Why the BRZ Still Makes Sense for Orillia's Backroad Drivers

Highway 11 and the winding routes through Simcoe County offer some of Ontario's better weekend driving roads, but most vehicles on the market today are built around cargo space and passenger count rather than how a road actually feels underneath the wheels. The Subaru BRZ takes the opposite approach, built as a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive coupe with a low centre of gravity and very little standing between the driver and the road.

If you haven't spent time in a BRZ before, it's worth understanding what makes the layout different from the crossovers and SUVs that dominate most driveways in Orillia. Here's a look at what the BRZ offers and where it fits into a daily routine that still leaves room for a spirited drive on the weekend.

A Coupe Built Around Feel

The BRZ is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.4-litre Boxer engine producing 228 horsepower, mounted low in the chassis to keep the car's centre of gravity close to the pavement. That low mounting point, combined with the BRZ's 2+2 rear-wheel-drive layout, is what gives the car its balanced feel through corners rather than raw straight-line speed.

Drivers can choose between a manual or an automatic transmission depending on how involved they want to be in every gear change. For anyone who learned to drive on Simcoe County's back roads and misses rowing through gears, the manual option keeps that experience alive in a way that most modern vehicles no longer offer.

The tS Difference for Serious Backroad Driving

Subaru also offers the BRZ tS, a performance-focused trim built for drivers who spend more of their weekend behind the wheel than in front of a screen. The tS adds Brembo high-performance brakes and Hitachi-Astemo front dampers, both aimed at sharpening how the car responds when a backroad starts to get interesting.

• Brembo high-performance brakes for shorter, more consistent stopping distances
• Hitachi-Astemo front dampers tuned for sharper handling
• Rear-wheel-drive layout paired with a low centre of gravity
• Manual or automatic transmission depending on driver preference

Practical Enough for Daily Life in Orillia

A sports coupe doesn't have to mean giving up everyday usability entirely. The BRZ's 2+2 layout includes a rear seat that works for occasional passengers or extra storage, and its compact footprint makes it easy to park along Mississaga Street or anywhere else downtown parking is tight. It's a car that can handle a grocery run during the week and a drive up toward Bass Lake or Warminster on a Saturday morning without missing a beat in either role.

For drivers cross-shopping a coupe against a compact SUV, the trade-off usually comes down to priorities: the BRZ gives up some cargo room and ground clearance in exchange for a driving position and chassis balance that most SUVs simply aren't built to deliver. Winter tires and a bit of care around snow are part of owning a rear-wheel-drive car in this part of Ontario, but plenty of BRZ owners in Simcoe County treat it as a second vehicle reserved for drier months, saving their AWD Subaru for the rest of the year.

Key Takeaways

Learn More at Subaru of Orillia

The BRZ isn't for every driver, and that's part of what makes it worth understanding before ruling it out. If the idea of a lighter, rear-wheel-drive coupe for Orillia's backroads sounds appealing, visit our team right here in Orillia to see the BRZ and BRZ tS in person and get a feel for the difference yourself.