Yahoo Autos 2022 Toyota GR86 Road Test Review | Tons of fun per dollar
The Toyota GR Corolla may be the latest enthusiast darling on Toyota’s shelf of Gazoo Racing performance cars, but don’t let it distract you from the also-brand-new and already-on-sale 2022 Toyota GR86. Sure, you’ll be able to pay a gonzo markup for a rally-bred, turbocharged Corolla hot hatch eventually. And it may very well be worth the wait. That said, the GR86 is already at dealerships; it’s beyond cheery to drive, and the price is more than agreeable.
From the moment you open the door and step in, there’s no doubt the GR86 is a car built for the driving enthusiast. The seat is situated low in the car, low enough that it would annoy anybody who doesn’t value a low H-point. You drop in, and the ergonomics of everything are spot on. The steering wheel has enough adjustment for anybody to get comfortable. My right arm is laying happily and comfortably across the center console, and the shift knob just happens to be right there. A proper, manual handbrake sits near the shifter, and it’s so much more satisfying than pressing a little button every time you park or take off. Even the pedals are perfectly placed, and while the clutch is light, it offers all the feel and feedback you might want.
The GR86 won’t win any awards for having the most beautiful or feature-filled cabin, but the buying proposition is better for it. Instead of pumping it full of modern tech niceties like multi-color ambient lighting, massive touch control displays and exotic materials, the GR86 prefers simplicity. Fanciful extras like those are items that are great to ooh and ahh at, but they’re not going to make slamming through the gears or flowing through your favorite road any more visceral.
There’s also beauty in a car with only 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. I know, it’s weird to be happy that a car isn’t any more powerful than it is, but in the case of the GR86, more power wouldn’t necessarily correlate to more fun. Toyota says the new 2.4-liter naturally aspirated boxer-four is enough to motivate the two-door coupe from 0-60 mph in just 6.1 seconds. So, quick enough to still shove you back in the seat, but not so quick that full throttle applications are just a stab-and-out before you’re grossly breaking speed limits.
You could express a similar sentiment about the previous 86, but the new engine fixes its largest flaw: a mid-range torque dip so obvious that it’ll forever serve as the definitive example of “mid-range torque dip.” That engine weirdness was enough to leave a sour taste in my mouth throughout the previous generation’s entire run, but now it’s gone, and the new boxer-four provides a lovely crescendo of torque all the way up to redline. The piped-in-but-real intake noise combined with the fake noise played over the speakers — if we had our druthers, we’d turn off the fake crap — is working overtime to smooth out the gruffness of this high-revving engine. It's still a buzzy and vibrating Subaru four-cylinder, but there’s a level of refinement that takes it yet another step above the old 2.0-liter. This, combined with fixing that pesky torque dip, transforms the Toyobaru twins from exceptional handling machines with so-so engines, to complete sports car experiences. No asterisk required.
The chassis pairs delightfully with this new engine, too. It’s as easy to control (and be a hooligan with) as it gets for rear-drive sports cars. Much of this feeling is thanks to it being such a lightweight — our Premium manual transmission tester tips the scales at just 2,833 pounds.
The GR86 enters every corner with a rush of eagerness and willingness. The relatively small brakes — you don’t need a lot to stop this car — clamp down with authority whenever you step into the stiff pedal, and the mass around you never once feels heavy. Speed gets scrubbed in a hurry, and then you get to taste just how nicely balanced the car is through a corner. Enter, and you can dance between the edge of confidence-inspiring neutrality and sideways shenanigans with the throttle for as long as you care. Meet a hairpin on a deserted road? Just kick the throttle, and the rear kindly sets itself into a controllable and comfortable slide.
