2026 Toyota GR86 Yuzu Edition Review

The Toyota GR86 is the epitome of every pretentious driving enthusiast trope in the book.

Get the manual. Rear-wheel drive is the superior choice. Natural aspiration is the only way. A slow car driven fast is the answer.

Call them unoriginal. Call them a form of gatekeeping. Heck, call them straight-up annoying. But from the driver’s seat of this 2026 Toyota GR86 Yuzu Edition, they’re not wrong.

Design: 8/10

For its fans, the appeal of the Toyota GR86 lies in its mechanical simplicity, but that unfussy aura can also be seen in the way it looks. Compact, low-slung, and with rear fenders that flow and bulge like those of a way more exotic machine, this is textbook sports car design. This Yuzu Edition turns the boy racer aesthetic way up with a body kit that I would absolutely love if I were still 15 years old, a big lip spoiler on the trunk, black 18-inch wheels, and that unmissably bright yellow paint job.

Inside, the GR86 is one of those cars whose utilitarian cabin is pretty clearly styled by its development budget. But given this car’s mission, it comes off as purpose-driven rather than basic; I’d much rather see Toyota spend money perfecting the suspension geometry rather than adding softer materials to the dashboard. The Yuzu Edition adds yellow stitching and faux-suede surfaces to make it feel a bit more special.

User-Friendliness: 7.5/10

That purposeful nature is arguably a plus when it comes to usability because a whole lot of the interface remains physical. Three knobs control the climate system, the eight-inch touchscreen is flanked by hard shortcuts and a volume knob, the buttons on the steering wheel make sense, you adjust the vents by reaching out and moving them around, and you even get dedicated physical rocker switches for the heated seats.

On the other hand, this throwback nature means the screen never fails to bring to mind Windows Media Player circa 2002. It supports wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it’s USB-A only and, for the former at least, picky about cables. This is surely a microcosm of my own mental and emotional exhaustion with technology, but the very thought of having to figure out where I left my Apple-made USB-A cable and dig it out was so disgusting that I decided it would be less mentally taxing to just drive this car around without my phone mirrored.

Everyday Usability: 6.5/10

Getting on with Toyota’s sports car as a space to haul people and stuff is very much an exercise in managing expectations. The GR86’s brochure might call it a four-seater but, unsurprisingly, actual rear seat space is laughable and the only real amenity back there is a fun little nook in the side armrest area that’s suspiciously and perfectly shaped for holding onto dear life.

Trunk space is similarly limited with the rear seats up, but it’s not bad with them down. It’s famously able to fit a full set of extra tires, which also says everything about this car’s priorities.

Power: 8/10

Thanks to a predecessor that really did feel lacking right in the middle of the rev range, this particular sports car has a reputation for being slower than it looks. In reality, this second-generation’s 2.4L naturally aspirated flat four-cylinder engine that makes 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque feels more than sufficient to have a good amount of fun. No, it’s not some torque-laden, German turbo-hybrid monster; but keep the revs high, and the GR86 scoots with decent enthusiasm.

It still isn’t the most musical-sounding engine, though, even with the Yuzu Edition’s cat-back exhaust. This quad-tip add-on helps the flat-four sound less like a garbage disposal when you’re caning it, and the little off-throttle burbles are neat, but it also drones on the highway.

The six-speed manual transmission that’s exclusively available with this trim is pleasant to use, and now having driven the GR86 with both this and the automatic it’s definitely the transmission to have if you’re able. Throws are short and feel solidly mechanical, although shift feel falls short of what you get in hot Hondas or this car’s most direct competitor, the Mazda MX-5.

Driving Feel: 10/10

Corners are where the GR86 shines, and the Yuzu Edition’s upgraded dampers and brakes make it an even more sublime scalpel than standard. The steering is deliciously instant and precise; the grip is addicting. Four-piston front, two-piston rear Brembo brakes are almost button-short in travel, and feel expertly calibrated for millimetric driving, while Sachs dampers provide a notch more tautness and stability without sacrificing much in comfort.

