I watch a lot of car channels, but is the first time i see someone talking about the safety in a sports car during a review, and as a dad, safety its a huge deal. Great video.
Your review is spot on. Had my red gr86 3 months now and I love it. I sold my ND mx5 when my first born arrived 3 years ago (and got a Jag XFR which made me appreciate less is more) and have been hankering for the same experience but with the added practicality. This is just practical enough for the kids and as fun as the mx5. Couldn't ask for more. Kids love it too!
This is the perfect review. You touch upon family, being a dad, jdm lover, driver’s car, thoughts on getting old jdm car but not that practical when you have a family now, and most importantly being sharp without the assistance.
I just bought GR86 for my family here in the Boston area. We have an old Audi A6 Avant for the trips which need space, but the GR86 for daily and weekend fun when no stuff is needed. We have a 6 and 4 year old who use Isofix in the back and I am 6f 3” (192cm) and we all 4 fit. This is my first new car as no other car has made financial sense for a car guy who is cost concious. I agree with all the points in this video. 😊
Excellent!! I’d owned a 2013 Brz from new (family wasn’t taken by it) and then a pre owned 2017 brz (by then my girls were like 16-19 and 13-16 for the three years ownership)….now the 2022 gr86 is my daily (nd2 Miata the other). It can be a dad car with some compromises. It’s a terrific vehicle
the Fact that Akio Toyoda(CEO of toyota and professional driver who raced before) absolutely loves this car should tell you about how good this car is.
As a future GR86 owner (from Spain), I must have seen all the GR86 videos on UA-cam. And I must say this one still made me interested and smile. Great job, keep it up!! 👍
@@pamanes7 It's amazing, very very fun to drive. It is reasonably practical, especially if you can lower the back seats. You can easily daily it. However, MPG is not great. I have around 22 MPG (10,5l/100km) in the year that I have it. Other cons are noisy interior and quite badly assembled interior with a lot of squicky noises. The rest is all very special. A true drivers car.
I paused at 3:00, "are you ready daddy" makes me so happy the little one is as stoked as you to drive this car around and probably loves just doing dad daughter stuff with you. I have 3 myself, 6yo, 2yo, 10mo and I am currently looking at getting one of these cars myself. I live in the usa so regardless if this is in the UK or not this is helpful information especially with the front face seats, I don't know for sure what the rule of thumb is here in the states as opposed to back in Australia where if all the seats are occupied in a car that a child can occupy the front seat regardless of airbag. My 6yo is in a booster seat and a personal friend of mine puts his son who's the same age in the passenger seat of the Viper GTS he has but I think that's slightly different to an extent but I guess we will see. Thanks for the video and I am now subscribed!
Lovely cars to drive. I’ve had a go in the GT86 and it’s back to real basics purity of driving. These cars are fantastic value for what you are getting, and the aftermarket community for them is huge! There will be something for everyone.
Wow thank you once again! ☺️ yeah it’s going to be fascinating to see if and how any manufacturers try to continue making true drivers cars as there is clearly still a market for them.
@@dadcars there will be fewer and fewer, and I believe the only way for manufacturers to viably do it is through collabs like the GT86 and GR86 with Subaru, the Supra with BMW, or even the Mazda MX5 with Fiat/Abarth. Enthusiasts just got to keep sending the signals and the money to say the market still needs cars like these.
What an original review through the eyes of a dad, with thoughts that we could have as a dad who one a GR 86 as daily drivers. Iam happy to know that I am a cool dad 😎. And also, we could take our children, drive with style to school with a GR86 and also go to the food market. We don't necessarily need to drive fast or go on a track to have fun on with GR86. I have done 7000km since October 2023 and the average fuel consumption is 7,7 litres/100km.
Really cool review, I am in my early 20s and was lucky enough to be able to own the new BRZ (basically the same car). I always drive my 6 year old little brother around so seeing a focus on safety (as i drive very differently with him in the car) was much appreciated. Great car, great review.
Nice video, as a proud GR86 owner for a year I totally agree with your sentiments. I paid £31k new with Neptune blue paint! Bargain… compliments my R35 GT-R perfectly (as a polar opposite). Keep up the good work 👍
The GR86 is kind of a bittersweet thing. On the one hand, it's something to celebrate that a company like Toyota still knows how to do, and has done, a near-perfect naturally aspirated, light weight, handling-orientated sports car. But at the same time, it's almost the last gasp of the breed. Everything else is either turbo'd and sanitised to kingdom come or weighs 2+ tons. Or both. Or is electric which is about as not-sports-car as it gets! That said, if this is the last of the breed, what a way to go out; great looks, performance, handling, practicality... Some of the things you talk about do make me think of the Celica GT4 review where despite being a tiny car, it's surprisingly practical inside and a nice looking interior. The only other hold-out I can think of is the MX5 which just refuses to give in.
I agree 🥲… we needed a final ICE MR2 as well really but it’s good to be thankful for what we have. Perhaps it was the mx5 domination that stopped them making another one.
I totally agree with your post, the world is changing and the days of performance ICE cars are numbered. That said, I’m not that bothered about the lack of exciting new cars coming into the market (emission & safety regulations will only increase) so the alternative is to look at buying a used performance car rather than continuing to buy new. I split daily duties between my 21 GR Yaris and my 95 MR2 Mk2 and TBH I can’t see me buying a new car for many years (the GRY still has 8 years left to run on its warranty and the MR2 is a hoot to drive and has been totally reliable in the 8 years I’ve owned it).
Also no wireless connectivity and no internal microphones, your driving habits aren't being recorded and shipped to your insurance company, neither is there a "stay on lane" to swerve you back into obstacles you want to avoid.
