Best cheap sports car? (i20 N vs BRZ 2022 comparison review)
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- We compare the Subaru BRZ and Hyundai i20 N to see which sports car is best.
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These two sports cars cost very similar money - but the Subaru BRZ and Hyundai i20 N are very different ways to do performance motoring. One is a naturally aspirated two-door coupe with rear-wheel drive (RWD), while the other is a turbo front-wheel drive (FWD) hot hatch with five doors.
But while these vehicles develop power in different ways and are different to drive, they both try to deliver maximum fun without having to spend a huge amount of money. So, which is best? In today’s episode of Chasing Cars, deputy editor Nathan Ponchard and road test journalist John Law compare the 2022 Hyundai i20 N and 2022 Subaru BRZ.
Find more Hyundai i20 N content over on our website: www.chasingcars.com.au/hyunda...
Find more Subaru BRZ content: www.chasingcars.com.au/subaru...
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Time codes:
0:00 - Reason for comparison
2:29 - Subaru BRZ interior
3:48 - Hyundai i20 N interior
5:59 - Running costs
6:54 - What is the 2022 BRZ like to drive?
10:28 - What is the 2022 i20 N like to drive?
16:44 - Which sports car wins? 
Авто/Мото
I just got my i20n after deciding against the BRZ. Heart still tells me BRZ would be a hoot, but with the STI kit it was 10k more at 47 on road and that seems like a lot for what you get. I20n just nailed it with an actual suite of safety kit, a 91 RON requirement, a lower fuel consumption, usable rear seats, a decent Bose audio system (which compared to the rubbish BRZ one makes a massive difference on the commute) and a centre screen and usability that screamed of higher quality. Both good buys but thus far I'm not regretting the decision 🤘
Yes it it looks much worse
I20n is butt ugliness, no rear wheels drive.
Is all depends on what the driver is, if they are FF format driver. That's all they will ever learn to drive and enjoy.
@@zinny999 rubbish. I've had everything, don't generalise and belittle others. And you'd be legitimately surprised how good the i20n looks in the metal up close.
the 8 speaker system on the brz is actually really good
I haven’t had to make this exact decision, but I would 100% have gone with your choice. I would have serious buyers remorse if I purchased the BRZ, unless it was a second car, due to its limits.
One of the best comparison review I've ever seen! Congratulations Nathan & John. Very professional talks, very good argumentation. 👍👏 Waiting for more reviews like this one. I'm really impressed. Thanks and regards. Enjoy your rides...🚘🚙🚗🏎
A comparison! Finally. And a really relevant one at that.
Well just stumbled on this review but really enjoyed and I’m getting to the age when getting out of a sports car might be a decider 🤓 you two are great thanks from you uk
thanks for the review
I was looking at both cars and this review was insightful
Glad it was helpful!
Love the comparison videos
Thanks Mark!
Thanks for the comparo............plz do more comparo videos..........any product from a reputable company is always good......but we consumers need to know the better / best products......
Channeling Thomas from Autogefühl with the hand held microphones. 👌🏼👍🏻
Well done gentlemen! 👏 More comparison tests please! Cheers from Virginia 🇺🇸 USA
Thanks! Will do!
From Virginia USA too 🙌🙌
I would be curious about this comparison with the FiST in the mix.
On a side note, Nathan, you have such a soothing voice.
In regards to the BRZ being trickier to drive smoothly, I've owned several manual Subies and they were all the same, you had to learn the car before you could drive it smoothly which to me, is the charm. It's so rewarding when you nail the changes when it's not an easy thing to do. When you get into a car which your able to drive perfectly in the first 10 minutes, yeh it's fun and all but not as rewarding as having to learn the subtleties of a machine. I've owned a DCT i30N and it was epic but I'd probably take the BRZ these days.. I spent a day in one last week and it was love at first sight. There's just something about NA and rear wheel drive a turbo and FWD can never replace no matter how good.
Great review. I've got a 2020 Fiesta St and love it. But I think I'm going to also get a 2022 BRZ, when I can - kudos to the i20.
