Toyota 86 VS Mazda MX-5
Toyota 86
Likes
- Huge fun to drive
- Comfortable despite purpose
- Good value
Dislikes
- Dodgy interior materials
- No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
- Raucous engine
Mazda MX-5
Likes
- Excellent as a driver's car
- Still accessible in price
- Updated tech doesn't sacrifice simplicity
Dislikes
- Compromised as a daily driver
- Tan Nappa leather only in Automatic
- Nearing the end of its life :(
Summary
Toyota 86
Toyota's 86 might have been a huge surprise when it burst onto the world stage, but now it's difficult to imagine a world without it. Heralding a so-far slow and steady return to more interesting cars for the Japanese giant, the 86 has steadily clocked up the sales.
The tiny sports car picked up a few specification tweaks late last year as well as a longed-for 'Performance Pack' and the mildest of upgraded stereos.
Half a decade on and with the Mazda MX-5 (in both convertible and hardtop) as a strong price rival, with an army of hot hatches nipping at its heels, is the 86 still the bargain funster we'd been missing all those years?
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.8L/100km |
| Seating | 4 seats |
Mazda MX-5
It's not often a car is elevated to 'icon' status, cars like the VW Beetle, Porsche 911, Toyota LandCruiser or Ford Mustang - but the Mazda MX-5 has quietly been the best choice for keen drivers who don't want to break the bank with a big sticker price or costly maintenance.
The ND MX-5 has been around since 2015, and while it’s been praised as a return to the original, simple formula of the NA MX-5 from the late 80s and early 90s, it’s getting close to a decade old.
So, a little refresh with some new tech and a mechanical tweak is here to make the roadster feel like a playful pup once more.
Read more about
And what better place to test that out than a combination of the winding roads of the Adelaide Hills wine region, paired nicely with a main course of track driving at The Bend Motorsport Park?
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.9L/100km |
| Seating | 2 seats |
Verdict
Toyota 867.3/10
The overall score doesn't really reflect how good this car is. It's let down by silly things like the lack of a decent stereo head unit, a ho-hum warranty package and a lack of advanced safety features. Those things sort of miss the point for most 86 buyers as the sales figures suggest.
It's old school fun without all the reliability and usability issues. It's a better proposition than any bargain sportscar for decades and is never not a barrel of laughs. The best value - and most fun - is a manual GT with the Dynamic Performance Pack. It's still good value, has a bit more oomph in the brakes and suspension and adds just a little bit of spice to the 86.
Has the 86 withstood the test of time? Or have other, new options stolen your heart? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Mazda MX-58.1/10
Ultimately, the design and tech changes to the ND MX-5 will be the biggest day-to-day advantages of the updated model, because the mechanical changes don’t make themselves hugely obvious on the road.
If you’re into track days, it’s still a satisfying car to hustle as fast as you can, but it’s at its most accessible on winding roads for weekend drives, where the new differential and track DSC mode won’t come into play as much.
But in a world where accessible sports cars are becoming a rarity, there’s only one rear-drive convertible with a sticker price appropriate for financial mortals, and it’s a pretty damn good thing that it’s the ND MX-5.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
Design
Toyota 867/10
As ever, the 86 exterior design is tasteful - low-slung and with a mild body kit including side skirts, a modest front spoiler and a metal rear wing that nobody seems to like. The 86 has those classic sports car proportions despite its diminutive dimensions.
The rear diffuser looks good but is unlikely to do much other than house the fog light and reversing lights. The big twin exhausts look terrific, so if you want a quad exhaust, I will only ask why.
Inside is as minimally thoughtful as ever. There's nothing especially wrong with it but there is little to commend it with a mix of materials and various cop-outs to save money. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, given the car's intentions, but if you're expecting a premium interior, you're of out luck. Having said that, the suede-like panel in the GTS looks pretty good.
Mazda MX-59/10
Alright, we’ve all seen ND MX-5s, you don’t need me to tell you about its proportions or explain its design elements to you in too much detail, so I’ll give you the headline changes.
