Sad about missing out on all the Cars and Coffee mishaps, but worried that a V8 Mustang might be too much? Perhaps you’re considering a more sensible choice with a Toyota 86. Thing is, you can get 310 turbocharged ponies for way less than a Toyobaru.
Here’s a fun fact: I was not aware of until recently, both the Toyota 86 and the Ford Mustang EcoBoost coupe have almost identical MSRPs. A Toyota 86 with a six-speed manual comes in at $27,140 while an EcoBoost Mustang with three pedals $27,095.
While the two coupes offer very different driving philosophies, they are separated by only $45 and I bet they are cross shopped a lot more than their respective brands care to admit. I should also mention that the Subaru BRZ, the 86’s mechanical twin, curiously has a lower entry price of $26,315, which still puts it within the same price ballpark. However, the real world prices favor the turbo Mustang by a huge margin.
Given the relatively small markups on the Toyobaru twins, the best you could probably hope for is about $2,000 off the MSRP if you wanted to buy a new one.
On the other hand, brand new EcoBoost Mustangs can be had with massive discounts up to $8,000 off the MSRP, putting base model cars very close and in some cases under the $20,000 mark.
The reality is someone looking to buy a sporty coupe should probably spend a little more on the Toyobaru since those cars are less likely to send you sliding into a crowd. (Just kidding. Kind of.)
But for those of you who think the 86 and BRZ come up short on the punch and want to keep a few grand in your pocket for upgrades, a cheap EcoBoost Mustang could be just the thing. Now’s the time to do it.