We like the ST! Will have some content on the facelifted car later in 2022.
My ideal garage - a Fiesta ST for the week and a BRZ for the weekend. As I don't have the space for both, my difficult decision continues...
I’d take the i20n, but the deal breaker is the brutal suspension. I ended up selling my Fiesta ST for that very reason and picked up a MX5 RF which is worlds apart.
Great comparison. I would go with the i20n, only because you can actually order one here in the UK.
My go to chanel for affordable cars, thanks. Maybe the i30N would have been a closer comparison price wise?
No worries!
Thanks for the review, was really tossing up between these two for half a year now. Think I'm happy with my choice of going with the BRZ (GR86 actually), now just hoping I actually get it sometime this year 😩.
Enjoy the car! Have you been given a delivery date/month?
@@chasingcars Just Q3 at this stage, hasn't been anymore information than that.
@@Argrarianhow’d you go?
I loooooooove this review!!
Thank you!
I have one of the ultimate purist hot hatches the RS275. Love it to bits, and am very seriously considering the GR86 to add to the stable. One of the things I love with the Megane is the suspension travel, i rarely (if ever) bottom out. The old GT86 whilst decent did have a tendency to still bottom out frequently enough to be annoying, was it much more sorted like for like?
Hell Yeah, the Mégane would torch'em both in a race around a track (although more expensive)!!!
@@stephantranquille6681well I've stepped out of a modded 265 into the i20n and the i20n handles better. With the racechip on its faster than a stock 265. Laptimes I'd say the i20n is quicker than my modded 265.
Hot take: What if Hyundai repurposed the Veloster into a mid engine RWD two-seater? For some reason, the shape of car looks like it could allow for the configuration. Of course you’d have to kill the funky 4-door aspect of the car.
The Hyundai RM19/20 is a proof of concept that utilises the Veloster as a mid engine road going weapon. The American reviewers who have driven them RAVE about them!
Thank you, great vid! Both great cars but in Denmark, where Im from, you can only get the GR86 and that costs 200k more than the i20! GR86 500k dkk and i20 at 300k dkk, so these two cars are such a long way from each other, so here it does not make a lot of sense to compare them from an economic standpoint. Still I would love the BRZ, but as a dad, my wife and daughter would probably be a lot happier in the i20😅
You notice the seat low to the ground when you get in and out of the BRZ. Love the look of the hood from the driving position too. I must admit I hate the boot and useless rear seats.
i would go with i20N
Wrong wheel drive, stiff ride, rev hang, torsion beam suspension, poor cross balance and weight distribution
@@smilepermile8165 No boot space, rubbish sound system, 98RON only, no rear seats, terrible road noise, no AEB (more expensive to insure), costs $7 000 more ...
Good choice.
In 2017, my brother bought a 2014 Subaru BRZ with 50k kms for 20k. The market price for used BRZs with 50k-100k kms nowadays are about 30K and the 2017 facelift seeing above 35k
I purchased a 2013 BRZ with a 2015 rebuilt engine for 13k. I think both the BRZ and i20N are both great cars for people who are looking to modify their vehicles.
I don't know how anyone can drive a FWD car against a RWD car and choose the FWD machine as the better driver's car. It just doesn't add up. There is just something magical in the way a RWD sports car feels. When you are in "the zone", it feels like the whole car is pivoting around your hips, where a FWD car always feels more like it's dragging you around with it. It's that "oneness between horse and rider" thing that Mazda like to bang on about that I've never experienced with a hot hatch.
A few years ago I was really close to buying a Fiesta ST, after driving one around Eastern Creek, but my brother encouraged me to test drive an MX-5 and that completely changed my perspective. I ended up with a BRZ, which I recently sold in anticipation of my new one arriving in the coming weeks. Oh, and I"m 64 years old and quite a bit overweight (120kg) and i have no trouble at alll getting in and out of my BRZ. OTOH, I had quite a bit of trouble getting into my neighbour's AMG A45 yesterday, because I find it really hard to fold myself up into a small enough package to fit through the door openings. It's always a struggle to get my fat head in.
