{"id":2201,"date":"2019-12-21T04:03:30","date_gmt":"2019-12-21T09:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/?p=2201"},"modified":"2025-03-06T16:26:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T21:26:58","slug":"2019-toyota-86-gt-road-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/2019-toyota-86-gt-road-test\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 Toyota 86 GT Road Test"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"2019
Still beautiful after all these years, Toyota’s 86 refresh three years ago helped keep its graceful lines fresh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Have you ever had one of those moments when everything you thought was true turned on its head? Researching this review wasn\u2019t one of those moments, but I was nevertheless shocked to find out that Subaru\u2019s BRZ had outsold Toyota\u2019s 86 by almost 10 percent in 2018, and as of last November\u2019s close was ahead by a staggering 150 percent. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you weren\u2019t already aware, Toyota\u2019s 86<\/a> and the previous Scion FR-S always found many more buyers than Subaru\u2019s version of this compact sport coupe. No matter whether being sold under the less known Scion brand or while wearing Toyota\u2019s famed double-oval logo, it\u2019s success just came down to the sheer number of bodies flowing in and out of Canada\u2019s second-best-selling automaker\u2019s dealerships, whereas Subaru is 13th on Canadian sales charts and therefore could never have as many potential buyers enter its establishments. Still, the comparatively tiny all-wheel drive specialty brand is literally beating Toyota at its own two-wheel drive game. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
GT and TRD Special Edition trims include a sporty spoiler on the rear deck lid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This could be due to the BRZ<\/a> being a medium-sized fish in a little pond, compared to the 86 that\u2019s more of a minnow trying to get noticed in an ocean of much more popular Toyota product. Certainly the BRZ is no big seller for Subaru either, but consider for a moment that the 86 represents just 0.1 percent of the 200,041 Toyotas sold in Canada over the past 11 months, compared to the BRZ that was a much more significant 1.2 percent of the 52,853 Subarus sold during the same period, and it\u2019s easy to see why it might garner a bit more importance in a Subaru retailer\u2019s lineup.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As it is, the 86 has seen its sales decline at a rapid rate over the past couple of years. Since it first arrived on the Canadian scene in 2012, resulting in 1,470 deliveries within its initial seven months, its popularity has plunged from 1,825 units in 2013, to 1,559 in 2014, 1,329 in 2015, 988 in 2016, 919 in 2017, and finally 550 in 2018, while year-to-date it\u2019s only sold a scant 250 units. This represents a 53.3-percent drop over the same 11 months last year, while the BRZ\u2019s 625 deliveries over the same duration shows an 8.1-percent increase. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, the BRZ<\/a> isn\u2019t the 86<\/a>\u2019 only competitor, just its most obvious being they\u2019re identical cars below very similar skins. Mazda\u2019s MX-5<\/a>, which sold 767 units so far this year, resulting in 26.99 percent year-over-year growth, joins the BRZ by showing there\u2019s some renewed interest in the entry-level sports car segment as long as the updates focus on the needs and desires of its uniquely passionate customer base. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
The LED headlights and 17-inch rims are standard across the 86 line, but the fog lamps are part of the GT upgrade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fact is, the 86 hasn\u2019t been updated since its 2017 model year refresh and concurrent Scion FR-S transformation, other than some special editions, and as to the importance of updating aging models, its sales numbers speak for themselves. So what\u2019s going to happen to this beloved sports car in the near future? That\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess, and we shouldn\u2019t rely wholly on the words of a U.S.-market Toyota spokesperson who told us last year that the 86 was here to stay for the foreseeable future. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you think the sad state of 86 sales is merely a problem for Toyota Canada, consider that the 3,122 units delivered in the U.S. market over the past 11 months also represents about 0.1 percent of Toyota\u2019s total 1,913,159 unit output up until November\u2019s end, so the car merely exists to improve Toyota\u2019s performance branding, and I think the new 2020 Supra will do a much better job of that this year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Toyota hasn\u2019t completely forgotten its most affordable sports car, the 2020 86<\/a> soon to arrive with a 0.9-inch larger 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring a revised interface capable of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration plus more, but before I get into that, let\u2019s talk about this 2019 model and the changes made three years ago. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
GT trim adds plush Alcantara faux-suede across the dash, door panels and seats.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toyota updated the 86\u2019 frontal design for the 2017 model year, with new standard LED headlights, revised front fender vents positioned lower on the side panel with a new \u201c86\u201d insignia, and a fresh set of taillights featuring brighter LED technology. The interior, which has always been quite nice for this class, was made more easily accessible via available proximity keyless entry, while the ignition could be started and stopped with a button. Additional upgrades included optional two-zone automatic climate control, leather and Alcantara upholstery, with the suede-like material also topping the primary instrument hood and passenger-side dash insert. <\/span><\/p>\n