You can switch the Electronic Sound Generator off - it's a dealer customisable option but, you can do it yourself if you (a) have a laptop with Techstream or (b) disconnect the ESG box plug which is located behind the glovebox in the dash. It takes about 10 minutes at most. The GRZoo forum is a wealth of information for GR fans. My GR86 is due to arrive at the end of November and it's been a long 6 month wait I can tell you!
As someone about to become a dad this channel gives me some hope for my next few years of car ownership. Would love to see an Alfa Romeo Brera review at some point, always wanted to own one of those but would be great to see it put through your child seat testing!
@@dadcars It's not really anything like the Brera, but I just got an Alfa 159 ti Sportwagon. You'd be welcome to take it for a spin if you're ever in the south-west!
Brilliant car and a brilliant video... As someone who started driving in the late 1970`s i had many fantastic hot hatches throughout the 80`s & 90`s i find modern day cars are mostly just too clinical, with no real feel or engagement to them, the more gadgets to "Help us" the more the skill of driving and road awareness is eroding... If i can afford it then a GR86 or Yaris will hopefully be the eventual replacement for my excellent Abarth 595 Scorpioneoro..
So happy you got round to one of these! I have a similar plan to what you mentioned, I've got a GT86 and my wife has a BMW 4 series gran coupe. The GT86 is so much more involved to drive, and I can still get my daughter in the back!
I agree bout the driver aids was saying the sane to my wife last night. I drive three old cars with nothing yet struggled to park my wife’s new merc last night as the beeps and that put me off
I’m proud to say I own one. It’s great fun and can be a bit of a handful in the wet on roundabouts, but keeps you engaged. The one thing I really like is that you don’t see many at car meets or on the road and has the same potentials as the GT86 of customising it. Yes the mirror situation is a bit naff and it doesn’t have rain sensors for the wipers and auto dimming rear view mirror which I think would of been a nice touch, but other than that it’s a great car and back to basic’s driving experience. Great video and sums it up perfectly 👍🏻
15:07 - 15:50 Very well said. I had the same experiences with Japanese cars as you did and really appreciate that they once were affordable, and we were able to own them when we (the owners and the cars) were younger.
Love this review! As a New Dad whom drives a GR86 as a daily this gives me great hope for when I do the daycare drop off/ pick up. Funnily I have also attempted to fit my rear facing baby seat of which I agree the front passenger seat was made redundant. But can’t wait for the time I can use front facing 😊 Thanks for a great video 👍🏼
Hi Steven - also a new dad here 🙂(congrats to you). Just out of interest - would the rear facing baby seat make the passenger seat useless regardless of passenger height? i.e. my wife is 5'5
@@ES87. Aslo a huge congratulations to you too. Yeah unfortunately I would say that the front passenger seat is made redundant. But my test sample is 1 I’m going to have a look to see if I can find a smaller rear facing seat for full time use in the 86. As I’ll be doing most of the daycare drop off/ pickups in it.
Great review and information Ben! As others have mentioned, I’ve only seen a handful of videos touch on the safety and practicality of the car so it’s great to have a different perspective 🙌
I just got my BRZ this week. I love it. And it's great pushing it, but it's so dam nice just driving. Regular driving is just so nice. My first car was an 89 Nissan 240sx. My last car was a 2017 WRX.
i had a standard gt86 and then a turbo charged one which was raw and fun in every way. i fit 5 of us in once when on a camping trip and it was awful for the people behind but terrible for the person in the back middle lol. and i agree that the new law on front ends is odd when this front end can help you fall on to the bonnet, unlike the big, high up front blocks on suv's.
@@dadcars oh for sure...it dynod at 285hp and 240ftlbs and was lowered on ohlins so was super fast in corners. i remember there being 3 small companies in the UK that offered turbo kits for the 86 back in the day. i was curious so had a look if any available for this new gr86 but none at all, which actually makes sense considering only 400 will be sent here so there just wont be enough sales to make it viable considering the r&d needed for a kit and only a few owners actually buying it. like you say, it's sad that simple drivers cars like these are being discontinued. the gt86 was my very first car back in my early 20s and the car that got me into basic mods and learning how to change pads and do repairs. it's getting harder to do that now with newer more complex cars having electronic faults costing 1000s when they break
It sucks because i actually got rid of mine for a 23 wrx. One of the main reasons is because I usually have my partner and her son with me and it would have been difficult to travel. Did that with the wrx and it was relieving to have my family and some luggage with no problem. Will definitely miss those nice on torque turns!
I remember commenting on an older video of yours and recommending you take a look at one of these. Very glad you delivered. Thanks, Ben. I have aspirations of buying one of these before they supposedly go away for good by 2025 (I'm quite obviously not in the UK), and I do have an eight-month-old. Cheers
great review. Safety is also a priority for me, nice to see you discussing it. Mustang had same issue; 2 star NCAP. Upgraded to 3 star when Ford added lane departure warning and AEB, same chassis, same passive safety systems. Also the NCAP star rating cant be compared historically, a 5star car from 10 years ago might be a 2 star car now? Who knows.
why do you think 25’ will be the last year? if this is so, i’m very keen on ordering/purchasing one new before end of the year. very interesting, i’m also stateside
Perect timing. I sold my Mustang GT (with GT350R parts) after owning since new. It was amazing but I want something lighter and more agile. I have a 6 year old son. Would love your help. Here's my choices: 1. GR86 - Rented one. By far the top three cars I've ever driven (out of over 100). More enjoyable to me than Caymans and 911s. Second in fun to an Evora GT/400. They are releasing the "Performance Pack" with Brembo brakes early next year. Steering is super sharp, small wheel (I love that), the wheel turn to car movement ratio is perfect - road feel and feedback is lacking. Some concern about the engine issues creeping up on the web about folks tracking it. 2. ND3 MX5 - Just announced in Japan. Expected to arrive in US spring as well. A perfect car gets even better, they are improving the steering, new screen and a new improved differential. Concerns are safety on a rollover. Something about my 6 year old son sitting in that car in todays days of SUVs and electric cars makes me nervous. 3. GR Corolla (similar to Yaris) with Circuit Pack (Circuit pack because I love the blue color, BBS forged wheels and the look, the base GRC looks kinda meh) - I have NOT driven this. On paper this is the easy no brainer choice. Superb reliability, build quality, robust, strong, 4 doors, AWD. I am concerned that this car may not have feedback on the twisty bits and feel like a "hype car". I'd love to get your thoughts around it "as a drivers car". I dont care about numbers. The 2024 circuit packs are available right now, so I can get one soon Vs wait. Price is the other issue, its 40% more than a GR86 here in the US (PP Vs Circuit Pack).