Agree 100%
Love a hot hatch - has to be BRZ with rwd na engine with supple set up low slung coupe
As an ex-86 owner you can't go wrong. New ones would be great since I always felt a tiny bit more Nm and a tiny bit more kw is what the car needed to be awesome. It is a modern day Porsche 968.
Great review! Only question not answered is which one is faster around a track? I assume it'd be the BRZ with a skilled driver, but definitely curious
It's the i20n by a fair bit.
Well in MOTOR's sports car of the year test, the BRZ was over 1 second faster around Phillip Island GP circuit than the i20N.
BRZ any day, will always be a sports coupe 🙂.
How about a track test between them?
Had a 19 BRZ i was bored with due to engine so swapped for an i20N. After a month of having the car i'm gutted! IMO there is no comparison, my old car was like driving a budget Porsche. As this guy says the i20N feels like a truck compared and also feels heavier to me, not sure if its the heavy steering making it feel that way. I'm a RWD guy and thought having a change would be good but there really is no comparison imo...
i20 N is a blast. I really considered this, I really did. In the end, I placed an order on the i30 N. Can't beat the value proposition; even at 49k drive away for the base i30 N, you get a cracking 2l turbo with 206 kW power and almost 400nm of torque, electronic LSD, 3 mode adjustable active dampers, 4 doors, track warranty, custom made Pirelli P Zero tyres, 3 mode adjustable exhaust, list goes on and on 😎
Nice one. Have had the original i30N pretty much since it came out and loved every drive since :D The updated model looks even better... Enjoy!
Wow I remember a 2lt golf gti only getting 110kw
Interesting take on both cars as someone who is interested in the i20n in Australia i have looked at the price and to find a i20n for 33k is laughable even 18:36 the hyundai site is saying 38k plus on roads with production paused. Even further if you search carsales 2nd hand they are fetching 40k and over from dealers is this price gouging
I'm a current 2010 Fiesta Zetec owner. It has given me no issues over the last 12 years/127,000km which is a big reason I haven't moved onto a Fiesta ST or BRZ/86.Very difficult to choose between the two. The new Hyundai 120N is another ripper. But I would still go for the Fiesta ST because of its far more interesting engine note (its regularly compared to air cooled 911 flat six's). However, I suspect the overall experience of the BRZ/86 would be more special. I just wish it had the Fiesta ST's engine note though.
I've got the Mk8 Fiesta St, and love it..Even so, I've ordered a BRZ in Silver. Going to very much enjoy driving them back to back.
@@andyh5666 My Dream Garage. Let us know how they compare. :-)
Honestly hang onto the zetec. I went from a 2009 zetec to a 2014 st. The zetec is much nicer inside with better stereo and build quality. The handling is very very similar but much comfier than the ST. And the power difference honestly if kept on stock tune isn't that much of a game changer.
What colour was that brz was it the wr blue or the darker one?
Sapphire blue
I'll take an i20 N because fast ecoboxes are a *chefs kiss*
wrong wheel drive and torsion beam suspension lol
Is the suspension of BRZ softer than the one of i20 N ?
Yes. It sounds like they get away with it thanks to the chassis. Basically it rides better and handles better than the i20. But at the cost road noise. Such a tough choice!
If you're buying a sports car I'm pretty sure you don't really care about the luggage room or the space for the rear seats that will rarely get used. i20n as a daily sports family car, BRZ as a proper semi-practical sports car.
I am getting the mx-5 nd2.
Perfect comparison. I'm between these two cars. I think even thought the i20n makes more sense as an every day car, the BRZ makes sense as it's a more perfect car and for taking it on the track. Also I didn't realize up until now that the BRZ is naturally aspirated with more hp compared to the i20n's laggy turbo engine. So the deal is now sealed for me on the BRZ.
I love me some affordable sport cars, but I just can't get pass the i20 looks 😂
BRZ for me for the money
I'm stunned. You think the BRZ looks good???
