Toyota GT86 (Scion FR-S) coupe 2013 review - Carbuyer / Mat Watson

[@Drinapropriatetouch]

People say this isn't a sports car!? That's crap, this is exactly what a sports car is. People have forgotten what a sports car is because power figures have gone through the roof in things like hot hatches. This is the quintessential interpretation of a sports car. Sports cars have never been about high power, they're about driving dynamics.

[@CoffeeMadeMeSay]

they're about the "dam it my car broke down, i need a tow."

[@supernova4300]

Exactly

[@Paranormalcoffeelounge]

I agree driving is about fun handling and cornering on those b roads and going for a sunday drive at 4pm on a sunny summers day and parking out side a country pub for all to see also styling a important factor not always about power but thats just a bonus i enjoy handling and the cheeky pull aways when you got a bmw saloon up your backside nice just to pull away and meet him again in the corners see him oversteer . I think gt 86 is a lovely car and my father in law looking into one my advice ignore the figures and enjoy comfort and style

[@8G00SE8]

I think people take issue with it as they scrapped the Celica which out performed this, they make up a variety of reasons why they dislike this but in reality they just want Celica to come back.

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

The Celica most definitely does NOT outperform the gt86, even a stock one. I owned a gt86 now and used to own a Celica.

[@Vermilion2049]

This car is not about speed, it is the handling that beats all. I had one and I loved it.

[@serenityinside1]

So why did you get rid of it ?!!

[@neelparmar6690]

"A hallucinogenic which makes you go all blaughughgugh" You should have been picked for Top Gear Matt, you're brilliant

[@ThePrimordialBeing]

he totally rocks!

[@Humz864]

Matt needs to replace Matt

[@SeanBagheri]

This car is all about having FUN

[@emmal1636]

I've had this car for 3,5 years now and it still got the looks.. Timeless sports car.

[@cars_of_england1445]

In my opinion the TT looks nowhere near as good as the gt86.

[@mob1235]

+Cars_Of_England the TT has front wheel drive so its out

[@Mrzeng1]

No one will ever beat Toyota in design..

[@blueg8731]

So true!

[@migvelv]

Ikr, it just looks so japanese

[@ts.exotics4583]

@@mob1235 it's a Volkswagen golf in a dress

[@ToiletGrenade]

One day...... 5 year update: I still don't have one. I can't even drive despite being 20.

[@boi1996]

Plebby McPlebface do u have one now?

[@cyril4046]

the r34 porg And now?

[@marcusskyfall]

Did you get one...?

[@zureai]

How about now?

[@jordanah-sam6806]

Redline - Top Drives how about now?

[@muhammadfaizan8066]

Omggg thats Mat watson . 😂😂😂 . Where was Carwow those days

[@asgarlimedia]

He was jack back these days

[@firehorizon4743]

I was just thinking the same thing!

[@fakerafay]

My thoughts exactly

[@narcleptik]

I don't get your point

[@UtopiaYA]

Didn’t exist

[@smartalmos95]

my friend have one and i drove it and its fun as fuck. its so sharp and flat in corners and the engine-gearbox combination is just dilicious its by far the best 4 cyl car i've ever driven. my only complain is that its too stiff for shitty roads and the seat are harsh and uncomfortable for over-weighted people. As a daily driver i prefer my dodge challenger because its x10 more comfortable, spacious and practicle. but this car is a fun to drive. if you are a skinny person and you don't give a shit about ride comfort go for it.

[@kage7785]

ringing this thing out on the back roads is about the most fun I've ever had in a car. Joy to drive.

[@RandomPandaX78]

Drove one of these yesterday at Silverstone. I'm used to a slow 1.4 corolla and I have to say it lives up to the reputation.

[@fk2468]

The reputation of a gt86 being slow, or being a beauty to drive?

