Golf GTI -v- Toyota FT86

[SilvrFoxX]

Was a good run..my favorite piccie

[WhiteJames]

Hasn't taken long for the aftermarket tuners to come up with turbos for the twins. I think supercharger may be a better way to go re: heat and maintain the linear & crisp thorttle response. Issue is, extra power will invariably result in the need for imprved brakes, suspension & tyres in attempt to preserve as much as the twins innate balance as possible. Beefing up the suspension and/or lowering with stiffer springs may make the twins feel slower than they actually are with added chassis control, not to mention over tax the low grip Prius tyres, esp. in the wet/damp conditions.

Here's ia interesting comparison of the stock FT86 Toyota Coupe factory springs -v- Eibach aftermarket springs that are stated to be 56% stiffer at front and 29% stiffer in the rear. Note that the Toyota FT86 Coupe factory springs are linear at the front and slightly progressive at the rear with heaps of dead coils to fill the rear end gap to prevent the springs from falling out of their perch. Alternatively ... the aftermarket Eibach springs are progressive at the front (albeit progressive on the final wound of coils) and linear in the rear for more rear linearity.

Makes me wonder if the difference in springs between the Toyota FT86 -v Subaru BRZ is not only down to the spring rate of the coils, but type of coil (progressive -v linear / barrell -v- uniform). The twins definitely handling differently around the canyon roadways.

See link with pics:

Suspension Review: Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs - Scion FR-S Forum | Subaru BRZ Forum | Toyota 86 GT 86 Forum | AS1 Forum - FT86CLUB

On a side issue ... in terms of convenience ... I not hearing many mention the praticalility of free or fixed cost servicing on the twins -v- Volkswagen service costs. Likely to spend 3K in service fees over the 3 year warranty duration from new purchase on GTI and even more on the AWD models.

Cheers.
WJ

[Transporter]

I know from the experience and observation that the free servicing or fixed cost servicing could equal to no servicing at all.

But, I have no doubts that it's appealing to some.

[SilvrFoxX]

On a side issue ... in terms of convenience ... I not hearing many mention the praticalility of free or fixed cost servicing on the twins -v- Volkswagen service costs. Likely to spend 3K in service fees over the 3 year warranty duration from new purchase on GTI and even more on the AWD models.

Cheers.
WJ

heh.. thats cause most are still confused about the comparison in the first place.

I am with Transporter, most Jap cars ask you to service every 6 months (which is most inconvenient) and generally more expensive that the Euro's to service because they have high revving engines. If they are throwing it in for nothing or fixed price then the quality of the service is going to be questionable.

[Candyman]

Meh, we have fixed servicing costs on the wife's car (Fiesta), lets just say it is indeed "fixed", to benefit the dealer !

Free servicing AFAIK always comes with "extras"

Local business here is offering a turbo bolt on kit for just under $10k for this vehicle. It aint pretty but as yet, not sure how well it delivers.

[LeftFootBrake]

The Toyota service schedule for the 86 is every 9 months @ $170 per service, which over 3 years means 4 services for a total cost of $680.

[Candyman]

Unless you actually use the vehicle as suggested (rev the guts out of it as a drivers car) when the additional service interval condition applies at an extra cost

Seriously, if you buy a drivers car like this, service costs should be the last criteria on your mind. Still, owners are of all types and needs

Don't forget you will pay over and above for wear items

rotors/pads, clutch, suspension, tyres, wiper blades and Toyota have charged before in their capped servicing for environmental levies so challenge them if they do

Edit - what is the spark plug change like on these ? Hoist lift ?

[Candyman]

I know from the experience and observation that the free servicing or fixed cost servicing could equal to no servicing at all.

My daughter could do a better job of servicing the wifes car than the dealer (fixed cost).

Mind you, plenty of VW dealers out there that aren't much better.

My Toyota dealer experience is limited to only one Toyota we have owned (from new) and one company car. Let's just say they match Ford in terms of quality of the work .....

Find a good service provider and pay for it, dealer or not. If I lived in SA, I know where my R would be going for it's service !

