GR86 GR86 values at the end of 2025, are they worth it and what else can you get?

OPC100

OPC100

Totally Hooked
Apr 23, 2022
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Just doing some casual browsing of Autotrader and bemoaning the choice of manual gearbox cars available these days, I paid particular attention to GR86 prices for the first time in a few months. I'm sure they have gone up and we are currently in probably the worst time of year to sell a sportscar. Excluding the CAT S car, there are 19 available and they are currently between £28-39K. Wow!

Which then makes me think are they worth it and what else could you get for the money?

Being the original owner of a car that cost me around £31K 3 years ago (silver, mudflaps and ducktail spoiler), I'm thinking in isolation they are not great value now.

Then if I think of what I'd buy in place of one if I was looking now, I'd only really consider:
  • Toyota GR Yaris. Similarly strong values considering original pricing, age and mileage.
  • Honda Civic Type R. Dropping in value, but still around £40K for earlier ones.
  • Hyundai i20N. Good value around the £20K+ mark. Although they didn't cost much more when new either.
  • Mazda MX5 convertible or RF in ND3 Homura spec. 2024 models under £30K and some 2025 around that figure too, so taken a bit of a hit on year 1 depreciation.
I think for me, an MX5 RF Homura would be hard to pass up at these prices. My top 3 would definitely be this and both Toyotas. In the end, I'd want all 3, realistically I could probably swing to 2 of them next year. 😁

So, if you want a GR86, or any niche manual performance car for that matter, it does look like supply and demand will be keeping prices high for the foreseeable future. Does this put anyone off when looking for their next car, are any of you less hung up over manual gearboxes and thinking of auto and even EV hothatches like the Alpine A290 for your next car?
 
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OPC100 said:
Just doing some casual browsing of Autotrader and bemoaning the choice of manual gearbox cars available these days, I paid particular attention to GR86 prices for the first time in a few months. I'm sure they have gone up and we are currently in probably the worst time of year to sell a sportscar. Excluding the CAT S car, there are 19 available and they are currently between £28-39K. Wow!

Which then makes me think are they worth it and what else could you get for the money?

Being the original owner of a car that cost me around £31K 3 years ago (silver, mudflaps and ducktail spoiler), I'm thinking in isolation they are not great value now.

Then if I think of what I'd buy in place of one if I was looking now, I'd only really consider:
  • Toyota GR Yaris. Similarly strong values considering original pricing, age and mileage.
  • Honda Civic Type R. Dropping in value, but still around £40K for earlier ones.
  • Hyundai i20N. Good value around the £20K+ mark. Although they didn't cost much more when new either.
  • Mazda MX5 convertible or RF in ND3 Homura spec. 2024 models under £30K and some 2025 around that figure too, so taken a bit of a hit on year 1 depreciation.
I think for me, an MX5 RF Homura would be hard to pass up at these prices. My top 3 would definitely be this and both Toyotas. In the end, I'd want all 3, realistically I could probably swing to 2 of them next year. 😁

So, if you want a GR86, or any niche manual performance car for that matter, it does look like supply and demand will be keeping prices high for the foreseeable future. Does this put anyone off when looking for their next car, are any of you less hung up over manual gearboxes and thinking of auto and even EV hothatches like the Alpine A290 for your next car?
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Steve Sutcliffe wrote an interesting piece in The Intercooler on 23 December: "What to buy (and avoid) in 2026". He discusses which cars will appreciate over the next 10 years, but shouldn't. Cars that won't appreciate, but should. And cars that will appreciate and should. Both the GRY and GR86 feature, but not in the same category!!

It might be behind a paywall for some, but I believe you can get a trail subscription.

www.the-intercooler.com

What to buy (and avoid) in 2026 - The Intercooler

Some cars will appreciate over the next decade, others will not. Steve Sutcliffe suggests 10 of the former, and five of the latter
www.the-intercooler.com www.the-intercooler.com
 
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Sounds like a good read, although undecided if I want to start a trial, as I'll probably end up forgetting to cancel and don't really want to pay £78. 😁
 
Depends if the buyer wants an engaging RWD, MT Sports Car over something ‘more relaxed’ in FWD or AT.
If I sold mine for £27k today, it’d be equal to 10% depreciation over 3 years. I don’t know any other vehicle with such a low percentage as 3% PA? Most have dropped at least 30-50% of their initial purchase price by year 3 - so yes, I think the GR86 is still a decent buy!
 
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Wow £39k that would be a tidy profit, I'd say drive it till your bored and can find something else, I don't think we would lose much (hopefully) with the push for electric cars - they not gonna make cars like this anymore - rear wheel drive fun, decent amount of BHP and torque, LSD, naturally aspirated....,,
 
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The people advertising the over-RRP delivery mileage examples are dreaming. If anyone wanted a delivery mileage GR86 they could have easily got one of the second allocation at RRP in late 2023. Screams failed attempt at scalping, my heart bleeds. And I have no idea what the owner of the black £39k example is thinking, taste aside, mods don’t hold value - if anything the opposite. Needs returning to stock and mods selling separately.

That said, I got a Motorway quote for £28,525 for my 73 plate with 10,500 miles, and low mileage approved used are available very close to RRP at about £32,000. So while they certainly aren’t appreciating as the dreamers on Autotrader seem to think, depending whether you’re buying or selling we’re talking depreciation in the region of 2-7% per year, which is essentially nothing compared to the majority of the car market.

