Toyota 86 2017 Review Price Features Specs Pictures

Toyota 86 2017

Toyota 86 2017 What's New:

We'd love to tell you that the incremental upgrades bestowed upon Toyota's rear-wheel-drive coupe as it made its transition from Scion FR-S to Toyota 86 have transformed it into a perfect sports car. If only a few more horsepower, shorter rear-end gearing, and tiny aero updates were enough to quell all the complaints that enthusiasts have leveled at the machine since the platform first hit the road in 2012, this review would have been so much more satisfying to write. Sadly, that's not the case.

Toyota 86 2017 Handling / Driving:

Don't get us wrong. The 86 is still extremely fun to toss around a twisty road. The chassis is impressively balanced, the steering is direct, and the shifter is sweet. Sorry to impart upon you this well-worn trope, but the old adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow is, in this case, completely accurate. The 2017 Toyota 86 is nothing if not entertaining. But it's not completely new. It hasn't been transformed. It is, in the end, the same as it ever was.

It will take about three minutes of your time to watch the videos below, in which we cover pretty much everything that's new for the 2017 Toyota 86.

Toyota 86 2017 Video Review:

Toyota 86 2017 Price:

The price of this fantastic new sedan by Toyota Company is approximately $26,255.

Toyota 86 2017 Specifications:

Engine 2.0L H4

Power 205 HP / 156 LB-FT

Transmission 6-Speed Manual

Drivetrain Rear-Wheel Drive

Engine Placement Front

Curb Weight 2,758 LBS

Seating 2+2

MPG21 City / 28 HWY

Toyota 86 2017 Review:

Toyota 86s equipped with manual transmissions get a five-pony boost to 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Automatic models soldier forth with a carryover 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 200 hp and 151 lb-ft. Apparently, more than half of Scion FR-S buyers chose the automatic. That's unfortunate, as it drains a good deal of the fun out of the 86 experience. Choose the manual and you'll be rewarded with an easy clutch and a rewarding short-throw shifter. And, as we said, five more ponies, courtesy of intake and exhaust tweaks and the polishing of some internal engine components. The only upside to the automatic is improved fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. Manual 86s are EPA-rated at 21/28.

Along with the small bump in power, the 2017 86 gets a 4.3:1 rear-end gear ratio in lieu of the old 4.1:1 unit. That ought to translate into a small improvement in acceleration that really only matters on paper. In the real world, on actual roads, the difference is negligible. To eke the most out of the 86, you have to constantly work the shifter and keep the engine north of 5,000 rpm. It's still not particularly quick, but it's definitely fun.

There's plenty of noise inside the 86, from the wind, the road, and the engine. Considering its purpose as a low-cost sportscar, the 86's interior din isn't the end of the world. The 86 gets revised spring rates and damping all around, and a thicker anti-roll bar at the rear. It's not a night-and-day difference from the old suspension setup, but the rear of the car feels a bit more planted on rough roads and with steep steering angles. Its low weight of 2,758 pounds keeps the 86 feeling nimble and light on its 215/45R17 Michelin Primacy tires.

Toyota 86 2017 Final Words:

Okay, so the 2017 Toyota 86 feels about the same as the 2016 Scion FR-S did from behind the wheel. It doesn't look very different, either. There's a mild facelift, a bunch of Toyota and 86 badges inside and out, and LED lighting elements front and rear. Toyota engineers insist that the tiny vortex generators at the top of the fenders have some beneficial effect on aerodynamics, but it's got to be minimal. Same with the little strakes on either side of the front fascia, which sort of remind us of an '80s Testarossa. And not in a good way.

Toyota 86 2017 Interior Images: