hardware (camera/radar) such a system would require.

LED headlights are standard on the Premium volume trim (halogen was dropped for 2019), but they lack adaptive or auto high-beam functionality, and IIHS never ran its headlight glare/reach test on this low-volume nameplate, so there is no Good/Acceptable/Marginal rating on file to confirm real-world performance.

Reviewers and owners consistently note thin pillars, a low hood line and a large, steeply raked rear window that give the BRZ better sightlines than rivals like the Mustang, Camaro or Challenger, with only a minor A-pillar blind spot reported at intersections; short, non-convex mirrors on lower trims are a mild knock.

LATCH lower anchors and top tethers exist in both rear seating positions, but the 2+2 layout is so tight that only small children on short trips are realistic, the driver-side rear position is largely unusable with the front seat set for an adult driver, and fitting two forward-facing seats is difficult even when possible.

The BRZ is a 2+2 coupe — nominally 4 seats, but the rear pair is emergency-use only, at the floor of the coupe band.

Low, sports-coupe-typical front headroom given the low roofline — unchanged from the rest of this generation (2017-2020 chassis).

Mid-pack front legroom for the segment, unchanged for 2019.

Rear headroom is adequate for the token 2+2 layout, mid-pack against other coupes.

29.9 in of rear legroom is tight in absolute terms but roughly mid-pack against other 2+2 coupes with similarly token rear seats.

Small trunk typical of a low-slung rear-drive sports coupe, near the bottom of the coupe band.

Small door pockets, a modest console bin, and a small glovebox; no standout storage features. The rear seatbacks fold to extend the trunk, which is the one practical trick.

The volume Premium trim's cloth front seats are supportive and well-bolstered for spirited driving but firmly padded, with less adjustability and no heating; rear seats are unusable for adults beyond very short stints.

Ride is stiff and busy over broken pavement — a deliberate trade-off for sharp handling, criticized by reviewers as choppy on rough roads. Unchanged suspension tune for this generation.

Minimal sound deadening lets in road, wind, and boxer-engine noise at highway speed — typical for an affordable rear-drive sports coupe, unchanged for 2019.

The volume Premium trim gets only manual single-zone A/C and no heated seats for 2019 — dual-zone automatic climate control and dual-mode heated front seats are reserved for the pricier Limited trim, so the car most buyers actually get is comfort-feature-light.

Entry Premium trim is the lowest-priced 2019 BRZ configuration.

Premium is the volume trim — the Limited (from $29,530) adds leather and heated seats but the manual Premium is the mainstream configuration; figure reflects base Premium plus common dealer-added options.

Naturally aspirated, non-turbo boxer four with a simple RWD drivetrain keeps repair costs moderate for the segment; RepairPal's average annual repair cost figure implies a 5-year total in this range once routine maintenance is added.

The BRZ has the best resale retention of any Subaru model and beats the sports-car segment average, reflecting steady niche demand and low supply of clean manuals.

Standard Subaru bumper-to-bumper coverage, at the short end of the segment band.

Standard Subaru powertrain coverage, at the short end of the segment band versus rivals offering 10-year powertrain terms.

Subaru does not bundle complimentary scheduled maintenance with a new BRZ purchase (unlike Toyota's ToyotaCare on the mechanically related 86); owners can only buy an optional prepaid maintenance plan, and roadside assistance is not a standalone included perk outside of Added Security extended-service contracts.

$27,275 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (76% retained, or about $20,729) leaves about $6,546 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $12,046 in total.

The BRZ shares its platform, naturally aspirated FA20 boxer, and manual transmission with the Toyota 86/GT86, a mechanically simple combination (no turbo, no CVT, no complex hybrid system) that both CR and owner-survey data have historically rated well above the sports-car segment norm; 2019 is a mid-cycle carry-over year with no new mechanical risk introduced.

Signals genuinely conflict by source: Consumer Reports ranked Subaru the #1 brand overall in its 2019 reliability survey (81/100), but J.D. Power's 2019 Initial Quality Study placed Subaru sixth from the bottom, well below the industry average — a textbook mixed-signal case.