A had a TRD GT86 for two years is was a very good car I have a mustang GT now has similar problems only two doors back seats only good for children and not very good fuel consumption but I would still recommend both car's
Had 2015 BRZ doing auto solo cone racing today, did well. Not seen any GR86 up close, but looks and sounds good. Bit cramped if had 2 younger kids in back with seats forward.
I’ll be ordering the 2024 BRZ soon. As for myself I am 5’5” and my wife is 5’2”. With that in mind the back seat should be somewhat usable for our adult son’s who are 5’5” and 5’7. 90% of the time I will be alone in the vehicle; occasionally I will have the wife in the vehicle and only 1-2 times a year for less than a half hour I will have someone in the backseat. Additionally we have a Toyota Highlander AWD as the regular family vehicle.
Great video, I think youve convinced me to go for a GR over a slightly older GT, the GTs just havent depreciated enough to justify not getting a brand new car
I'm still undecided on these. A current Elise 111R owner and an Mx5 NA previously. Considering chopping in my Elise as I dont use it enough and these would be on the shortlist to use as a daily. Just something in the back of my mind holding me back, can't quite put my finger on it.
If you’re looking for a modern alternative that’s usable as a daily then yes I really love these. Also consider the more obvious… Evora, I’ve reviewed a launch edition and a 400 🤙
Great review and spot on in almost every respect, these cars do have something special, and being an owner of one I can attest to that. Car feels faster than 6 secs to 60, pulls nice and hard, handling is razor sharp, ride is really good considering no adaptive shocks and always fun. Only downsides are lack of auto rev match downshifting, road noise is quite bad, and some aspects of the interior are quite cheap, feels delicate inside. Biggest let down is the sound system, which is only barely adequate considering the road noise, although I do understand that's not why you buy a car like this.
Where I live in the states (northern climate) our dealerships only get allocated 5-6 of these a year (manual gearbox )and when I got on the list in 22 there was 30 something people ahead of me. It may be 5 years before I get one. Could buy a used one for more than new. Same goes for GR Corolla. My dealer got 1 last year.
I had this question like 6y ago... and opted for a lovely cupra st ^^ it's not rwd but it's more powerful and fun enough while still being confortable and with a booth huge enough to fit pretty much everything =D
@@denaco if Toyota threw in a 6 cylinder I am sure they would revise the car to make sure the handling characteristics are maintained. Also, pure sports cars are naturally aspirated
@@kwikcilva but it would increase front weight and lose its agile cornering. yea they used to be until everything went turbo. i prefer turbo as can be tuned way more
i have an idea for you. tag along with Jayemm and do brief dadcar reviews on the cars he is reviewing if the owners are willing so you can do the car seat tests and such to speed up your shoots and tag each other! good luck brother!
I so wanted one of these but didn’t get past the ‘can we get it it’ test😢 My self & my son are both slim 5’10 & my wife and daughter slim 5’2 and it just didn’t work. Add to this I need to get son to university with all his clobber & I need at least hatchback for my hobbies & it didn’t work. I still see them & wish I could get one. I ended up with a Toyota Corolla excel 2.0 hybrid touring sport instead. It does the job very well & I am very pleased with it & for an estate car it feels quite sporty as it has relatively low profile tires, not being an suv it’s quite low, sporty seats front & rear & the 2.0 puts out 180+ bhp so it has got some getup & go. When my daughter was young I had a VW Corrado VR6 and that was a hatchback with rear seats that adults could get in for shorter trips. Shame the GR86 couldn’t be just slightly bigger & a hatchback similar to the Corrado as I could have just about made this work 😂
I adore this car, but I have a 3.3T Kia stinger tuned with 4 doors and a hatch, hard to justify going from 400/500 hp/tq down to 230/180 and losing doors. One day as a weekend car for sure. Once my kid can sit in the front with me.
I own the BRZ, its much cheaper then the UK 61k AUD vs 43k I paid in Australia Love the car tho, pretty much a old school 90s car without the drawback and headache
It's definitely not a car for road trips unless you're a family of exceptionally short people, but it's not like most people use half of the available seating most of the time, more likely you are to carry boxes with a large profile, stuff from the hardware store or ironed shirts that need that very long trunk. For the occasional road trip with 3+ people, you can rent a larger car. I'd say it's much more important in your day to day to use a car that you enjoy using.
I want to buy this. I really do. But I haven’t gotten my licence yet and it would take years to earn enough money to afford it 😢 I just hope it’s still easy enough to come by when I can finally get it *intense praying*
I guess you don’t have the problems with parking in the states though 😅 and even with the mirrors out this car is still significantly smaller than everything else on the roads 😅
@@dadcars I think it depends on where you live. Some cities have e narrow roads with parked cars on the side. Also, I think Australia and Japan gets the auto folding mirrors when you lock/ unlock the doors.
We do need quality low cost sports cars that are fun to drive, as MX5’s prove there’s a market and cars don’t need large carbon footprints, to be fun. As Colin Chapman of Lotus proved with his philosophy of ‘Adding lightness’ ie making cars lightweight with smaller power, handle well and are great fun to drive.
