You might not win a drag race in the facelifted Toyota 86, but who cares?

You can get faster cars than this Toyota for less money, but you can't get one that is as much fun to drive, writes Thomas Falkiner

I really should not like the facelifted Toyota 86 with its swanky new front bumper design, infotainment system that no longer sucks and digital multi-information display that logs everything from oil temperature to G-forces.

First reason being that for R169,000 less I could garage a Ford Fiesta ST: a car that will, in terms of acceleration, gently bitch-slap it into next week.

The Ford has a turbo. The Ford has an overboost function. Consequently the Ford produces much more torque and torque is king when it comes to getting things moving. It may very well catch fire, sure, but until it does the plucky little Fiesta ST will have you guffawing all the way to the bank.

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Second reason is that for R7,800 less than said Toyota I could pocket the keys to a Golf VII GTI: a hot-hatch so good that it can, with a driver who knows what he or she is doing, cling to the exhaust pipes of sports cars double the price.

Seriously, pitting an 86 against a GTI is like throwing yours truly into an EFC ring with hopes of me surviving the first round. There will be blood and shattered bone in less time than it takes to steal a sip of your soda.

The Golf is far more practical too. It has two extra doors and a bigger boot, which means that you can use it to collect your parents from the airport or even take your dog to the vet.

Third and fourth reasons? Well the six-speed manual gearbox remains disappointedly agricultural in its action and the four-cylinder boxer engine still feels coarse and lazy to rev, especially when compared to the equivalent 2.0-litre motor doing duty in its MX-5 rival.

Also, Toyota South Africa has opted not to fit any of the engine revisions (freer-flowing intake and exhaust systems, stronger pistons plus a reduction in valvetrain friction) adopted by other markets. Apparently this was due to "cost implications".

Yep, I really should not like the facelifted Toyota 86.

But I do. A lot.

For despite its power deficit it remains an absolute dream to drive when faced with a long, looping coil of bitumen linguine. This is a machine sporting a centre of gravity lower than that of the Nissan GT-R. This is pretty special and it shows. I flung it around Red Star Raceway and was immediately reminded why I raved about the 86 when I first drove it back in 2012: there's an accuracy in the way it threads through corners that puts a massive grin on your face.

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While body roll is pretty much nonexistent, turn-in is now crisper than a great big bowl of Belgian fries, courtesy of modifications to the suspension system. I won't bore you with all the technical details: just know that the front is now a little harder while the rear has been made a bit softer.

What this means is that the 86 is a touch more stable in its approach to life. It will still break away into a gentle, controllable slide but not with quite as much verve as before. It now feels very similar to the Subaru BR-Z, which was always the more planted of the two.

What's more is that with the traction control system fully neutered (engage Track Mode to turn it off), this Toyota remains one of the most involving machines on the market. Thanks to its back-to-basics values it quickly teaches you the arts of judging grip, trail braking and counter-steering: essential fundamentals blurred over by many other cars in its class.

The classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Toyota is playful and engaging: you will lap a track faster in the VW or Ford but you will have a hell of a lot more fun doing it in the 86. Who cares if you lose in a drag race? When you're on your own dancing the blacktop fandango, cackling like a loon as you traverse that curve of mechanical adhesion, you'll be glad you chose the more interactive, albeit slower, car.

FAST FACTS: Toyota 86 High MT

Engine: 1998cc four-cylinder boxer

Power: 147kW at 7,000rpm

Torque: 205Nm at 6,400rpm

Transmission: six-speed manual

0-100km/h: 7.6 seconds (claimed)

Top speed: 226km/h (claimed)

Fuel: 10.2l/100km (achieved)

CO2: 181g/km (claimed)

Price: From R494,900

• Follow the author of this article, Thomas Falkiner, on Twitter: @tomfalkiner111