Toyota 86 Road Test
Review by Tristan Tancredi - 23 January 2013
If you're expecting this review to be contrary to anything you may have heard about the Toyota 86, you couldn't be more wrong. The Toyota 86 is THE car to spark the car enthusiast in everyone.
The reason is not the cracking sport performance, or the sizzling hot exterior design, it's the fact that it is unbelievably good value for money. So good in fact, that you will be (like we did) scratching your head as to how a car this good can be so cheap.
Available in both GT (Manual or Auto) and GTS (Manual or Auto) variants, we spent two weeks in a GT Manual and a GTS Auto. Let's take a closer look.
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| Drive | Engine | Exterior | Interior | Safety |
Drive: 4.5/5
After reading so many positive stories about the 86, "Unbelievable ride quality", "Best valued sports car in years", so on and so forth, it was time to get behind the wheel of Toyota/Subaru hybrid and get a first hand impression.
Let's get one thing straight, those folk who spoke nothing but good things about the 86 weren't lying, this thing drives like a car worth three times its asking price.
Our two weeks with the 86 (which went wayyyyy too quick) started with the GT 6-Speed Manual in week 1. This was followed by the GTS 6-Speed Auto in Week 2. Let's take an in-depth look at how the both performed under testing.
A low on road position enhances the driving experience of this sports car as it grips the tarmac firmly. This enables handling and steering to be first rate. On the flip side, bumps and potholes are slightly exaggerated. Throw the rear-wheel-drive 86 around a corner and the response is phenomenal!
The 86 GT Manual isn't the quickest sports car out of the blocks, in fact it clocks in at 7.0 seconds. Hardly a figure to sneeze at mind you. Shifting through 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gears at pace is what truly gets the adrenalin pumping.
The GTS 6-Speed Auto is $7K more than the GT Manual. With that 7K comes a hell of a lot of fun. You haven't experienced a fun driving experience until you have taken this car for a spin down a windy road in Sports mode with Traction Control off. Wow!
In manual mode and the paddle shifters rip through the gears as the vehicle responds accurately. The GTS reaches 0-100km/h in 8.2 seconds. Despite 8.2 seconds being relatively slow, when you're behind the wheel, the 86 sure doesn't feel slow.
The Sports Tacho makes coasting at the speed limit somewhat of a challenge at times. Often you will find the car drifting above the speed limit. Extra concentration is required to keep the speed to a "legal" limit.
The Manual consumes around 7.8 litres per 100kms, whilst the auto consumes 7.1 litres per 100kms. Considering Premium Unleaded isn't cheap, it's a good thing that fuel consumption is relatively low.
Engine: 4.5/5
A 2.0 Litre Boxer 4 cylinder DOHC, Naturally Aspirated Engine resides in the Toyota 86.
The 2 litre Boxer Engine has a maximum power of 147 kW at 7000rpm and maximum torque of 205Nm at 6600rpm. This again is evident with better performance higher up the gear chain, whizzing along from 3rd to 4th to 5th gear.
The engine note is meaty enough to place a sneaky smile on the face of those that drive it. Whilst aggressive it is not an over-the-top "fully sick bro" engine noise. Merely a suitable noise that matches the style and performance of the 86. However, we did feel that the GTS Auto was somewhat more tamed than the GT Manual.
Exterior: 5/5
I thought it would be fun to ask a few random friends (definitely not "car-people") how much they thought the 86 was, just by looking at it. Answers ranged from $60,000 to 90,000. Hell, it's not a bad guess, how many sports cars can you find for sub $50K? The answer "Not Many".
The 86 is a sexy, eye-catching sports car. Not surprising when you combine twin exhausts, hot alloy wheels, automatic head lights and a sleek and an ultra modern exterior style. It's no surprise every man and his dog stopped to have a geez whenever we coasted by!
A car that honestly looks like it would cost a mint, yet in reality it doesn't. I dare you, try not to fall in love with it.
Safety: 5/5
Not surprisingly, the Toyota 86 received a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
A host of air-bags line the walls of the cabin, including; Front Driver Airbag, Front Passenger Airbag, Side Airbag for Front Seats, Side Curtain Airbags for Front and Rear Passengers and a Drivers side Knee Airbag.
Other safety features include; Anti-Skid Brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control.
Interior: 4/5
The low on-road position of the 86 is probably the only thing stopping some people from buying this car. Getting in and out of this bad boy, can be a real work-out for the lower back. A touch of inflexibility, forget about it!
Once you have lowered yourself into the large front sport seats (that practically sit just about ground level), it's all about comfort. The front fabric seats offer good lumbar support and positioning to the sports steering wheel is adequate.
Unfortunately, the backseats are next to non-existent. Sure, they are there, but purely so this car can be pushed as a 4 seater. Practical they are not. Nonetheless, we thought it appropriate (and hilarious), to put a mate in the back seat and test them out. Not surprisingly, the unfortunate passenger got pins and needles after 5 minutes as their feet were trapped under the front seats. Although it must be said, it was a pretty funny experience watching him squirm. But hey, Toyota have sacrificed rear seats and decent storage space (217L restricted boot space) and made it all about the front passengers.
The Interior Entertainment System is very, very good. It comes with an AUX input on the front dash and 2, yes 2, USB inputs. You would be surprised at how many manufacturers refuse to have both a USB and AUX input. Thankfully, not Toyota.
The GTS model comes with a touch display screen, with Bluetooth, navigation and all media needs. The iPod interface is a little slow at times. Browsing through your ipod library can become tedious as you have to search through A-Z with slow loading times. Oh and the sound system is good, not great.
Overall: 4.5/5
In 1983 Toyota introduced a small coupe with a front engine and rear wheel drive. This small coupe was part of the AE86 fifth generation of the Toyota Corolla. The Toyota 86 has been defined as the "spiritual successor" of the Toyota AE86.
An exceptionally well designed vehicle that will reinvigorate a passion for driving, the 86 is a very special car.
The GT 6-Speed Manual is priced at the ridiculously low $29,990, whilst the GTS 6-speed Auto comes in at $37,990. Do yourself a massive favour and take one for a spin TODAY! If you aren't already, you will be converted!
* Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised Toyota dealer.
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