Best Radiators for the BRZ, FR-S, 86 and GR86: 5 Top Picks Compared
The best radiator for a BRZ, FR-S, 86 or GR86 depends on your generation: second-generation owners get the Mishimoto 2.4L aluminum radiator ($374.95) and the cross-generation Koyo ($400), while first-generation owners choose between the Mishimoto aluminum radiator ($324.95), the CSF radiator ($375) and the track-grade Verus Engineering radiator ($1,928.30). Every radiator below was verified live in our catalog today, with its listed year coverage stated per pick.
When a Radiator Is Actually the Answer
An aluminum radiator is not a horsepower part. It is the answer when the original plastic-tank unit is aging, when coolant temperatures climb on track or in summer traffic, or when you are already opening the cooling system for other work. Buy it for the failure you are preventing and the temperature headroom you need — not for a dyno sheet.
1. Mishimoto Performance Aluminum Radiator, First Generation — $324.95
Mishimoto [13-20 BRZ, 13-16 FR-S, 17-20 86] Performance Aluminum Radiator — $324.95. The first-generation default: an all-aluminum replacement listed across the full FA20 twin range, at the lowest price in this guide. For a street car whose stock radiator is simply old, this is where the money stops needing to go further.
2. Mishimoto Performance Aluminum Radiator, Second Generation — $374.95
Mishimoto [22+ BRZ/GR86] 2.4L Performance Aluminum Radiator — $374.95. The FA24 car's equivalent: listed for the 2022-and-newer BRZ and GR86, and the natural pairing with the oil-cooling conversation these engines always end up having. See our oil cooler guide for the other half of that system.
3. CSF Radiator, First Generation — $375.00
CSF 13-16 Scion FR-S / 2013+ Subaru BRZ Radiator — $375.00. CSF manufactures cooling cores for a large share of the performance industry, and its own-brand radiator for the first-generation cars is the alternative default — the choice often comes down to which core your shop prefers to fit.
4. Koyo Radiator, Both Generations — $400.00
Koyo [13-20 FR-S/BRZ 2.0L, 22+ GR86/BRZ 2.4L MT/AT] Radiator — $400.00. The widest coverage in this guide: one Koyo listing spanning the 2.0L first-generation cars and the 2.4L second-generation cars, manual and automatic. Koyo is a Japanese OEM-tier cooling supplier, and this is the pick for owners who buy the supplier's name as much as the part.
5. Verus Engineering High-Performance Radiator — $1,928.30
Verus Engineering 13-21 BRZ/FRS/86 High-Performance Radiator — $1,928.30. The outlier, priced like one: Verus builds this first-generation radiator for cars whose cooling problem is measured in lap times, developed with the same CFD-led approach as its aero program. Almost nobody needs it — the cars that do, know exactly why.
Do the Supporting Work Once
Fresh hoses, a sound cap and a proper bleed matter as much as the core; silicone hose kits for both generations are in our catalog from Mishimoto, Torque Solution and others. Place cooling in the full build sequence in the BRZ and GR86 modification guide. Our own piece for the first-generation cars: JDMuscle [13-21 FR-S/BRZ/86] Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers — $189.00.