Toyota 86 Reliable long term?
 

I want a new car. A car with some looks to make my drive a little more interesting and also the car will last a long time. I’m thinking about getting a 2017 or 18 86. Some people are telling me not to, some are saying get it. I’m not the type of person to care about performance about a car I get told all the time the car is slow. But the car is way faster than what I have now and looks better. I’m seeing 17/18 models for 18k to 20k with 5k to 20k miles on them.

Some people say the car isn’t for me. But personally the Toyota corolla I have. I hate the look it’s ugly. I just had to pay a couple thousands to have it fixed. I feel personally if I get this car even after it’s pay off I won’t feel the need to get a new car until the FRS/86 is on it’s last wheels and since it’s a newer car it had warranty and with low miles it won’t have major problems as of now. And as I’m driving it all the way to high miles and it starts to have problems I won’t have a problem paying to get it fixed because I like the car overall compared to the used 05 I have and having to pay to fix a car I don’t like. What do you guys think? I’m someone’s that is always on top of maintenance with a car. I don’t drive cars hard.

If you don’t think I should get the 86. Then what other car that’s a coupe would you recommend that has just good of a look to it.

go test drive one....then come back and TELL us

Get one, they're awesome. It will put a huge smile on your face compared to a Corolla.

Almost 100k on my '13. Multiple winters and track days. Only problem has been the clutch throw out bearing which is very common. So to me it's been very reliable.

No problem!

That sounds good. Because as long as it has reliability the car is a plus.

Welcome to our forum, there, FRSBRZ86Help - :clap:

Oh, I reckon a newer 86/BRZ is as reliable as most other cars.

As suggested, go take one for a drive. What you see and feel is what you get. It ain't gonna get any faster nor bigger nor quieter. If it feels good when you sit in it, just choose one that has the transmission you prefer and the color you think is perty.


:)


humfrz

WTF. Spambot?

the 86 is very reliable.

Do you want to tell people you drive a Corolla or an 86?

Exactly what I thought! :popcorn:

I don't know if it's really possible, OP, but try putting appearance completely out of your mind.

When you drive the Corolla, do you like how it feels? Do you ever wish it felt more planted when you go around corners, or is it fine?

Compared to a Corolla, the 86 is a go-kart. It has a brilliant suspension but you'll feel the road a lot more. Some people who buy it without really considering this end up trading it in because the ride is too rough. If you're a spambot, does your programming take this into consideration?

I'll have to respectfully disagree with this. I thought the stock suspension was way too soft and comfortable. I don't consider it truly feeling the road unless it feels like my old 944 with Ground Control coilovers on their stiffest setting ;)

I was considering my audience. It's pretty soft for me too. ;)

Just curious... if you're looking for a car "with some looks to make my drive a little more interesting"... how do you see what your car looks like while you're driving it? I can barely see a little bit of the hood, and that's about it. If you're asking if we think the 86 would be a good car for you to please other people and make them think you're driving a cool car, I have no idea... mostly because I don't care in the least about stuff like that.

If you're "someone’s that is always on top of maintenance with a car," then pretty much any car will last a very long time. The 86 is no worse than any other car in terms of longevity when cared for, and probably better than most.

You just had to "pay a couple thousands" to have your '05 Corolla fixed, which could indicate a couple things; you did NOT keep on top of the maintenance, some typical stuff all happened at the same time (worn struts/suspension components, brake calipers, rusted fuel or brake lines, A/C issues.. all stuff that would happen to any car that age), and/or you have no interest in or unable to do basic-to-intermediate mechanical work on your own. A new anything, 86 or otherwise, will not be immune to those things eventually, and, if you buy one, you'll be out another approximately $20K for the purchase on top of whatever repairs you incur. Trying to justify a newer car for solely cost-saving measures is a pretty impossible task.

If you hate your current car and you have the money, buy another one. You don't need us for that. If you're here to ask a bunch of folks on an 86 enthusiast forum if we like the 86, well... ummm.... yes? We do?

Also, I've got to ask the OP... and this is 9TRULY out of curiosity, and not an attack.
There are a LOT of grammatical.. ummm.. idiosyncrasies in your post. Is that due to a spoken word transcription app, English is not your native language, or some other reason?

Oh, my, why are we pounding on the OP?

