One of the biggest questions we wanted to answer by purchasing a long-term 2013 Subaru BRZ tester was whether the sports coupe is capable of driving year-round in winter’s ugliest conditions. Our Chicago test location has potential for nasty wintry weather that could have been disastrous for our dainty 2,776-pound, rear-wheel-drive, low-slung BRZ Limited.
A normal winter didn’t happen, however, and the BRZ faced just a few bursts of extreme weather. But it showed promise as a year-round daily driver given the right preparation and conditions.
Our first preparation for winter happened long before we even took delivery of the Subaru. As co-winner of Cars.com’s Best of 2013 award along with the 2013 Scion FR-S, we planned to purchase one of the two and put it through a yearlong evaluation. Deciding between the two was an easy choice given our cold climate: The Subaru BRZ has available heated seats, the Scion doesn’t. Done; BRZ ordered.
