LeftFootBrake's White GTS AT

[LeftFootBrake]

Update...

• Still keeping the nannies on but spending a bit more time in sport/manual mode when in the twisty stuff. On such roads, I find you really only need 2nd gear with an occasional drop to 1st in the really, really tight stuff (when wanting an easier time of getting her to wag her tail; although my current mechanical empathy and nannies-on approach means it makes sense just keeping it in 2nd) and then once you're out the other end of the fun, going up through the gears once target speed is hit (you can get above 100 in 2nd) and cruising to the next bend before quickly bringing her back to 2nd to be in a responsive power band. The car feels nicely responsive in 2nd.
• Unsurprisingly, fuel economy is mostly proportional to fun. But fun can be had not just by using the loud pedal more but the stop pedal less. However, and without wanting to sound like a negative nelly, please be careful out there. It goes without saying that most Australian drivers have absolutely no clue what they're doing and will never cease to amaze you by overtaking cyclists around blind corners, or parking for a comfort stop near blind corners, and the like. Remember: Australian driver stupidity is infinite (because getting a license only requires a pulse check). The 86's abilities will not be your constraint on public roads; it'll be your trust in others. You'll find yourself likely catching up pretty quickly in the bends, and then you'll be presented with the usual ridiculous situation of being raced in the overtaking zones. And it's here that the car's just-enough-power approach can be a little bit frustrating and risky. I think I'd like a touch more poke to be able to get past the mugs a bit quicker, once I've decided on that course of action. Other than that, so far I've been finding the power sufficient for safe fun on twisty public roads when you're at low speeds.
• I have shifted my opinion on the full size spare from being cautiously negative to positive. It feels reassuring when in the middle of nowhere knowing there's a proper full size available. And the boot space has been just fine so far. Good call TMCA.
• My current thoughts and setup for head unit/iPhone integration:
  • The SatNav algorithm for choosing routes is inferior to iPhone TomTom. Lots of false-positives on traffic jams, too. So using iPhone TomTom for navigation.
  • Using iPhone Spotify app for music. Set the head unit's audio source to iPod and ensure the iPhone audio output is set to "Connected Dock".
  • Using iPhone ABC app or podcasts for information (yes, I'm that old) so I can still receive TomTom instructions (head unit doesn't support simultaneous sources like radio + iPhone).
  • Starting to understand the unit's Source Volume Control (SVC). This is a really important setting for ensuring you both have enough volume and normalised volumes when switching between different audio sources.
  • Have set the unit's Automatic Sound Leveliser (ASL) to off, but perhaps the other settings are useful. Might play and let you know my thoughts.
  • Head unit is kept in split audio/map mode, with speed warnings set to always display speed limit and provide visual/audio warning above a configurable threshold (good feature!). But I don't yet know whether the speed warning is calculated off actual or indicated speed.
  • After receiving a phone call and hanging up there can be a minute or two pause before the music can be heard again. No idea why.

[LeftFootBrake]

Oh... one more quick thing that somehow I don't think I've made mention of anywhere yet.

Ground clearance. Just brilliant that a car that handles and rides this well can also move over speed humps, inclines, etc. without any issue. However, it's a close call, providing only just enough clearance (the fangs on the front spoiler are just waiting to have rash) and I can't imagine dropping it any time soon. Nonetheless, I can understand those who do value track times (&/or aesthetics) more than urban street practicality and I love how adaptable the platform is to enable each to their own.

[Type[R]+]

Sweet read LFB! Interesting thread!

[450hp/tonne]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

Update...

• • But I don't yet know whether the speed warning is calculated off actual or indicated speed.

Actual speed. If you set the tolerance to 0, the warning will be before the displayed speed reaches the speed limit.

Side note: indicated 100 km/h (on digital display) meant actual speed of 95 km/h on one GTS that I tested.

[LeftFootBrake]

Originally Posted by 450hp/tonne

Actual speed. If you set the tolerance to 0, the warning will be before the displayed speed reaches the speed limit.

Thanks. But perhaps a slight typo given displayed speed > actual speed?

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

I'll be driving a GTI for a fortnight in a week or so, and will give a comparison report after that to see if I've changed my mind.

Short version after ~250kms and 3 out of 14 days in the GTI: The 86 makes me look for an excuse to go for a drive. The GTI does not. If you have any specific questions or want more details, please just let me know. I can provide lots of detailed aspects to the comparo but doubt anyone will care enough to make it worth the effort. So, for now, just saying that the 86 wins.

[Ballsak2nv]

Im really interested in the size of the boot, i mean would you have a common object you could fit and take a pic, like a carton of beer or something.

Every time i go to my local the car isn't there.

[450hp/tonne]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

Thanks. But perhaps a slight typo given displayed speed > actual speed

Yes, it is a typo. In the menu options you can change it to warn you before, at or over the actual speed limit.

[sticky]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

The 86 makes me look for an excuse to go for a drive. The GTI does not.

Haaa! A close friend of mine owns a GTI MkV and couldn't understand why I would buy this car over a GTI - I told him you really have to look past the 0-100 time and to just wait till I get it to see what I mean.

BTW was this a DSG? If so, how did you think it compared to with the 86 AT? GTI's DSG is very impressive but I reckon the 86 AT is pretty damn slick for a torque converter.

[LeftFootBrake]

Originally Posted by Ballsak2nv

Im really interested in the size of the boot, i mean would you have a common object you could fit and take a pic, like a carton of beer or something.

