When you’re looking for a sport coupe, drive-feel and performance are the name of the game. For a few years there, there wasn’t a whole lot to choose from that wasn’t an expensive European car. Thankfully, that’s changed recently. Let’s take a look.
Here’s our no-nonsense comparison for the 2020 Toyota 86 Hawkone and the 2020 Subaru BRZ Limited.
The flat four in both vehicles sounds pretty great, especially when it opens up. Or it should be, at least. Unfortunately, the engine noise in the Subaru BRZ is harsh. The road and wind noise are overly abundant either. We don’t expect a sport coupe to be completely silent, but the nice in the BRZ is intrusive. On the other hand, the 86 has a pleasurable balance between comfortable noise levels and driver feedback. When you step on it in the 86, you’ll get a throaty growl from the engine, not a shout in the face like the BRZ. Road and wind noise in the 86 are also much more controlled.
Superior Infotainment
For those that will be using the 86 or the BRZ as their everyday driver, a decent infotainment is the minimum. Unfortunately for the BRZ, it’s lacking when it comes to this metric. The BRZ screen feels low-end, and the sun glare makes it unusable in multiple situations. The sound system is also pretty subpar. The 86 has a crisp 7-inch touchscreen that works in all weather. It also has an eight-speaker Clari-Fi sound system that helps cuts through extraneous noise.