[@RandomPandaX78]

@@fk2468 was very fun and balanced. Underpowered probably but it's not always about that

[@rputeraanwar]

"Its not about the power............ Its all about the BALANCE" -Keiichi Tsuchiya, father of drift and 86

[@DiViNiTY1337]

"Let's play a little game of word association, you ready? Toyota." 1200BHP 2JZ Supra, anyone? I'd say that's pretty fun to me...

[@dehyshikhsannst4056]

Intel Core i7 4710HQ GeForce GTX860M 4GB GDDR5 Richman : i have $100 million . I don't care about consumption

[@dehyshikhsannst4056]

Intel Core i7 4710HQ GeForce GTX860M 4GB GDDR5 Lol me too :-)

[@b.sh.1941]

DiViNiTY1337 It's not stock, obviously. The Supra is also quite old now. I always think of the Supra and Celica first, but only because I'm into cars.

[@TheSpyChecker]

DiViNiTY1337 2000GT, mate....

[@haseebchowdhury4307]

TheSpyChecker spoke my heart.......

[@isonomad]

This is the best review of any car I've ever seen. You actually answer the questions that real people want answered. Bravo

[@FIREBIRDC9]

A Toyota badge isn't as desirable as an Audi Badge. You have just highlighted the problem with people these days :P

[@blueg8731]

Exactly!

[@desolatesurfer8651]

FIREBIRDC9 Audi... I have one of those broke down in my driveway.

[@MagicAyrtonforever]

Badge whores can **** off :)

[@Shaufique]

Westerners tend to find Asian brands to be inferior to European brands. Cant blame the reviewer though....

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

It's funny because back in the 80s/90s Toyota was a badge people wanted and hardly anyone bothered with Audis etc. It's only after they stopped making sports cars and released the Prius everyone people lost interest. Luckily they are back :D

[@charlesbarlow6278]

I’ve just bought a 2015 one of these at 23, I would recommend it to absolutely everyone.

[@tawhirilee4080]

How is it so far, I’m considering a 2013 86??

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

"Toyota badge isn't as desirable as an Audi Badge" - yea, but the Toyota will keep running while the German effort is in the garage burning up your hard earned £'s.

[@critter1171]

This is a fantastic car for someone like myself who's on their P's and under 25 years of age. No huge insurance costs, quite manageable loan repayments, introduction to a fun little sports car, I ordered a white GTS 86 with aero kit and it comes in 3 weeks time! I'm sure that this will be a great car which will introduce me to the world of sports cars :)

[@ornatehammer661]

1)Boxer engine? ( checked) 2)Rear wheel drive? (checked) 3)Four seats and a trunk? (checked) 4)VERY balanced suspension? (checked) 5) Naturally aspirated engine? (checked) BONUS) Reliable without any stupid fancy stuff to break down? (Checked) Perfect car for me, i'm in love 💓💓💓

[@lesego2933]

ornate hammer me too...

[@Cornetto1997]

Reliable? Really? Those engines are crap. Revised at least 20 of them... beter were all the real toyota engines from the 90s...

[@madmuch3927]

I really love CarBuyer reviews! There isn't any throwing the car around a track, for pointless reasons. It's just a great reviewer, showing the car.

[@sidharthpullarkkattumukund963]

Me watching this in 2024 😂

[@dumzanbr2898]

me too😂😂

[@edwinasare4272]

Same here 😂😂😂

[@darwandoo]

Now I know why this review got so many hits. This guys great, a proper review!! Great job

[@howie_horace]

It’s not too slow. Power is immediate and enough for average driver. This car is about driving fun and not drag racing. This car improve you driving ability Bcus of a very responsive chassis

[@AlexSchwartzATV]

Man you've been doing this for a while now. Great review - regularly watch your new ones.

[@marshknute]

As a Miata owner, I love the Toyobaru. We need more lightweight canyon carvers on the roads, and this is the first true rival to the Miata (S2K was too expensive and the Solstice was too rubbish). The back seats, while small, are sufficient in emergencies and provide useful in-cabin storage the rest of the time. I can't wait to pick up a second-hand Toyobaru in a few years time.