@@stephantranquille6681 Well you have an eye sight appointment tomorrow at 9am don't you? Don't be late.
@@stephantranquille6681 yes
Let's chose a sport car for its practicality
Hmm, would really like that BRZ. Even used 2017 BRZs are selling for over 40k AUD atm, insane
Crazy residuals.
New one is worth waiting for, 12 months will go quickly.
Used 2022 BRZs are going for $55k+. New is $43k on road. Might have to sell mine, and wait another year for another new one.
I love the brz/gr86 but I'm waiting for the GR Corolla before I make a decision
GR Corolla should be interesting
@@chasingcars60-70k interesting iirc!
BRZ vs Fiesta ST please!
Just waiting on the facelift Fiesta ST to land.
3rd comment Podium!
1-traditional RWD sports car (In this instance the BRZ is a highly refined and honed sports car)
2-Hot Hatch FWD car (In this instance its Hyundai's first attempt at a super-mini-hot-hatch, and it shows with its lack of refinement and cohesiveness and fluidity)
Apples and Oranges to me guys.
(and up to 40K for the sportiest trims, is just too far out of reach for its demographic market)
Our sportscar-owning friends tell us they consider both formats; not too many rusted on people anymore, perhaps because affordable performance motoring has really dried up.
@@chasingcars I..have to disagree. ;)
Car manufacturers more than ever now, have the resources and "money" to develop and make an ulta affordable, "built to a price", sports cars. Hell even this i20N has a cheap and nasty torsion beam rear suspension (even the outgoing Veloster had a sophisticated mult-link rear suspension, which improved it dramatically over its predecessor.) Also car manufacturers today have shown us they can make a new model, and make it lighter than the out-going model and give it LESS power, and still sell it in the millions. The original 1.5L ND Mazda MX5 for example. Though subsequent MX5 models the prices got ridiculous! Manufacturers have no excuse currently not to make a niche-affordable-sports-car which would sell in droves. it seems to me, car manufacturers today want to give us less, deliver us a cheaper car for them to actually make, and charge a premium for it.
The current "excuse" for a manufacturer, oh the "chips" we designed in these cars, controlling all its modern safety electronic driver aids, isn't available to us. And just to let you buyers know, when we do get the next shipment of chips for these cars, the chips will be more expensive! And will reflect directly in the price of the car....just won't cut it guys!!!
In summary Sports Car marketing these days is utterly and completely wrong!! This is what I personally think will kill the ICE Sports Car.
@@Mexxx65 Yay for the 1.5L ND MX-5. It is a really fun car, every trip is special.
I just have to prise mine out of the hands of my P plater son......
I seriously considered an i20N to replace the MX-5 but the suspension firmness is a dealbreaker (esp after the supple MX-5).
Its 2022, what else can people get new. I believe $40k is cheap as chips, money is cheap these days, what's day as monthly repayment...few slabs of beer. 😀
@@warboyrb 40k lotta money for a car for me.
i20 needs a fresh gen engine, it's a 17 yr old design, afterall it's now 2023. It's been good but overdue now. Great Chassis ats for them to build on!
John brz flip the head rest for helmet.
Brz the best
10:32 - cold start
RWD > FWD for sports cars
Basic Physics
I will pick the i20 for its modern design.
I will pick it for the fact that I most likely don't have to put down another two grand for track mods.
You have bad taste
@@boygonewhoopdataZZ i20N doesn't have as much potential as the BRZ/GR86. Its wrong wheel drive, has torsion beam suspension, its weight distribution and cross balance sucks
@@smilepermile8165 You have bad taste if you don't pick a Porsche 718 Cayman lmao
@@paulklp8262 Why are you bringing up the 718 cayman when it costs more than double the price of these two cars?
Tested one - tyre noise is a dealbreaker. Wouldn’t look at the other one
for which car?
@@bryce6985 tested the BRZ which would have been my preference over the GR 86. There is nothing to indicate there would be any difference in noise levels between them as far as I can tell. The distinctions seem to be with other details unrelated to cabin noise.