A long wheelbase 4 door gr86/brz would be like a modern day e30 3 series. I think if one's kids were out of carseats then the toyobaru cars would be alright for dad duties. When you're a dad you might as well just give up until your kids can drive themselves...and then you can buy a 20 year old 911 and enjoy your midlife crisis.
Sure if your car is the primary family wagon buy a cool saloon or estate but if your other half drives a more practical car already… make the memories in a 2+2 while they are still little 😊
My two middle elementary kids and wife ride in my car all the time. Once the car seat phase is done for people who have babies ends, it gets even easier.
The low front end of this car doesn’t pose a significant risk to other road users as such, it’s the driver who’s more at risk… if say you were to hit a higher riding SUV, there’s higher chances of you ending up literally underneath that higher riding suv
I currently own an 07 honda S2000 and a 99 toyota land cruiser. I absolutely love my honda but dont get to drive it as much anymore due to the arrival of my son. Ive been weighing up wether to swap both my cars for either the new gr86 or the gr yaris which would you reccomend is the better "Dad" car ?
Why wpuld the engine note need to b simulated as this car is a combustion engine. Comparing it to a Porsche is unfair as i dou6its made by Toyota to take on Porsche or Aston. The LC500 or LS 500 would outclass the former two IMO
your comment on the GR Yaris only depreciates couples grand in 2 years is false. Car prices from 2020 has unprecedented skyrocketed till now. In normal market, car loses 5% driven off the lot and 20% in first year on average
I watch a lot of car channels, but is the first time i see someone talking about the safety in a sports car during a review, and as a dad, safety its a huge deal. Great video.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, I often talk about the safety in my reviews as I have my little ones on board :) hope you enjoy the channel 😊
Same here.
Almost all new cars are very safe, so no problem
Your review is spot on. Had my red gr86 3 months now and I love it. I sold my ND mx5 when my first born arrived 3 years ago (and got a Jag XFR which made me appreciate less is more) and have been hankering for the same experience but with the added practicality. This is just practical enough for the kids and as fun as the mx5. Couldn't ask for more. Kids love it too!
Awesome! Always good to hear from a owner 🙌 you made a great purchase, I love these cars
Not tried it with kids, but the rear seats in my GT86 are pooch perfect. He loves sitting back there on his blanket in the relatively deep seat base!
Awesome! I annoyed a few aston owners putting my border terrier in my last car 😅
This is the perfect review. You touch upon family, being a dad, jdm lover, driver’s car, thoughts on getting old jdm car but not that practical when you have a family now, and most importantly being sharp without the assistance.
🙌 glad you enjoyed it ☺️
I just bought GR86 for my family here in the Boston area. We have an old Audi A6 Avant for the trips which need space, but the GR86 for daily and weekend fun when no stuff is needed. We have a 6 and 4 year old who use Isofix in the back and I am 6f 3” (192cm) and we all 4 fit. This is my first new car as no other car has made financial sense for a car guy who is cost concious.
I agree with all the points in this video. 😊
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, how is the A6 avant? I keep thinking about buying a S6 avant for my wife to use primarily 🤔
Excellent!! I’d owned a 2013 Brz from new (family wasn’t taken by it) and then a pre owned 2017 brz (by then my girls were like 16-19 and 13-16 for the three years ownership)….now the 2022 gr86 is my daily (nd2 Miata the other). It can be a dad car with some compromises. It’s a terrific vehicle
the Fact that Akio Toyoda(CEO of toyota and professional driver who raced before) absolutely loves this car should tell you about how good this car is.
As a future GR86 owner (from Spain), I must have seen all the GR86 videos on UA-cam. And I must say this one still made me interested and smile. Great job, keep it up!! 👍
How's the car so far?
@@pamanes7 It's amazing, very very fun to drive. It is reasonably practical, especially if you can lower the back seats. You can easily daily it. However, MPG is not great. I have around 22 MPG (10,5l/100km) in the year that I have it. Other cons are noisy interior and quite badly assembled interior with a lot of squicky noises. The rest is all very special. A true drivers car.
I paused at 3:00, "are you ready daddy" makes me so happy the little one is as stoked as you to drive this car around and probably loves just doing dad daughter stuff with you. I have 3 myself, 6yo, 2yo, 10mo and I am currently looking at getting one of these cars myself. I live in the usa so regardless if this is in the UK or not this is helpful information especially with the front face seats, I don't know for sure what the rule of thumb is here in the states as opposed to back in Australia where if all the seats are occupied in a car that a child can occupy the front seat regardless of airbag. My 6yo is in a booster seat and a personal friend of mine puts his son who's the same age in the passenger seat of the Viper GTS he has but I think that's slightly different to an extent but I guess we will see. Thanks for the video and I am now subscribed!
🥰🙌
Lovely cars to drive. I’ve had a go in the GT86 and it’s back to real basics purity of driving. These cars are fantastic value for what you are getting, and the aftermarket community for them is huge! There will be something for everyone.
Wow thank you once again! ☺️ yeah it’s going to be fascinating to see if and how any manufacturers try to continue making true drivers cars as there is clearly still a market for them.
@@dadcars there will be fewer and fewer, and I believe the only way for manufacturers to viably do it is through collabs like the GT86 and GR86 with Subaru, the Supra with BMW, or even the Mazda MX5 with Fiat/Abarth. Enthusiasts just got to keep sending the signals and the money to say the market still needs cars like these.
Love the way the tempature control digits light up red, very retro 👍👍
Great video, appreciate the effort that goes into each and every one of 'em 😊
Thank you 🙏 it’s lovely hearing people are enjoying them 😊
What an original review through the eyes of a dad, with thoughts that we could have as a dad who one a GR 86 as daily drivers.