Glad to have found one up here I trust - took me a few times to find one.

So, the 86, has the local aftermarket scene started up yet ?

[LeftFootBrake]

what is the spark plug change like on these ? Hoist lift ?

Discussed here.

[gavs]

Thank you all for making my morning so filled with laughter

I just have one point to make with this post and then I feel that it should be cleaned up because if you are a toyota owner, what vw specific information can you contribute? By the aggressive nature of the posts from you lot, not much.

You want the best, cheapest drivers car on the market? Buy the internationally acclaimed Mazda mx5. Or, for the same money a 2002-2003 Porsche boxter, far more enjoyable than any car you have mentioned.

[Transporter]

...ok, as pointed out few times, this thread has no purpose. I will not close it, yet. Just move it to the general section, since I don't believe that any Golf owner would find any useful information in it.

[WhiteJames]

Fair enough ... the nuances in the different suspension tunes of each twin can be applied to owners of Volkswagen e.g. F & R sway bars or Rear only sway bar on Golf as often the case. Here is another take on the different chassis tendencies of the suspension tunes of the twins:

Subaru BRZ vs Toyota GT86

We spent a day driving these two back to back. And for the first two hours, were scratching our heads. Jumping from one to another, a finger was raised ... but then lowered once back in the other. Perceived differences were really just that. In this situation, you need to get all this preliminary swapping out the way, find a representative road and then drive them together. Then, turn around at the bottom and do it again. Then, get into the other one and do it again. That's what we did.

Toyota more pointy, Subaru more mature
Headline differences here - the Subaru's front end is a bit sharper, keener to turn in. It steering is weightier and more direct just off centre. There's more immediacy to fingertip inputs. The Toyota? It's a bit lazier to turn in but, once there, its rear end seems a bit livelier, as if you can lean on it more and have a bit of fun.

And those differences in detail. The Subaru demonstrates more linearity on turn-in. The build-up of forces is faster at the front and the transfer to the rear is more gradual. In the Toyota, the nose takes a fraction longer to respond but then the flow of weight transfer to the rear is faster, placing more sudden force on the back wheels. The rear is stiff enough to control it but this still, if you're manfully aggressive, leads to more work for the stability control to do - or, if it's off, easier tail-tweaking fun (ably demonstrated by Mr Harris). These are differences of real minutiae, but do become apparent with miles and legwork.

There ARE differences in the way they drive
There was disagreement on the ride at first. Some felt the Subaru was better, others, the Toyota. So we analysed further and concluded the Subaru is a bit more taut at lower speed, so is jigglier in town, but more measured at speed. The Toyota is a little softer at slower speed and this can lead to a fraction more reaction over undulating surfaces at speed, making it feel less settled. It's a lightbulb moment when this clicks.

The editor did ask us to note whether we forgot which one we were driving until we checked the badge on the steering wheel. Certainly, we may have done, if the Toyota's interior had been less chintzy. But, with experience, no. Just turn said steering wheel if in any doubt; weighty, faster reacting? It's the Subaru. Then, as it turns in, do you feel the rear end wake up more brightly, the tyres talk to you more? It's the Toyota. Simples. And only took two tankfuls of unleaded...

[FSI 220]

...ok, as pointed out few times, this thread has no purpose. I will not close it, yet. Just move it to the general section, since I don't believe that any Golf owner would find any useful information in it.

That will explain the sudden aparition of this thread...

Now I can write some long posts about crap that fascinates myself (you can find them in the Passat patch), and I am not saying that this topic is crap (I have posted into the previous twins thread in general, and thought you bewdy when I saw this) ....

But WJ... can you please write this in Word, check the readability score dum it down by half, then delete two words out of every three, then post what you have to say?

I want to read what you have to say... but in 10 minutes whilst choking down a sandwich....

[GTi Bhoy]

Smoked one of these Toyota's in the MK2 tonight.

[MACCAA]

Smoked one of these Toyota's in the MK2 tonight.

????So what??????