At the front and rear are new pairs of LED head- and tail-lights, respectively… obviously, fitting into the spaces the old ones took up.
The DRLS and reverse lights have come off the bumpers for both, and are now part of the main lights at each end - no more DRLs in the front bumper, and the reverse lights have been replaced by reflectors.
There are new 17-inch wheel designs for the base and GT trim levels, too, and there’s a new colour - Aero Grey.
Inside, it’s a shame that the tan Nappa leather interior of the RF Black Roof can’t be had in a manual roadster, because it’s gorgeous, even though the inside still looks refined enough for a simple sports car in its base cloth trim.
Practicality
Toyota 866/10
Interior photos reveal a cosy space for driver and passenger. The rear seats are almost entirely pointless, although you can get small kids in. Like really small - I'm just on 180cm and drive closer to the wheel than most but I could still only slot a laptop computer in the 'legroom'.
The front seats are split by a narrow console with a moveable tray with two cupholders and a slot that holds a smaller iPhone or Android phone. There is no armrest, but that's for practical gear-shifting reasons. Those in the rear don't get a cup holder at all.
People always ask how many seats Toyota has crammed in, and the answer is four, but it's really a 2+2.
Boot space isn't terrible at 223 litres and if you fold down the rear seats, you've capacity for a set of four wheels and tyres. Which might be handy given there is no longer a spare tyre, so a tyre repair kit might be in order...
As you might imagine, ground clearance isn't off-road spectacular but the 86 does pass my driveway test. In other words, I can get it up my driveway - some SUVs don't even manage without that stomach churning scraaape.
Mazda MX-57/10
One thing Mazda has significantly changed for the ND is the multimedia screen, now a larger 8.8-inch touchscreen running Mazda’s updated software.
It brings the MX-5 up to date without sacrificing simplicity and makes it a little easier to use. The physical dial and buttons for controlling the screen also remain. The USB-C ports are also new.
Oh, and the MX-5 is the first Mazda model to get Connected Services, which is coming to other Mazda models eventually.
Connected Services allows owners to find, lock, and get alerts for their cars from a phone app, even letting them set curfews to notify them if the car is started during certain hours.
Aside from that, another small tweak is the simplified instrument cluster, which aims to be easier to read even when the roof is open and the sun is bright.
The cabin isn’t built to be plush, it’s built for ‘Jinba Ittai’, Mazda’s philosophy that applies most strongly to the MX-5 which means ‘horse and rider as one’.
And trust me, you feel one with the horse- er, car, when there’s not ample room to move. It’s not restrictive, but it’s cosy.Â
Everything’s quite well-placed and it’s not busy with buttons or features in here though, it’s made for focusing on driving.Â
One downside is the lack of storage, not even a glovebox, in front of the passenger, and the central storage spot under where your elbow sits is tiny, good for keeping the key fob snug though. Also, the cupholders are able to be removed or swapped between the space behind your elbow, or above the passenger footwell.
There’s also a small storage space between the seats behind where your elbow would sit, though it’s tricky to access while you’re driving.
Then there’s the boot, which is usable for a small amount of luggage at 130 litres in the Roadster and 127L in the RF hardtop.
Finally, as a huge positive, probably the biggest advantage of the ND over any other convertible is how easy it is to open and close the roof in the Roadster. You can do it single-handed, which is great if it starts raining and you’re at a traffic light or able to quickly pull over.
The RF hard-top has a switch that automatically opens and closes the roof section.
Price and features
Toyota 868/10
There are still only two trim levels these days, if you discount the racing version. The Toyota website suggests the 'Apollo Blue' is a separate model, but you'll soon see that's a bit cheeky. Our brief comparison features RRP straight off the price list. The drive-away price is obviously between you and your dealer.