The 2019 86 continues forward with a Toyota-branded 6.1-inch centre touchscreen featuring attractive blue on black patterned graphics, all the normal radio functions, USB integration, plus Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, although fans that hoped to find the backup camera\u2019s image on the main display were disappointed (including yours truly) to find it still projected from within the rearview mirror. This makes the mirror less useful, and being that the camera\u2019s display is so small, it becomes a double negative when trying to reverse on a rainy night. Of course, Toyota will remedy this problem when the new larger 2020 infotainment system arrives, correct? No, unfortunately that touchscreen is bigger and functionality more complete, but it won\u2019t be used for reversing purposes. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
The upgrade to GT trim includes a 4.2-inch multi-information display with performance data.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m forced to point back to the North American sales figures noted earlier, but I can\u2019t say for sure whether or not they\u2019d increase significantly if Toyota made the 86 more practical. I\u2019d guess that it would be nigh impossible to cover the increased costs of integrating a rearview camera within the centre display for the 6,200 year-to-date 86<\/a> and BRZ<\/a> models sold into our two countries (the only two global markets that mandate backup cameras), so we\u2019re left with this half-measure to satisfy the requirements of legislators. All I can say is, 15 minutes of fast-paced shenanigans down a circuitous mountainside pass and you won\u2019t care one whit about backing up. <\/span><\/p>\n

Did you notice I said \u201cdown\u201d a mountainside pass? That\u2019s due to the 86\u2019 Subaru-sourced 2.0-litre \u201cboxer\u201d four-cylinder engine, which once again makes just 205 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque for 2019. Don\u2019t get me wrong as I personally find this wholly adequate, particularly when tooling around town or flinging this little sensation down a winding road, as it weighs in at just 1,252 kg (2,760 lbs) and therefore doesn\u2019t need a whole lot of power. Still, its ardent fan-base has been calling out for more engine output for years, and those steadily falling sales numbers might mean that those prospective buyers are right. Toyota pumped up horsepower and torque by 2.5 and 3.3 percent respectively for 2017, but that obviously didn\u2019t get anyone excited, so the automaker may want to lean on Subaru to give up its new 268 horsepower 2.0-litre turbocharged WRX engine, or better yet the 310-hp 2.5-litre WRX STI mill. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
The centre stack includes a 6.1-inch touchscreen and auto HVAC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Actual 86 output was increased by five horsepower and five lb-ft of torque for 2017, which while slightly improved only represented a respective 2.5 and 3.3 percent more beef added to a very lean, near vegan diet, so therefore it didn\u2019t answer the continual online petition from the model\u2019s faithful for much more performance. <\/span><\/p>\n

Notably, only six-speed manual equipped 86s get the power upgrade, which also joined a revised rear differential tuned for quicker standing starts. Also available is a six-speed automatic with paddles shifters, complete with rev-matched downshifting that works very well as experienced in my 2017 86 tester, but as just mentioned it only gets the old 200 horsepower engine with 151 lb-ft of torque. On the positive both cars were upgraded with hill start assist in 2017, which certainly helps when taking off in hilly areas. <\/span><\/p>\n

I enjoyed the automatic a lot more than I first expected to, particularly when driving around the city, but being that the 86 is a serious rear-wheel drive sports car designed for enthusiasts, unlike the ever-shrinking class of compact car-based front-wheel drive sporty coupes available, I\u2019d only personally consider the manual. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
A tiny reverse camera is integrated within the rearview mirror.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After all, modulating the clutch while letting the engine revs climb up to 7,000 rpm for max power is the optimal way to eke the most performance from the engine\u2019s available power, no matter if you\u2019re pulling away from a stoplight or quickly exiting a curve, while that last point in mind the 86 remains one of the best ways to quickly snake through a serpentine canyon road or equally curvaceous ribbon of tarmac anywhere else. <\/span><\/p>\n

