Used Toyota GT86 2012-2021 review

Sports cars are nice in principle, but buying them used can be hard to justify. There’s the fear that they’ll cost too much to run, be difficult to drive in day-to-day traffic and have a stiff, uncouth ride.

Fortunately, Toyota has a history of making fun, inexpensive and reliable performance cars, so when they teamed up with Subaru to produce a new car, the result was a great modern take on the classic sports car.

For example, it used exactly the same 197bhp 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine as the Subaru BRZ. A lot of hot hatches have more power than that, but the aim with the GT86 was to give you just enough power because you can exploit its performance potential more of the time. And you will need to rev the engine hard to get any meaningful acceleration since it doesn’t have the low-down torque of a turbocharged engine.

Driving the GT86 in the dry is a pleasure, with direct, well-weighted steering, some fine chassis dynamics and enough grip (and a fast-acting stability program) to keep you on the straight and narrow. It’s meant to be a playful car on the limit, and the narrow tyres contribute to this. In damp conditions, you may find that the back end starts to step out of line sooner than expected. However, it is very progressive and the standard stability program will step in to assist you.

The GT86 is still quite comfortable as sports cars go, with a ride that manages to soak up large shocks from speed bumps, potholes and even motorway expansion joints, yet isn’t so soft that it allows the car to roll a great deal in the bends.

In 2018, as part of a series of club sport special editions to celebrate Toyota's motorsport team, a Blue Edition was added to the GT86 range. If you can find one with the optional performance pack (it'll have unique 17in alloy wheels that are painted black), then you'll get uprated Sachs dampers for sharper handling and bigger Brembo brakes for increased braking performance and better pedal feel. Road noise can be a bit of an issue on long drives, so if you want the ultimate long-distance cruiser, then the Audi TT is a better choice.

Another issue is interior quality. Most of the plastics are rather hard and hollow sounding, with plenty of the switches feeling like they come from a car built 30 years ago, especially the orange backlit digital clock. You do get plenty of equipment to try to make up for this because every GT86 gets alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control and xenon headlights as standard. Later Pro, Orange and Blue Edition models were added to the range and these versions got heated Alcantara seats along with Alcantara inserts on the dash and door cards to make the interior feel a bit more premium.

Space up front is fine, with seats that are very low on the floor. The front seats are very comfortable and well shaped to allow you to tackle long drives without suffering backache, but rear seat space is very limited and should only be used to transport people for short trips.

There’s a reasonably sized boot in the GT86 with the option to fold down the rear seats to load longer items. Unfortunately, the boot opening is rather small and means you cannot load taller objects in there. If you need ultimate practicality, then the Volkswagen Golf R can seat five and transport their luggage, too.

The GT86 was finally taken off sale in 2021 after a long and successful life.

If you're interested in buying a used GT86, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our used car classifieds site here.

Between £10,000 and £11,500 will get you a 2013 or 2014 cars in good condition with an average to high mileage. Spend between £14,000 and £17,000 on a 2015 0r 2016 car with a lower than average mileage, while £18,000 to £20,000 gets you a good 2017 or 2018 car. Pay upwards of £21,000 on a good 2019 or 2020 model.

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Find a used Toyota GT86 for sale here

The GT86 gets a combined average NEDC fuel economy figure of 36.2mpg, or 33.2mpg under the later and more realistic WLTP tests, and the automatic 39.8mpg or 32.9mpg under the WLTP. However, take these figures with a pinch of salt, because if you drive the car as it was intended, you’ll see less than that.

Road tax for a GT86 registered before April 2017 will be based on its CO2 emissions. The manual version emits 181g/km and the auto is a little better at 164g/km. If you buy a GT86 registered after that date, then those tax costs fall under the current system based on a flat rate fee, currently £165 a year, with an additional surcharge for cars costing more than £40,000 when new. Fortunately, the GT86 escapes the additional tax.

Toyota offers Essential Servicing for any Toyota model that’s over five years old to help keep maintenance cost down, and early cars now qualify for that. Mind you, Toyota servicing isn’t that costly and most of their dealers offer a flexible service plan for used cars that can be tailored to your individual needs, annual mileage and the period of time you require the plan for. There is even the option to spread the cost of your regular service via a monthly direct debit.

There's only one engine choice, so you only have to decide whether you want a manual or automatic GT86.

The standard car is well equipped, so there's no need to seek out a Pro model unless you can find one for similar money.

There have been numerous special-edition variants that have been added since the GT86 came out, but many are simply bodykits that serve no other purpose than to alter the looks. Unless you really want a particular special edition (Aero, Blanco, Giallo, Primo, TRD, Orange Edition and Blue Edition), they aren’t necessarily worth seeking out or paying extra for over the standard car. Having said that, a Blue Edition with the optional performance pack might be one to look out for if you want the best-handling GT86 out there.

Our favourite Toyota GT86: 2.0 D-4S manual

Since you’re considering the GT86, you might as well take a look at the Subaru BRZ given that it is essentially the same car. It, too, is a fun rear-wheel-drive sports car, but thanks to subtle suspension tweaks, it has a bit more front-end grip in corners. The downside is that there aren’t as many BRZs around and the Subaru dealer network is somewhat smaller than it is for Toyota.

Another car that’s designed to be fun to drive is the Mazda MX-5. You can have it with a folding metal roof or a normal soft-top, but both allow you to get the wind in your hair, which often gives you the sensation that you’re travelling faster than you actually are. Plus, the 1.5 and 2.0-litre petrol engines love to be thrashed and aren’t that thirsty when you do put your foot down.

The Nissan 370Z won’t be quite so sparing with the petrol because of its powerful 3.7-litre V6 engine. It’ll also be a bit of a handful on a tight, twisty road. But, for some people, that’ll be part of its appeal.

For a car that does it all, you really need to look at the Volkswagen Golf R. It’s very fast thanks to a turbocharged 296bhp 2.0-litre engine and a fast-acting four-wheel-drive system that allows you to deploy all of that power, even in bad weather.

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If you're interested in buying a used GT86, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our used car classifieds site here.