AFFORDABLE SPORT
2017 Toyota 86, once a Scion offering, packs a lot of fun in a lean, taut, compact coupe with a palatable price
There are scant choices when it comes to small sports cars that don’t require a six-figure bank account to purchase and own.
Yes, there is a number of hot hatch and sedan compacts (Volkswagen GTI, Ford Focus RS and Fiesta RS, Subaru WRX), but none of them delivers the sheer mechanical, man-and-machine immediacy of classic sports machines.
Toyota’s 86 coupe is such a car.
Along with Mazda’s iconic Miata MX-5 (and its Fiat 124 sister), the 86 (and its sister, Subaru’s BRZ) keeps the faith with those who demand razorsharp responses to driver inputs, nimble handling, torso-hugging seats, minimal creature comforts, and overall balance between power and all-around performance potential.
Of this list, the 86 falls short in only one area — power.
Co-developed with Subaru, the 86 relies on a Subaru 2.0-liter “boxer” four-cylinder engine delivering a relatively modest 205 horsepower. Still, with only 2,754 pounds to push around, acceleration is sprightly enough to deliver plenty of entertainment.
Keeping the revs up to make the most of those horses, though, amplifies the engine’s course power delivery, and its gruff noises can grow intrusive.
Our tester came with a sixspeed manual gearbox, which despite a slightly notchy feel, was an excellent companion to the smooth, light clutch.
The chassis delivers a fairly compliant highway ride for a sports car, and the near 50-50 front-to-rear weight balance guarantees good times, particularly on curvy backroads, where the 86’s cornering truly shines.
Steering and braking are exemplary, quickly building driver confidence.
The tight cabin (the rear seats should be reserved for kids only) is relatively spartan, with lots of black plastics of various textures. Instrumentation exemplifies the car’s performance persona, with a big tachometer front and center in the gauge cluster. Secondary controls are perfectly located to minimize eye time away from the road.
Well-placed pedals and a nice, thick steering wheel complete the sports car requirements.
All this — and under $30K.