Thursday 26th February 2015

Subaru BRZ v Toyota GT86: Delivery Miles

The era of the sub-£20K new Subaru BRZ is here - and the GT86 isn't far behind. Will they sell now?

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It's no secret that Toyota is bitterly disappointed by the market's reaction to the GT86. The Japanese giant really thought it had hit the sweet spot with enthusiasts. Their response? A big kick in the teeth by resolutely not buying it. The ingrates!

Used BRZs for £18K, new ones at £20K!

While we wait for Toyota to stick a turbo on the engine and at last give PHers the power they've been craving, there's plenty of support for you if you do fancy a new Toyota GT86 (or its identical twin, the Subaru BRZ). Both Toyota and Subaru have been pursuing aggressive price policies of late, each company conjuring up new entry-level versions priced at £22,495 (for the Subaru BRZ SE) and £22,995 (for the Toyota GT86 Primo).

But prices are now going even lower. Toyota is currently offering £1,000 off the list price of the GT86 if you take out finance, but there are some even more tempting deals out there.

Not least from Subaru dealers. The sub-£20K new BRZ is now a reality: in fact just £19,495 buys you a BRZ SE with only seven miles on the clock. No waiting list to join, and you have the peace of mind that it's from an official Subaru dealer.

Considering the cheapest BRZ in the classifieds at the moment is £17,989 for a 2012 example with 11,000 miles, that looks sensational value.

GT86s are under £15,000...

Used GT86s go even cheaper. The equivalent (2012, 12,000-mile) GT86 will cost you just £16,490, while the very cheapest used GT86s now start as low as £15K.

But what about GT86 prices new? A Toyota dealer is offering effectively a brand new GT86 (with a quoted mileage of 100) for just £20,995, and there's even a suggestion on the dealer's website that you might be able to negotiate a lower price than this.

The same dealer has a sub-2,000-mile 64-plate Giallo edition for £25,995. It's one of only 86 ever available in the UK, so it's got rarity value too. Perhaps even more dramatic is the GT86 Aero. I had an outrageously bodykitted GT86 TRD on test last summer, and it was comfortably the most gawped-at car I had all year. The Aero apes the TRD look without exactly replicating it, adding side skirts, OZ alloys and a massive rear spoiler (it's either your bag or it isn't). The Aero's list price is £27,495, so £23,991 for a 3,000-mile example looks pretty good to me.

At these prices, surely the GT86's time has come - or are we all going to continue ignoring it?

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[sandman77]

Why arent these selling? I just don't get it. I would have one over a 4 series BMW or Audi A5 any day. Plus I would be £10k better off.

[sandman77]

So in summary the GT86 is:

Too slow
Has a cheap interior
Costs too much to lease
Has useless back seats
Doesn't have the correct badge to impress the neighbours
Is not as good as a 6 year old Porsche

Seems obvious now.


I still want one though.