2023 Toyota GR86 Review
2023 Toyota GR86 Review
the Toyota GR86: A Thrilling Sports Car for Pure Driving Pleasure
Shop for a new Toyota GR86 on CarGurus: https://cargur.us/Xv9Tx
As springtime arrives, we anticipate the joy of taking out a sports car and embarking on an exhilarating drive. When it comes to finding a truly enjoyable sports car, one name stands out: the Toyota GR86. Priced under $30,000, this rear-wheel drive marvel offers a manual transmission, striking a perfect balance between performance and affordability. In an era where such cars are increasingly rare, the Toyota GR86 has remained a beacon of driving excellence from a mainstream automaker.
For more information on the GR86, read our full 2022 review: https://cargur.us/Xv9Pr
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Presenter: Clifford Atiyeh
Cinematography: www.VennCreativeMedia.com
#toyota #gr86 #toyotagr86
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0:00 The GR86
0:58 Exterior
2:48 Cargo Space
3:02 Interior
4:35 Driving Impressions
12:33 Pricing
13:01 Final Thoughts
Content
0.06 -> When it's springtime I like to take out a sports
car and there's no better fundamental sports car
5.4 -> to really enjoy yourself from the Toyota 86. under
30 000 rear wheel drive manual transmission it's
13.32 -> balanced it's everything that a car should be
without being overpowered and crazy and just way
19.14 -> too expensive there aren't many cars like this
anymore so I'm gonna enjoy myself today on some
23.82 -> Coastal New England roads up in New Hampshire
so come with me let's enjoy it together for the
29.1 -> last decade the Toyota gr 86 has been a rare type
of vehicle from a mainstream automaker you get a
36.12 -> rear-wheel drive manual transmission sports
car a true sports car not based on anything
40.86 -> else Toyota and Subaru co-developed the car just
as they did in the first generation when it came
46.56 -> out as a Scion the FRS for 2013. now 10 years
later the gr 86 even though it's gone through
54.12 -> a different name it's very much the same car only
better the 86 is one of the shortest cars on sale
61.02 -> but it's also more than a foot longer than a Mazda
Miata so put that into perspective it's a little
66.6 -> larger and longer than the previous generation
but it's compact has all the right dimensions
71.34 -> a short tail a nice long and tapered hood here
right on the nose this is the premium trim so it
77.64 -> has the larger 18 inch wheels versus the standard
17s and what Toyota calls a duckbill spoiler it's
84.3 -> a pretty big flap in the back oh and also you
cannot order a sunroof so that's helpful for
89.88 -> Headroom but if you want the outside Vistas just
open the windows Under This Hood is a Subaru flat
96.84 -> 4. ordinarily that would make me run in the other
direction but right now this one is tuned to have
102.18 -> more power more torque and it's so much smoother
than before the old 2-liter did not have these
107.7 -> same characteristics it's so much more refined and
look at the numbers for this type of lightweight
112.26 -> car 228 horsepower and 184 pound feet are very
healthy figures a six-speed manual transmission
119.1 -> is standard and it's very good yes you can
get a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters
126.9 -> we'll move on fuel economy also pretty decent
for a four-cylinder car up in the high 20s if
133.44 -> you drive it normally you could probably hit 30
but considering that it's not a hybrid pretty good
138.96 -> the back of the 86 has another refined look just
like the front these bumper extensions are just
144.24 -> slightly longer than before that gives it just
an added dimension of some Elegance because a
149.04 -> coupe really should be about that there's
also strength I like the way the shoulder
152.28 -> line is here and ordinarily I think spoilers like
these are pretty tacky but they look good here
156.96 -> particularly because it's raised it's really more
Porsche like than anything else and my 86 has the
162.18 -> optional TRD exhaust that's why these pipes are a
little larger and they're also louder good thing
168.3 -> what good is a sports car on a weekend trip if you
can't use the trunk just over six cubic feet and
174.24 -> more if you fold down the seat I got this stuff
with camera gear right now but I gotta say for a
179.34 -> long weekend trip you can go away in an 86. it's
snug it's tight as it should be these seats feel
186.24 -> good all the controls are right where you need
them the steering wheel is small it doesn't feel
190.5 -> claustrophobic like the Toyota Supra that's a