NHTSA lists one recall touching the 2019 BRZ: campaign 21V587 for a low-pressure in-tank fuel pump (Denso-sourced, shared across many Toyota-group and Subaru models industry-wide) that can fail and cause a stall — a real safety-relevant defect, but a shared-supplier issue rather than something specific to Subaru's engineering, and the earlier 2013-2016 BRZ valve-spring recall does not apply to this model year.

The naturally aspirated 2.0L FA20 in the BRZ does not carry the detonation/ringland risk documented on the turbocharged FA20DIT used in WRX/Legacy; by 2019 the NA engine and 6-speed manual/automatic have several years of fleet track record with no widespread failure pattern reported, though full high-mileage longevity data is still limited for an enthusiast-driven car.

Reviewers consistently flagged the BRZ's cabin as its weak point relative to its driving experience — abundant hard, scratchy plastics on the doors and lower dash, and switchgear shared with far cheaper Subarus — even as the driver-focused layout itself is praised.

No pattern of rattles, panel-gap, or assembly complaints surfaces in owner forums or reviews for this generation; build quality tracks the joint Subaru/Toyota Gunma plant's generally solid initial-quality execution, though this is inferred from the absence of complaints rather than a dedicated initial-quality score for the model.

Subaru's US dealer footprint is smaller than mass-market leaders like Toyota or Honda but is adequate and improving in service satisfaction; BRZ-specific service is standard Subaru dealer work with no dedicated sports-car service network the way some rivals offer.

The BRZ/86/FR-S platform has one of the largest aftermarket and owner-community ecosystems of any modern sports car, keeping parts cheap and abundant; average annual repair cost has been reported in line with mainstream Subaru models rather than at exotic-sports-car premiums.

The 2019 BRZ Premium carries a 6.2-inch STARLINK Multimedia touchscreen — below the floor of the coupe band; only the pricier Limited steps up to a 7.0-inch navigation-equipped unit.

The volume trim's smaller, nav-less 6.2-inch STARLINK unit is dated even by 2019 standards — small screen, basic graphics, and no smartphone-projection integration to fall back on.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired only) are new for 2019 but confined to the Limited trim's 7-inch unit; the volume Premium trim has no CarPlay/Android Auto at all, relying instead on Pandora/Aha/iHeartRadio/Stitcher app integration through its 6.2-inch screen.

Native navigation and voice-activated controls are exclusive to the Limited's 7-inch unit for 2019; the volume Premium trim has neither native nav nor voice control, only basic Bluetooth audio/phone functions.

The Premium trim's 8-speaker system with SiriusXM and HD Radio is a reasonable step up from a bare 4-speaker setup, but it is an unbranded in-house system, not a named premium audio partner (no Harman Kardon offering was found for the 2019 BRZ).

The volume Premium trim retains a conventional analog gauge cluster; the 4.2-inch color combination meter with performance data (lateral-g, brake force) is a Limited-trim exclusive for 2019.

2019 is the model year Subaru added over-the-air Wi-Fi update capability to the BRZ's STARLINK system (new 'Tune Mix' and 'Sports Flash' features delivered this way) — genuine infotainment-level OTA, though not whole-vehicle software updates.

No evidence of a STARLINK Connected Services subscription (remote lock/start/locate) being offered on the 2019 BRZ; Subaru's connected-services push at this time was concentrated on its SUV/sedan lineup.

Only dual legacy USB-A ports are provided across trims, with no USB-C, no wireless charging pad, and no rear-seat charging (rear seats being nominal anyway).

The volume Premium trim gets only conventional remote keyless entry — proximity 'Keyless Access with Push-Button Start' is a Limited-trim exclusive for 2019, so most buyers still turn a key.

A standard rear-vision camera on both trims is the extent of parking assistance — no front/rear parking sensors and no surround-view option for 2019.

No head-up display is offered on any 2019 trim, including Limited and the Series.Gray limited edition.

Two-door access, a tiny rear-seat opening, and 29.9 in of rear legroom make car-seat installation and daily loading of kids genuinely difficult — usable only for an infant seat in a pinch.

IIHS crashworthiness is solid (Good in moderate overlap, side, roof, head restraints; Acceptable in small-overlap front), but the 2019 BRZ offers no EyeSight or any driver-assist system on any trim — front crash prevention is rated 'not available.'

