2022 Toyota GR86

The 2022 Toyota GR86 is all-new for 2022, but if it seems familiar, that’s because it is. This new design ushers in the second generation and third name for this little sports coupe, which began its life a decade ago as the Scion FR-S. When Toyota killed the Scion in 2016, the FR-S became the Toyota 86, a reference to the classic Corolla AE86 coupe made famous by the Japanese street-racing manga Initial D. Now it’s the Toyota GR86, aligning with its big brother the GR-Supra.

At 167.9 inches, the GR86 is a proper small sports car, and it shares shoppers’ lists with four other vehicles: its near-twin from Subaru, the BRZ, Mazda’s venerable MX-5 Miata, the only other rear-drive cheap sportster on the market, and the Volkswagen GTI and the Hyundai Veloster N hot hatches. The Toyota and Subaru are nominally four-seaters, though it’s hard to imagine any human sitting in the back seat, while the roadster or retractable-hardtop MX-5 seats only two. Those who need a back seat will want to check out the two hatches.

There are two trim levels of the Toyota, with the base model starting at $28,275 (including destination). Subaru’s BRZ begins at $28,955, while competitors’ base prices range from $28,845 for the Mazda MX-5 Miata and $30,540 for the Volkswagen GTI to $33,505 for the Hyundai Veloster N. All of these cars have standard six-speed manual transmissions and all offer automatics at extra-cost.

The upper trim is the $31,325GR86 Premium. Upgrades include 18-inch matte black-painted alloy wheels in place of the standard 17-inch machine-finish wheels, auto-leveling headlights with adaptive front lighting, black heated power outside mirrors, a color-keyed rear spoiler, two-state heated sport seats, Ultrasuede interior accents and an upgraded audio system. In addition, every GR86 includes a complimentary one-year membership to the National Auto Sport Association (NASA), including one free high-performance driving event and discounted admission to NASA-sanctioned events.

The GR in GR86 (and GR-Supra) stands for Toyota’s Gazoo Racing team, which took on the mission of addressing the biggest shortcoming in the original coupe—a lack of power, especially low in the rev band. They bumped horsepower from 205 to 228 and torque from 156 pounds per foot to 184 by boring out the 2.0-liter Subaru four-cylinder to 2.4 liters. They also changed the intake and exhaust systems and optimized the dual injection tech. Peak torque now comes at 3,700 RPM as opposed to 6,600 RPM in the first-gen cars.

Fuel economy is far from impressive at an EPA combined city/highway average of 22 miles per gallon with the manual transmission. Remarkably, the six-speed automatic (a $1,950 option) improves on that significantly at 25 mpg combined.  We drove an automatic-equipped GR86 Premium for a week and found the performance, especially in “Sport” mode, to be a massive improvement over the old 86. On the right mountain road, or for that matter, on the freeway, it’s a grin-inducing little sportster. The trouble comes on paper.

Performance: 14/15

An additional 23 horsepower and more readily-available torque make a world of difference in the GR86’s acceleration. Toyota says the manual transmission’s zero-to-60 times have been cut from 7.0 to 6.1 seconds, while the automatic’s improvement is even more dramatic—8.0 seconds in the last-generation car, 6.6 seconds in the new. Both would still be slower than any variant of the Miata, which has 47 fewer horsepower but weighs roughly 400 pounds less and can get to 60 from a standing stop in under six seconds. The 241-horsepower GTI gets the 0-60 runs down into the low five-second range, and the much more potent (275 hp) Veloster N manages them in less than five.

But the GR86, like the Miata, isn’t about straight-line speed. This is a sports car built for twisty roads and the Laguna Seca corkscrew, and it sounds and feels like it. A larger exhaust center pipe makes a nice growl, and the augmented engine sound piped into the cabin is convincing and engaging. Manual cars offer track mode and the ability to shut off Vehicle Stability Control. Automatics get dynamic mode control offering Normal, Sport, Snow and Track modes.

The addition of aluminum roof panels and fenders helps offset the weight added by structural improvements. Curb weight for manual transmission GR86s is 2,811 pounds—2,851 for automatics. The car’s design, just 51.6 inches tall, and the compact flat-four engine mean a low center of gravity and a near-perfect weight distribution of 53 percent forward, 47 percent aft.  