[@Safwan_Raja]

i have watched many car reviews.. but this guy is funniest :P

[@jerryjames1131]

Wouldve been more motivated to get it if it had the key switch instead of start engine button

[@GreatGrandmasterWang]

Agreed. I fucking hate start engine buttons. Electronic parking brakes are also fucking atrocious

[@PrimeOM]

Kemal Akeren what’s wrong with push to start

[@erikortiz5073]

@@PrimeOM nothing he’s just over dramatic it’s better

[@seph95]

I have not heard ANY bad review of this car. Future Legend for SURE! Good Job Tada-San for helping bring this amazing machine to the world.

[@CHuzz7777]

Brilliant car, much like my mx5, great handling with a small engine that needs to be thrashed. If you think it needs to be faster I think you're missing the point. Drive with a smile not a grimace!!

[@akie64]

I drove the 86 this week in Auckland this week and loved it, engine sounded fantastic when pushed, perhaps a little noisy but once on the motorway it settled down.

[@shutupplease4090]

7 airbags? wtf am i trying to get killed by airbags? or wat

[@JohnSmith-jy4qj]

That’s now the norm

[@SkepticCat-pz1zz]

I’m 65 and seriously thinking about buying a BRZ just for fun, it reminds me of the fun and enjoyment my 914’s gave back in the 70’s. Similar balance and 2.0 liter boxer engine. For speed and comfort I still have my 330hp A6 Quattro. I did own an Audi TT for short time and found it pretty boring, no stick available in the US.

[@Mejevoli]

People need to understand, after reviewing this as a Car, they should try to look at it as a Platform from Toyobaru to the tuning world.

[@naveed4686]

+Mejevoli Yes, this car has a lot of potential of becoming much more quicker in the tuning world. (Remap it, add a boost, turbo, performance parts, air filter, etc etc)This car would be really quick.

[@SillyRam]

Test drove one of these babies earlier this week, completely fell in love. Such a sporty feel, going to have to get one myself!

[@ashatheguy5627]

I want to get one of these one day... If only I could get it now

[@weeeck6295]

Get one it,s a great car

[@raze0760]

Gaben u prob be rich now

[@salmanbilleth1606]

You have never provided us the disadvantages of any car in your life. So whenever i watch carbuyer videos. Always expect we're gonna watch the best car in the world :)

[@blackchallis]

I took one of these for a test drive few weeks back, then i took a 350z for a test drive, which was a few years older, and that blew the gt86 away

[@bighands69]

Two different types of cars. Z350 weighs in at 1500kg. GT86 weighs in at 1200kg. The 350z is faster in a straight line as the car is about power. The GT86 is faster on smaller tight tracks because it is all about handling.

[@eveythingthatsadam]

Horsepower is way different

[@thevictimcard7065]

I like the way you guys did the shots in the beginning (the bottle, can, keys, phone, etc)

[@LelouchVelvet]

Absolutely great car! Love it! Will own one someday for sure.

[@BackyardSpaceProgram]

So how did it go?

[@SubaruPowerr]

I love your reviews. Really, when I want to see a review of a car, I'm always looking for you. :)

[@チハたんs]

I love it !! GT-86 is great!!

[@MadelnMachines]

Took one for a test drive and loved it. It just felt so much more fun and playful than a 4 series. I'm really sold on the front end of the TT mk3 although I love the back end and sides on this one.

[@Tweaked818]

Fuck having mates in the back, im getting this to cruise wit just my girl

[@rbyn4568]

Alpha male

[@admonix2]

I'm getting this to cruise with other's girls, not mine

[@Scaze74]

9 years on. Still my daily driver. A coilpack did go and bushings r starting to go bad. The drive is awsome still.

[@adrianTNT]

4:02

[@niclash4534]

I love the Reviewer, great humor and moderation 🤙🏼

[@jackpate3678]

Can someone please explain the difference between the Subaru BRZ, the Toyota gt86, and the Scion FR-S?