A 2-door layout, near-unusable rear seats, and a 6.9 cu ft trunk leave no realistic multi-occupant road-trip capability.

Compact footprint and light controls make it easy to place in traffic, but the firm, busy ride and available manual gearbox add some fatigue on a stop-and-go commute versus a typical commuter car.

EPA-rated 24 mpg combined (manual) / 27 mpg combined (automatic) is about average for a naturally aspirated 2.0L sports coupe, with modest insurance and maintenance costs for a mainstream-badged car.

Small overall footprint, a tight 35.4 ft turning circle, and a standard rearview camera make it easy to park and thread through the city.

No towing rating, negligible cargo capacity, and low ground clearance leave it with essentially no work capability.

Not a work-context vehicle at all — a low-slung sports coupe with no fleet/work-duty track record; scored low simply because this use case is inapplicable rather than because of any specific fragility.

No tie-downs, no bed, no upfit ecosystem, and negligible cargo space — there are no work-oriented provisions of any kind.

A roughly 300+ mile tank range helps, but the firm ride, road noise, complete absence of adaptive cruise or driver-assist features, and single-zone manual A/C on the volume Premium trim hurt highway fatigue over long hauls.

Rear-wheel drive only, low ground clearance, and no roof-rack or towing provisions make it pavement-bound with essentially no outdoor utility.

60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks extend the small trunk for longer items, but the 6.9 cu ft trunk and lack of roof rails cap what it can realistically carry.

A near-50/50 weight distribution, low center of gravity, and light curb weight (~2,800 lbs) give it agile, composed turn-in with minimal body lean — a benchmark for affordable rear-drive sports coupes, unchanged for this generation.

A quick 13.1:1 steering ratio delivers direct, well-weighted, communicative feedback that reviewers repeatedly single out as a highlight.

Reviewers describe strong, linear stopping power with good pedal feel on the standard brakes; the Series.Gray/Performance Package adds Brembo calipers for further stopping power, but that's not the volume Premium trim.

The naturally aspirated 2.0L boxer is smooth-revving but has a well-documented torque dip in the midrange that reviewers note disrupts otherwise linear response — unchanged for 2019.

The flat-four has a distinctive, characterful growl that enthusiasts enjoy, though it becomes coarse and thrashy near redline — audible but not offensive in daily use.

A tight 35.4 ft turning circle is near the good end of the coupe band (lower is better), unchanged for this generation.

Low, well-bolstered seating and a tight control layout suit the sports-car mission well, though the low roofline and small windows create some visibility compromises for taller or shorter drivers.

Widely regarded by enthusiast press as one of the most engaging, purely fun affordable sports cars on sale — the car's entire reason for being.

Base Premium trim ($26,680 with destination) includes LED headlights, rear-vision camera, power windows/locks/mirrors, and keyless entry standard — generous for an entry sports-car price point, though it lacks touchscreen navigation or advanced driver aids that some rivals bundle.

At ~$26,700 for a RWD, manual-transmission sports coupe, the BRZ undercuts most rivals in this peer set by five figures, though its 205 hp trails newer-generation competitors on power-per-dollar.

Only two regular trims (Premium, Limited) plus a limited-run 250-unit Series.Gray special edition; manual standard with automatic optional on Limited only — a narrow lineup with no drivetrain variety (RWD only, no AWD option unlike other Subarus).

A low-volume niche seller even within its own small segment; 2019 US deliveries were roughly in the low thousands and had declined sharply from earlier years before a late-year partial recovery.

Subaru carries a strong, loyal following built on AWD/Outback/WRX reputation for reliability and value, which lends the BRZ some halo even though the car itself is a niche enthusiast product within the lineup.

As a slow-selling niche model, dealers have had some room to negotiate off MSRP, though Subaru as a brand is not historically an aggressive incentive discounter.

The 2019 BRZ is six model years into its first generation (started 2013) with no ground-up redesign since launch; the next-generation BRZ/GR86 platform arrived for 2022, meaning 2019 buyers were getting a car nearing the end of its lifecycle.

The BRZ/86 twins were consistently praised by reviewers for chassis balance and steering feel but just as consistently criticized for being underpowered versus rivals, keeping it a beloved enthusiast pick rather than an outright comparison-test winner by 2019.