Toyota GT86 review

We’ve longed for a genuinely exciting and desirable Toyota ever since the demise of the iconic Celica, so when it announced the rear-wheel drive, 197BHP GT86, a product of a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru that also resulted in the Subaru BRZ, we had to drive it. The car’s visually striking, having a clean, modern look that somehow harks back to the Japanese sports cars of the early 90s, and it’s difficult to decide from which angle it looks best: the side, front on, rear or rear 3/4s. We’ll settle for the side view and let you decide for yourself.

DRIVER-FOCUSED COCKPIT

This 2+2 coupe is nice inside, too, and we like the clean, uncluttered dashboard and centre console. Toyota’s intention was to create a driver-focused cockpit, and it’s certainly achieved that goal, with the instruments being easy to see and handle but not comically large.

The driver’s instrument cluster is dominated by a white RPM dial that’s inset with LED panels displaying information such as speed, fuel economy and the currently selected gear. You can see pretty much see everything you need to know at a glance.

To the left of the steering wheel is a centre console that contains dual-climate temperature controls, the engine start-and-stop button and one of two in-car entertainment systems: Toyota Touch and Toyota Touch & Go. Both systems provide touchscreen control over audio and Bluetooth connectivity, but Touch & Go gives you a satellite navigation system and access to Google Local Search, which provides live information on parking and fuel pricing, to give two examples. There’s also a USB socket, so you can charge your phone and playback music.

The small steering wheel feels great and is perfect for a sporty car such as this. Sadly, it lacks multifunction controls such as volume, track select and call answer buttons, which makes answering phone calls and changing tracks more awkward than it should be. A multifunction steering wheel doesn’t seem to be an option, either, which is a great shame.

There’s a lot of room for both the driver and front passenger, and the seats are comfortable, even over long distances, but the rear seats are seemingly present for cosmetic purposes only. Even with the driver’s seat configured for our relatively short 5ft 8in frame, we couldn’t see how a small child could occupy the seat behind it, never mind an adult. The rear seats are great for extra, easy-to-reach luggage space, but are otherwise pretty much superfluous.
There isn’t much room in the cabin for items such as glasses cases and CDs, either. There’s a removable cupholder that sits in the centre console, but drinks are easily nudged if you use the handbrake.

We’d prefer a hatchback, and the GT86 looks as if it should have one, but the boot feels more spacious than its 243-litre capacity suggests, and we had no trouble loading it with the weekly shopping. Should you need more space, you can fold down the rear seats.

NO CORNER TOO SCARY?

The 1240Kg GT86 reaches 60mph from zero in a claimed 7.6 seconds for cars with manual transmission and 8.4 seconds for those with automatic boxes. Our car was fitted with the six-speed automatic gearbox, and although we couldn’t test it scientifically, our experience seemed to echo the claimed figures. Our car was certainly quick, but it didn’t have the immediate acceleration that you expect from a car such as this and, while it goes against Toyota’s intentions for the car, it really would benefit from turbo-charging to give it some extra power when overtaking.

One thing’s for sure, the GT86’s handling is magnificent. We were unable to test it on a racetrack and instead drove it on regular roads within legal speed limits, but this is enough to show up the limits and driving characteristics of the cars we drive. With the GT86, we seemed to take every corner as if the car was on rails, which highlighted a timidity and good sense we didn’t know we had rather than the car’s limits. We could feel lateral G-force on some twists and turns, but the GT86 remained composed, as did we in the supportive leather seats. You can switch traction control off, which gave the car’s handling a rather ‘old-school’ feel.

The steering is nicely weighted and responsive, and the ride is comfortable, which means you’ll enjoy being in the GT86 whether you’re driving through country lanes, urban centres or motorways.

