Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 149

T

he 86 GT kicks off at
$31,440, which, for a car
like this, is ridiculously cheap.
The GTS costs $36,640.
It’s worth the extra ask. You
get 17-inch alloys with 215/45
tyres, rather than the GT’s
shopping trolley 205/55 16s, plus
bigger brakes, with ventilated
discs at both ends.
Extra kit on the GTS also
includes HID headlights, LED
running lights, bits of cow on
the seats, groovy red stitching,
steering wheel audio controls,
slicker instruments, dual-zone
air and aluminium pedals.
A six-speed manual is
standard; a six-speed auto, with
paddles, adds $2300. It includes
a Torsen limited slip differential,
like the manual versions.
Premium Sachs sports
dampers, Brembo brakes and
anthracite coloured 17-inch

alloys are available as a $2900

option on GT and $2200 on GTS.

The 86 works because it nails

the basic, essential elements of

what makes a car great to drive.

Except for performance.

The 2.0-litre naturally

aspirated 86’s 152kW (in the

manual; the auto model’s output

is 147kW) is unremarkable.

Its torque quota — 212Nm

from 6400–6800rpm — is

almost pathetically weak

and peaky for a car with

performance pretensions.

As the torque numbers

indicate, this is a highly strung,

naturally aspirated four-

cylinder petrol engine.

The 2.0-litre begins to climb

into the zone at about 4000,

then, fl attered by short gearing

in the precise, snickety-snick

box, spins hard through to the

7400rpm redline, sounding a

whole lot meaner and angrier

than it actually is.

Time hasn’t been kind to the

engine. Compared with the

fl exible, punchy turbo fours

found in most hot hatches

these days, it lacks torque and

feels pretty gutless. It’s not

particularly smooth, either.

The 86 weighs just 1239kg.

That’s more than 100kg lighter

than the Volkswagen Golf GTi.

Its centre of gravity seems to

be half a metre below ground.

When you point it into a

corner, with razor-sharp,

highly communicative steering,

it responds with the grace

and agility of a bird changing

direction mid-fl ight.

The brakes are fi ne and the

ride is surprisingly compliant.

The badge says GT and while

the 86 is certainly an authentic

sports piece, it can also do GT

business, such as long distance

drives, in style and comfort.

You sit deep within the 86’s

elegant, minimalist cabin, wrapped

in a snug, supportive seat.

Those things that you touch —

the steering wheel, gear lever,

wands, handles and controls —

use quality materials. The rest

doesn’t matter.

Toyota’s tiny, fi ddly

touchscreen audio includes

Bluetooth with audio streaming,

voice recognition and a rear

camera, but there’s no Apple

CarPlay or Android Auto

smartphone functionality.

There are no steering wheel

controls in the base model.

This is spun as “enhancing

the purity of the driving

experience”, which I guess it

does, but the reality is probably

that the project managers

spent all their money on the

engineering and ran out of cash

when it came to the frills.

That’s no problem. You get so

involved in driving this car that

you don’t want distractions.

S TOYOTA^86 FROM $31,440

THINGS WE LIKE

 One of the best handling cars on

the road, at any price

 It’s a Toyota, so it’s well made,

cheap to run and it won’t break

 Comfortable driver’s seat and

driving position

 Can’t argue with the price

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

It would be even better with a set

of premium performance tyres

Prefers 98 octane

Engine lacks torque

SPEX (GTS manual)

Made in Japan

2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol/six-

speed manual/rear-wheel drive

152kW of power at 7000rpm/212Nm

of torque from 6400–6800rpm

0–100km/h in 7.6 seconds

6.4L/100km highway; 10.4L/100km

city; 98 octane; CO 2 emissions are

181g/km

Warranty: Five years/unlimited km

Standard: Seven airbags,

stability control, limited slip

diff, 17-inch alloys, Bluetooth

with voice recognition, touch-

screen navigation, auto-levelling

headlights, leather/Alcantara

upholstery, heated front seats,

dual-zone air, reversing camera,

aluminium pedals and scuff plates

Redbook future values: 3yr: 55%;

5yr: 42%

Safety

ANCAP

Green Vehicle Guide

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall



STARS

compare with ...

Hyundai i30N, Mazda MX5 RF, Mini

Cooper S, Subaru BRZ