Price difference is because they are different manufacturers. Toyota has a larger audience, and some people are willing to spend more money on the car simply because it has Toyota badging or because of the exclusive paint color, Neptune Blue. Some people who buy a GR86 don't even know they are buying a predominantly Subaru vehicle. I'm sure Subaru also gets some kick-back from every GR86 sold, so Toyota has to recuperate that money from somewhere.

There are a few odds and ends that are different. The only technical differences that I know of off the top of my head are the aluminum knuckles on the BRZ as opposed to the steel knuckles on the GR86, sway bars and their mounting points are different, and like you mentioned the different spring rates on the suspension. The aluminum is lighter while the steel is more universal with big brake kits without modification. The track mode displays between the two cars aren't the same. GR86 has a numerical temperature readout while the BRZ has a temperature bar graph. Front bumpers are obviously very different.

 

The "several grand" is probably the result of dealer markups on he Toyota side. There's tons of videos and other forum posts on here that outline the differences better than I can, but for the most part, they are pretty close to the same. Also, you must compare the GR86 Premium to the BRZ Limited. The BRZ Premium is the base model.

 

BRZ is several grands cheaper. I did a search here and it says GR has firmer ride.

My question is, are the any build differences between the two?

The suspension maybe softer on BRZ, but any other real differences? Can someone explain the price difference?

The differences are slight but if anything, the BRZ is the better built car. It has aluminum front knuckles, a hollow front sway bar, and better rear sway bar mountings. Inside it features more chrome accents and red stitching.

The price difference boils down to the majority of people preferring the Toyota front bumper. Absolutely go for the BRZ if you don't care. Its dealerships are also more experienced with boxer-engined cars, you can order one instead of playing the allocation lottery, insurance is cheaper, and, if you're financing, the APR is lower.

 

BRZ is several grands cheaper. I did a search here and it says GR has firmer ride.

My question is, are the any build differences between the two?

The suspension maybe softer on BRZ, but any other real differences? Can someone explain the price difference?

There are a number of small differences. You can find them detailed in previous threads here, or in reviews elsewhere. Here's a probably-incomplete list, off the top of my head:

• The BRZ has aluminum steering knuckles. The GR86 knuckles are cast iron.
• The two cars allegedly have different spring & damper rates.
• Swaybars are slightly different (diameter, solid vs. hollow.)
• Subaru rear swaybar mounts to the chassis. Toyota's is mounted to the subframe.
• The front bumpers are different.
• The GR86 has an "ducktail" or "duckbill" spoiler on its upper trim level.
• Finish/colors are different on wheels, although the wheels themselves are the same between brands.
• Neptune Blue and World Rally Blue are exclusive paint colors to Toyota and Subaru, respectively.
• Subaru mirror caps are matched to body color. Toyota's are black.
• Subaru interior door handles are chrome. Toyota's are black.
• Seat fabric in base BRZ is plain black. Seat fabric in base GR86 has a hexagonal 'G' pattern similar to the grill.
• Subaru's upper trim has red interior stitching. Toyota's is silver.
• The BRZ includes a jack. The GR86 doesn't.
• The BRZ includes carpeted floor mats. Mats are optional for the GR86.
• The base BRZ with manual transmission doesn't include telematics. No module, even.
• There are some slight differences in the dash display, like the GR86 showing a numeric oil temp readout while the BRZ shows a bar graph.

As for price difference... Each company sets pricing based on what they think customers are willing to pay. Period. If "product A" is priced higher than "product B", it doesn't mean that it's better or that it cost more to build. It just means that the seller thinks consumers will be willing to pay more for it.

 

• The base BRZ with manual transmission doesn't include telematics. No module, even.

that's nice

 

I agree with all of the above and add:

Since the majority of the vehicle is Subaru, a Subaru dealer may be better prepared to service it.

Toyota does a better job advertising the GR86 since it fits in their model line better.

Subaru in the US has a rule that dealers can not sell above MSRP.

I went with Subaru preferring every difference between the two. My plan is to drive the car on local roads and not the track. The Subaru is slightly more engineered for road use over track.

I would have been happy to wait in line for a GR86 if the BRZ were not available.

 

Subaru in the US has a rule that dealers can not sell above MSRP.

This definitely does not match my experience of buying a BRZ last year, most had 2-3k dealer markup.

 

Aren’t the base wheels different styles, not just colors? Toyota steering wheel has GR logo.

 

Aren’t the base wheels different styles, not just colors?

