2017 Toyota 86 Review

It is not an easy job to create a performance car. It takes a lot of effort, time and energy to research and develops something that could perform better than your competitor. But at times, the competitors help out in developing that ride.

Same is the case with the Toyota 86. As soon as the Supra was discontinued, Toyota started to work on the successor of that performance machine. The company started to design concepts for an improved sports car. Indeed, the three-generation haul Supra was certainly hard to diminish. But, by 2010, Toyota had come up with a concept to bring a successor for that long-haul performance car. That was the Toyota 86.

The 86 is a joint venture which was previously developed by Toyota and Subaru along with Scion. The Toyota’s 86 is known as BRZ in Subaru and FR-S at Scion. But after the shutdown of the Scion, the FR-S was rebadged as Toyota 86. Finally, in 2011, Toyota introduced the 86. By the start of the year 2012, the car went into the production line.

Well, Toyota 86 has even earned a number of awards including the Car of The Year accolade. The 86 has even represented Toyota in the motorsports. The car has performed at 24 Hours Nurburgring, SRO Group GT4 Category, US Formula Drift and some other events. Well, Toyota 86 got fame as a drifter in motorsports.

The model line consists the Toyota 86 and the Toyota 860 Special Edition. Further, the trims are divided on the basis of the transmission system, exterior, and interior designing. The lowest MSRP borne by this car is $26,255.

Specifications:

Engine	Transmission	HP	Torque
2.0 L	6 – speed manual 6 – speed automatic	205 hp	151 lb – ft
0 – 62 MPH	Top Speed	Body Style	MPG
6.2s	134 mph	Fastback coupe	21 city/ 28 highway

Performance:

The Toyota 86 has the 2.0 L boxer-4 engine. The engine layout is pretty much identical to the one installed in the Subaru BRZ. But the tuning is different for both the cars. The powertrain of 86 is rated at 205 hp making 151 lb – ft of torque with the manual transmission. But the automatic transmission delivers 5 hp lesser. By the way, that 205 hp could only be ensured if the shifting has been done perfectly.

There are a number of explanations and assumptions about the title of this car. According to Toyota, the title implies to the past performance cars production from the company. While the mechanic’s specification narrates that it has 86 mm of bore and stroke. Precisely, the title could have been extracted from here.

Well, the 86 has been tested to launch from 0 – 62 mph in 6.2 seconds. While Toyota suggests that it takes around 7.6 seconds. Further, the test revealed that the top speed of 86 is 134 mph. But Toyota says that 86 can go till 145 mph. Indeed, the terrain and driving skills affect the performance sheet.

Last year the 86 was delivering 26 mpg as an average combined mileage. Well, the present day 86 delivered 3 mpg lesser. It is certainly a point to worry about when there had been no major mechanical improvement in the car. Even the EPA has reduced the rank of Toyota 86.

The manual transmission is quite quick and responsive. Our tests were actually conducted using the manual 86. But the automatic transmission displayed some lag in the performance. Further, the handling of the ride is fine. The Brembo brakes are quite proactive in the Toyota 86.

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Exterior:

The Toyota 86 is quite identical to the Subaru BRZ. Both the cars are not just mechanically same, but they even have the same length, same width, and almost the same height. Even the wheelbase is quite same in both the cars.

The only differences that we can find are the badges on the car, the front fascia, the front grille and the vents in the front bumper. In a way, the Toyota 86 even resembles the Toyota Supra. The ride height, front design pattern, the uplift back and the aerodynamics look pretty similar. Indeed, 86 is certainly a successor of the Toyota Supra.

Interior:

Well, there is too much we could appreciate the interior design of the Toyota 86. Along with that, there are even loads of complaints regarding the interior. The base model has the pretty basic features, which doesn’t make 86 feel like a sports car. It rather makes it a cheaply priced hatchback.

While the upper trim has something cool to offer. Ducked sports seats, Granlux interior trim, and stitching in silver make 86 feel like she’s definitely a sports car.

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Features:

A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system is available in this car. Well, this system offers navigation, music amplifying, iPod connectivity and Aha Radio™ App. The same system is available in some other cars of Toyota. Unfortunately, we did not find this system handy. It is hard to use and understand. Further, the response time is quite poor.

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Safety:

The safety authorities might have issues with the marketing campaign run for promoting Toyota 86. But they don’t have any issue with the safety measures present in this car. 86 has everything that should be there in a performance machine for the passive safety purposes. Along with that, it even has some necessary active safety features. The 86 has hill start assist, smart stop technology and stability and traction control. Certainly, the 86 is pretty safe to drive.

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Competitors:

Wow! The Toyota 86 has no other competitor than the Subaru BRZ. The mechanics, design, shape and interior of both the cars are pretty much same. But the performance of both the cars is different. The BRZ is a steady performer as compared to the 86, and this is what makes it rank higher.

The Toyota 86 could be a good choice for your porch if it has ample power under its hood.