The GT opens the range at $31,440 for the manual and $33,740 for the auto. It's not the sub-$30k bargain it used to be, but remains cheaper than its Subaru BRZ sister car and the Mazda MX-5.
Standard features include 16-inch alloys, a limited-slip diff (manual only), LED headlights and daytime running lights, reversing camera, 6.1-inch touchscreen, AM/FM radio, power windows and mirrors, electric power steering, air-conditioning, floor mats, hill start assist, a sound system with six speakers, Bluetooth and USB, cruise control and cloth trim.
The second level of the road going range is the GTS, starting at $36,640 for the manual and $38,940 for the auto. To the base model you can add bigger rims at 17 inches, dual-zone climate control, an info display in the dashboard between the gauges, privacy glass, heated front seats, stereo controls on the steering wheel, keyless entry and push button start, fake leather seats with Alcantara trim inserts and GPS navigation system with SUNA traffic info.
The GTS's tyres are markedly better Michelins.
For the GT and GTS you can choose from six colours: 'Tornado Grey', 'Storm Black', 'Ice Silver', 'White Liquid', 'Gravity Blue' and 'Ignition Red'. If you go all in on a GTS, you can also have Apollo Blue. Fans of orange and yellow are out of luck. Only Ignition Red is a freebie, the rest will stick you with a $450 bill.
The GT and GTS also offer the 'Dynamic Performance Pack' option. How much does it cost and what do you get? Sadly, no turbo or increase in engine size or improvement in engine specs for a bit more speed. I know many of you pine for more horsepower to improve the 86's stats, but Toyota won't help out.
So, the $2200 (GT)/$2900 (GTS) pack includes a darker set of alloy wheels, SACHS suspension and a set of Brembo brakes. GTS buyers can also specify Apollo Blue as the exterior colour, raising the price again to $39,950 for the manual and $41,890 for the auto.
The 6.1-inch infotainment screen that runs the sound system is an ongoing disaster. Too small, terrible software, it's an afterthought. To add insult to injury, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto despite the Subaru version managing to fit a stereo with exactly that feature. It's a perplexingly bad decision to leave them out, especially when it's a basic double DIN unit that's easy to replace.
Accessories include interior lighting, rear parking sensors and a bootliner. Missing from the list are a towbar, HID headlights (the standard LEDs are excellent) and, unsurprisingly, air suspension.
Conspicuous by their absence are a roof rack and sunroof. Despite a soft top concept a few years back, there isn't a convertible either. If you want a subwoofer, you'll have to go aftermarket.
The waiting time for your 86 is a thing of the past - stock levels appear solid around the country.
Mazda MX-58/10
Getting into an MX-5 is now a little more expensive, with the base manual Roadster up by $2310 to now start from $41,520 before on-roads.
The top-spec soft-top GT RS is now $51,640, or $2800 more than before.
Pricing for the RF hard top is also similarly bumped up, a base manual costing $46,250, and the most expensive GT RS at $56,140.
There’s also a Black Roof edition which comes with tan Nappa leather inside, but that’s only available in an automatic RF, which is possibly the biggest downside to the 2024 range.
Base models get cloth seats, while GT and GT RS models get heated leather seats. The GT RS also comes with stiffer Bilstein dampers, Brembo front brakes, a bracing strut between the front suspension towers and a DSC-Track mode. The difference there is noticeable, so it's worth the extra spend for the more keen driver.
The higher overall costs bring updated tech, a new 8.8-inch touchscreen and a new limited slip-diff in manual versions, plus tweaked mechanicals like improved acceleration response and lower steering rack friction.
But they do look a tiny bit different too.
Under the bonnet
Toyota 867/10
The Subaru-sourced 2.0-litre 'boxer' four soldiers on and in the six-speed manual produces 152kW/212Nm, both high in the rev range. Annoyingly, when paired with the six-speed automatic transmission, you only get 148kW/205Nm.
One of the reasons for the boxer engine is that it sits nice and low, which works for styling and packaging. Even getting the battery lower in the chassis means an improvement in handling.