It's the same design with different finishes. 👍

 

You also get a track day with the GR I believe

 

You also get the first four scheduled maintenance services included. That's pretty substantial at dealer service prices.

 

They should be approximately the same price (within a couple hundred bucks). If there’s a difference the options/trim are different, or Toyota is gouging you. They’re near as makes no difference the same car, don’t pay more for one than the other.

 

I'd say the biggest difference (which has already been pointed out in the thread) is that Subaru dealerships are far more experienced w/the boxer engine which was the main reason I opted for the BRZ over the GR86.

 

There are a few odds and ends that are slightly different as well. The track mode displays between the two cars aren't the same. GR86 has a numerical temperature readout while the BRZ has a temperature bar graph. Front bumpers are obviously very different.

 

I'm gonna buy a Subaru and put Toyota badge on it.

 

Sooo, you’re getting the gr86 then?

 

From a handling perspective, it's said the BRZ has a slight understeer bias, rides better on the street, and corners a bit flatter. Matt Farah said the GR86 is great fun, while the BRZ feels more like a Porsche.

If you're planning to modify, I put a camber bolts and a front sway bar on my BRZ and it felt amazing.

 

What sway bar did you use?

 

I opted to go with BRZ coz it is 5-6 grand cheaper atleast here in Australia. BRZ comes with built in navigation and full size spare tire while the GR86 lacks those 2 features. BRZ fornt bumper will age better in my opinion as the GR86 looks very generic but aggresive.

 

Exactly my thinking! Plus wait times for GR86 in Aust is 2-3 times as long.
Actually only MT BRZ is 5-6K cheaper in Aust, AT BRZ only 1K cheaper. This due to Toyota Australia charging the same regardless of transmission choice. They do this simply because they can due to demand. Another reason I won't buy from them.

 

I did a quick search and someone posted this on a Forester forum:

Subaru of America is the official US sales arm of Subaru Corporation (part of Fuji Heavy Industries).

Subaru Distributors Corp is a distributor of Subaru vehicles and franchises in New York and parts of northern New Jersey supplying parts and vehicles to 60-someting retailers in that area.

Subaru of New England does the same thing (basically) but to 60-something retailers in 6 New England states (presumably Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut).

 

I own both currently, as I am obsessed with the platform. I have not driven them back to back as each is in a different state. Flat out and put simply, the GR86 looks better, and as a result turns more heads, the rear end also kicks out more often and aggressively than the BRZ. Simply more fun/tossable on the street.

BRZ surprisingly more civilized on the street, rides better and yet also feels more track capable, and serious. Brakes are better as I believe the BRZ actually comes with dot 4 from the factory and you can feel the difference. All in all, I love them both but prefer the 86 for its looks and prefer the BRZ's serious approach to carving canyons.

In terms of pricing, the 86 just looks more expensive TBH, and will hold a bit more value due to demand, etc. These cars are a f*cking steal at their MSRP pricing.

 

Brakes are better as I believe the BRZ actually comes with dot 4 from the factory and you can feel the difference.

Brakes are exactly the same. BRZ does not come with DOT 4.

 

I haven't driven both but supposedly there's different throttle mapping, the BRZ more linear, 86 more twitchy off the line

 

Surprisingly, only one person has mentioned one of the real big differences aside from the suspension setup, the engine tune. GR86's engine is more responsive than BRZ, and thus many more car reviewers recommed GR86 over BRZ. Buyers of GR86 know that too and hence the demand which resulted the price increase, I believe. In the video below at 11:33, the difference in engine tuning is discussed.

 

Most of my SCCA friends that regularly autocross either of the Twins, have gone to a larger front anti roll bar. Makes the car far more predictable and planted, and has improved their times.

 

This is very much like comparing Mid-Fi audio equipment to genuine bleeding edge true High Fidelity stuff.

The volume pots on cheap and mid fi amps are not linear in response, but will give most of the available output in the first half of the knob's travel, whereas most serious high end audio has a linear volume control.

It's a cheap trick to make the uninformed think their overdriven transistor amp is more powerful than it really is. The US muscle car makers back in the day did the same thing with the carburetor linkages. GM in particular was guilty of this. It's also why Pontiac put those terrible, hard as rock, Tiger Paw bias ply tires on the early GTOs. They were easier to spin, thus giving the false impression that the "Goat" was actually more powerful than it was.

 

This is very much like comparing Mid-Fi audio equipment to genuine bleeding edge true High Fidelity stuff.

The volume pots on cheap and mid fi amps are not linear in response, but will give most of the available output in the first half of the knob's travel, whereas most serious high end audio has a linear volume control.