Rear-wheel drive, a curb weight of just 1,279 kg (2,820 lb), and a driving position that’s pretty much perfect make you feel so involved in the experience, too. Presented with a twisty road, the GR86 is a car you’ll want to drive all day long.

Comfort: 7/10

This genre of car was never going to be pillowy smooth over bumps, nor should it be, but it’s not terrible in that regard, either. I feel like it’s the Yuzu Edition’s upgraded dampers at work here, but even though you feel every crack and bump in the road, the impacts are rarely crashy or jarring. It’s a communicative brand of bumpiness, not an annoying one.

One sports car compromise if you plan on using this as a daily driver, however, is the noise. Not only does the exhaust drone (to be fair, standard GR86s aren’t nearly as bad), but highway road noise is significant. And, for what it’s worth, a heated steering wheel is not available.

Equipment: 7.5/10

Other than that omission, the GR86 has most of the stuff you’d need in a reasonable daily driver. The eight-inch touchscreen is standard, as is the seven-inch instrument display, a leather-wrapped steering wheel that tilts and telescopes, LED headlights, six speakers, and 17-inch wheels. Spring for the Premium trim that this Yuzu Edition is based on, and you get two additional speakers, heated leather and faux-suede seats, aluminum pedals, and bigger 18-inch wheels.

Safety: 7.5/10

When tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the GR86 scored “Good” in all crash tests it was subjected to, but only got an “Acceptable” when it came to child seat anchors due to lower anchors that are too deep in the seat.

Blind-spot monitoring works as advertised and comes with Premium trim and up, as do adaptive headlights that visibly swivel as you steer. Assisted driving tech like adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning are exclusive to the automatic transmission not tested here. Outward visibility is respectable for a low-slung sports car.

Efficiency: 8/10

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has rated the manual GR86 for 12.0 L/100 km in the city, 8.9 on the highway, and 10.6 combined. Not exactly a fuel sipper, and it requires premium, but also not terrible efficiency for the fun to be had here. And for what it’s worth, I was able to beat that official figure, getting 10.1 L/100 km over 440 mixed test km.

For the record, going for the automatic transmission is a bit more economical, as NRCan rates that one at 11.2 L/100 km in the city, 7.9 on the highway, 9.7 combined, but I suspect choosing an auto GR86 purely for the alleged fuel savings may get you banned from the car meet.

Value for Money: 8.5/10

As tested, this loaded GR86 Yuzu Edition goes for $46,885 before tax including a $1,860 destination fee. But that’s the fancy dancy limited trim — the least expensive base version can be had for as little as $34,755, while the Premium car is $37,755. Trim-for-trim, this is a bit cheaper than that other rear-drive, Japanese two-door, the Mazda MX-5. (There’s also this car’s mechanical twin, the Subaru BRZ, that’s priced similarly.)

While it might seem worth mentioning other affordable fun cars like the Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Elantra N alongside its Subaru twin, the Toyota GR86 is unique in today’s market. For less money than you’d pay for a new Toyota Prius, you get a rear-drive sports car not based on anybody’s compact commuter, handling and entertaining with the best in the business.

The Verdict

That’s the GR86’s whole game right there: it’s arguably the closest you can get to prime Porsche-level handling without having been to law school, won the lottery, having a trust fund, or buying used. It’s way more hunkered down than any sport compact, and it feels more serious while being more livable than the MX-5. Even among its GR Toyota siblings, it shines — it’s lighter and dartier than the GR Corolla, and if you’re OK with not winning nearly as many races, a more tactile experience than the Supra.

It’s a joyfully analog driving device, and the Yuzu Edition’s suspension and braking upgrades sharpen it up meaningfully. If you can’t get your hands on one (a mere 30 Yuzus are earmarked for Canada), I’d recommend using it as a guide for your own aftermarket modifications. The fact that it’s all these things while also being reasonably equipped, efficient, and comfortable as a daily driver solidifies it as one of the all-time enthusiast car greats.