The power heads rearwards (purists love rear-wheel drive) and is apportioned by a limited-slip differential.
There are no known common issues with the 86's boxer four. As to whether the engine features a timing belt or chain, the good news is that it's a chain, meaning lower long-term ownership and servicing costs.
The engine has been around forever and there are no common engine issues that I could identify, except perhaps the lack of a turbocharged option or supercharger.
The manual transmission doesn't seem to suffer any widespread complaints or issues and the automatic gearbox seems similarly reliable. If you needed to settle the manual vs automatic argument, that's yet another reason to go with the manual gearbox. As well as the lighter weight. And better performance figures.
There is no 4x4, front-wheel drive or AWD version, nor is there a diesel motor available. Although that would be interesting...
For some reason, the 86 comes in for criticism for its 0-100km per hour acceleration time, which is a swift seven-ish seconds.
Toyota does not offer a towing capacity figure, perhaps for obvious reasons.
Mazda MX-59/10
Up front, you get one option: a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-pot. It makes 135kW and 205Nm, and it’s a delightful little thing, driving the rear wheels only - as it should.
It used to be that the smaller 1.5-litre engine was the more revvy, keen option, rest its soul, but Mazda updated the 2.0-litre to be more eager (and deliver more power) at high revs and basically made the little 1.5-litre redundant.
Anyway, you can have it with a six-speed manual in any variant, or a six-speed automatic in GT guise if you find manual gearboxes difficult or a hassle.
Efficiency
Toyota 868/10
Fuel consumption is quite different between the transmission types. The manual's claimed combined cycle figure is 8.4L/100km while the automatic's is 7.1L/100km. Usually mileage figures are closer between transmissions, so if fuel economy is at the top of your list, it's the automatic.
Fuel tank capacity is 50 litres and you have to fill it with 98RON premium unleaded.
The official figures, for once, aren't a bad guide - my most recent week with an 86 manual returned 9.3L/100km.
Mazda MX-58/10
Mazda says the MX-5 uses 6.8L/100km as a manual Roadster, or 7.0L/100km with an automatic gearbox. Or, in the heavier RF 6.9L for a manual and 7.2L for auto.
Not great for a tiny car like this, but pretty good for a sports car!
It’s got a 45-litre fuel tank, takes premium 95 RON or higher, and while it should hypothetically be able to travel more than 600km with its on-paper claims, expect fuel use to sit closer to 8.0L/100km if you’re driving it anything like it deserves.
Driving
Toyota 868/10
Every time I drive the 86, I am struck by the same things. The first is just how small it really is. Its road footprint is tiny, the Toyota dwarfed by just about everything. That means it's great in the city for ducking in and out of gaps and if you keep the left arm busy on the shifter, you'll be able to use its momentum to carve through the dawdling idiots infesting our roads.
The steering is always a delight - fast and direct, you know what's under those skinny front tyres and the weighting is near perfection. Coupled with the finely-tuned chassis, it's super-predictable and a huge laugh out of damp roundabouts.
The best bit is the balance - you can really feel the car underneath you. When you strip it all back, ignore the rackety engine and plasticky interior, it really feels like a car twice the price. The whole experience is centred around fun but without abandoning the needs of daily driving - the soft suspension allows for body roll which is both fun when you're thrashing but delivers a bearable ride on the school/work run.
It's a bit tinny, it's missing some obvious bits and pieces but few cars put you in touch with the purity of driving like a manual 86.
The automatic - largely ignored - is still fun, but it's not really what the 86 is all about. For me, I once had an auto 86 and it was an opportunity to show my manual-shy wife what she's been missing.
Mazda MX-59/10
It feels like every motoring journo under the sun (literally if the roof is off) owns or has owned an MX-5 of some sort.
And the first time you drive one, you might understand why.Â
If you spend your days testing and driving a bunch of different cars that aim to be many things at once, it’s refreshing to drive something that aims to be one: fun.