[@horizon1101]

There all the same

[@rodan9187]

Brz's are a little different(headlights, front bumper,...). Frs and gt86 are the same... because scion is the "youth brand" of toyota. And I think only frs's are sold in the us.

[@targaflorio3239]

Another great summary from one of my favourite car reviewers.

[@foolchecker123]

The day they make this car with a more powerful engine (turbocharger anybody ?) and grippier tires, I'll def buy one !

[@Nezbit666]

they sell turbo kits and supercharger kits and why not put wider wheels on one? seems pretty obvious to me

[@willknight83]

I had 1 for five years loved it sadly I was diagnosed with a disability I never knew I had and my GT86 was just too low as I got worse so had to get something more practical I like my Range Rover but I loved my GT86

[@wever333]

Turbo Kit !

[@liptonrq8ce]

i've driven this car today and there is just one word that fits to this car: AMAZING

[@MrScxrecrow]

no fun toyotas? supra and mr2?

[@mrehman306mr]

Thats whats I was gonna say. There is the Toyota 2000GT of the original James Bond, to the supra and all the way up to the mr2 etc. They are all easy-to-live with as well. Oh and reliable too.

[@MrDerOutsider]

when i hear of toyota i think about sports cars and most of all: tuning

[@thejudge-kv2jk]

Celica was a lot of fun too. I had a VVTi and it was great fun, excellent value and bulletproof.

[@MrMightyZ]

The reason this car appeals to me much, much more than a hot hatch is it's rear-wheel drive. While standard a hot hatch will out-accelerate it, it's a true sports car, light, nimble, RWD and so sounds like much more of a purists machine. Every reviewer so far has agreed on it's handling being fantastic. And all of our favorite companies will have lots of lovely go-faster parts for it in no time. I'd nearly buy this without a test drive!

[@Mrzeng1]

This is my dream car , i will own it in a few years ;)

[@joej5081]

Hope you get it!!!

[@jimiv9721]

Yeah my dream car too... tell me if its good if u get it

[@mihamacek7336]

I won't this too be my first car and when I get a job all my money is going towards it

[@wrp247]

because it was made in partnership with Subaru, they have one too called the BRZ and its priced at $25,495 on their website in the US

[@henrynicklin1345]

LSD is a drug

[@ashwin007bond]

+Henry Nicklin LSD in this case is Limited Slip Differential. :)

[@haseebchowdhury4307]

+Ashwin S No Shit Shelock!!

[@ashwin007bond]

Haseeb Chowdhury Yes shit, my dear Watson.

[@GreatGrandmasterWang]

Figuratively

[@akmedia8206]

Henry Nicklin no it’s not 😱

[@wrp247]

I think their target are those involved in motor sports as well. It doubles a daily driver and a weekend warrior, so those rear seats may eventually come out. thats why it performs the way it does and looks that way as well. the original 86, AE86, is very popular amongst drifters and tuners.

[@Computercontrolled87]

Love this machine

[@leeeeeeeeeee012]

By the way the salesperson told me you can actually turn off the ABS, ESP and LSD from inside the cabin, but only if you confident with your drifting skill.

[@MD-xl3lj]

I want to buy this car, but dad pefers me to buy a house.

[@Lanzerx07]

Your dad is nowhere dude.

[@MD-xl3lj]

Haha, In Australia the value of 86 is $33,476.

[@mr.bombastico6743]

In Holland this car costs around 40.000 euros. Everything is expensive in Holland.

[@MD-xl3lj]

Shit son, we get paid on a weekly basis.

[@MD-xl3lj]

Lol I don't even know much that is, too complicated!

[@jajye29]

this car literally is a throwback to the 2000s sports car

[@steveqwackaface3046]

First word that comes to my mind when I hear Toyota *S U P R A*

[@fizhouz328]

Fujiwara tofu shop

[@fourtyfourone]

hes a good reviewer, fun, humorous, and to the point.

