DC164 Critique: 2023 Subaru BRZ

Eric Penn joins Tim Keirnan and Ken Mayer to discuss the first
customer experience phases of his new 2023 Subaru BRZ after a
month of ownership.
The "Toyobaru Twins" (Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ) are the same
car with some slight differences. This vehicle is one of the best
examples of "user-centered design" we have ever encountered in a
product, and Tim owned the first generation for four blissful
years. Eric has purchased the long-awaited and much celebrated
second generation, and we go into intense detail on our first
four defined phases of the customer experience:
Encounter (02:44)
Decision    (07:21)
Purchase   (21:00)
Initial Use  (43:00)


We will record an episode about Eric's longitudinal use in
February of 2024 so that Eric has a full 12 months of ownership
under his belt for that. On this podcast we are nothing if not
thorough.


In summary, the 2023 BRZ (the second model year of the 2nd
generation of the car) meets or exceeds almost every criterion
for delighting Eric as customer/user. The car's designers and
engineers improved on the few weaknesses from the first
generation without compromising what made the first generation so
terrific. From the seating position, to the razor sharp handling,
to the improved human-machine interfaces in the cockpit, to the
new, more powerful engine, everything about this car screams or
subtly implies "made for driving enthusiasts of light weight,
nimble sports cars." Neither Subaru nor Toyota invented us to be
so positive about this vehicle. It is incredibly well-focused on
delighting a well-defined customer target.