That’s it, the MX-5 feels like it was built to be fun. Not for convenience, not for power, certainly not for the school run.
And fortunately its simplicity remains with this update. All Mazda has done to change the way it drives is attempt to improve the rear limited-slip differential and improve the steering a little by reducing friction in the rack, as well as improve throttle response.
Has any of that changed the way it feels to drive on-road? No, not massively, but the ND was already such a delight that Mazda could have kept this update to purely design and interior tech changes and it would have still been one of the best-value buys around in terms of fun.
The MX-5 still feels relatively softly sprung while still being a dynamic and communicative sports car that’s engaging to drive even at low speeds, and rewarding (or frustrating) to drive fast.
On tight, winding roads, the MX-5 is at home, its soft suspension keeps you humble with its shifting weight and its relatively meagre outputs keep your licence safe.
In fact, despite being slightly compromised as a daily drive, the MX-5 is still plenty of fun even in traffic, there’s something about the satisfying click as the shifter slips into gear, or the little rev matches heading back down through the cogs when approaching a red light.
The 2.0-litre four-pot is a keen unit, and the six-speed manual is light and easy to work with, plus its steering is light without sacrificing road surface feedback - that feedback can quickly turn into cabin noise on a coarse highway which could become a little irritating on a long trip.
But the MX-5 can still be plenty of fun on track, where you’re more likely to get the most out of its new limited-slip differential and Track DSC mode.
It’s equally frustrating and satisfying to hustle the MX-5 around the East Circuit at The Bend in South Australia, where the track is twisty, busy, and unforgiving. Get it wrong, and the MX-5 lurches or slides to let you know you’ve made an error.Â
Get it right, however, and the little roadster glides through the corners, camber changes and even over apex kerbs smoothly and carrying impressive speed.
Plus, the electronic assistance won’t usually kick-in until you really need it, a welcome change from cars that are constantly trying to keep you from having fun behind the wheel.
Safety
Toyota 867/10
The 86 arrives with a decent level of safety features. They all have an airbag count of seven, ABS, stability and traction controls, reverse camera and hill start assist.
If you can squeeze in a baby seat, there are two ISOFIX points and two top-tether points.
The maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating dates way back to 2012.
Mazda MX-57/10
The ND MX-5 actually scored five stars with ANCAP back in 2016, even though its score has now expired. It’s not obvious how well it would fare under newer, stricter tests, given the small car’s lack of advanced driver assistance - not that that’s a bad thing in the case of a sports car.
Still, for a two-seat convertible, the MX-5 has a decent list of kit to keep you safe including front and side airbags, alerts for driver attention, blind spots, lane departure and rear-cross traffic, parking sensors and a reversing camera, belt pretensioners and side-impact door beams and even automatic Smart City Brake Support.
Ownership
Toyota 867/10
Toyota still offers a three-year/100,000km warranty and roadside assist is an extra cost. Many customers understand that a key Toyota value proposition is reliability, but the three-year warranty club is almost as small as the full-term Prime Ministers club has been in the last decade.
Resale value appears strong, no doubt helped by a distinct lack of common problems, gearbox problems, issues, faults or complaints about the car. A second hand 86 should be easy to come by - since its launch in 2012, Toyota has shifted around 20,000 cars.
Service cost is capped at $180 per service and you're expected to visit the dealer every nine months or 15,000km, which is kind of odd.
The owners manual is packed with useful details like oil capacity and type.
Another question I'm often asked is "Where is the Toyota 86 built?" - the answer is Subaru's Gunma plant in Japan. Some also ask "Is the Toyota 86 discontinued?" - that's a firm no, although the US Scion sub-brand version, the FR-S, is no more.
Mazda MX-58/10
Mazda’s five-year, unlimited km warranty covers the MX-5, including five years of roadside assist.
Servicing costs are pre-set, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km up to seven years or 105,000km. They cost between $447 and $638, averaging out at about $544 each.