Should You Daily Drive a Toyota GR86?
The Toyota GR86 isn’t just a sharper sibling to the Subaru BRZ; it’s a sports car with fun to spare. It packs an eager four-cylinder engine, manual and automatic transmission options, and revised styling. However, is Toyota’s entry-level driver’s car a good daily driver? Or should you find something else to daily drive, like a Chevrolet Camaro 1LT or a Mazda MX-5?
How much is a Toyota GR86?
The Toyota GR86 starts at around $28,995, making it an accessible sports coupe for the market. For instance, the GR86’s starting price point is comparable to an entry-level Ford Mustang EcoBoost or Mazda MX-5 Miata. However, unlike the upcoming 2024 Mustang EcoBoost, the Toyota sports coupe offers a six-speed manual transmission for driver’s car experiences.
Moreover, the GR86 costs slightly less than its sibling car, the Subaru BRZ. That makes the GR86 a competitive option for car shoppers who want a fun, rear-wheel drive (RWD) sports coupe with an available manual transmission for their daily driving purposes.
How efficient is a GR86?
While the Toyota coupe might not be as efficient as a Mazda MX-5 Miata, it gets better fuel economy than a comparable V6-optioned Chevrolet Camaro 1LT. Specifically, the 2023 Toyota GR86 gets an average of 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg highway. In comparison, the Mazda is much more efficient, with 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. However, the news improves for daily drivers who want a GR86 with a six-speed automatic.
The automatic coupe will achieve around 21 mpg city and 31 mpg at highway speeds, making it more efficient than a comparable Ford Mustang EcoBoost. However, the manual transmission’s fuel economy numbers don’t make it untenable for daily drives.
Is it too fast to daily drive?
While many shoppers want on-paper bragging rights from their sports cars, the Toyota GR86 delivers real-world enthusiasm. The Toyota coupe produces 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque from its 2.4L flat four-cylinder engine. While that might not seem like much, it’s enough to power the GR86 around corners spiritedly. Moreover, the Toyota’s 228 ponies are much more than a comparable MX-5 Miata’s 181 horsepower.
The Toyota GR86, like the Subaru BRZ, is an entry-level sports car with just enough horsepower to be fun without being too fast or too powerful to daily drive. It is, however, an excellent option for fans who want a back-to-basics sports coupe with daily driver credentials and modern tech like Apple CarPlay.
Should you daily drive a Toyota GR86?
The GR86 wants for cargo volume; TrueCar says the Toyota has around 6.3 cubic feet of storage space. However, it’s more powerful, accommodating, fun, and better looking than a comparable Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Toyota model is a good option for daily drives, as long as you don’t have to take too much with you. Of course, there’s no removable roof or convertible option, so if you want a car for your daily drive with either of those features, check out the Mazda MX-5 instead.
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