The “moment” for the Toyota 86 is the arrival of the TRD Special Edition onto the scene. With a limited unit of 1,418, its high-performance features such as 12.4-inch rear rotors, 18-inch wheels with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires and Sachs dampers amongst others make grabbing one worth it.
There are reasons to love the 86 GT and also reasons that make loving it difficult. As always, Naijauto brings you all the information you need to make an informed buying decision.
Things we love about the 2019 Toyota 86 GT
1. Classic chassis: Communicative and responsive
Some car experts are of the opinion that the two-door sports vehicle’s chassis is nothing short of classic. Not only is it communicative, it’s also predictable. It boasts of tactile steering as well as fluid throttle responses.
In compiling a list of the top engaging vehicles on the market today, the rear-wheel-drive 86 deserves a mention. It also deserves a mention amongst cars that are fluid to get into a controlled drift.
The sleek design of the 86 exudes class
2. Versatility: A sports vehicle with adequate cargo space
There’s so much the GT 86 can do other than being a sports car. By the looks of it, you’d think it doesn’t have the capacity to carry much cargo, but surprisingly, it does. There adequate cargo space in its 6.9 cubic feet trunk. That makes it an additional cubic space of 2.3 in comparison to Mazda Miata its closest rival.
If you intend to carry people, there’s no need to worry about where they’d seat; its body style makes room for two persons that aren’t on the big side. Don’t plan on carrying anyone? You might as well add more cargo in the space left. Longer items can be well-fitted due to its folding seat back.
Look at this boot space, there's no worry left!
3. An exterior that’s pleasing to the eyes
Despite criticisms of the 86, everyone seems to agree on one thing – it’s easy on the eyes. It boasts of captivating proportions that accentuate its total outlook. With exterior features such as a low hood, blistered fenders, and an arching roofline, there’s no denying that the 86 is indeed a complete sports coupe.
Things we wish to improve in 2019 Toyota 86 GT
1. Shoddy infotainment: Not so easy to operate
There are just too many on-screen buttons on the infotainment system, it’s confusing. The response time is another reason to be worried. The 7.0-inch infotainment system isn’t simple and easy to operate.
Fewer buttons would have been more suitable on the infotainment system
Comparing it to your universal remote control at home isn’t going overboard. If you are looking for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration on the infotainment system, you won’t find them because the car doesn’t make provision for those.
2. Inadequate interior storage
As stated earlier, the truck and folding back seat of the 86 have plenty of space for cargo, but same cannot be said about its interior storage. There’s no space to hide items you don’t want to be in the open.
Its major interior storage facility is a removable open center console. It has door pockets and shift lever spaces, but they are too small to keep items that aren’t tiny, and are without covers. The only interior cubby of the 86 that has cover has to be the clove box – this isn’t very helpful as the clove box isn’t your first point of call to keep items such as cell phones and loose change amongst other things.
Looks so tight...no space to keep things
3. Middling powertrain
With a torque of 156 pound-feet that’s available at 6,400 rpm, the 86 has low-end torque. You’ll need to constantly thrash its flat-four engine of 2.0-liter in order to get the most out of its 205 horsepower.
Ordinarily, there’s no problem driving its 6-speed manual transmission, but the power plant makes a grainy groan and runs to red line, overwhelming the precision of the gearbox.
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Major competitors of 2019 Toyota 86 GT
The 86 has to constantly be looking over its shoulders so as not to be beaten by its major competitors which include: Mazda MX-5 Miata, Fiat 124 Spider and Subaru BRZ.
2019 Toyota 86 GT pricing & standard features
The base price of the 2019 Toyota 86 GT is $27,225 (N9,821,400) while its AS-Tested price is $30,480 (N10,995,600).
Features of 2019 Toyota 86 GT:
- 205 Horsepower / 156 Pound-Feet Output
- 2.0-Liter Flat-4 Engine
- Rear-Wheel Drive
- 6-Speed Manual Transmission
- 2,776 Pounds Weight
- 21 City / 28 Highway / 24 Combined Fuel Economy
- Seating Capacity of 4
- 6.9 Cubic Feet Cargo Volume
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