Toyota’s Affordable Sports Car Is Proving to Be More Popular
Many modern sports cars can be quite pricey, but it’s possible to get a new Toyota GR86 for less than $30,000. It’s a remodeled version of the Toyota 86 sports car, which failed to garner broad appeal thanks to its lackluster interior and powertrain. The GR86’s engine is punchier now, and this car has a sleek new exterior to match its lively character.
The Toyota Supra is another iconic sports car from this automaker. Since it’s the more expensive of the two, it may be no surprise that the GR86 has moved more units. But does a cheaper price alone really make a better sports car?
Sales figures of the Toyota Supra and GR86
According to GoodCarBadCar, approximately 3,514 units of the Toyota GR86 were sold for the third quarter of 2022. In the same amount of time, only 1,171 Toyota Supras were purchased. By this time last year, the Toyota Supra had sold over 1,200 units.
Since the Toyota GR86 was just released this year, we can’t be sure how well it will continue to perform in 2023. However, it rounded out November 2022 with 785 units sold, a massive increase compared to the previous month. In contrast, only 353 examples of the Toyota Supra were sold that same month.
What do these two Toyota sports cars have in common?
U.S. News reports that both the Toyota Supra and GR86 offer awesome acceleration. The Toyota GR86 has the smaller base engine of the two, a 228-hp flat-four paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. With this powertrain configuration, you can reportedly reach 60 mph in 6.1 seconds.
There’s also an optional six-speed automatic transmission, though it slightly impairs the GR86’s speed. The majority of critics say that the GR86 offers a pleasant ride, even with a stiff suspension. The GR86 also has balanced handling and gets decent fuel economy from both transmission options.
The Toyota Supra’s base turbo-four engine, exclusive to the 2.0 trim, supplies 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Every other trim comes with a turbo-six capable of 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
According to the majority of reviews, the higher trims have the best ride qualities thanks to their adaptive suspensions. Most critics also had no complaints about the Supra’s handling and commended its stopping power.
Both of these Toyota sports cars feature cozy interiors with user-friendly infotainment interfaces.
Differences between the Toyota GR86 and Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is faster than the GR86, especially with the bigger engine. You’ll only need 3.9 seconds to hit 60 mph, and the smaller engine can reach that speed in 5 seconds. The base engine is also more efficient than the GR86’S, rated for 25/32 mpg city/highway.
It’s worth noting that the Toyota GR86 offers two extra seats. However, there’s barely any room for adults to sit comfortably in the second row. The Toyota GR86 also has a small trunk that holds little over 6 cu-ft of luggage space.
The Toyota Supra has over 10 cubes of cargo capacity, plus a hatchback lid. However, because it sits so low to the ground, critics complain that seat access is difficult for the Supra. It also has a few large blind spots at the rear, forcing you to rely on optional blind-spot monitors.
The Toyota Supra also doesn’t have Android Auto at all, and you have to pay extra for wireless Apple CarPlay. The Toyota GR86 has both of these features standard, but its convenience upgrades are limited compared to the Supra’s. Even so, considering its great performance at such a low price point, we can see why the GR86 is so popular.
