Toyota GR86 Expert Review

Design & Build Quality

The GR86 is what happens when Toyota decides that a car should look fast without covering it in unnecessary aerodynamic theatre. Its proportions are the first thing you notice. At 4,265mm long, 1,775mm wide and only 1,310mm high, it sits low and wide, with a long bonnet, short rear deck and classic rear-wheel-drive sports-car stance. Toyota has kept the design remarkably faithful to the idea of a lightweight coupe rather than turning it into a rolling technology advertisement. The front is aggressive without becoming cartoonish. The low grille, sharp headlights and sculpted bumper give it a purposeful face, while the rear gets a neat ducktail-style spoiler and broad stance. The RZ is particularly attractive with its larger 18-inch wheels and 215/40R18 tyres. Lower grades can use 17-inch wheels, which provide slightly more sidewall and therefore a little more forgiveness on dreadful roads. And Bangladesh does have dreadful roads. The 130mm ground clearance is the biggest exterior concern here. Speed breakers that seem perfectly reasonable from a distance suddenly become geological obstacles when approached in a GR86. Toyota itself measures the lowest point at approximately 130mm. Still, the design is one of the GR86's greatest strengths. It looks expensive, purposeful and genuinely sporty without shouting. It has the rare quality of making you want to drive it before you've even opened the door. For more visual detail, open the detailed image gallery. The full specifications and features gives the key dimensions and exterior equipment in one place.  Toyota GR86 2.4 Premium stands out through the combination of its proportions, lighting and wheel package, which matter when choosing a car you will see every day.

The GR86's interior is not trying to be a luxury lounge. It is trying to put you in the correct place to enjoy the engine, steering and rear tyres.

And it succeeds.

The driving position is low, supportive and properly sports-car-like. The steering wheel sits naturally in front of the driver, the pedals are well positioned and the manual gearbox falls exactly where your right hand expects it to be.

The RZ adds nicer trim and sports seats, while the dashboard remains refreshingly straightforward. Toyota uses physical controls for important functions rather than hiding everything behind menus, which is particularly welcome when you're trying to operate the car while actually driving it.

The digital instrument cluster gives the driver useful information without turning the dashboard into an airport departure board. Depending on specification, the car gets an 8-inch display audio system, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The front seats are the real stars.

The rear seats, meanwhile, appear to have been designed by someone who said, "Technically, we can call this a four-seater."

There is space back there, but not much. Tall adults will negotiate with the front seats, roofline and their own knees simultaneously.

The 237-litre boot is surprisingly useful, although its opening is narrow.

For Bangladesh, two occupants will find the GR86 perfectly usable. Four occupants will discover why sports cars traditionally have two seats.

The GR86 has a pleasingly sensible feature list because Toyota understands that sports-car buyers want technology without technology becoming the entire car.

An 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and USB connectivity cover the important modern requirements. Higher-grade cars can also receive better audio equipment, while the Japanese range offers different speaker configurations depending on grade and audio system.

Automatic climate control, smart entry and push-button starting make the car considerably easier to live with than its aggressive appearance suggests. The RZ also brings better seats, larger wheels and additional equipment.

Then there is the technology that actually matters.

The GR86 uses a low centre of gravity, rear-wheel drive and a MacPherson-strut front suspension paired with a double-wishbone rear setup. Toyota has clearly spent more engineering effort making the car corner properly than designing a refrigerator compartment for your coffee.

Safety technology varies significantly with transmission and grade. Newer automatic cars receive stronger EyeSight functionality, including pre-collision braking and full-speed-following adaptive cruise control, while manual cars retain a different safety package.

For Bangladesh, I would prioritise the RZ's equipment and safety package rather than chasing aftermarket gadgets.

A 360-degree camera, bigger screen or fancy ambient lighting can be added.

You cannot aftermarket your way into a properly engineered rear-wheel-drive chassis.

he GR86's safety story is slightly complicated because transmission and model year matter.

Basic protection is strong. The car has ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, multiple airbags, seatbelt warnings, ISOFIX and tyre-pressure monitoring. The low seating position and excellent chassis balance also contribute to a feeling of stability when cornering.

Newer Japanese cars use Subaru-derived EyeSight technology. Toyota lists pre-collision braking, lane-departure/fatigue-related warning functions, cruise-control assistance and rear parking sonar among the available systems.

The clever bit is that the system is not identical between manual and automatic cars.

Automatic versions can receive 0–120 km/h full-speed-following adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking and automatic wrong-pedal/incorrect-reverse suppression. Manual cars use a different following-cruise system and do not receive every automatic-specific intervention.

RZ versions can also have blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross-traffic assistance, which is particularly useful because the rearward visibility of a low sports coupe is not exactly panoramic. Toyota identifies the rear-side warning system as standard on RZ and optional on SZ in current Japanese equipment listings.

In Bangladesh, this technology is useful but should never be treated as a substitute for driving attention.

More importantly, check accident history before buying a reconditioned GR86. A properly repaired sports coupe can be excellent; one with questionable structural repairs is not worth the gamble. For the complete equipment breakdown, see the full safety review and the full specifications and features. The full features review puts the safety kit alongside the rest of the vehicle's technology, while the driving experience review explains how the car behaves on the road. You can also browse the detailed image gallery, owner reviews, and all variants. These details give the Toyota GR86 2.4 Premium a clearer safety picture for everyday use.

The GR86's entire existence is an argument against the idea that every car needs a turbocharger. Its 2,387cc FA24 boxer engine produces 235 hp and 250 Nm without forced induction. The result is not the violent shove of a turbocharged GR Yaris. Instead, power builds in a wonderfully linear way, encouraging you to use the engine rather than simply wait for boost. The real magic is the chassis. The engine sits low, the centre of gravity is low, the car is relatively light and power goes to the rear wheels. The steering is precise and the rear suspension uses a double-wishbone arrangement. This makes the GR86 feel balanced rather than merely fast. On a good Bangladesh highway, it is immensely satisfying. You can place the car accurately, accelerate progressively and enjoy the mechanical connection between throttle, steering and road. Dhaka is a different matter. Traffic turns the manual gearbox into an exercise in left-leg fitness, while the automatic becomes considerably more appealing. The ride is firm, the seating position is low and the 130mm ground clearance demands respect around speed breakers. Fuel consumption is also not Corolla territory. Expect roughly 7–9 km/L in heavy city use and around 11–13 km/L on open highways if driven sensibly. But the GR86 is not supposed to be a Corolla. It is a relatively affordable sports coupe designed to make ordinary roads interesting. And when the road finally opens up, it does exactly that.