:iono:


humfrz

I wouldn’t say I wasn’t on top of maintenance but personally the car is old and my parents bought it from a auction and for the price they got it for it was really you get what you pay for. I do understand that buying a newer car for solely saving is impossible. But basically for me to get a newer car like the 86 buying it will be a fresh new start and is it really overall just reliable. Because I heard a lot of stuff like “oh it’s a terrible car” “it’s trash” “the engine trash” “those cars are unreliable” many people bash the car so much as if it’s not capable of running for a long period of time. I just want to know the true purpose is it reliable. Because I don’t play to get another car for a while after I get the 86.

Yes it's one of the most reliable cars currently on the market.

What helps reliability is the fact it's actually made in Japan.

Suggest you consider the Subaru BRZ, same car, and in my opinion, better looks, including interior look.

Check out the exterior and interior of both the 86 and the BRZ in person, decide which you prefer.

Pay attention to the different available models and features. They differ 86 vs BRZ.

It's getting more difficult than ever before to sort out between models and available features at extra cost, on either car.

Take your time.

Thanks been doing research on this car for almost 2 months.

I suggest a bit more research if that's what you saw online. I would talk to legitimate owners not get hearsay. For me my 2015 has been quite reliable and has 45k+ miles. I've just kept well on top of recommended maintenance and then some.


Also when posting work on your grammar and typing skills a bit, it looks like a run on and spam bot type deal when its typed up like your post was.

LOL, Grammar and typing skills, is this a car forum or I went to university and you dont speak good like me forum.

I deal with alot of people who have a limited education, but, I trust them more than, enlightened and educated people who love to critique others.

My experience with Subaru is they are reliable and aftersales service is good, ditto for Toyota.

But, in the end, everything can break, even the best kit, sometimes it's the luck of the draw.

My 86, well its NA and I thrash the guts out of it everyday, it has never missed a beat, only additional outlay was for aftermarket parts to customize or improve and servicing.

My only other imput would be if you purchase used, you get a full service history, poorly serviced vehicles are a big no no.

-5 spelling & punctuation

Yeap, that's a war stopper.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdxqIBfEAw[/ame]

We were being honest :lol:

It's not really critiquing, the problem is when 3 or 4 people say it looks like a spam bot and it takes more effort to follow

I might have a bit of a different point of view than some. My 2015 FR-S is my daily driver here in greater Boston area. In 4 1/2 years, I have put 60K miles on my FR-S. I do not track, drift, or auto-x my FR-S even though I drive it briskly almost every day. I haven't modded my vehicle at all. I have stayed with straight, scheduled dealer service. Other than tire choice, mine is stock (after having reverted back from TRD exhaust and intake for the first 30,000 miles) I like to use it for solo long trips and the aftermarket exhaust was just too loud.

I love driving it and get great satisfaction that it gets me where I want to go every day. I am a musician who plays large brass instruments. I am also librarian and treasurer for a 30 piece brass band and have to carry boxes of music and CD's frequently to concerts. So the fact that the trunk is decent sized and the storage space with the seat down is really VERY good is a big plus and a major reason why I cannot replace it with a Miata or maybe even a Supra.

In the summer I use 215/45-17 Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the stock wheels. They ride better, handle much better are a bit quieter than the stock Bridgestone tires. In the winter, I use 205/50-16 Blizzak WS-80s on 16" wheels. Aside from ground clearance, I have NO issues whatsoever driving in crappy snowy conditions.

The most important option I have purchased for my FR-S is the Toyota brand aftermarket center armrest. The big "hole" in the center console just didn't work for me on trips. Other options include an aftermarket shift knob (big white cue-ball round thing), factory GPS (eh...), Weathertechs, factory rear spoiler.

SO I find that MOST of the time, my FR-S is every bit as utilitarian as my 2012 Yaris SE 5-speed that it replaced but is vastly more satisfying to drive. I would much rather drive my FR-S in almost any situation than my wife's 2011 Camry or the 2018 RAV-4 Hybrid that replaced the Camry. Clearly there are space limitations in the FR-S when dealing with more than 2 passengers or trying to transport large boxes, etc. After all it is a SPORTS CAR.

What the FR-S is NOT...

• The FR-S/86 is not a GT/Touring car, it is a SPORTS CAR. Even though it is a coupe and not a roadster, the ride and general noise level will put many off. It is relatively loud even with the stock exhaust. You get significant tire noise no matter what kind of tires you use. You "feel" the pavement, even with the stock suspension.
  
• The 86 is not a muscle car. I find the performance adequate for any driving that I do in my 6 speed manual version. I would probably be disappointed if I had purchased the automatic. In the 7+ year lifespan of the model, the constant complaint is MORE POWER.
  