Iam happy to know that I am a cool dad 😎.
And also, we could take our children, drive with style to school with a GR86 and also go to the food market.
We don't necessarily need to drive fast or go on a track to have fun on with GR86.
I have done 7000km since October 2023 and the average fuel consumption is 7,7 litres/100km.
Awesome! 🙌 I’m glad you found the channel :)
Really cool review, I am in my early 20s and was lucky enough to be able to own the new BRZ (basically the same car). I always drive my 6 year old little brother around so seeing a focus on safety (as i drive very differently with him in the car) was much appreciated. Great car, great review.
Awesome! It was my big brother who stoked the car enthusiasm in me 🥹
Nice video, as a proud GR86 owner for a year I totally agree with your sentiments. I paid £31k new with Neptune blue paint! Bargain… compliments my R35 GT-R perfectly (as a polar opposite). Keep up the good work 👍
Oh now that’s a car combo! 🙌
The GR86 is kind of a bittersweet thing. On the one hand, it's something to celebrate that a company like Toyota still knows how to do, and has done, a near-perfect naturally aspirated, light weight, handling-orientated sports car. But at the same time, it's almost the last gasp of the breed. Everything else is either turbo'd and sanitised to kingdom come or weighs 2+ tons. Or both. Or is electric which is about as not-sports-car as it gets! That said, if this is the last of the breed, what a way to go out; great looks, performance, handling, practicality...
Some of the things you talk about do make me think of the Celica GT4 review where despite being a tiny car, it's surprisingly practical inside and a nice looking interior.
The only other hold-out I can think of is the MX5 which just refuses to give in.
I agree 🥲… we needed a final ICE MR2 as well really but it’s good to be thankful for what we have. Perhaps it was the mx5 domination that stopped them making another one.
I totally agree with your post, the world is changing and the days of performance ICE cars are numbered.
That said, I’m not that bothered about the lack of exciting new cars coming into the market (emission & safety regulations will only increase) so the alternative is to look at buying a used performance car rather than continuing to buy new.
I split daily duties between my 21 GR Yaris and my 95 MR2 Mk2 and TBH I can’t see me buying a new car for many years (the GRY still has 8 years left to run on its warranty and the MR2 is a hoot to drive and has been totally reliable in the 8 years I’ve owned it).
But with an engine that blows up if you do not drive like grandma is sad as Hell..
I like that it's still manual, still proper handbrake and rwd
Yeah a real hand break is always a treat these days :)
Also no wireless connectivity and no internal microphones, your driving habits aren't being recorded and shipped to your insurance company, neither is there a "stay on lane" to swerve you back into obstacles you want to avoid.
You can switch the Electronic Sound Generator off - it's a dealer customisable option but, you can do it yourself if you (a) have a laptop with Techstream or (b) disconnect the ESG box plug which is located behind the glovebox in the dash. It takes about 10 minutes at most. The GRZoo forum is a wealth of information for GR fans. My GR86 is due to arrive at the end of November and it's been a long 6 month wait I can tell you!
That’s good to know 👍 I’m excited for you! 🙌 very special car 👌
As someone about to become a dad this channel gives me some hope for my next few years of car ownership. Would love to see an Alfa Romeo Brera review at some point, always wanted to own one of those but would be great to see it put through your child seat testing!
Yes! I’ve been wanting to do a Brera for a while now! Just need a owner to find the channel 😊
@@dadcars It's not really anything like the Brera, but I just got an Alfa 159 ti Sportwagon. You'd be welcome to take it for a spin if you're ever in the south-west!
Brilliant car and a brilliant video... As someone who started driving in the late 1970`s i had many fantastic hot hatches throughout the 80`s & 90`s i find modern day cars are mostly just too clinical, with no real feel or engagement to them, the more gadgets to "Help us" the more the skill of driving and road awareness is eroding... If i can afford it then a GR86 or Yaris will hopefully be the eventual replacement for my excellent Abarth 595 Scorpioneoro..
Yeah I loved the GRyaris we reviewed as well 👌
So happy you got round to one of these!
I have a similar plan to what you mentioned, I've got a GT86 and my wife has a BMW 4 series gran coupe. The GT86 is so much more involved to drive, and I can still get my daughter in the back!
Amazing!! Well done you have an awesome DadCar 👌😎
@@dadcars thanks!
Fellow previous MR2 owner here that now owns a 2020 Turbo 86. I absolutely love these cars. I still need to get another MR2 though
Awesome 🙌 yeah I’ve not driven an MR2 for many years, I’ll get one on the channel eventually
I agree bout the driver aids was saying the sane to my wife last night. I drive three old cars with nothing yet struggled to park my wife’s new merc last night as the beeps and that put me off
Yeah some modern cars start beeping like mad when you have plenty of space 😅
I’m proud to say I own one. It’s great fun and can be a bit of a handful in the wet on roundabouts, but keeps you engaged. The one thing I really like is that you don’t see many at car meets or on the road and has the same potentials as the GT86 of customising it. Yes the mirror situation is a bit naff and it doesn’t have rain sensors for the wipers and auto dimming rear view mirror which I think would of been a nice touch, but other than that it’s a great car and back to basic’s driving experience. Great video and sums it up perfectly 👍🏻
I remember my brothers mk2 mr2 had a sensor that made the lights pop up when it was dark, we thought that was cutting edge at the time 😅
Lovely review again and certainly tempting as a dad myself. I have two blue Toyotas already and they both have the mirror annoyance too haha!
I cannot understand their logic with that! Fold in when you lock and fold out when you turn the car on!
@@dadcars maybe a Carly update could solve this? Or maybe it was just the most reliable way of fitting folding mirrors. This is a Toyota after all!