Sorry, but don't have the 86 with me at the moment. Hopefully someone else can help or you might already find something with a forum search (I know I've seen a bike but that's with the back seats folded forward and I know that's not what you're after).

Originally Posted by sticky

Haaa! A close friend of mine owns a GTI MkV and couldn't understand why I would buy this car over a GTI - I told him you really have to look past the 0-100 time and to just wait till I get it to see what I mean.

Your mate has a fine car, no doubt. But it ain't an 86. It doesn't have the same steering feel/responsiveness, driving position, throttle responsiveness, brake feel, sound or desire to wag its tail. All of that also means if you want a car to safely cruise you along a freeway with plenty of power to overtake it's probably a superior option. But if that's all you wanted, I doubt you'd be contemplating an 86 in the first place.

BTW was this a DSG? If so, how did you think it compared to with the 86 AT? GTI's DSG is very impressive but I reckon the 86 AT is pretty damn slick for a torque converter.

Yep, the GTI is a DSG but it's also a rental with 75k on the odo. With that said, it's hopelessly hesitant when attempting to move gently from standstill and occasionally makes noises that cause me and the gf to look at each other concerned something just broke. There's no reassuring "creep" when moving from standstill and then once in gear it won't hold it at redline. Reverse is nothing but horrible surges and slips. Other than that, it's fine, particularly when cruising around on the move where the shifts are super smooth and fast (but I haven't found myself wanting faster shifts in the 86 yet). So it's not clear to me what the DSG technology is actually better at. When I get back in the 86, I'll reassess.

[Righty]

Originally Posted by LeftFootBrake

Short version after ~250kms and 3 out of 14 days in the GTI: The 86 makes me look for an excuse to go for a drive. The GTI does not. If you have any specific questions or want more details, please just let me know. I can provide lots of detailed aspects to the comparo but doubt anyone will care enough to make it worth the effort. So, for now, just saying that the 86 wins.

I'd appreciate the detailed comparison if you've got the time to write it up! With a 12 month wait, and a lot of people asking why I bought this and not something else, your reviews keep me excited and comparisons something to talk about with other people. Keep up the detail

[LeftFootBrake]

Well, after 1700-odd kilometres in the GTI MkV, happy to be back in the 86. The GTI was highly competent, but doesn't hold a candle to the 86 in terms of driving pleasure. I was cross-shopping them back in the day, and if it weren't for the reliability concerns surrounding Golfs may have bought one. But after driving them both I now have absolutely zero buyer's remorse (and this isn't just a case of confirmation bias). The 86 is simply a more fun car to drive.

The main thing the GTI is better at is an innovation 50 years old: steering wheel controls (oh boy, here I go rantin' on a dead horse again). Anyone who doesn't think these are important has a completely different workflow and value system to me and must have bought the car for drifting on private roads rather than driving on public ones (in which case they could have spent their money more wisely, anyway). The reality of everyday driving for the majority of the car's demographic over the next few years will be using an iPhone or similar for navigation instructions and audio, via radio, music, podcast and spotify-style apps. Unfortunately, volumes are not effectively normalised across or within these apps. In the GTI, this is dealt with deftly by a subconscious and ever so slight move of the left thumb with no disruption to conversation, cornering line or eye-line every time a new track or nav instruction starts. In the 86, on the other hand, it's a PIA made worse by the unit's design for left-hand drive. Guess I'll just have to wait for some time down the line when Toyota decide to offer a rip off replacement wheel that's not from the 80's (or this). In the meantime, the fact it is such an enjoyable car to drive continues to make me happy enough to overcome such a simple-to-fix flaw. OK, now the exasperated rant is over.

Actually, no it's not. On my trip I spent $8 on a tyre pressure gauge. Checked my 86's wheel pressures today. They were all 30psi or below (confirmed by my local servo's air inflation system). The recommendation is for 35. WTF!? Evidently, the service centre can't even get tyre pressures right. That or there's a very severe design fault in the valve system, given how short a time it's been since the 1000km service. It really does reaffirm my prejudice that in all likelihood the most damage to my car occurs in the hands of TMCA-recommended people. And, good lord, I have to pay for the privilege. I will simply continue to rely on the hard work of the good people in Japan HQ being sufficient to overcome the local incompetence. OK, now the rant is over.

Finally, I used the cleaning techniques described here again, and even though she was a bit muddy the process continued to work a treat.

[sticky]

Yeah I have to agree - wish they had steering wheel controls. It's especially annoying with the satnav since you don't really have many physical buttons to feel your way through to the right command - forcing you to look at the screen.

They should have put steering wheel controls in the GTS and kept the GT to a minimal for the pure driving enthusiasts.

[primetime]

At a risk of being a bit OT here - I was one of who cancelled my order for a White 86 GTS and went for a Shiro White 370Z instead.

The 370Z has steering wheel controls that can be used to control the audio system as well as the Sat Nav - making it incredibly handy without taking your eyes off the road to fiddle with buttons on the console.

I'd probably say the 370Z has an overload of buttons - but the Sat Nav is definitely one of the very best I've seen so far!

[LeftFootBrake]

I reckon the reason we don't have them is neither because of "enthusiasm" or the other likely discussed scenario of "bean counters" (after all, that's why God created options lists). Rather, I think it's because somewhere within the worlds of Subaru and Toyota they consider the look and feel of steering wheel controls part of the family branding and therefore couldn't be shared. And that meant neither Toyota or Subaru parts bins could be used and it delayed the project too much. Just my guess, of course.