The Toyota 86 won pretty much every award going in the car industry last year, even holding the honour of being the wheels Car of the Year, Best Coupé and scooping the Reader’s Choice Award. So it was with some trepidation that I traded in the trusty Passat for the Toyota this week. Would it live up to the hype? Is it really as good as everyone says?
First impressions are of a car that’s a real throwback to the sportscars of yesteryear. While I personally find the looks a little uninspiring from some angles, I could easily imagine I was climbing behind the wheel of its distant ancestor, the 2000GT. The driving position is low — practically on the floor — and from behind the wheel you get a decent view over the raked bonnet. Visibility all round is pretty good and changing lanes, sometimes a lottery in other cars of a similar size, always feels safe and easy.
The handling is also excellent — this is no stone on a string despite being rear-wheel drive, with oversteer coming progressively, if at all. Powering through the long sweep of motorway off-ramps is an absolute joy, the Toyota feels glued to the road and every U-turn brings a smile to your face as you see just how early you can get the power down.
However, Toyota has employed a few tricks to ensure the car covers up some fundamental weaknesses. It’s pitifully under-powered, for example, and this is compensated for with very high gearing. Most of a recent trip to Abu Dhabi and back was spent at high revs in sixth gear, which is not the most relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
And while the interior space is generally quite good, the boot is small, with my golf clubs living on the passenger seat instead. Surprisingly for a Toyota, the build quality isn’t great, with some pretty hefty panel gaps and the odd wayward bit of interior trim. Despite all these failings, though, there is definitely something special about the Toyota and I get a little flutter of excitement every time I get in. I guess, fundamentally, it’s got soul and sometimes soul is enough.
The progress
Week 2: It is still the quintessential oldschool sportscar that we’ve come to love so much, but it’s not the most practical one.
Highs: One of the best driver’s cars
Lows: A Yaris hatchback has more space
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 out how it fares.
Highs: Hoot to drive, superb chassis
Lows: Not the quickest, notchy gear changes