One reason for the GT86’s slightly underwhelming acceleration is its automatic transmission. The obvious advice would be to buy the manual version, and we really want to do that, but we can’t because the GT86’s six-speed auto box is a tech-lover’s dream. Not only does it have wheel-mounted paddle switches that let you switch gears manually in addition to the usual Drive and Reverse, you can also pull the stick to the right when in Drive to engage Manual mode, and this is what truly excites and shames us: Manual mode makes driving the GT86 just like driving an arcade machine.

Gear changes are made by moving the stick backwards and forwards, which feels more natural than using the paddles. More importantly, Manual mode also gives you more control over gear changes. Even though you can change gears in regular Auto mode using the paddles, which is handy for overtaking or dropping the gear when exiting a corner, the car soon decides that another gear is best and switches to it. This behaviour is great for motorway driving or moving in congested urban environments, but the extra control afforded by Manual mode is perfect for having fun on local roads.

Unfortunately, there’s no speed boost associated with Manual mode, and we’d prefer the gear changes to be quicker. You can press a button to engage Sport mode, which should introduce faster gearshift response times, but we didn’t notice an improvement. The GT86’s automatic gearbox isn’t perfect, but it is fun.

As for fuel consumption, Toyota says the automatic version we reviewed should do 29.4mpg around town, 49.6mpg out of town and 39.8mpg combined. According to Toyota’s press release, the manual version should do 27.2mpg around town, 44.1mpg out of town and 36.2mpg combined.

INFOTASTIC

Our GT86 was equipped with the excellent Touch & Go navigation, audio and information system, and we loved using it. It has a resistive touchscreen, but it feels better and more responsive than some others we’ve used. We had no problem connecting our iPhone 3GS via Bluetooth in order to make calls and play music, but we couldn’t change the music folders using the system; we could only listen to the music within the folder that was open when we connected the phone to the system. We’ve used similar systems that behave in the same way, though, so this isn’t a flaw of Touch & Go. Indeed, we found it quick and easy to use. It’s worth noting that we could change folders if we attached it via USB.

We loved the sound quality, too, as the audio system provided clear top and mid-ranges with the ability to add more bass without distorting or muddying the mix, which is just how we like it. Whether you’re playing 80s synth classics or the latest bass-heavy dubstep, it’ll sound great. Worryingly, we were often told that you could clearly hear what was being played in the car while stood outside, even with the GT86’s windows fully closed, which makes us wonder how private our telephone conversations were.

The satellite navigation system presented information clearly and was up to date. Even those speed limits that had altered within the last year or two were correctly displayed, which meant we could rely on it when we ventured into unfamiliar areas. Sadly, we didn’t get the chance to use the Google Search functions, and would welcome user comments on this.

We really enjoyed using the Touch & Go system fitted to our GT86. As previously mentioned, we’d prefer the option of a multifunction steering wheel in order to make and take calls safely, but that and greater control over your Bluetooth audio device is pretty much the only improvement we could make to it.

PRICES AND OPTIONS

The regular GT86 already has a lot of the tech and convenience you’d want, such as keyless entry, push-button engine control, heated and electrically controlled door mirrors, High Intensity Discharge headlights, cruise control, dual-zone climate control and a rake- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, but you can also specify heated front seats and Touch & Go as options.

The standard GT86 is available for £25,000 on the road, but the automatic model we drove costs £26,500 on the road and £29,300 as reviewed with heated leather seats (£1,600), metallic paint (£450) and Touch & Go (£750). We could live without the heated leather seats, but Touch & Go is a must-have feature.

BOOK A TEST DRIVE

The automatic GT86, with Touch & Go equipped, is the perfect car for music-loving gadget fiends who want a car with excellent handling, responsive steering and exciting looks, although it really would benefit from a turbo-charger. For those of us brought up in the 80s and 90s with classic arcade games such as Outrun and classic Japanese sports cars such as the Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX, the automatic GT86 is very nearly everything you could want in a car. We want one, and miss it terribly, which is the highest recommendation we can give it. Book a test drive at your local Toyota dealership and an appointment with your bank manager while you’re at it.