How I finally made my peace with the Toyota 86

Article content

Around the Driving.ca office, I’m frequently – and rightfully – mocked for my auto-mechanical purism. “I’m  Elliot, and I  can’t  work   unless I have  a steam-powered computer  with  a carbureted   keyboard , ”  ribs videographer Clayton Seams .   B eady-eyed technophile  David Booth  presumably  thinks I’m an  endearingly  wrongheaded fool , and I have yet to agree with our managing editor Jonathan Yarkony  on   just  about  any matter of taste  –  but  hey ,  it’s   not my fault  that  power steering is a sin. They aren’t going to change my mind.

Article content

My first car  is  a n early-production  Porsche 944, which in my mind is quite nearly  perfect . Balanced,  comfortable, reliable ,  and surprisingly capacious , the 944 has served me well for nearly 100,000 km. It isn’t quick off of the line, but  that means I can floor it all around town and feel like I’m zooming without actually going fast enough to get myself into trouble.   I t  offers great  analog  feedback ,  torquey satisfaction , and predictable  behaviour  for spirited runs ,  all  while  simultaneously  coddling passengers in  enough  comfort  even  for cross-country road   trips .   I ‘ve slept in it, moved furniture in it, and so much more.  

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

How I finally made my peace with the Toyota 86 Back to video

Article content

Anyway,  I’ve never been keen on the Toyota 86 . I’m n ot  opposed, just not a fan.  Early  BFR86GTSZs  had hideously plasticky interiors, with  tacky fake   fender vents and  sprawling forests of Little Trees air fresheners so common th at I  can only  assume they’re factory .   I think t he noses are a touch long, a nd l ike a dachshund’s stumpy little legs, the wheels are comically  small .  

I made the mistake of mentioning this during one of our office arguments over the semantics of  sports car  vs  sports coupe ,  and that I hadn’t actually driven one yet. Naturally, Jonathan told me to add one to my  review docket .  

“ Am I being punished? ” I asked.

In principle,  the 86  check s  many of the same boxes as the Porsche:  affordable, moderately-powered, reliable, balanced, and joyful. It’s plentiful, accessible, and well-supported – truly a people’s sports coupe.  And w ith the  recent announcement  of a new version on the horizon, it  made a lot of sense for  me  to  call in  a  favour  and get behind the wheel of the outgoing car before it disappeared. 

Article content

My press car was due to be retired very soon, so I raced to Toyota on a Friday afternoon for my car, which I could have until the following Wednesday . One last hurrah before the walk out  to the woodshed, then. I piled my gear into the boot, dropped into the seat , and … damn. Th ese  thing s got … good?  

Toggle full screen mode Previous Gallery Image

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Next Gallery Image Toggle gallery captions

View All 7 Photos

1 of 7

All 7 Photos for Gallery

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 

Function Not Available

Full Screen is not supported on this browser version.

You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen.

OK

Article content

When it comes to trims,  Toyota’s done this right  by  offering an easy choice for either type of 86 buyer.  There are  variations, but the two primary  flavours  of 86 are base and GT .  Coming in at just over $30,000, the base model offers enthusiast car-builders a bare-bones platform that they can buy, plate, drive home, and then replace everything, as 86 drivers are wont to do, or at least until Officer Taraso pulls their plates. It’s a bare canvas, with wheels, bumpers and seats that one can only assume are meant to be replaced with aftermarket alloys, wide-body kits, Bride buckets, and so on.

For $4,300 more, buyers who just want a ready-made sporty runabout, sans the extensive tuning experience, s hould see the GT package as a no-brainer. Mechanicals remain the same, but this version offers  nice suede-like interior trimmings, an exterior appearance package with a sporty little spoiler , a smart key, dual-zone climate control,  piercing   LED foglamps, larger 18-inch wheels with grippy Pilot Sport 4s,   and   excellent bolstered sport seats, and with inbuilt side airbags! My tester was one of these, and should   I start thinking about a RWD winter car ten years from now, I’ll  probably be looking for an unmolested GT.

Article content

You don’t really buy a car like this for a luxury interior, but the 86 affords some surprising comfort. Having said that, there are things to be aware of, particularly pertaining to accessibility .  Tall drivers are sure to appreciate the deep pedal box, though shorter ones  will experience some annoyance . A t 5-foot-8, I had to move the seat f ar enough f orward  that my knees  consistently collided with the wheel on entry and exit, and that still wasn’t enough to make the rear seats usable, even for a child . The bucket seats on the GT model hugged me comfortably, but they may not be totally accommodating for all body types. That said, the layout is intuitive, cupholders are secure and don’t impede gear changes, and you get the  digital  familiarity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on a screen you can actually turn off . A rotary volume knob would be nice, though.

