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?
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.
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?
I think it has the same problem that Lotus have selling cars in the UK - it's USP is something which will only really appeal to driving enthusiasts and there aren't enough of them.
I suppose the fact that the MX5 sells so well would go against this, but the MX5 is a convertible and is attractive to girls as well as guys. I can't really see the GT86/BRZ as a girls car so the showroom demand for the GT86/BRZ must be weaker.
Otherwise, its only going to be as appealing as a Clio 182 was, but at a higher relative price. A good underpowered chassis, but not the first car choice for a family of four, no matter how many DINKY's like it, or thinks its great.
Worse,
the market is sauturated with more powerful Golf R's, AMG45's and M135's that people have picked up on lease deals for almost the same monsy as the depreciation on a GT86. (24months at £250 = £6,000).
In a years time, those cars will be flooding the second hand market.
Stupid question perhaps...
The basic offer there is £443 a month with a near-£3k deposit.
The MX-5 (http://www.mazda.co.uk/offers/mazda-mx-5/?segment=new) has a basic offer of £300 a month with NO deposit at all.
As much as I hate to say it (and as much as it would remove any appeal for me personally) what it needs in order to sell is a turbocharger to increase both power (to increase pub bragging rights rather than driver enjoyment) and NDEC MPG; probably strapped to a diesel engine.
I rather liked this mockup:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Otherwise, its only going to be as appealing as a Clio 182 was, but at a higher relative price. A good underpowered chassis, but not the first car choice for a family of four, no matter how many DINKY's like it, or thinks its great.
Worse,
the market is sauturated with more powerful Golf R's, AMG45's and M135's that people have picked up on lease deals for almost the same monsy as the depreciation on a GT86. (24months at £250 = £6,000).
In a years time, those cars will be flooding the second hand market.
And I know this will make all you powerfully built goateed company directors squirm on your pile of cash, but most new cars are bought on finance.
You have to REALLY REALLY want one to justify one of these on a cost basis.
What they should have done is gone for the 2.5 boxer engine, and aimed for 250bhp as entry level. With a 320bhp turbo model, it creates a halo model and interests people in buying the slower model and modding it.
As it stands, you get kids that hanker after these but can't afford them, and grown ups that think that's a lovely car but I like to have some torque (read need more cruisability).
I just can't see an instance in a daily driver where you would be able to ring it out and actually enjoy, the reality is that Mr Audi A4 TDI will outdrag these on a dual carriageway. Not that it should matter, but how many people who say that's a great car actually own one?
And I know this will make all you powerfully built goateed company directors squirm on your pile of cash, but most new cars are bought on finance.
You have to REALLY REALLY want one to justify one of these on a cost basis.
especially when you can get something like this
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
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