• The 86 is not a family car. The idea of putting even a small kid in the back seat is at best, a pain in the back. I suspect that many young couples who purchased an FR-S/BRZ/86 over the last 7+ years as family transportation, found that it had to be replaced (or augmented) when the first child arrived.

What the FR-S IS...

• A Hell of a lot of fun.
  
• The most engaging car I have ever owned (I am 67 years old).
  
• A great choice for empty nesters like my wife and I. Especially since we have a "family" car for situations where needed.
  
• And for me over 60,000 miles so far, it has been reliable.

Doug

Excellent review. :cheers:

It's a reasonably reliable car. It looks good and drives fast. Why not?

I almost had my car for about 7 years and have about 40k on it. It a great car and I haven’t had any real problems on the car beside the one I created by modifying. Just get a stock one and enjoy it.

OP if you are worried about reliability then statistically the 2014-2016 86/BRZ twins are among the most reliable used vehicles on the market... With the updates made to the refreshed 2017+ engines on the MT variants, it appears they have taken a slight hit to overall reliability (fell off Consumer Report's list though could be due to small sample size). Though if you're getting one with an automatic trans then my previous point is moot as mechanically the engine has remained the exact same. Either way, I don't think this should be a concern for the OP, the twins are reliable enough.

the bigger task at hand is figuring out if OP can really daily one...he really needs to just go out and do an extended test drive. He comes from a Corolla & Altima so I'm betting this would be his first low & RWD car so there are bound to be commuting trade offs he hasn't experienced yet. Sure, it may be "cooler" to be driving around in something sporty but if you've gotten used to the supple ride of your sedans you may end up hating the twins especially if your area has poor roads. I have a friend who has a Scion tC (another good consideration for OP) and he almost loathes having to be my passenger since he can really feel the road (for better or worse) throughout the car...and I'm in Phoenix where most roads here are actually rather nice! Nothing is wrong with feeling the road, having to "fall" & "jump" to get in/out of the seat, having a loud cabin or being unable to park your bumper right over curbs, but if you weren't expecting a lot of these things for your daily then you'll be in for a shock.

..and we haven't even gotten into how RWD drives a bit differently to FWD especially if you haven't experienced it before. We've had enough posts on this forum of people curbing their twins to suggest the difference is significant enough to prepare for.

FRS/86/BRZ will be far more reliable than any VW product. I had Golf, a Passat and a GTI and I got to know the service advisors all too well.

I have a July 2013 built BRZ. No mechanical issues. I did have the rubber door gaskets replaced due to a water leak. Done under warranty.

This week is 6 years since I bought mine, still happy with it. 150k miles so far and the only thing that had to be replaced was the TOB.

What is the symptom of a failed TOB? Mine is 45k, and it worked very well except one noise issue. I can hear some weird noise when I do the following
1 lug the engine. Low rpm, give it more gas. Not a lot of gas in fact. Just try to accelerate at low rpm
2 engine brake at higher rpm. Around 3500 or more
3 a less than perfect shift

Is this a common symptom for TOB failure? My car has this issue from day one. And it's just a noise issue. Car drives fine.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Your tob is going bad if it makes noise when you hold the clutch in at idle. If the noise goes away when you let the pedal go, it’s the TOB.

It can also increase the pedal effort, but it happens so gradually that you won’t notice until it’s fixed.

Oh, Thanks. Then it is not my TOB then. I hear no noise when pressing down clutch when idling. That annoying noise has been very hard to track down.

Are you referring to a sort of snorting/snoring sound under those 3 scenarios? I have the same. The BRZ I rented on Turo did as well. I think it's just the nature of the car.

I always imagined it comes from the clutch springs adjusting under sudden high load of some sort but maybe it comes from the engine... I don't know my stuff so just taking shots in the dark here. All I know is I've always had it as well.

EDIT: under low RPM acceleration, the sound tends to go away around 2k RPM for me.

had mine for 6 years, at 80k +


TOB went at 60k, JO2 recall service performed with no issues so far (over 1000 miles since the service). Driver side windshield sprayer got clogged. Other than that regular maintenance.

I won't describe the sound as a snort. I read many similar threads, the closest one is 'a can of marble shaking' sound.

*floors it 100 times during daily driving*
engine: blows up
"this car is not reliable" walks away

I doubt the 2017 is any less reliable then a 2014-16.