Toggle full screen mode Previous Gallery Image

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Next Gallery Image Toggle gallery captions

View All 7 Photos

1 of 7

All 7 Photos for Gallery

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 

Function Not Available

Full Screen is not supported on this browser version.

You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen.

OK

Article content

Toyota will sell you  all sorts of TRD performance upgrades, but I’m not convinced  most buyers will ever need them.  Like many enthusiasts, I’d p in  my  driving ability   at  the good end of “okay.” While  I’m under no delusions about my  prowess ,  I’ve done countless  midnight  runs through Caledon’s winding Forks of the Credit Road, and am reasonably confident  in my lines and technique .  As-tested, this stock 86 GT is great  for someone of my ability level .  

Turn the traction control off – which you will, because it shudders uncomfortably on hard acceleration if you don’t – and head for the  twisties , where the car is delightfully  tight and exhibits few complaints on entry , and without any  significant drama on exit. It does have the torque to break the  rear  tires free, but  as long as you’ve settled the car on turn-in  and attentive ly counter-steer, you’ll be fine. 

Article content

Suspension is stiff but livable ,  and body roll is c ontrolled . Paired with the unforgiving sidewalls of those 18-inchers, most drivers will find the stock suspension and sway setup about as aggressive as they’d want in a daily driver bumping over frost-heaved tarmac.  I’m sure the TRD bits are fabulous for the single-digit-percent of the time you’ll spend cornering, but stock – at this power level, no less – is plenty.

T hat means we have to talk about power , though, and it’s something t his car doesn’t have all that much  of .  A (pluggable) tube running from the intake into the cabin makes the naturally-aspirated engine sound mean, but  y ou’ll experience faster 0-100 km/h times in the RAV4 Hybrid .  I’m unfazed : The 2.0L is plucky enough for you to have some good fun with this chuckable platform, and without the expectation of fiery doom. It’s efficient, too. Split between highway travel and heavy-footed vrooming, I averaged 9.9 L/100 km. It’s not the cheapest out there to run, especially on premium fuel, but it’s not too shabby either.

Article content

Having said that, the outgoing 86  has garnered a certain infamy for its unusual power delivery . Known colloquially as “torque dip,” the Sub aru-sourced 2.0 L flat-four   pulls  happily until  just over 3,000 rpm, at which point it briefly  plateaus, then dips  down some 15 per cent before starting to climb back up at around 4,500. You can dive into those weeds on the bazillion enthusiast forums  littering the web , but the basic takeaway is this: short-shifting the car around town, you get a fun bit of power through the lower-to-mid rev range, and that’s gr and.   G o for something more aggressive, however, and you must suffer  some  asthmatic   mid-range  stumble  a s you work to  keep  the crank as close as you can to 7,500 rpm. Don’t hit that redline though, because that fuel cut-off is violent.  The upcoming 2.4L and its 1.1-second reduction of this car’s 7.3-second 0-100 km/h time will be a welcome improvement, but don’t discount this meanderer just yet.

Article content

My biggest gripe?   The electric steering rack is precise and direct, but I find the lack of mechanical feedback unsettling. I feel the car puckering through a bend and I know the steering wheel is doing something, but there isn’t much to read there .  Sure, it’s more livable and much easier on my carpal tunnel  and  yada  yada   yada , but old manual racks  actually  enable  you  to  feel   and respond  when your fronts break traction . 

This Toyota follow s  my 944’s footsteps  in more delightful ways than I’d anticipated , but  I’m inclined to fall back on my old Teuton for t he steering  alone.  That said, the 86 is a joyful machine that may not be fast out of the gate, but certainly encourages you to keep your foot down until you get there.   I’m serious about my winter comment, too. A perfunctory search of the used listings shows these things are holding their values annoyingly well, which is a bummer for me but really only furthers the 86’s case.

Article content

Analog fetish aside, my time with this car was a pleasure. Its affordable-performance crown has been well-earned, and though the indelibly-linked tuning world may not necessarily be my scene, I’m glad that folks have such a meritorious canvas for their enthusiasm.  

The new GR 86 is going to be here soon , but  seductive as it might seem, the  new model’s anticipated improvements  don’t  diminish  thi s   outgo ing  86’ s strengths. Keep an eye on those dealer clear – out events, because  there is some proper joy to be had in this pointy little number. 

A nd a s for m y stubborn nonsense ?  Reality check: it’s 2021, and cars have power steering  now .   Deal with it, dork.