In terms of value, I still think it’s a bargain at any of those prices and the price I paid 2 years ago. Needing 4 seats, there really isn’t much available in the coupe space with a manual gearbox and rear wheel drive. Staying relatively modern, there’s the M2, Mustang, Evora, and 911. All of these are more powerful than the GR86 but have their compromises in terms of weight or practicality, and all of them cost a lot more than I can justify at this stage of my life. So the current value of the car is irrelevant to me, because I wouldn’t have anything to replace it with if I sold it!
 
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Worth test driving all the other options.
Great engine in the mustang but wouldn't handle as well as the GR.
As mentioned the M2 and M4 are cars built on the regular coupe of the lesser cars - still great cars.
Biased here obviously towards the GR!
 
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Silver Fox said:
*Waves from across the room
Click to expand...
Waves back and pulls a crumpled polaroid from his jacket pocket - silently sheds a tear for his long departed Hyundai KonaN ... Ahh, the memories of having a car that had so many gadgets and settings that it basically drove itself from Scotland to Bedford whilst I ate crisps and mint humbugs for 8 hours.

KonaNPolaroid.webp
 
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Sonic said:
Waves back and pulls a crumpled polaroid from his jacket pocket - silently sheds a tear for his long departed Hyundai KonaN ... Ahh, the memories of having a car that had so many gadgets and settings that it basically drove itself from Scotland to Bedford whilst I ate crisps and mint humbugs for 8 hours.

View attachment 39274
Click to expand...
Great colour combo
 
Interesting the prices are strong at this time of year. When did you get the motorway quote?

You’re right, there’s nothing out there like it (M2 / M4 and Mustang) with a warranty, I do the same on autotrader and nothing hits the spot.. I’ve had to make the decision to put mine up for sale today to help fund a kitchen - and looking for a cheaper alternative (manual / rwd) at around 12/15k is a nightmare.

And so many of the Audi/Mercedes / BMW engines (cam chains made too narrow/any kind of diesel EGR/DPF) have issues at that value-mileage. Don’t want to end up in something boring, but I’m struggling!
 
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I walk past an M4 every morning on the dog walk and the more I see it the more I don't want one. The 86 is one of the few cars that's fun, RWD and gets a dog in the back (with some thought). Alpines and Evora/Exiges are too impractical and if I was buying toys like that I'd go all in for a Caterham or an Ariel Atom.
 
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If considering older car but less practical, could think about the s2000 and 350z - rear drive fun. You would hope Honda and Nissans are reliable. Saw a mint s2000 with low miles that didn't hang around long.
 
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grzoostuff said:
If considering older car but less practical, could think about the s2000 and 350z - rear drive fun. You would hope Honda and Nissans are reliable. Saw a mint s2000 with low miles that didn't hang around long.
Click to expand...

I’ve had 2 S2000s from new over the years. 2000 and 2006. Great cars but they rot like a b@stard.. Just make sure they are sound underneath.
Engines are pretty solid if maintained properly.

IMG_3534.webp
IMG_3535.webp
 
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GRMatt74 said:
I’ve had 2 S2000s over the years. 2000 and 2006. Great cars but they rot like a b@stard.. Just make sure they are sound underneath.
Engines are pretty solid if maintained properly.
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Engine is incredible with the roar but I would swap my s2000 for the GR86 in a heartbeat after I drove one, just for something a little more solid feeling and for the really nice handling that it has.

Not sure if the feeling would extend to the GT86 (haven’t driven one yet) but perhaps on the topic of this thread, I do wonder if the values will ever reach a crossover point in the future. Assuming the Honda doesn’t dissolve by then of course.
 
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t5boy said:
Interesting the prices are strong at this time of year. When did you get the motorway quote?

You’re right, there’s nothing out there like it (M2 / M4 and Mustang) with a warranty, I do the same on autotrader and nothing hits the spot.. I’ve had to make the decision to put mine up for sale today to help fund a kitchen - and looking for a cheaper alternative (manual / rwd) at around 12/15k is a nightmare.

And so many of the Audi/Mercedes / BMW engines (cam chains made too narrow/any kind of diesel EGR/DPF) have issues at that value-mileage. Don’t want to end up in something boring, but I’m struggling!
Click to expand...
If I was in your shoes, I'd consider an ND2 MX-5 in either 1.5 or 2.0. ND2 has the more powerful / higher reving 2.0 and the 1.5 also a good engine that can be revved out, plus the ND2 has some other improvements over the ND1 such as rake/reach adjustable steering wheel. You can get some higher mileage ones in budget. Alternatively, a GT86 could be an option if you needed a bit more practicality and didn't mind going backwards from the GR86. Failing that, what about keeping the manual requirement, but looking at fwd? Suzuki Swift Sports are fun. The ZC32S is an old school NA hot (warm) hatch in the mould of a GT/GR86 and the ZC33S adds a turbo (and mild hybrid in the later versions) to give a bit more performance. All 3 versions are also quicker than the official stats, as Suzuki are very conservative with their performance figures.
 
I really like the S2000 and have thought about one a few times over the last few years. But the more I look into them, the more the rust stories on what are 20-25 year old cars now scare me off. Such a shame that they (like alot of Japanese cars) weren't better rust protected from new, or the UK didn't salt the roads so much?
 
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