So happy to see this review of my new car ;)
15:07 - 15:50
Very well said. I had the same experiences with Japanese cars as you did and really appreciate that they once were affordable, and we were able to own them when we (the owners and the cars) were younger.
Thanks!
Thanks Frank 🙌😊
@@dadcars Your welcome Ben.
Love this review! As a New Dad whom drives a GR86 as a daily this gives me great hope for when I do the daycare drop off/ pick up. Funnily I have also attempted to fit my rear facing baby seat of which I agree the front passenger seat was made redundant. But can’t wait for the time I can use front facing 😊
Thanks for a great video 👍🏼
Awesome! Congrats on becoming a Dad and on buying a very special new car 🤙
Thanks Ben,
Look forward to watching more of you content.
Hi Steven - also a new dad here 🙂(congrats to you). Just out of interest - would the rear facing baby seat make the passenger seat useless regardless of passenger height? i.e. my wife is 5'5
@@ES87. Aslo a huge congratulations to you too.
Yeah unfortunately I would say that the front passenger seat is made redundant. But my test sample is 1 I’m going to have a look to see if I can find a smaller rear facing seat for full time use in the 86. As I’ll be doing most of the daycare drop off/ pickups in it.
Thank you very much, Steven (on both counts). Much appreciated
Refreshing that you have your own thoughts genuinely thank you
Great review and information Ben! As others have mentioned, I’ve only seen a handful of videos touch on the safety and practicality of the car so it’s great to have a different perspective 🙌
I just got my BRZ this week. I love it. And it's great pushing it, but it's so dam nice just driving. Regular driving is just so nice.
My first car was an 89 Nissan 240sx. My last car was a 2017 WRX.
i had a standard gt86 and then a turbo charged one which was raw and fun in every way. i fit 5 of us in once when on a camping trip and it was awful for the people behind but terrible for the person in the back middle lol. and i agree that the new law on front ends is odd when this front end can help you fall on to the bonnet, unlike the big, high up front blocks on suv's.
Ah I’d love to try a turbo charged GT86!
@@dadcars oh for sure...it dynod at 285hp and 240ftlbs and was lowered on ohlins so was super fast in corners. i remember there being 3 small companies in the UK that offered turbo kits for the 86 back in the day. i was curious so had a look if any available for this new gr86 but none at all, which actually makes sense considering only 400 will be sent here so there just wont be enough sales to make it viable considering the r&d needed for a kit and only a few owners actually buying it.
like you say, it's sad that simple drivers cars like these are being discontinued. the gt86 was my very first car back in my early 20s and the car that got me into basic mods and learning how to change pads and do repairs. it's getting harder to do that now with newer more complex cars having electronic faults costing 1000s when they break
@@denaco yeah the engine bay looks lovely with loads of easy access
“Keep myself sharp and drive a driver’s car” - Amen to that. 👍
It sucks because i actually got rid of mine for a 23 wrx. One of the main reasons is because I usually have my partner and her son with me and it would have been difficult to travel. Did that with the wrx and it was relieving to have my family and some luggage with no problem. Will definitely miss those nice on torque turns!
Yeah if you need a car for more fundamental family use then a WRX would fit the bill a lot better
I have one of these and I got it to 30.1mpg as a young male driver, for what it is this thing is phenomenal fun and easy on the wallet
As a car dad, i very much value your dadcars car channel for car dads!
😂🙌👏
I remember commenting on an older video of yours and recommending you take a look at one of these. Very glad you delivered. Thanks, Ben. I have aspirations of buying one of these before they supposedly go away for good by 2025 (I'm quite obviously not in the UK), and I do have an eight-month-old. Cheers
great review. Safety is also a priority for me, nice to see you discussing it. Mustang had same issue; 2 star NCAP. Upgraded to 3 star when Ford added lane departure warning and AEB, same chassis, same passive safety systems. Also the NCAP star rating cant be compared historically, a 5star car from 10 years ago might be a 2 star car now? Who knows.
Even the physically safest car would get very low star rating now without any driver assist aids
i love my 22 GR86 MT, wonderful video with great detail on the safety and how it can be misconstrued.
Great review, I'm Dad dailying mine, my 11 and 8 year old fit in the back.
Awesome! What a cool daily DadCar 🙌👌
So basically, pull the rear seat out. And put in a roll cage
Hi Ben & little one. Hope your all doing good.
Ben that was one cool video. I love the color of that Toyota.
Stay safe and take care.
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Great review as always! It's such a shame that drivers cars like this are going to be fewer and farther between. Can't wait for the merch!
Thanks Antony, we’re not even getting the new Z 😭
@@dadcars sadly not. The end of an era.
why do you think 25’ will be the last year?
if this is so, i’m very keen on ordering/purchasing one new before end of the year. very interesting, i’m also stateside
@@shotty.This video was made in 2023, so when Ben says "next year" that's 2024. He explains more at 12:35
Perect timing. I sold my Mustang GT (with GT350R parts) after owning since new. It was amazing but I want something lighter and more agile. I have a 6 year old son. Would love your help. Here's my choices:
1. GR86 - Rented one. By far the top three cars I've ever driven (out of over 100). More enjoyable to me than Caymans and 911s. Second in fun to an Evora GT/400. They are releasing the "Performance Pack" with Brembo brakes early next year. Steering is super sharp, small wheel (I love that), the wheel turn to car movement ratio is perfect - road feel and feedback is lacking. Some concern about the engine issues creeping up on the web about folks tracking it.
2. ND3 MX5 - Just announced in Japan. Expected to arrive in US spring as well. A perfect car gets even better, they are improving the steering, new screen and a new improved differential. Concerns are safety on a rollover. Something about my 6 year old son sitting in that car in todays days of SUVs and electric cars makes me nervous.