[@Jonx97]

An audi TT is at least 30% more expensive than this.

[@christosvasiliou219]

Jon theGreat you pay for the name and the "made in german"

[@andylie7699]

Lol, wtf

[@KibAlexey]

An Audi TT with 3.2VR6 is at least 400% better than this soap box made of compressed rice and recycled cans...

[@andylie7699]

The TT never came with the VR6 engine... Alexey Kostenko

[@KibAlexey]

Emmm, dude ? My MK1 had 3.2 VR6 and MK2 has VR6 3.2.

[@Beagleman1996]

This is what, in my opinion, Current Top Gear's reviews should be like: Informative and balanced, yet entertaining. Not purely showy sliding shots and barely any information.

[@anditodp9532]

i love this car

[@Filipe1020]

I wish I could have a job like you Mat, a youtube channel where I review and drive some really cool cars for people to have a good choice while buying a car, a dream for every car lover, you are lucky!

[@tehstylz5517]

Toyota GT-86 + RWD = Drift car ✔

[@oodiroodododkdkd127]

Teh StyLz ahem hachiroku gt

[@c0ccaldera]

His best review yet. Hands down.

[@Franklin-qk4dj]

I want one but I'm 6'2 and they seem tiny

[@carbuyer]

Franklin You'll fit - I'm 6'4" and loved the (mechanically identical) Subaru BRZ.

[@greatestthenu4826]

Dude wow 6'2 ain't shit. I'm 6'6 I fit perfectly.

[@Cbob972]

+MRsjovealek bahaha yall midgets, try 7.3 lel

[@Franklin-qk4dj]

+Carbuyer get in & out just fine?

[@trinidadmark_790]

+Franklin Your safe im 9'10 an i fit

[@RoloPoops]

There are some slight Aesthetic difference with the center console, the guages, the faux vents on the side of the front fenders, headlights, front bumper, etc. Also theres a slight difference in how the suspension is set up. But all in all, they're both the same car. The brz and the ft86 (FR-s in some markets) is the result of a joint effort by toyota and subaru. Basically, Subaru took care of the engineering and toyota tackled the designing

[@sgdtv1368]

A car built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts

[@12masterwayne]

I have test-drived this car last month, amazing car for what you pay. Only down side, the air flows in too much although the air conditioners are turned off!

[@lukaszbat3733]

Not enough power? Well you can fit 2jz in it :D

[@HTSPascal]

As a S2000 owner i'm really looking forward to testdrive this one... On the roads it might be more fun to drive for those who want to stay legal when it comes to speed... In the S2k you can go 107 km/h in second gear so in 3rd gear you cant push it if you dont wanna pay the police...

[@theoharrison1]

Budget lexus lfa

[@lbnFadl]

Lol. No.

[@allemailto]

In Malaysia, due to local car protection policy,foreign car price as (year 2012) below: Toyota GT86 -USD 76044.42 Volkswagen Golf GTI -USD 66621.17 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI -USD 111093.70 Mazda Rx8 cost -USD 74822.98 Peugeot RCZ -USD 70063.51 PS: average Malaysian income less thn USD 564.26 per month.

[@MrTnscproductions]

I don't understand this car. How can you make a "sport car" that has no power?

[@MrTnscproductions]

A couple of years? haha. My car is ten years old and makes over 300BHP. It would destroy this GT86 on track, drag or on the twistys.

[@DiViNiTY1337]

MrTnscproductions And what did it cost when it was brand new? Does it have all the features this car has? Like sat-nav, climate control, air condition, TCS, ABS, Aux / USB support, Bluetooth, a decent storage compartment with the glove-box and in the doors, etc. etc. I'm pretty sure if you spent the same amount of money on upgrading this car as you would have spent on buying your car instead, brand new, the GT86 would probably smoke yours.

