Which to buy, the 2022 Subaru BRZ or the Toyota GR86?

Both the BRZ and the GR86 are all new models arriving this year end.

Subaru in Malaysia have already started taking bookings for the all new BRZ months ago and the waiting list to date has already gone past 50 units. Imagine this, 50 Malaysians have paid a booking fee without even touching, test driving or even sitting in this car.

 With just some Youtube videos and written information shared by the motoring media, Motor Image Malaysia, the brand guardian for Subaru has been able to take in 50 bookings and counting. Meanwhile, the same response has been felt in Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand for this latest BRZ.

 The asking price in Malaysia has been confirmed at RM 249,800 and this is just a smidgen higher over the launch price of the previous 2.0L Subaru BRZ which arrived here in June 2013 for RM 247,000.

 Now, as some of you already know, the Subaru BRZ is a sports car that was conceived as a partnership vehicle with Toyota Motor. The Toyota version is called the GT86 and it first arrived in Malaysia in late 2012 at a selling price of RM 243,000.

 To date, the GT86 has had more customers for brand new cars and the reconditioned used car market also has more GT86’s sold over the past 8 to 9 years. 

Now, with the latest version of the BRZ and GT86 (now called the GR86 as the partnership with Gazoo racing and Toyota goes full steam ahead), the partnership continues as before with platform sharing and drivetrain sharing. Minor tweaks under the slippery shell gives each car a differing attitude, but in theory it is the same.

Both cars previously used a Subaru developed 2.0L normal aspirated BOXER engine and this time, they are using a 2.4L normal aspirated direct injection BOXER engine. This new BOXER engine delivers a 0-100 kmph acceleration time of 6.3 seconds (before it was 7.4 seconds). This engine has 235 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque.

Both cars remain rear-wheel drive and sit on the same Subaru Global Platform that delivers a 60 percent increase in front lateral bending rigidity and a 50 percent increase in torsional stiffness which in layman terms means both cars have better ride and damping qualities.

Just like with the older versions, behind the wheel excitement is exactly the same from the showroom floor and only the design and interior look and feel may differ a little.

Subaru prides itself on providing the EyeSight safety system in all its current models on sale and so EyeSight will be available on the Toyota GR86 as well which confirms their very similar DNA.

It is rumoured that UMW Toyota will soon be opening their order books for the new GR86 and the asking price is rumoured to be higher than the BRZ at RM 289,000. At this asking price, the GR86 seems like a bargain against the selling price of the Toyota GR Yaris hot hatchback which was a high RM 286,896.

Yes, the GR Yaris was way more powerful with 261 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque. However, the GR Yaris was small and rather dumpy looking, whereas the GR86 is a handsome looking sports car.

It will be interesting to see which will sell better by next year. The GR86 or its close sibling, the BRZ.

Also read: 2022 Toyota GR Supra comes with a BIG surprise