3. GR Corolla (similar to Yaris) with Circuit Pack (Circuit pack because I love the blue color, BBS forged wheels and the look, the base GRC looks kinda meh) - I have NOT driven this. On paper this is the easy no brainer choice. Superb reliability, build quality, robust, strong, 4 doors, AWD. I am concerned that this car may not have feedback on the twisty bits and feel like a "hype car". I'd love to get your thoughts around it "as a drivers car". I dont care about numbers. The 2024 circuit packs are available right now, so I can get one soon Vs wait. Price is the other issue, its 40% more than a GR86 here in the US (PP Vs Circuit Pack).
I’m bias as my personal preference is 2+2 coupes so I’d have the GR86 👌😎 I’d like to try the GR Corolla though I don’t think we’re getting it
@@dadcars gunna watch ur GR Yaris video next. haha
Never was a big fan of the gt86 but I like the gr86 a lot. Yeah I remember hearing they sold out quick
I’ve always liked the looks of the GT86, I’d love to try a turbocharged one 😅
great info thanks for putting this together!!
🙌 glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Love the enthusiasm
😊🙌
A had a TRD GT86 for two years is was a very good car I have a mustang GT now has similar problems only two doors back seats only good for children and not very good fuel consumption but I would still recommend both car's
Yeah we love the mustang GT and Mach1 🙌
15:10
Very true, I was thankfully able to get a GT86 as my first car due to prices
Wow that’s a cool first car 👌
Had 2015 BRZ doing auto solo cone racing today, did well. Not seen any GR86 up close, but looks and sounds good. Bit cramped if had 2 younger kids in back with seats forward.
Yeah the GR86 would do well at the moose test I’d say
I’ll be ordering the 2024 BRZ soon. As for myself I am 5’5” and my wife is 5’2”. With that in mind the back seat should be somewhat usable for our adult son’s who are 5’5” and 5’7. 90% of the time I will be alone in the vehicle; occasionally I will have the wife in the vehicle and only 1-2 times a year for less than a half hour I will have someone in the backseat. Additionally we have a Toyota Highlander AWD as the regular family vehicle.
Great video, I think youve convinced me to go for a GR over a slightly older GT, the GTs just havent depreciated enough to justify not getting a brand new car
I'm still undecided on these.
A current Elise 111R owner and an Mx5 NA previously.
Considering chopping in my Elise as I dont use it enough and these would be on the shortlist to use as a daily.
Just something in the back of my mind holding me back, can't quite put my finger on it.
If you’re looking for a modern alternative that’s usable as a daily then yes I really love these. Also consider the more obvious… Evora, I’ve reviewed a launch edition and a 400 🤙
Great review and spot on in almost every respect, these cars do have something special, and being an owner of one I can attest to that. Car feels faster than 6 secs to 60, pulls nice and hard, handling is razor sharp, ride is really good considering no adaptive shocks and always fun. Only downsides are lack of auto rev match downshifting, road noise is quite bad, and some aspects of the interior are quite cheap, feels delicate inside. Biggest let down is the sound system, which is only barely adequate considering the road noise, although I do understand that's not why you buy a car like this.
Where I live in the states (northern climate) our dealerships only get allocated 5-6 of these a year (manual gearbox )and when I got on the list in 22 there was 30 something people ahead of me. It may be 5 years before I get one. Could buy a used one for more than new. Same goes for GR Corolla. My dealer got 1 last year.
I had this question like 6y ago... and opted for a lovely cupra st ^^ it's not rwd but it's more powerful and fun enough while still being confortable and with a booth huge enough to fit pretty much everything =D
A 6 cylinder of this car would be exactly what the doctor prescribed...another great review. Thanks Scott for letting your car be featured on dadcars!
If they slapped a 6 cylinder in this and called it the mk5 supra it would have made more sense to me than the Z4
Jeez, no way a big heavy engine in this thing is needed. Handling would be thrown off. 4 pot is all you need with a turbo to get similar power
@@denaco if Toyota threw in a 6 cylinder I am sure they would revise the car to make sure the handling characteristics are maintained. Also, pure sports cars are naturally aspirated
@@kwikcilva but it would increase front weight and lose its agile cornering. yea they used to be until everything went turbo. i prefer turbo as can be tuned way more
If they put a 6 cyl in here then it will be branded as an Infiniti and call it Q60. Oh wait..
i have an idea for you. tag along with Jayemm and do brief dadcar reviews on the cars he is reviewing if the owners are willing so you can do the car seat tests and such to speed up your shoots and tag each other! good luck brother!
New subscriber here. As a new Father, I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING FUN IN MY SPORTS CAR WITH MY 2 TWIN BABY BOYS IN THE BACK 😎
Awesome! Welcome, glad you found the channel :)
Great balanced review. Just subscribed. 👍🇬🇧
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it 😊🙌
I so wanted one of these but didn’t get past the ‘can we get it it’ test😢 My self & my son are both slim 5’10 & my wife and daughter slim 5’2 and it just didn’t work. Add to this I need to get son to university with all his clobber & I need at least hatchback for my hobbies & it didn’t work. I still see them & wish I could get one.
I ended up with a Toyota Corolla excel 2.0 hybrid touring sport instead. It does the job very well & I am very pleased with it & for an estate car it feels quite sporty as it has relatively low profile tires, not being an suv it’s quite low, sporty seats front & rear & the 2.0 puts out 180+ bhp so it has got some getup & go.
When my daughter was young I had a VW Corrado VR6 and that was a hatchback with rear seats that adults could get in for shorter trips. Shame the GR86 couldn’t be just slightly bigger & a hatchback similar to the Corrado as I could have just about made this work 😂
Yeah teenage and older children would struggle in the back. I’ve always loved the corrado! I have a mk3 golf VR6 review coming very soon 🙌
I definitely wanted one of these, but I ended up getting a 2022 Corolla SE manual sedan instead. Not regretting it at all.
