Oppo BRZ Owners!

"ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)" (adabofoppo)
10/09/2015 at 09:49 • Filed to: Ask Oppo, BRZ

I need your help.

I drove a used 2013 Brz with only 22k miles on it last night that I had every intention of purchasing, but walked away. The shifter rattled when I got on the gas hard. The back stepped out on me way too easily when getting on an on-ramp. The suspension was much more harsh than I recall from driving a new one over a year ago.

Now I am having a existential crisis as to whether I want a BRZ at all.

Do these get rattles that quickly? Is it just the tires that make it impossible to chuck at corners without the back sliding around? Do you find the suspension on yours to be overly harsh?

My current DD is an SVT Focus. I did not expect a much newer car to ride worse than mine does, nor did I expect a true sports-car to be so recalcitrant about going around corners.

DISCUSSION (16)

miadaman? yes please > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 09:57

I recall from factory that these didn’t come with the best tires. If there were mods done to the sway bars that will also cause handling problems. Shifter in RWD cars tend to move around more, perhaps in that particular BRZ some linkage component is worn.

Tekamul > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 09:59

Sorry, can’t hep you, I’ve got an FR-S, completely different animal.

Seriously, though, mine is 2 years old, and I’ve developed no rattles. The slippery back end is real, but it’s a tire thing. If you put grippy tires on it, you can keep it from stepping out in all but the most aggressive of driving. Most likely what you drove still has the factory economy tires on it.

As for the ride, the suspension settings actually are different between Subie and Toyota, so I can’t speak for the BRZ, but I don’t find my ride overly harsh. And I’m coming from cars that are typically pretty soft.

The only other thing i would mention is that the fuel pump cricket noise is real, pervasive, and annoying. Make sure you have access to ethanol free fuel.

spanfucker retire bitch > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 10:00

Those rear tires are designed to lose traction by design. I know, it sounds insane, but they use narrow Prius tires back there for a reason. It’s a known “issue” (by design, so I’m not sure you can call it a real issue) that is fixed with new wheels/tires for the rear.

I can’t comment on anything else though.

Justin Hughes > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 10:05

There’s something wrong with that particular BRZ. My shifter doesn’t rattle at all, 19 months and 25k miles after I bought mine new. Maybe a mount has gone bad? With 22k miles it’s still in warranty, so that should get fixed before you hypothetically buy it.

The original tires are awful. Terrible. Good for drifting, and that’s about it. Switching tires completely transforms the car. I’m running 245/45/17 Michelin Pilot Super Sports on mine (at least until winter) on aftermarket wheels, and they make all the difference. You can still kick the back out if you want, but it takes a lot more work.

The suspension is harsh. No question. When I hop in my fiancee’s 2002 Focus LX (about to become mine), I breathe a sigh of relief because it feels as smooth as a Buick compared to the BRZ. Whether that’s something you can live with or not depends on you, and the roads you drive.

Tareim - V8 powered > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 10:06

I believe the rattle you’re hearing is just the gear knob/lockout that needs adjusting, as for the backend stepping out it entirely depends on what the tyres were and their condition

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 10:07

Sounds like mods to me. The BRZ has different springs that should be less prone to oversteer. I have an FR-S. Also I’ve only felt rattling through the shifter while sliding the car, which I’m sure is normal. In the dry, even with stock rubber, you have to want to make it slide. It shouldn’t be sliding out under you with even a spirited throttle application

SVTyler > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 10:07

There’s a car with a worse ride quality than the SVT Focus?

Kinja'd!!!

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > SVTyler
10/09/2015 at 10:08

That’s why I am so shocked. I did not think such a thing was even possible.

FazeRacer > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 10:17

They set up the car so the back end gets a little loose like that. Part of it is the tires, change the tires and that goes away. And yes, the suspension is hard. I’ve mostly owned sports cars as DDs and the suspension is always too hard. Rides in my friend’s sedan is like riding on a cloud in comparison.

Decay buys too many beaters > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 11:02

Check the tires, if they don’t look like they have done 22k miles run away. The BRZ is subject to more “return to stock” sales than any other platform I’ve ever played on. Unused tires and unusually shiny exhaust piping are where you find out if you have a formerly moddified one.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Decay buys too many beaters
10/09/2015 at 11:05

I suspect that might have been the case with this one, and they forgot about the rear sway-bar.

I am going to take the time to drive a stock, new one to compare.

Decay buys too many beaters > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 11:07

Well it’s not even nessisarily forgetting something. Coilovers are cheap for the 86 and most people who go down the rabbit hole buy a set. Once the time comes to sell the car they slap on the stock suspension and most don’t bother realigning.

nerd_racing > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 11:38

Kinja'd!!!

Thank you for helping me learn a new word today!

theredtape > Justin Hughes
10/09/2015 at 12:21

On the opposite side, my shifter rattled from like 2k miles till I traded it around 20k. It was obnoxious but I found it would go away if I loosened it and tightened it down. The noise came from some rattly plastic in the knob itself and could easily be remedied with a new knob.

Sinanigans > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
10/09/2015 at 15:49

Shifter sounds wonky. Tires are shite, which is why the back is so slippery. But honestly, the TC and VDC keeps the car in check pretty well. You have to be seriously hooning it if its sliding as bad as you say.

It’s a great car and I love mine!

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Sinanigans
10/09/2015 at 15:56

All I did was turn onto an on-ramp with a little bit of speed. I have done the same in my car with much more intent and not had any issue.

I expect the back to step out if I am poking it with a stick. This was just driving the damn car with some spirit.