Fuel Economy: 9/15

The GR86/Subaru BRZ underperforms in EPA fuel economy estimates, with a city/highway combined average for all trims and transmissions of 23.5 mpg. The Hyundai Veloster N, with 47 more horsepower, ties that. The Volkswagen GTI bumps that considerably to 28 mpg. Mazda MX-5 Miata’s estimate is 29.5. Adding to the expense—the GR86 and the BRZ require premium fuel (as does the Veloster N).

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 8/15

Neither the GR86 nor the structurally identical Subaru BRZ has been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Nor have the Miata, the GTI, or the Veloster N. That hurts their overall safety score.

On the positive side, the GR86 has pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management, lane departure warning, sway warning, lead vehicle start alert and high-beam assist as standard equipment—but only if you choose the automatic transmission, which most buyers will not. The cost and complexity of making those features work with a manual prompted Subaru and Toyota to forego them to help keep the GR86’s price low. Most manual buyers won’t mind, but it hurts the car’s safety score in our evaluations.

Comfort & Room: 11/15

The GR86 is cabin is a terrific place to be if you’re in the front seat—especially the driver’s seat. The front buckets are firm and supportive, and every necessary control is ideally placed. It has a rear seat and is classified as a four-seater, but it and the BRZ are particularly inhospitable places for a rear-seat passenger with 29.9 inches of rear legroom. The Veloster N is more than four inches roomier at 34.1, and the four-door GTI wins top honors at 35.6. The Miata has no rear seat.

Infotainment: 11/15

The GR86’s eight-inch touchscreen is bright, easily readable, and well-placed in the dashboard’s center stack. The standard audio system has six speakers, a USB port and auxiliary audio jack, voice recognition and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, with controls for the audio system on the steering wheel.

The driver’s digital information display is configurable, with the standard layout being a 9,000 RPM tachometer at the middle with a digital speedometer in its center, trip information to the left and bar-graph style temperature and fuel gauges on the right. Easily identifiable rocker switches below the infotainment screen are for defrosters and HVAC modes, while adjustments to the climate control’s temperature and fan functions are handled by large knobs with LED readouts in the center.

Cargo Space & Storage:  10/15

As tiny as the interiors of the GR86, BRZ and Miata are, the trunk space is smaller still. The Toyota and Subaru have 6.3 cubic feet to the Mazda’s 4.6. They are all at a massive disadvantage to the hatchback-style Hyundai and Volkswagen, which have large cargo areas that can be expanded by folding down the back seats. With the seats in place, the GTI has 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space and the Veloster has 19.9. Fold down the rear seats in the GTI and you’ll find 34.5 cubic-feet of room, while Veloster N offers an even larger 44.5.

The GR86/BRZ also gets points for having a glove box and a center console storage bin. Both are within easy reach, as opposed to the Miata’s, which is behind and between the front seats. The Toyota/Subaru twins have one cupholder molded into the center console and a holder that converts the console box to hold two more. Not ideal, but better than the Mazda’s cupholders which mount back near the storage bin or next to the passenger’s leg. With traditional compact-car interiors, the Volkswagen and Hyundai have much more space to accommodate cupholders and storage. 

Style & Design: 9/10

The 2022 Toyota GR86 absolutely nails it in styling. The basic shape of the previous-generation car is carried over, but there’s more muscle and menace in its stance—enhanced by a headlight design seen on the Toyota GR Supra. The functional integrated air outlets give an even more aggressive appearance. Relocating the license plate down to the rear bumper gives the back of the car a much cleaner look. The extra cost ($425) “Track Bred” red paint of our test car gives off Porsche vibes.

Is the 2022 Toyota GR86 Worth It? Which Toyota GR86 Is the Best Value?

If you’re not numbers-obsessed or actively racing the other cars the 2022 Toyota GR86 competes with—if you just drive it, in other words—it’s a very satisfying sports coupe at a remarkably reasonable price. To us, the additional $3,050 for the GR86 Premium is money well spent, bringing a nicer interior with heated seats, a better audio system and a better look via the 18-inch black wheels. Given that there are no option packages available, the price tag will still be just a shade over $32,000 including destination (just over $34,000 if you choose the automatic), which qualifies as a real bargain.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Toyota GR86? 

The 2022 Toyota GR86 isn’t as expensive to insure as some sports cars. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of about $2,317 though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $2,233, for its near doppelganger, the Subaru BRZ and $1,753 for the Mazda Miata. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.