Great review ☺️ looks a fun car to drive!
Yeah you’d really like this car feels like a modern 90s JDM 🙌😊
@@dadcars☺️ I could tell you were impressed with it! I’d love it if it looked a little more aggressive 😎
Test drove one on Saturday 😮 I want one….
I adore this car, but I have a 3.3T Kia stinger tuned with 4 doors and a hatch, hard to justify going from 400/500 hp/tq down to 230/180 and losing doors. One day as a weekend car for sure. Once my kid can sit in the front with me.
The Kia is a great car!
Thanks for the video
First 🙌
Nice one again Ben! ☺
Thanks Leon 😊
I own the BRZ, its much cheaper then the UK 61k AUD vs 43k I paid in Australia
Love the car tho, pretty much a old school 90s car without the drawback and headache
Yeah it feels like an old school JDM car… no surprise I liked it so much 😅
It's definitely not a car for road trips unless you're a family of exceptionally short people, but it's not like most people use half of the available seating most of the time, more likely you are to carry boxes with a large profile, stuff from the hardware store or ironed shirts that need that very long trunk.
For the occasional road trip with 3+ people, you can rent a larger car. I'd say it's much more important in your day to day to use a car that you enjoy using.
We take the primary family car that my wife drives on road trips! Don’t need two large family cars 😅
I want to buy this. I really do. But I haven’t gotten my licence yet and it would take years to earn enough money to afford it 😢 I just hope it’s still easy enough to come by when I can finally get it *intense praying*
Maybe start with a GT86 and go from there 😊 you can get a 350z for reasonable money too
2:49 very, very sweet!
Magic times 🥹
@dadcars so true. Loved the video - it's a good and different angle for a car review, and thought you pulled it off brilliantly!
We don't even get the folding mirrors in the states 😢
I guess you don’t have the problems with parking in the states though 😅 and even with the mirrors out this car is still significantly smaller than everything else on the roads 😅
@@dadcars I think it depends on where you live. Some cities have e narrow roads with parked cars on the side.
Also, I think Australia and Japan gets the auto folding mirrors when you lock/ unlock the doors.
Not a dad yet but happy to hear that I may not have to get rid of my baby when I am!
Some of the most enjoyable times I’ve had in my own special car has been using it with my children 🙌 making memories
The automatic version comes with all the assist safety features - which is interesting!
We do need quality low cost sports cars that are fun to drive, as MX5’s prove there’s a market and cars don’t need large carbon footprints, to be fun. As Colin Chapman of Lotus proved with his philosophy of ‘Adding lightness’ ie making cars lightweight with smaller power, handle well and are great fun to drive.
I agree
Loved that car!!
🙌😊
A long wheelbase 4 door gr86/brz would be like a modern day e30 3 series. I think if one's kids were out of carseats then the toyobaru cars would be alright for dad duties. When you're a dad you might as well just give up until your kids can drive themselves...and then you can buy a 20 year old 911 and enjoy your midlife crisis.
Sure if your car is the primary family wagon buy a cool saloon or estate but if your other half drives a more practical car already… make the memories in a 2+2 while they are still little 😊
How bout GReat daily?
That did cross my mind! the focus on practicality is why I titled it like that 😅
Great points on your video 🫡
My two middle elementary kids and wife ride in my car all the time. Once the car seat phase is done for people who have babies ends, it gets even easier.
I want one so badddd
Which BMW 2 series were you referring to? My 2016 M240i has rear seats that go down pretty flat.
Good for a single father of one.
The low front end of this car doesn’t pose a significant risk to other road users as such, it’s the driver who’s more at risk… if say you were to hit a higher riding SUV, there’s higher chances of you ending up literally underneath that higher riding suv
Is the GR86 the problem or the SUV then?
Fantastic channel
Thanks glad you found us!
I currently own an 07 honda S2000 and a 99 toyota land cruiser. I absolutely love my honda but dont get to drive it as much anymore due to the arrival of my son.
Ive been weighing up wether to swap both my cars for either the new gr86 or the gr yaris which would you reccomend is the better "Dad" car ?
If price wasnt an object, would you get the GR86 or the New Mustang (or Mach 1)?
Hi Ben, how was the seat adjustment up and down? I'm a shorter driver so need to higher up
Celica owner. Looking for new car, this or BMW 2 series?
Why wpuld the engine note need to b simulated as this car is a combustion engine.
Comparing it to a Porsche is unfair as i dou6its made by Toyota to take on Porsche or Aston. The LC500 or LS 500 would outclass the former two IMO
your comment on the GR Yaris only depreciates couples grand in 2 years is false. Car prices from 2020 has unprecedented skyrocketed till now. In normal market, car loses 5% driven off the lot and 20% in first year on average
To be honest, yes it can be done for short stints but I still would rather take the minivan to haul around my kids than my 911…
2024 model will have all safety features :)
Owned a gt86 nice car crap interior gr looks bette but still a bit low rent. Alfa romeo your next car for sure!!!!
long story short: it's best fitted made for 5'8 people
New cars lose 30+% the SECOND u drive it out the dealership
What is your height? Just trying to figure out if I can fit in. xd
I definitely say 1:00 into the video my height 😅
@@dadcars Ah, sorry had to miss it. I have pretty much the same height, lol.
What Do you do for a living? Having all those cars in your 20's.
MR2 was £1800, 3000GT was £3500, S2000 was £4200 at the time 🤷♂️ just had a normal job
@dadcars Still, very lucky tho.
two adults and one baby max... more than that its gonna get really uncomfortable inside 😅
I own one as well. 100% not practical family car. I would not recommend anyone own it as a daily driver.
Apparently it's ONLY suited for daily use :(
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