MacPherson gas struts are positioned under the hood up front while double wishbones take care of the fully independent rear suspension, while it\u2019s possible to move up from my tester\u2019s most luxurious GT trim to a manual-only TRD Special Edition (or SE) model hiding SACHS performance dampers behind its upgraded Brembo brakes and one-inch larger 18-inch alloys wrapped in 215\/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 performance rubber. My tester would\u2019ve normally worn 215\/45R17 summers, but Toyota smartly swapped those tire out for a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winters that actually made it more fun to slide sideways mid-turn. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
Comfortable and supportive, Alcantara helps these superb front seats grip even better.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking of trims, the 2019 86 can be had as a base, GT or just-mentioned SE, with some thus-far not mentioned entry-level base highlights including a limited slip differential, auto on\/off LED headlights, heatable power-remote outside mirrors, remote entry, a tilt and telescoping leather-clad multifunction three-spoke sport steering wheel, a leather-wrapped shift knob and handbrake lever, aluminum sport pedals, a trip computer\/multi-info display, cruise control, variable intermittent windshield wipers, one-zone automatic HVAC, an eight-speaker AM\/FM audio system with auxiliary and USB ports plus an Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL), Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, a six-way manual driver\u2019s seat, power windows with auto up\/down, dual vanity mirrors, all the expected active and passive safety features and more for only $29,990 (plus freight and fees). <\/span><\/p>\n

The auto transmission costs $1,200 extra, which is the same whether opting for a base 86 or my $33,260 as-tested GT tester. GT trim wasn\u2019t on the menu when I reviewed the 2017 86, by the way, but most of its features were part of a Special Edition that now shares its more performance-oriented upgrades with the top-line SE trim noted a moment ago. Before I delve into that TRD special, I should point out that GT trim adds the proximity keyless entry and pushbutton ignition system I noted earlier, plus the dual-zone auto climate control and more luxurious leather and microsuede upholstery I spoke about, while its front seats add heaters as part of this package, with additional GT upgrades including LED fog lights, a rear spoiler, a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display showing performance data, and theft deterrence. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
Tight for adults, these rear seats nevertheless make the 86 more practical than most rivals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, the $38,220 SE trim, or more specifically the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Special Edition adds black side mirror housings, a cool TRD aero kit, a TRD performance dual exhaust upgrade, unique cloth sport seats with sporty red accents, red seatbelts, and red stitching throughout the cabin, plus the wheel\/tire and suspension mods noted before. <\/span><\/p>\n

Trims, packages and pricing in mind, 2019 86 buyer are able to access up to $2,000 in additional incentives right now. Just go to our 2019 Toyota 86 Canada Prices page<\/a> right here at CarCostCanada to learn more, but then again if you really want the upgraded infotainment system (CarPlay and Android integration can be helpful) then check out the 2020 Toyota 86 Canada Prices page<\/a>, which will show you how to benefit from factory leasing and financing rates from 3.49 percent. Both pages provide complete pricing information as well as info about manufacturer rebates and dealer invoice pricing that could save you thousands. <\/span><\/p>\n

Toyota replaces the TRD Special Edition with a new Hakone Edition for 2020, which features special Hakone Green paint and rolls on unique 17-inch bronze-coloured alloy wheels; the name reportedly paying tribute to \u201cone of the greatest driving roads in the world,\u201d or so says Toyota. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2019
A sports car you can live with thanks to an expandable trunk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One thing that shouldn\u2019t change from 2019 to 2020 is fuel economy, the 86 rated at 9.9 L\/100km city, 7.3 highway and 8.7 combined when fitted with its manual, or 11.3, 8.3 9.9 respectively with its autobox. While not best in the sports car class, it\u2019s still pretty decent for anything that drives as well as it does. <\/span><\/p>\n

This said most buying into this class won\u2019t give a rat\u2019s derriere about fuel-efficiency, but when compared to some rivals that only offer two front seats the 86\u2019 rear bench might come in handy, and importantly its single-piece rear seatback folds flat in order to extend the reasonably sized 196-litre (6.9 cubic-foot) trunk, which I\u2019ve actually seen filled up with four racing slicks on wheels (a beautiful sight). <\/span><\/p>\n

A new 86 would certainly make one wonderfully reliable weekend racer, not to mention a great way to get to work and back. All for less than $30k? Yes, it should sell a lot better than it does. <\/span><\/p>\n

Story and photo credits: Trevor Hofmann<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever had one of those moments when everything you thought was true turned on its head? Researching this review wasn\u2019t one of those moments, but I was nevertheless shocked to find out that Subaru\u2019s BRZ had outsold Toyota\u2019s 86 by almost 10 percent in 2018, and as of last November\u2019s close was ahead […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[388,31,384,396,395,224,59,122,397,389,390,394,300,385,250,392,79,78,391,154,386,207,398,387,393],"class_list":["post-2201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-carcostcanada","tag-388","tag-31","tag-384","tag-auto","tag-autocross","tag-car","tag-compact","tag-coupe","tag-cross","tag-door","tag-drift","tag-drive","tag-gt","tag-hard","tag-hardtop","tag-rear","tag-review","tag-road-test","tag-rwd","tag-sports","tag-top","tag-toyota","tag-tuner","tag-two-door","tag-wheel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2201"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2227,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201\/revisions\/2227"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/articles.carcostcanada.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}