very big Improvement the instrument panel might
196.38 -> be digital and there's a central screen because
it's a modern car but everything else feels analog
201.66 -> the climate controls the toggle switches even the
seat heating controls and of course the shifter
207.3 -> it's simple inside here because this car is all
about driving and nothing more Subaru designed
213.54 -> the infotainment and you can tell because it
looks pretty old and dated the typefaces just
219.42 -> the general interface around here there's not much
going on but I will say that it's got Sirius XM
225 -> radio you can do Apple carplay and Android auto
and there's some safety features like this that's
230.64 -> it blind spot and rear cross traffic alert if
you want all the Advanced Driver assist you got
235.5 -> to buy a different car and if you want really
good infotainment you know you're not getting
239.58 -> an 86 for that this digital instrument panel is
old but old in a good way I kind of like it's
245.7 -> an old 80s Japanese comics and all the cars that
came out at that time I don't mind seeing these
251.76 -> Graphics like that even if it's a little cheesy
because guess what if you go into track mode
256.14 -> you see a totally different type of
display here and that engine does REV
260.94 -> pretty high you get lap timers but this
is about all you're getting I like that
266.34 -> at this price the fit the finish and all the
material quality is pretty good everywhere
271.08 -> their elbows and your hands touch is soft I
like that and what else is there to say but
276.18 -> just to get out here and drive that's what I'm
gonna do so close that door let's go [Music]
286.44 -> this is just so refreshing it's
refreshing to be away from my desk
292.26 -> outside well inside a car but inside a car
that just feels like it's a part of you
301.86 -> there's a lot you can detract and say
negative things about modern cars about
306.84 -> how they distance themselves
from the driver but not the 86
314.28 -> it's a brand new car you can buy today
that feels so direct so controlled
322.92 -> and the steering is really my
favorite part about this car
327.48 -> it's almost tingly in a way you move
the wheel just slightly and you know
332.16 -> exactly where those tires are pointed
you feel every part of the contact patch
339.18 -> and nothing's too over boosted or
overreactive it's just neutral it feels great
346.56 -> this engine is also so much better than
before and I've driven lots of 86 well
351.18 -> used to be called the Scion FRS and the Subaru
BRZ of that previous generation also a great car
359.46 -> and if you look at the specs on the screen it
might not seem like this is a completely new car
365.7 -> because all the elements before are still intact
369.3 -> but this engine is really a new
shining star I really will say that
373.38 -> the extra 400 cc's of displacement in this engine
and makes a difference particularly with vibration
380.04 -> the old one was good but you had to wind it up
a lot further to get to that max horsepower so
385.98 -> even though you're only getting maybe 20 plus
horsepower or more versus the old one the way
391.32 -> it's getting to that Peak it just feels easier
you don't feel like you're straining quite as hard
397.68 -> and I'm just cruising right now just over 3000
RPM because the gear ratios are pretty short
403.38 -> so if you're going around town you're going
to find yourself probably being like in fifth
407.22 -> even at like you know 35 to 40 miles an hour
just to get this thing to calm down but this
412.74 -> engine wants to wind out it really does
you will get a little bit of the boom and
418.08 -> that's also from the exhaust being a more Open
Exhaust with that TRD option that we have here
423.96 -> occasionally you get that low
frequency Rumble that doesn't go away
430.14 -> but if you get a different gear and also it
pops a little bit I like that too [Music]
442.5 -> yeah it's fun because remember under 3 000
pounds without any options it's like just over
450.66 -> 2 800 pounds that's like um three of these would
equal one Hummer EV an just an average sports car
464.22 -> is easily over 3 400 pounds that difference
is very very noticeable so right there's
473.16 -> no turbo there's nothing else really Ultra
sophisticated happening with this Powertrain
481.38 -> but Toyota and Subaru have gotten the basics
right and that's something that when you step
488.04 -> up to higher performance German cars for example
yeah they've got a lot of fancy differentials this
495.12 -> has a limited slip so it still has that this
still has Hill hold assist but it doesn't have