[@Neil2022]

***** but it didn't weigh the same as a bungalow

[@Neil2022]

A bungalow is a single storey house in the UK

[@Neil2022]

A house is heavy....thats all.

[@jetcat120]

I love my 2015 GT86. It is an Automatic but in manual mode withe the paddle shifters it tremendous fun to drive.

[@Eves_Fab]

Ford Mustang is the best

[@tomf2026]

Mustangs, even new ones are held together with sticky tape n play dough!

[@DJOZZA]

One of the main reasons they do it is to put the car into a lower insurance bracket so its cheaper for the consumer. two seaters are way more expensive to insure than four seaters

[@ZackAceZero]

you need to rev it up in order to get the most out of it,cause its an 86. an interesting feature of a hachi roku was that you could drift at corners with your leg stepped on at full throttle! maybe the designed it this way,in order to get a nostalgia feeling.

[@Dafastso]

this is the only car i would ever want to actually buy "new". untouched, undriven, straight from the factory.

[@spventures9395]

Best drivers car around after the M3

[@xplat]

It is the same exact engine in both cars. The BRZ and GT-86 are a joint venture car between toyota and subaru.

[@cerrystyle]

Damn this new model of Toyota looks easy to drive till the limiter and fast, comfortable and reliable enough! Oh yeah wish I could get one of this...

[@osamaFXX]

GT-86 + 1 year race track subscription = Reasonably price Heaven !

[@ReasonBeforeReligion]

6 years down the line this will be a car modders dream :)

[@sl270703]

I'm a young car enthusiast and I'm planning to get one in a few months. As my first true sports car what should I expect? I currently drive a '96 1.6L single cam Honda Civic 4 door (Not modded in any way. I don't do street scenes like most people of my age do). How much will I have to adjust in terms of mpg, maintenance, reliability, and practicality?

[@shantygaming694]

If this car just had a touch more power, it would be a dream. Maybe in the future they give it a few more HP and torque and it will really shine.

[@againstme321]

Never understand KZbin arguments. In 10 years, this car will be a great platform to begin a tuning project. Think about it: old 300zx and 240sx models, the old 86, the supras, preludes, etc are all fairly inexpensive now and great to fix up. Hard to find a good old tuner though worth actually putting money into, but this car will be awesome once the new wears off and you can find a used one.

[@Maxmotor2008]

got a bright red GT86 with black stripes, love it, such a fun and agile car!

[@beatsbyamousou2138]

how much did it cost? if i may ask

[@georgemckean9725]

Thats right! The GT86 is a true sports car. This car reminds me of what the MX5 was when it first was released in 1989, and that was a true driver's car. The difference between the old Mazda and this Toyota, this car is a coupe. No convertible availability. This car may not be the fastest car on the road, but it sure is not the slowest. With the addition of larger wheels and better tires, this car handles with the best of them, i.e. Porsche and Ferarri.

[@NKIReel]

I love how this video is so all over the place.

[@MeganoOdles]

slightly differance spring rate: Brz stiffer spring up front and softer rear 86 softer up front stiffer at rear

[@AndrewNL08]

I went to the Subaru website and even compared the length and width and this is what I notice: The subaru is 21.4 inches shorter when it comes to length and only 4 inches less when it comes to width. If those numbers can cause the car to avoid ditches then you're right about the Mustang. On the other hand, like I said, you get alot less besides driving experience for price with a car that relies completely with aftermarket for any power gains, which isn't bad, but come on, so does the Mustang

[@kethucdung]

2 seat car will be listed in your insurance as sport car, where as 4 seat coupe still consider a family car. May be because they try to target the younger market target

[@Obiwan-KenBlowme]

They are already working on a vert GT86. Some pics of it in the wild have been posted.

[@pol1250]

Nice car!!! I would like to be 19 years again!! That is the perfect car for learning to drive properly....If you have a teenage boy buy him this car and no TT or Golf GTI or even a Vauxhall because with this, you get the right skills to become an excellent driver!!