• Summary

    4 out of 5 4.0

    What does this car say about you?

    I really don't know. It's a fairly reasonably priced sports car that looks great parked on the driveway and I enjoy driving so I'm not too bothered about what other people are thinking while I have a big grin on my face.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    Everyone loves it and loves going for drives in it because of how much fun the thing is.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    If I didn't have my son to bundle in on a regular basis I would certainly think about another one. As it stands something like an estate is more practical when it comes to changing my car next.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    As it stands something like an estate is more practical when it comes to changing my car next, just so I can get my son and his buggy in easier.

  • Buying experience

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Franchised

    Did you buy this car new?

    Yes

    What price did you pay?

    £27,500

    When did you buy the car?

    July 2014

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    The dealer worked hard for my business as I wasn't willing to pay over a certain amount. In the end they gave me an over the odds trade in price for my current car that meant I was paying what I wanted for the GT86.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    For a fun rear wheel drive sports car experience for a reasonable price.

    What was the dealer like?

    The dealer was very friendly and helpful although not entirely knowledgeable about the GT86. When I asked about whether xenon HID headlights and heated seats (mine had the leather option) were standard I was told they weren't, this wasn't correct. There were other little bits but overall very good dealer.

  • Driving it

    5 out of 5 5.0

    What's it like to drive?

    This car is a hoot to drive. Rear wheel drive and the skinny tires mean you can turn the traction control to Sport and have some fun with the back end or just leave it on and not worry too much about it getting out of shape. Back roads are very fun and it will punch above it's weight, keeping up with the likes of Nissan 370Z's and Honda S2000's and would be better still with more performance tyres fitted when the factory rubber wears out. The clutch is fairly light, likely a result of the modest power, so isn't to bad to drive in light traffic. Although fun, for the looks of the car it would be nice to have more power to match but would require better, wider tyres to control. You really have to wind this engine up to 7,000 rpm to get the most out of it but that's what's fun about it.

    What's it like to park?

    Because of it's size and good visibility out off all windows it means it's no harder to park than a Fiesta or Corsa.

  • Living with it

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Nothing at all has gone wrong.

    What's most practical about your car?

    This really isn't a car to be bought for practicality. The two rear seats are almost useless and the boot isn't very big at all. That said, I can put my 6 month old son's seat in the back with my wife up front without issue and with the seats folded down in the back four wheels can be slid in for track days.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    Coming up to winter I think that the heated seats are probably the most used option. Sat nav is good and gets you where you're going with minimal fuss.