Toyota GR 86 or Hyundai Elantra N
 

Hi Guys, Recently I went to test drive 2 sport cars that received a lot of good reviews from auto magazines and You Tube reviewers: The '22 Toyota GR86 6MT & the Elantra N DCT, and these is what I noticed: GR86/BRZ: very light weight with great handling, quick engine, very precise shifter and good steering wheel, nice looking cockpit with analog displays, and great seating position, OK exhaust sound. And on the Elantra N. Crazy power, great nimble handling, DCT shifts were great, suspension adjustability was great, exhaust sound was OK, it made me felt nervous when other driver was driving it. For sure is way faster than the GR86/BRZ, great adjustability of features on the display and great seating position. It has better cabin space and trunk space. Some FWD jumping presence while stepping on the gas from a stop. A crazy entertaining ride.

I have owned Celica gts, Acura rsx-s, 3 generations of Mazda 3, focus st . I liked those cars when I owned them. A year or so after getting my Camaro I drove a Veloster N. It felt totally underwhelming in every way compared to my Camaro. Maybe the Elantra N is better , maybe the Camaro has changed my perception.

The 86 is a great car but the brakes suck, and the engine sounds like ass.
So much potential but its meh...
Savage Geese did an excellent review on the 86/ Subaru

In the end it kinda of depends on your needs. If you're just looking for a daily, jack-of-all-trades car, then the Elantra N is the clear winner. You can carry adults in the back seats. You can carry more luggage for road trips. It will inherently be better in winter driving (assuming snow tires on both cars). It also has a better factory warranty.


The GR86 can be a daily car too, but it's not a great 1 car solution. Plus IMHO you need good curvy roads (or autocross/track) to really have fun with it. If you live in an area without any of those it's a hard sell.



If I aready had a daily car, and I had room/money for a toy or weekend car, then I'd likely pick the BRZ. I do live in an area with decent curvy roads and available autocross/track days.

My son and I just went through this, he ended up with an Elantra N and we are stoked with it. He had been tracking his GTI and had great success, but the next steps were going to be really expensive. I have driven a few of the GR86s and while I liked them, the stock brakes and suspension were really lacking and it was obvious those would have to be changed, asap. Plus the car is really small.

We went with the Elantra N and in near stock form, has crushed the slightly modded GTI.
With a few more winter mods, we think the Elantra N is going to be a ripper....To get those lap times in a GR, it would have at least 10k to get there. Here is his blog on it:

https://sites.google.com/view/trackn...rspective/home

wait till the 86 changes the engine. The oil starvation issue is a real thing, though I know a few guys with them that track without the issue (yet). Its a fun car. I like the interior too and it does handle good. The camaro absolutely spanks it though, but two different cars at different price points so its expected.

One of my neighbors has the elantra N and its cool car. Sounds good, looks good, not a big fan of FWD so If my choices were between these two I would say 86.

This.


Is this your only car, weekend car? Do you have kids / pets you need to transport? What are your goals / intended usage with the car? Is it just a DD?

DD for spirited driving. No young kids, no pets

Yes I agree that the Camaro SS is in another league does not compete with them.

With the tendency of the market of going toward EVs and gas prices going sky high, a 4 cylinders ICE could be a good option of still have some fun on the street. Also there is a saying " sometimes is more fun of driving a slow car fast than driving a fast car slow, without the risk of losing your license".

If that's a consideration, a Miata is the answer. These "hot hatches" are definitely an acquired taste, and my stomach just isn't made for them.

Miata is the answer.

I rented a 1st gen Miata a long time ago and even that was an excellent platform...

Both are a bit weenie, but rear-wheel drive vs wrong-wheel drive. Between the two, easy choice.

Normally I'd agree, but the Subaru engine kills the 86, then the poor brakes and suspension are the icing on the $hit cake. Maybe buy an old one and completely rebuild it with an LS swap, otherwise no. If Toyota puts the Turbo-3 in it, that would be so much better.

I have not drove an Elantra N or newer Honda Civic Si or Type-R, but I have heard they are really great despite being WWD. :smiling1: