MustangForums Editor

Read it here: MotorTrend Pits V6 Mustang Against Subaru BRZ

The guys at MotorTrend took the 2013 V6 and the Subaru's new sports car out to play in canyons. Personally, I think it's a valid comparison only because they have similar performance, they just go about it in two very different ways.

JayyVee

Interesting comparison, and what I'd expect from each car honestly. The Mustang is a bigger, longer car - thus the body roll (which can be taken care of easily with a decent aftermarket suspension - Ford's track pack doesn't really address that significantly - the rear still lifts like stock on a brake stand..), The brx is a smaller, lighter car that can be tossed around like nuts, with a solid IRS, capable of putting down the HP that it does deliver. Not as fun though, as the guy puts it - I can put my foot to the floor the whole time I'm driving. That tells me - lacking *****.

Reminds me of my old underpowered 2k 3 series I owned. I felt similar about both cars (the old bimmer and my new stang) as they did about these 2 cars. Till I modified my Stang's suspension significantly. body roll, gone, rear lift under power braking gone.

Given what I learned through life lessons.. I'd stick with the Stang, as it has plenty to deliver with room to modify, the BRZ short of FI doesn't look like it'll offer much in the way of personalizing and there is no 'big brother version' in a GT model as there obviously is with the pony car. (imho)

Very glad to see the Mustang taken elsewhere, off the dragstrip and into more 'normal' situations. This is where it's future lies..

mph07alloy

The BRZ is an interesting car. Give it.... lets say......about 300hp and it would start getting a lot more interesting. I would probably still never own one though.

I_Call_D.I.B.s

I was considering the Scion FR-S (the BRZ's twin) before I bought my V-6. I think what turned me off from the Scionbaru is the fact that it uses an open-deck engine. I'm sure at some point I would want to stick a snail on it and I'm concerned over how much boost the block can take. That plus it would be harder to get an aftermarket turbocharged car to pass emissions than a factory turbo car.

That said, I'm pretty happy with my Mustang aside from the pitching Mr. Pobst talked about in the video. It's a little unnerving, especially mid-corner. I'm going to autocross my V-6PP at least once in bone stock condition for a baseline. My first planned mod was going to be a cat-back or 18" wheels for DD work, but depending how my first a-x in the Mustang goes, I might get Koni Yellows first instead.

Miniata

I watched that with great interest. I've been a Mustang fan for 25 years (I've owned four since 1988), but in the last ten years I've really grown to appreciate small, lightweight, good handling cars, like the Miata I've had for the past six years. I put a deposit down and ordered a Subaru BRZ a couple of months ago.

My wife would like me to get rid of one of my current cars if/when I get the BRZ, but I don't want to let go of either my Mustang or the Miata. My deposit is refundable, so I'll at least get in a test drive before making the decision. If we had more details on the next Mustang I may hold out for that if it is everything I'm hoping it will be (smaller, lighter, etc).

In the video comparison the BRZ would have benefitted greatly from better tires, as the Pirellis on the Mustang were definitely superior, but on the flip side, some of the complaints about the Mustang could have been solved with better shocks/struts.

CaptainRon

We'll see what Ford has to offer in the 2015 model. They said it will be smaller, lighter and feature IRS.

WindyMustang

1. Almost certainly there's a turbo in the future for the BRZ.

2. You can already get a nice Procharger for a V6PP car.

Being a guy that shops from the Big and Tall rack, the fit on the 'stang is better, and the interior (while not exactly an Audi) is a much nicer place to be than the "black is all you need" BRZ.

Still, isn't it nice to hear of a V6 mustang as a driver's car?! Hope mine gets built well and soon (in that order!).

justinschmidt1

The BRZ will be a cool car when they offer a 300 hp turbo version....

TommyGNR

The video p's me off. The Mustang was faster 0-60, 1/4, and around a Road Course, yet they declare the BRZ a better "drivers car". If the BRZ was a better drivers car it would have beaten the Mustang around the road course. It doesn't match the Mustang's performance at any non-subjective measurement so they invent a subjective one "drivers car". Motortrend is biased toward asian imports - remember when they compared the Genesis to the Mustang. This is another example of it and its why I don't buy their magazine anymore.

I_Call_D.I.B.s

Well, if you didn't like the video, check your blood pressure before you read the article! MT compared the Mustang V-6PP to the Golf GTI, Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec, Miata, and FR-S/BRZ twins. It's still the fastest around Willow Springs and put down the best numbers in many categories, but it came in 4th place in the subjective comparison. The FT-86 forum scanned and posted the article as a .pdf, partway down the page. Read up quick in case Source Interlink tells them to take it down:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6776

Lap times:
1. Mustang: 1:29.09
2. Genesis: 1:29.12
3. BRZ: 1:30.32
4. FR-S: 1:31.15
5. GTI: 1:31.47
6. Miata: 1:31.88

They also took a Genesis Coupe 3.8L V-6 for a lap in a sidebar (too expensive for this comparo) and it beat the Mustang with a 1:28.71.

Comparison scoring:
6. Genesis
5. GTI
4. Mustang
3. Miata
2. FR-S
1. BRZ