501 -> all the multiple damping and driving modes that
you're going to find in the more expensive cars
506.04 -> it just doesn't not at this price but when you
drive an 86 you don't really feel the need for
512.4 -> any of that because it just brings you back to a
time when you just got in your car you started it
521.1 -> and you weren't pressing all
these menus on the screen and
524.46 -> and having a saved button preset for any of the 10
529.14 -> 000 different configurations that you can put
on a car it's just get in and you go [Music]
541.32 -> a great thing about a car like
the 86 that's not too too powerful
546.48 -> is that you feel like you can really
Max it out safely on a public Road
552.54 -> and you won't be going triple the speed limit
within a few seconds 0-60 Toyota estimates it's
558.66 -> just over six seconds I would say it feels
quicker than that and I think it's just the
564 -> fact that I'm just so low to the ground the
windshield's just directly in front of my face
570.24 -> and all that sound the red line here is just about
7 500 RPM [Music] so you can have a ton of fun
582.42 -> Without Really Trying too hard I love that [Music]
589.02 -> this car the steering the handling it's excellent
597.3 -> and the track mode has a way that you
can essentially drift it a little bit
603.54 -> which I'm not going to demonstrate right now but
I've done it on a track and it's a ton of fun
611.6 -> [Music]
612.6 -> I love the downshifts too they feel really good
just a little bit of Pop not too much not like the
618.84 -> crazy snap crackle pop tuner bangs that you hear
that I'm hearing like every day outside my window
626.76 -> that gets really annoying it doesn't
sound good this one does [Music]
643.44 -> as soon as you get right down from speed you
feel like you have all the control in the world
651.98 -> [Music] I've been lucky enough in my auto career
to have driven so many faster cars so many more
658.08 -> expensive cars but I can look at this one and just
really feel like yeah I could drive this every day
663.54 -> I don't really feel like I'm wanting for more you
can always want for more we're naturally selfish
669.36 -> people as car enthusiasts that's what happens
they don't really need it in the 86 you just don't
678.3 -> now if you want to spend double you can get
a Toyota Supra with that six cylinder engine
683.64 -> making almost 400 horsepower watch my review
of that car because yes it is fantastic is it
690.78 -> worth the price sure [Music] but if you've already
have a quick family car or even another sports car
700.62 -> getting one of these with roughly
half the power half the price
707.28 -> I don't feel Short change I really do feel like
this is one of those cars it's gonna go down
712.32 -> in history as something to remember [Music]
it may not have the cachet and The Prestige
721.68 -> of a lot of other cars that are out there but
for something showroom fresh with a factory
727.2 -> warranty available right now as everyone's
switching to EVS they can get into Toyota 86.
735.12 -> and really feel like I did 20 years ago when
I was just starting out learning to drive
745.68 -> this is the car right down to the
brakes you just feel a part of it
749.22 -> you don't feel like there's any complaint at
all even the clutch take up is nice and easy
753.18 -> for 2023 the Toyota gr 86 starts at 28 400 it's
pretty well equipped but we'd recommend the gr86
761.52 -> premium which is 31. now if you add a few dealer
accessories and other factory options like the
767.16 -> performance dual exhaust carpets and even an air
filter on this car you're looking at 34 623 with
773.82 -> all fees and destination now I think the gr-86
is a great little car for the money you're not
779.52 -> finding cars in this category at all you cannot
find another rear-wheel drive sports car powered
785.22 -> by gas that's as good as this under 30k to start
this one is just over 30 with options so what else
792.12 -> are you going to choose maybe a Subaru BRZ or a
Mazda Miata that's pretty much it if you want a
797.82 -> brand new car it's lightweight it's fun and it
is a very I would say a teachable car if someone
804.12 -> is new to manual transmissions or to just sports
cars in general this is a master class think of
809.4 -> it like that it has all the fundamentals and
the elements are just perfect so what do you
813.84 -> think do you want more sports cars because
I do we're gonna have more on the CarGurus
818.28 -> YouTube channel more reviews at cargurus.com so
subscribe and we'll see you next time [Music]
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K2N7BWr7C4