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.
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 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 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
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.
Find out more at: http://www.webwombat.com.au/cars/pages/motoring/road-tests/toyota-86.htm
