As with many sports cars, the driver's seat outer bolster wears more readily than the rest of the seat upholstery. In the worst cases, a trimmer can sort this or you can fit a replacement seat.
The induction noise that's piped into the cabin is not to all tastes and can easily be sealed off by fitting a 12-volt power supply cover to the tube in the driver's footwell.
Spot the difference time!
A rattle from the gear lever above 4,000rpm is a well-known issue with early cars and should have been fixed under warranty. If it's there, most dealers will sort this for free. You're also likely to notice a few more creaks and squeaks than in some rivals as the cabin is made down to a price. Most owners endure it and many solve these issues with a bit of Velcro to secure trim more solidly.
Don't be surprised if the speedo reads a little optimistically compared to a sat-nav read-out. It's likely to say 70mph on the motorway when the true speed is three or four mph lower, but it's easily accounted for and acts as a safety net for daily driving.
The rear seats can carry a couple of children, but adults will find them cramped. However, they fold and offer additional luggage space to make the BRZ/GT86 a very good tourer for two people.
The frameless rear view mirror in some cars can delaminate when humidity gets between the glass and its backing. Many will have been replaced under warranty, but it's worth checking anyway for signs of it recurring.
PHer's view:
"Boot is of good size and folding rear seat allows to put big stuff there, like a full set of wheels for example, very handy for track days or, as in my case, when you have a project car and use the 86 as your sensible runaround."
Dmitry Kovalenko