Road Test: 2018 Toyota 86

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Toyota and Subaru engineered one of the best cars on the road for the money. With rear-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual transmission, the Toyota 86 is one of the most thrilling vehicles to drive.

On the outside, the 86 is sleek, svelte, and sensual. LED headlights look sharp and provide a flood of illumination at night. LED taillights complete the look of the sporty rear end.

Winding roads are where the 86 thrives and shows what an incredible machine it is.

Our base model wasn’t in any way luxurious, but it was modern and solid. We enjoy the simplicity of every aspect of the car, lending itself to the raw feelings it generates during the driving experience.

Day-to-day, it’s livable, the seats are incredibly supportive, and yet still comfortable. It even includes a rear seat to throw a few bags in the back, but we wouldn’t recommend it for any humans as there truly isn’t any legroom with the front seats adjusted for two adults.

The gauges are clear with an analog tachometer and digital speedometer.

Under the hood, the 2.0L Boxer engine produces 205 horsepower and feels peppier than the Scion FR-S we last drove a few years ago. The clutch and shifter feels absolutely perfect in this car. Fuel economy is rated 21 city, 28 highway, 24 combined, but we actually averaged around 30 mpg across a week of mixed driving.

We admittedly miss push-button start though (it’s available on upper trims) and wish the back-up camera could make its way to the Entune display instead of the minuscule image in the rearview mirror.

Summary Scorecard (1-10)
Ride and Handling	10
Braking	10
Powertrain and Fuel Economy	10
Noise	8
Headlights	10
Interior Fit and Finish	7
Seating	10
Visibility	9
Gauges and Controls	8
Infotainment	2
Crash-Avoidance	0
Total Score	76