How Is A BRZ In The Snow?

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
01/03/2015 at 22:04 • Filed to: winter driving

Subarus are extremely popular cars in New England due to standard all wheel drive on almost every model. Naturally, I bought a rear wheel drive BRZ as my only car, which means I'm driving it year round, including through the winter. So just how terrible a choice did I make for winter driving? I took it out in tonight's snowfall to hoon like Ryan Tuerck perform some highly precise scientific experiments to find out.

The Michelin Primacy HP tires that come standard on the BRZ are good for sliding, making a lot of noise without much forward motion, and not much else. From the day I got the car there was no question in my mind that these tires would have to be replaced for winter, and probably permanently. I landed a good deal on a set of Hankook Winter i-Pikes to go on my stock wheels. I've been driving on them for a few months, suffering their lack of grip on dry and wet pavement that holds the car back, since it's capable of so much more than these tires allow. But we've had a relatively snow free winter so far, and I haven't really been able to see what the car can do in the slippery stuff – until tonight.

As I made my way to my top secret test facility, I had no problem keeping the BRZ under control on the slippery roads. I kept my speed down, didn't drive like a jerk, and managed to avoid getting into !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The tires gripped the untreated snow covered road well. It was certainly possible to overpower their traction, but as soon as I took corrective measures they regained grip very quickly. I'm quite impressed with the Winter i-Pikes.

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I experimented with various modes of traction and stability control. Leaving all of the systems on did not prevent wheelspin when I put my foot down, but it did a pretty good job of keeping the car from getting sideways. VSC Sport mode, which reduces stability control a bit but still saves you if you push it too far, did allow the back to kick out a bit. But when it had enough, it corrected quickly – a bit too quickly for me. My problem is that since I've done rallycross, ice time trials, and a couple of days of rally school, I know how to correct a slide. What ends up happening is the car starts to slide, I correct for it, then stability control also corrects, and it all turns into sloppy mess of corrections and overcorrections as the car and I fight each other. VSC Sport is supposed to be the fun but safe mode, but I actually find it the most frustrating. I'm sure it would be fine for a less experienced driver.

I did best when I held the traction control button down for five seconds to disable everything*. The BRZ is very predictable and easy to handle when it's pointed in a direction other than the one it's traveling in. I had no problem slaloming light poles while hanging the tail out as far as I wanted to. A little rally style left foot braking helped me control the slip angle a bit more precisely, and the car didn't yank the power and kill my fun. When I wanted to stop drifting, I just had to countersteer and lift off the gas to stop the wheelspin. The tires would hook up quickly, and the tail would snap back into line. The limited slip differential did its job well. It obviously doesn't accelerate as well as an all wheel drive car, but with proper two wheel drive rather than "one tire fire," it manages to get up to speed just fine. I never actually managed to induce understeer, even though the BRZ is more prone to it than the FR-S due to different spring rates in each model. But this could be because my right foot weighed about 11,000 tons, keeping the wheels spinning, the back hanging out, and never giving the front wheels an opportunity to wash out on me. The qualities that make it such an excellent handling car on the track carry right over to the low traction environment of driving in snow.

With a proper set of snow tires, the BRZ is a surprisingly capable winter car. If you know what you're doing, turn off traction control, don't be stupid, and enjoy yourself. If you don't know what you're doing, leave all the systems on, and you'll get where you need to go just fine. But do go to an empty parking lot sometime, hold down the happy button to turn off traction control, and play around a bit sometime. You'll learn a lot, appreciate the car more, and it's a whole lot of fun.

* Before the Toyobaru experts call me on this, I'm aware that holding the traction control button down for five seconds doesn't completely disable traction control. I'm familiar with the "pedal dance" that is necessary to shut off everything. I didn't bother, and I didn't notice if a tiny bit of traction control was doing anything or not.

DISCUSSION (19)

TDogg > Justin Hughes
01/03/2015 at 22:11

Cool write up and making me even that much more jealous!

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Justin Hughes
01/03/2015 at 22:20

A used Toyobaru is going to be high on my list after the lease is up on the Beetle...

Justin Hughes > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
01/03/2015 at 22:30

I'm working on another article about how the BRZ is to live with, in the real world, as a daily driver. Stay tuned!

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Justin Hughes
01/03/2015 at 22:32

Shweet!

shop-teacher > Justin Hughes
01/03/2015 at 22:49

Well done, good sir!

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Justin Hughes
01/03/2015 at 22:54

Good to hear. I've rallycrossed mine a few times and it was always very controllable sideways. I'm moving to Detroit soon, so I'll be using my rallycross winterforces and drifting everywhere

Justin Hughes > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
01/03/2015 at 22:56

How well does your car hold up to rallycross? Mine's still new enough that I'm hesitant to risk scratching the paint, but especially now I know it would be a whole lot of fun. I do have Rallyarmor mud flaps, which would help.

Forgetful > Justin Hughes
01/03/2015 at 23:29

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/best-winter-ca…

A good set of hakkapeliitta has served me quite well this winter and last.

Long Live the Longdoor > Justin Hughes
01/04/2015 at 01:44

I'd definitely be interested in that!

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Justin Hughes
01/04/2015 at 03:28

Once I scratched the paint spinning in to cones at an autocross, I stopped worrying. I've beat up some of the plastic pieces... One fender liner, and a fuel line cover that keeps getting ripped out by cones. Mechanically it seems fine

DipodomysDeserti > Justin Hughes
01/04/2015 at 09:14

It's Subaru paint, so the clear coat will start showing signs of wear within the first year anyways. I say go for it.

Justin Hughes > Forgetful
01/04/2015 at 10:36

You can't go wrong with Hakkas.

daiheadjai > Justin Hughes
01/04/2015 at 23:10

Not sure if it's the light weight, but I've found the most excitement (of the bad kind) comes when you're driving on unplowed highways that have already had ruts driven into them. The car seems to track and follow different lines of slush/ice/snow so that you don't know what to expect. Unplowed snow is no problem though

Mad Suburban Dad > Justin Hughes
01/05/2015 at 12:11

C'mon, J Dawg, that piddly dusting of snow and sleet the other night couldn't really provide a true test of snow driving, and empty parking lots are pretty piss-poor places to learn the basics of real-world winter handling. Where are the ridges of slush between lanes that grab your front wheels? Where are the unplowed exit ramps off I-495? The patches of black ice under the layer of slush?

I'd wager a large amount of beer that most of your drama-free snow experience in the BRZ was due, as you imply, to your prior experience in rallycross, rally school, and ice racing — not to the car itself. The only problem with that is that a couple of thousand jamokes without your experience are going to read this glowing review and end up in a ditch...which will then slow down my commute and make me about 12 minutes late for my coffee....

desloch > Justin Hughes
01/09/2015 at 08:56

Lightweight RWD FTW.

This is my 3rd winter driving my BRZ in hilly western Massachusetts with Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires. I had a bugeye WRX, and while its AWD allowed me to push uphill through deep/dense stuff with disregard, the BRZ is more far fun in the snow: little understeer, very predictable, responsive, and controllable.

I smile every time it snows and often drive before roads are plowed. I've had no trouble in 4-5" of dense stuff and 5-6" of medium stuff, though starting uphill in deep dense stuff requires finesse :D

People who are scared of RWD in the snow don't know what they're missing.

Justin Hughes > desloch
01/09/2015 at 09:21

Exactly! I went to school in western MA and still go out there a bit, so I know exactly what you're talking about. There are some fun roads out there.

HD Breakout > Justin Hughes
11/22/2016 at 14:00

Justin did you ever write a follow-up? I’ve had a WRX (09) and currently a Legacy GT (11), (don’t laugh..I used to drive a Fiero with a V6). I miss the sports car feel and rear wheel experience. However I now live in Western NY and after a Jeep Wrangler switched to Subaru’s and AWD. I’m thinking of ordering a 2017 BRZ for the Spring, handing over the Legacy GT. Will I regret it come next winter? I have extra Subaru rims so plan on a set of tires for summer and a set for winter. I don’t want 2 cars (a winter & a summer) just a year round car that I won’t regret when snow hits. Any additional links/reviews/etc would be appreciated.

Justin Hughes > HD Breakout
11/22/2016 at 14:11

Funny you should ask: http://oppositelock.kinja.com/living-with-a-subaru-brz-1677386148

tl;dr: I’ve been living with it year round for almost three years. If you can live with its space limitations and have snow tires for winter, it’ll do the job just fine.

That said, I’ve married a woman with two kids and bought a house since buying my BRZ. I love the car, but would not buy one today with my current lifestyle. I’d be looking for a hot hatch, most likely a FoST or GTI, for the added practicality without giving up all the fun.

I’d definitely consider a Legacy GT for the right price. Wanna trade? :)

Spanner Spammer > desloch
10/27/2020 at 11:30

Bingo. I’ll never go back to AWD in the winter - live by two simple rules and you’re fine:

1. GET SNOW TIRES

2. Disable Traction Control & VSC

HAVE FUN!