2022 Toyota GR 86 Gets Glowing Reviews
The press has finally gotten its hands on the all-new, 2022 Toyota GR 86 and so far, the reception to the nimble little sports car has been glowing.
The Toyota lives in a strange automotive segment that aims to deliver accessible performance to budget-oriented buyers. If you want a car that’s fun to drive, puts power to the rear wheels, and comes at a somewhat affordable price, then you want a car like the 86 — and it doesn’t have a whole lot of competitors, either.
Learn More: Toyota 86 specs and features
Its main rivals are the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Hyundai Veloster N. There’s also the entry-level Camaro and Mustang, but those are more about brawny muscle than nimble, joyful handling. And right now, the GR 86 seems to blow them all out of the water when it comes to on-track performance.
The most common criticism levied against the first-gen 86 was its “torque hole,” a part in its rpm band where torque dipped significantly. This made it feel sluggish under power, punishing drivers who didn’t shift at just the right time. Toyota has finally patched the hole, and the 86 has gone from being unable to keep up with a Miata in a drag race to comfortably staying ahead.
In fact, the 86 is surprisingly fast. Around the track, it beats the Miata, Veloster N, Volkswagen Golf R, Acura TLX Type-S, and even the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye. Yes, a car with 797 horsepower is slower than one with 228 horsepower — but Toyota’s car is actually designed to take corners, and take them fast.
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The only problem with the 86 is not the 86 itself, but the segment it lives in. No matter how good the car, nobody buys lightweight, rear-drive, two-door sports coupes anymore. The bestselling one is the Miata and Mazda only sold 8,807 of them in the U.S. last year. Toyota sold more than 430,000 RAV4 SUVs over the same period.
Still, Toyota is keen on expanding its GR lineup of high-performance vehicles, and the automaker has done a bang-up job so far with the Supra, Yaris, and now the 86. Ultimately, sheer sales may not matter as much as the brand recognition these cars provide. Toyota has also been careful to reduce costs by developing these low-volume sports cars with other manufacturers (the 86 with Subaru and the Supra with BMW), making it even more viable for the company to keep them in production.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.