2023 Toyota GR86 review by Caranddriver.com

February 16th, 2023 by

2023 Toyota GR86

By Austin Irwin and Drew Dorian

2023 Toyota GR86 White

 

Overview

If we gave out an award for Most Improved Sports Car, the Toyota GR86 would very possibly be the big winner. This eminently entertaining rear-wheel-drive coupe’s second generation arrived in 2022 and addressed our big issue with the original model: a weak engine. The second time around, power comes from a 228-hp flat-four with plenty of mid-range power, and although a six-speed manual comes standard (and is the only way to go), a six-speed automatic is available. You won’t hear us telling you to opt for it. The GR86 is small and affordable, like, say, a Mazda MX-5 Miata, only with a tiny Porsche 911–type rear seat that enables you to take small fry along. Its hatchback body also affords reasonable cargo space, which the Miata doesn’t offer, either. The GR86’s mechanical twin, the Subaru BRZ, offers a virtually identical experience, so choosing between them ultimately comes down to which badge you prefer. As a 2+2 coupe built mainly for playtime, the GR86 does suffer from road noise, particularly on the highway, and the music produced by the boxer engine isn’t exactly worth buying tickets to hear live. Still, plenty of cornering grip, great balance, sharp steering, and a rev-happy engine make the GR86 fun to drive, no matter where you’re going. It’s everything an entry-level sports car should be. And while we don’t give a most improved trophy, we did give the GR 86 something even better: A 10 Best award.

What’s New for 2023?

Toyota hasn’t changed our favorite affordable sports car for 2023. Instead, it’s added a GR86 Special Edition. The Special Edition mixes GR86 Premium equipment with exclusive Solar Shift orange paint, a blatty cat-back performance exhaust with black chrome tips, and matte-black 18-inch wheels. The GR86 Special Edition will be limited to just 860 units. Wonder how they arrived at that number?

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Toyota GR86 Trim Level Pricing

The marginal increase from the base price for the 2023 Toyota GR86 Premium is well worth it. Standard equipment on the Premium includes heated seats, stylish 18-inch wheels with summer performance tires, adaptive LED headlights, and a better eight-speaker audio system. The six-speed manual transmission is an obvious choice here too.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Like the first-generation model, the 2023 GR86 comes with a naturally aspirated horizontally opposed four-cylinder provided by Subaru. Acceleration was decently brisk in the previous generation at 6.2 seconds to 60 mph, but the last GR86 we tested achieved a 5.4-second time to 60 mph and reached a quarter-mile in 14.0 seconds. That improvement is thanks to a more powerful 2.4-liter engine that makes 228 horsepower. A six-speed manual continues to serve as the GR86’s standard transmission, while a six-speed automatic is optional. The six-speed automatic was slower to 60 mph than the manual by 0.7 second. During our first test drive, we noted that the more powerful engine felt livelier and sounded better, while the car’s razor-sharp handling provided thrills both on the road and on the Monticello Motor Club race track. Despite the car’s handling prowess, the suspension is forgiving enough to work as a daily driver.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA estimates the Toyota GR86 can accomplish 21 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway when optioned with the six-speed automatic transmission. The GR86s using the six-speed manual get slightly lower EPA numbers at 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. When we get a chance to put the new model through our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test, we will update this story with the results. For more information about the 86’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The 2023 GR86 retains the relative size and shape of the outgoing model. The GR86 and the Subaru BRZ are unique in the affordable sports-car market as the only two that offer seating for four. Not that the rear seats are all that comfortable or spacious, but they’re nice to have. The Subaru and Toyota models appear to share their interiors, save for some changes on the dashboard surrounding the infotainment display.

Infotainment and Connectivity

An 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard for 2023, replacing the last-generation car’s smaller 7.0-inch display. the GR86 also comes with a 7.0-inch digital gauge display that is reconfigurable with Normal, Sport, and Track modes. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability are both standard, and all models come with SiriusXM satellite radio with a free three-month trial. The base model comes with a six-speaker stereo, but the upgraded Premium trim comes with an eight-speaker setup.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The outgoing 86 offered little in the way of driver-assistance features. Toyota provides a suite of safety technologies on the 2023 model, but only when the GR86 is equipped with its optional automatic transmission.

For more information about the GR86’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features are likely to include:

  • Available automated emergency braking
  • Available lane-departure warning
  • Available adaptive cruise control

 

-TJ

Posted in Sales