Right from the first time we set eyes on the Toyota 86, we’ve had only great things to say about the mighty little sportscar. No wonder then that it featured on our cover more times than any other car in recent years, and walked away with three awards at the wheels Car of the Year awards. The fact that one of these was the Readers’ Choice award where our readers chose the 86, by an overwhelming margin, as their favourite car of the year shows its appeal is universal.
However, it’s a fact of life that long-term relationships are different from short-term flings as the former invariably bring with them challenges and unpleasantness. Just into its second week in our long-term garage, we’ve come to notice a few things about the car that we had overlooked on our previous dates. It is still the quintessential old-school sportscar that we‘ve come to love so much, but it’s not the most practical one.
Trouble started when last weekend I took it home and tried transferring the child seats from my car to the 86. There’s enough space to fit two child seats there, but fixing them calls for a fair amount of contortionism. However, after finally having fixed the seats, and the front seats slid back to their original position, I realised that my five-year-old daughter would be left with no legroom whatsoever.
Just when I thought taking the seat out would free more space for her and solve the problem, another reared its head; the pram wouldn’t fit the boot. I tried sliding it in at different angles, but to no avail. I even tried fitting an older, slightly smaller pram in, which however wouldn’t let the bootlid close. Finally, after about half an hour, I gave up and transferred everything back to my car.
Maybe I was wrong in assuming any Toyota, even if it’s a sportscar, will be practical. Although I realised with disappointment that the 86 isn’t a car that allows your family to partake in the fun, the fact remains that as far as pure, unbridled enjoyment behind the wheel is concerned, it’s still an ace.
The progress
Week 1: Hooning a car for a few days and living with it on an everyday basis are quite different. We welcome the Toyota 86 to our long-term garage and find how it fares.
Highs: Hoot to drive, superb chassis
Lows: Not the quickest, notchy gear changes
