We live in a world that is always on the move, fast-paced, but yet rarely enjoyed. Whether you love to take a nice long drive on the weekend or enjoy your commute to work, the pleasure of driving is mutual and the Toyota 86 is one of those sports cars that shoes you the meaning of a true sports car and its driving experience.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of driving a 2017 Toyota 86 in the Ablaze color. I was particularly excited about this car because it's the first sports car that has been loaned to me and on top of that, it had a manual transmission! That's how I enjoy driving and I knew I was going to have the best time. I did have the chance to drive another Toyota 86 just 2 weeks prior and you can see that video here



We usually get SUV's like the RAV4 or the Highlander and the first thing we had to figure out was if Mila was going to fit just fine. The car is a 2+2 si that means there are 2 small seats behind the front ones. To our surprise, we managed to fit a car seat back there and Mila. She had to sit behind my wife Ashley though. We do a lot of things together so, unconventionally, we took our first trip down the street for a grocery run. That was fun! It felt nice to drive and manually change gears. The shifts were not smooth however and I'm thinking Toyota did that to add some mechanical feel. 

The 2.0L boxer engine produces 205HP and after experiencing faster and more powerful cars, I honestly believe that this car is not underpowered for what it is. It allows you to push it to its limits, both the cars' and your own. For those that have been around long enough to see the evolution of automotive technology, a pure sports car is not about power but how far you can push the car through turns, on straights, or anywhere else you like to drive. Toyota has promised to make the brand fun to drive again and become more focused on the driving experience. With the new sports car in development and testing, believed to be badged as a Supra, Toyota is surely living up to its promise.




As a dad, it was nice to enjoy some leisure drives around town and just focus on driving and nothing else. After all, this is without a doubt one of the best sports cars under 30k.  I loved running through the gears, the low seating position in the bucket seats, the looks of the car and the history of Toyota sports cars. If you're looking for that car you want to drive on the weekends or on days off without having to spend tens of thousands more, then this is a car you should look at. Keep in mind that the automatic transmission equipped 86 does lose 5 horsepower bringing it down to 200HP. The difference is insignificant, but nonetheless, if you know how to drive a manual transmission car, definitely go with the manual 86. 

The 7" touchscreen display was easy to use and all the controls are in what I believe to be the right places. The dash has both digital and analog displays giving it a more retro look and feel. the front and rear lights are now LED and look great. I invite you to go to a local dealership to test drive one and fuel your own experience. And now you know that you can take small kids in the back seats! 






What is the first car you envision when someone mentions sports car? What is the sportiest car you've driven or been on?