@@antonroux6737 Cheers, its good to know! i guess sound proofing must add too much cost to these cheap 'performance' cars.
@@antonroux6737 What do you expect? If you want sound insulation, you're asking Toyota/Subaru to add weight to the car and make it less agile and slower to brake and accelerate. It also increases manufacturing costs which will bump up purchase cost for the customers, which puts more people off.
@@smilepermile8165 there are other options that are quieter in terms of tyre and road noise, I'm now looking at those - I expect the car to be quiet (it's a better driving experience and better for your health too)
The proportions of the BRZ are so nice and it looks more expensive than it really is. The i20n unfortunately looks like a cheap car from the outside even though the interior is actually better than the BRZ
I think those two cars have totally different characteristics, but brz is not really tempting anymore. Sad that 86/BRZ used to be the best affordable car
Bang for bucks wise - i20N wins by a whisker over the Fiesta ST, then BRZ/86. However, reverse this order for most fun.
Why is that?
@@smilepermile8165 i20N is set up more for chasing laptimes. Fiesta ST has a looser back end. Both the i20N and Fiesta ST cost about the same. BRZ/86 more expensive but most fun ie. RWD.
Can you currently get an i20N for MSRP?
Yeah just wait for months tho
Yes with £800 reduction but 6 month wait unless you get a cancellation like I did
Hummm, new BRZ or a near new 370z for mid $40k...?
Neither. I'd get GR86.
Nissan weighs 400kg more. Thats a huge weigh difference
I bought a 2023 BRZ last week for 31K
@@SnoopysVet USD? This is an Australia review so I was talking about AUD here.
The price is very different
BRZ is cheaper in the states
C'mon fellas, a bit too much talk about the usability. And what's this nonsense about drive modes - those things are nothing than marketing gimmicks. BRZ is unapologetically one thing - a great, affordable sports car with awesome steering.
5.8L/100km in eco mode on my i20n compared to 7.9L/100km in N mode which clearly is way more responsive. You can call the drive modes gimmicks but they do serve a purpose for a daily driver with the occasional track days.
Geezus, that Hyundai is Fugly. Presenter is also clueless. The 2.4 in the BRZ is all new and the Transmission has been modified/improved, not carried over from the previous gen. As a reviewer, you should probably get your facts straight.
Er, no. The FA24 is a development of the FA20. It's not an all-new engine, sorry.
@@chasingcars well it pretty much is all new, although the dimensions are similar very few parts are carry over.
Nah this comparison is literally a joke and disrespectful to the brz. In a track, or in a straight this would never pick up to the brz. Completely give the i20 the win with the interior tho, much nicer seats and infotainment system.
In 20 years time, the BRZ is going to be seen as a purist, driver's car classic and no one will remember the limited dynamics of that Hyundai fwd mini minivan with some neat 2022 features...
Yeah. No one remembers any of the old hot hatches...
@@individual1-floridaman491 some. But they're still not this. Know what would make every hot hatch even better? Rear wheel drive.
In 20 years, Subaru will cease to exist while Hyundai will be one of the leading mobility manufacturers.
Koreans have better innovation while the Japanese have better quality control.
The future is electric and only collectable ICE cars will be preserved. Most will be European classics. I'm not sure if BRZ will make it but PB seems to be optimistic.
@@goldmountain206 what other 2800 lbs, 2+2, flat 4, NA, dedicated rear wheel chassis, pure sports cars are available? 1. How many mini minivan, boring, front wheel drive, pretending to be a "sport car" exist? Way too many....
@@876yuugt You can call it whatever you want but in the automotive world we call it Hot Hatch. What 5 door hot hatch is there with a Turbo, LSD and the Tech. And it is still several thousands less than the barebone BRZ/GR86/FRS.
I can appreciate both cars as I've owned a mid engine rear wheel drive 2 seater and a hot hatch.
These two cars are good drivers cars for sure.
Oh c’mon! The BRZ is a far more superior car!
More special for sure. But i20N, Fiesta St have a real World day to day advantage. Fiesta ST in my view best engine note.