It's a cheap trick to make the uninformed think their overdriven transistor amp is more powerful than it really is. The US muscle car makers back in the day did the same thing with the carburetor linkages. GM in particular was guilty of this. It's also why Pontiac put those terrible, hard as rock, Tiger Paw bias ply tires on the early GTOs. They were easier to spin, thus giving the false impression that the "Goat" was actually more powerful than it was.

All 100% true, love it.

I remember driving a brand-new Chevrolet Citation the first year they came out; it was a company car. The car would literally jump off the line at the smallest touch of the throttle and then there was nothing left after that. It was pitiful!

 

I meant to say "hopefully linear" pattern.

 

I got my 86 at MSRP last December. I actually wanted a BRZ first, but the Subaru dealerships near my area had a six month wait time for one. Called a Toyota dealership and they had one arriving in two weeks with surprisingly no deposit on it. Put the deposit down and that was it.

Honestly I prefer the BRZ front due to how much happier it looks but I'd recommend getting either one that you can get your hands on first.

If track is important to you the 86 might be better due to the iron knuckles that are compatible with previous gen big brake kits, but the aluminum knuckles are nice just due to weight savings in the BRZ.

In fact the BRZ tS has iron knuckles akin to the 86. I assume that's for cost savings reasons since it has the brembos on it.

Take a test drive on both if you can to see if you feel any difference.

 

I got my 86 at MSRP last December. I actually wanted a BRZ first, but the Subaru dealerships near my area had a six month wait time for one. Called a Toyota dealership and they had one arriving in two weeks with surprisingly no deposit on it. Put the deposit down and that was it.

Honestly I prefer the BRZ front due to how much happier it looks but I'd recommend getting either one that you can get your hands on first.

If track is important to you the 86 might be better due to the iron knuckles that are compatible with previous gen big brake kits, but the aluminum knuckles are nice just due to weight savings in the BRZ.

In fact the BRZ tS has iron knuckles akin to the 86. I assume that's for cost savings reasons since it has the brembos on it.

Take a test drive on both if you can to see if you feel any difference.

The details you provided about the iron knuckles and their implications for track performance are very helpful for car enthusiasts considering these models. The comparison between the standard BRZ aluminum knuckles and the 86/BRZ tS iron ones is particularly insightful. It's good to know that cost might be a factor in the choice of material, and that performance enthusiasts have options depending on their priorities.

I hope your 86 is serving you well, and I commend you for making the most of the opportunity that presented itself!

 

The overall average moral aptitude and reproductive capability of the BRZ owner is greater than that of the GR86 owner. This is objective and observable on a daily basis and clearly documented by the level of regal and knowledgeable Subaru owners in this forum 🧐. This does not mean that GR86 owners are unintelligible, just far less evolved and more stupider than the BRZ owners.

Some might liken the differences between the two owners to Samsung and the motion picture “Galaxy Quest”. One is an electronics manufacturer and the other is a silly movie starring many actors. The other is a gnat.

Furthermore, artificial intelligence will change the world as we know it and end in a singularity by the year 2036 while we all simultaneously discover that aliens are far more real and present in our daily lives than we ever had imagined.

Have no fear homosapiens, though there may be an entirely unfair competition between the BRZ and GR86 (clearly favoring the BRZ), where they both share in their impressiveness is the rare propensity of their engine, in proper conditions, to shear itself internally into a rather unsightly plume of smoke and bearing particulate.

In conclusion, I really need to use the restroom. Can someone here show me where it is?

 

😂

My GR86 monkey brain can barely comprehend this essay

 

I have a BRZ...I dunno man... I got a vasectomy.

 

I think we done been Chat GPT'd, not sure!

 

I think I smell some GR haters!

 

I am typing this and is March 7th 2024 and Toyota is selling the GR86 for $29,300 (base price). Subaru is selling the BRZ for $30,195 in the USA. To the OP, where did you get the claim that Subaru is several thousand dollars cheaper?

 

yup. Actually as of today in the US, a gr86 premium has an MSRP that’s $820 less than a BRZ Limited.

dealer markup is more prone to exist for Toyota and I guess that’s what he meant. Personally, I found it difficult to buy either in suburban Philadelphia so I bought one used.

I prefer the aesthetics of the Toyota. I sincerely doubt that I’d care much either way what the knuckles are made of or the differences in the tail happy natures between the two. More power to those with princess and the pea sensitivity, but I’d wager there are legitimate engineering choices that were made on these two cars that had more marketing (vs discernible) value to sports car nerds like us.