Toyota GR 86 2022 Review

Going up

The original Toyota 86 caused a sensation when it launched in 2012 at a bargain $29,990 plus on-road costs.

The news this time around isn’t quite so rosy, with the 2022 Toyota GR 86 starting at $43,240 plus ORCs for the GT manual and auto, rising to $45,390 plus ORCs for the GTS auto/manual.

Toyota is quick to point out that taking into account inflation that 2012 price would be “beyond $38,000” in 2022.

The car-maker also says the increase in performance and specification ensures “the new GR 86 sets the benchmark in value-for-money sports cars”.

The problem with that assertion is the Toyota’s twin, the 2022 Subaru BRZ, is offered from $40,290 for the base manual and $41,590 for the S, variants that mirror the GR 86 GT and GTS grades.

And this is after an MY23 price hike, though Subaru does charge an extra $3800 for the automatic transmission. With good reason, which we’ll cover in the next section.

Despite the inflated ask, the new Toyota GR 86 is still roughly competitive in the sports car segment, with the Mazda MX-5 ranging from $37,990-$51,700 and the Ford Mustang High Performance Coupe $52,590-$55,590.

A five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty is offered with seven years of protection on the engine and driveline, while five years of capped-price servicing will cost you $280 per annum with intervals of 12 months or 15,000km.

Ticks and crosses

It’s a surprise that the 2022 Toyota GR 86 hasn’t followed the lead of the Subaru BRZ in offering a cheaper manual variant because it lacks key safety equipment compared to the automatic.

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), parking brake support, active cruise control, lane departure alert and auto high beam are all limited to the automatic variants.

The GR 86’s chief engineer, Yasunori Suezawa, explained that this is because Subaru’s EyeSight safety system – Subaru being primarily responsible for the development and build of the GR 86 – isn’t compatible with a manual transmission and it would’ve cost Toyota too much time and money to develop its own system.

Buyers of a lightweight, manual sports car are perhaps unlikely to be bothered too much by the omission of active safety equipment, but AEB in particular is useful technology and it’s unusual that the missing kit isn’t reflected in the price.

Happily, the GR 86’s passive safety is quite strong with seven airbags squeezed into its small frame.

It must be said that even in base GT form, the new Toyota GR 86 is much better equipped than its predecessor, with keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights, a six-speaker stereo and 17-inch wheels wearing 215/45 Michelin Primacy tyres.

An 8.0-inch touch-screen handles the infotainment and includes smartphone mirroring via a pair of USB-A ports, digital radio, Bluetooth and the ability to control all this from the steering wheel.

The GTS adds adaptive front headlights, 18-inch wheels with 215/40 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, aluminium pedals, heated Ultrasuede front seats with leather accents, rear blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

All up, it makes the $2150 premium feel like money well spent.

It’s a simple cabin but also a big step up in design and material quality over its predecessor, with digital instruments and climate-control displays and a simple button layout that makes everything easy to find.

About the only real ergonomic criticism is that it would be nice if the steering wheel could be raised a little higher to achieve the perfect driving position, though there is also a tremendous amount of road noise, to such a degree that phone conversations are a challenge on coarse surfaces.

Bigger is better

Under the bonnet of the new 2022 Toyota GR 86 is arguably where the biggest change has occurred.

You’ll still find a horizontally-opposed (where the cylinders lie flat instead of upright) four-cylinder engine but it’s grown from a 2.0-litre to a 2.4-litre and that makes all the difference.

Producing 174kW and 250Nm, it’s not only substantially quicker than the old engine – 0-100km/h is claimed to take 6.3sec as a manual and 6.8sec as an automatic – but far more useable.

The mid-range torque hole that afflicted the previous-generation car is effectively gone and there is no longer the need to downshift multiple gears to effect an overtake.

It’s not going to knock anyone’s socks off with its outright performance, but use a few revs and it’s quite a quick car. At least in manual guise.

Based on the previous generation’s sales, the automatic will be a popular choice with 44 per cent of buyers choosing the previous self-shifter, but it’s difficult to make a case for it.

Despite shorter gearing, it feels as though it labours through the rev range and the torque-converter auto is reluctant to downshift into corners.

You will save money at the pump, however, the auto’s claimed combined fuel consumption being 8.7-8.8L/100km (GT-GTS) compared to the manual’s relatively high 9.4-9.5L/100km.

The manual shift has been improved, especially when the car is cold and the short ratios help in keeping the engine on song. Down the main straight at Phillip Island sixth gear was even required!

Power builds in a linear fashion; there’s a slight crescendo towards the limiter (which calls time a couple of hundred revs shy of the 7500rpm redline), but a little more zing would be nice. It’s certainly now adequate, though the audio-enhanced soundtrack may divide opinion.

Balance is key

Its fantastically fun predecessor set a very high bar for the new 2022 Toyota GR 86 to clamber over. It does so quite easily in capability, though outright fun factor is a closer call.

As good as it was, the previous 86 had a couple of dynamic issues, namely its sub-par eco-spec tyres and its propensity to have a nervous rear-end under hard cornering.

This made it lively at moderate speeds, but could result in sweaty palms if you were attempting to get the most out of it, particularly in tricky conditions.

The new car is much more composed. Even the GT, which retains the previous car’s Michelin Primacy tyres, is more stable and grippy, but step up to the GTS and its Pilot Sport 4 tyres deliver greater purchase and confidence.

The flipside of this is that you have to drive the new GR 86 harder to make it feel ‘alive’.

At speeds that would have the old car jinking and jiving, the new one isn’t breaking a sweat. There’s still plenty to enjoy – the pin-sharp steering, responsive handling and great chassis balance – but you have to dig deeper to uncover the magic.

Thankfully, it’s still there in spades. The new car has higher limits than the old but once you’re there it remains beautifully transparent and controllable.

You can constantly adjust the balance of the car using the steering, brakes and accelerator and dance it on the limit of grip. It’s a wonderful feeling.

Helping achieve this is the Track mode ESP that is excellent in letting the car move around while still keeping a safety net in place, though it can be deactivated if you want to drift like you’re auditioning for the next ‘Fast and Furious’ movie.

Ride quality doesn’t overly suffer, either, as while the GR 86 is a firm car it won’t be unduly so for most buyers.

The one question mark now for those wishing to drive their GR 86 in a high-performance environment is the brakes. They feel fine, but the increased speed and grip puts greater demands on them and two laps of Phillip Island has the pedal going very, very long indeed.

Brilliant with a but

The new 2022 Toyota GR 86 illustrates the dichotomy of sports cars. It’s significantly more expensive than its predecessor, is thirsty, unrefined and lacks key safety equipment in manual guise.

Were it the latest Corolla or RAV4, it would be in for a very hard time.

But the GR 86 is fantastic. If you’re a true driving enthusiast, someone who cares about the perfect line through a corner rather than a 0-100km/h time, then few cars at any price will offer more enjoyment than Toyota’s new sports car.

There is a but, though. The Subaru BRZ offers the same experience with a lower price tag.

Had the GR 86 mirrored its predecessor’s approach and undercut the BRZ – which it arguably should, given it’s built in much greater numbers – then it would be a slam-dunk.

But Toyota’s pricing strategy means that, unless you really love one of the GR 86’s colours, it’s the Subaru that’s the one to recommend.

How much does the 2022 Toyota GR 86 cost?
Price: $43,240 GT/$45,390 GTS (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 174kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual/six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.7-9.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 199-215g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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