That I20N is so ugly, and it just screams juvenile. Maybe a Fiesta ST, or even the larger Golf GTI is a more feasible comparison. I doubt anyone who considers a BRZ wants a mangled Hyundai as an alternative.
It’s taken years to get over the Japanese made whatever - to now appreciate their dedication to sports driving. I feel the Hyundai is the same sort of decision process, us 40+ drivers made when choosing the nicer German equivalents of GTIs back in the day. OK, I’ll throw in the frogs efforts with the Pug 205GTi and the 16V Renault Clio. Since then it’s stupid money for a bit of RWD quality fun. That has been a shame. The 200SX was a nice idea but it wasn’t a well executed car and it was dangerous enough to claim a few people sadly. I owned all of these by the way so happy to shoot my mouth off.
The 86 was a heaven sent exercise except us old farts were now used to torquing around in turbocharged 2.0l cars, that it just seemed to not add up for a daily driver hustling in daily chores.
So of course the new BRZ is something to behold. I sat in one today and it’s equal parts unreal and yucky cheap. Okay, just that hand brake boot. What sort of fake leather is that. Just make it cloth or mesh or anything but that hideous thin honcho sack pleather. Now, imagine a Korean version of an 86. Perhaps a V4 or their take on a boxer with shift cam tech like BMW motorrad. It’s doable.
But I think we would all truly love VW doing an 86 with their own take on the engine that made them so famous.
I always used to think a GTI with spicy Boxer engine would have been my dream as a 25-30 something. For those who truly like to drive, you only need one passenger and those little rear seats are perfect for a capsule.
Toyota and Subaru. I’ve never bought your products and now, likely will.
Let this be a lesson to Our Korean friends. The Tiburon or whatever it was called was a joke. But the stigma I had against buying Jap cars ended with the Nissan but considering the serious advancements with our strategic partners, I feel our allegiance and certainly mine will favour our friendly regional partners.
Imagine the sharper edges on an 86.
Either way, many reading this will be looking more favourably closer to home.
Let’s hope our dictators don’t ban driving due to it causing COVID related climate changes.
Sack them all.
United we stand, divided we fall.
Can’t stop now - I’d pay $52K if the 86 just had the Bose stereo, HUD, a little bit of material on hard surfaces, knee pad and ventilated seats - They could easily do it and still make profit. Some safety stuff like auto braking - is always helpful when others may be playing with phone instead of driving.
More 86 vids. We are all over the boring stuff and just want to have fun.
why would you even go for a hyundai lmao. it doesnt even slide properly not to mention the aftermarket is only cosmetic for hyundais, any engine upgrade is just a grandpa tryna keep up. BRZ is no brainer.
La brz est sublime, bien plus que cette i20N, un gros coup de coeur pour la brz
Fiesta ST over both of these.
The Fist is a hell of a lot more refined than the new i20N and it shows.
@@Mexxx65 Refined is subjective some might like the more playful drive of the Fist and some would love the more grounded and neutral drive of the I20n. But still, the I20n completely blows the Fist out of the water at the track.
I think the Fiesta ST murders the others on engine note character - the biggest plus in my view over the i20N and BRZ/86. The others just sound like generic four cylinders - nothing to right home about.
@@boygonewhoopdataZZ Yeah, the Fiesta ST needs decent brakes. The i20N clear winner here.
@@incar95678 I'm fitting ITBs to my GR86 and it will muder the Fiesta ST on engine note character
Just disappointed that it didn't come in auto.
Lucky the BRZ has performance because it is
U G L Y and let's not talk the interior. They must have slapped left over parts together, including the info deck.
Subaru designers should be kicked to the curb because their entire range looks like crap.
You must be pissed and looking through beer goggles!
Japanese cars are much better quality than the Korean vehicles.
Not according to JD POWER current assessments.
Lol maybe 10 years ago.
@@norm2655 fake
Maybe 10years ago. Have you ever been in the new toyotas? The interior looks cheap as fuck
You do realise that Bose make very average sound systems don't you? True audiophiles wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. 😂