Toyota vs. Volkswagen Reliability: $40K Initial D Car Picked Apart by $10K Golf GTI

Toyota and Volkswagen are two of the biggest names in the automotive industry based on sheer vehicle volume. Both automakers have been vying for the top spot in producing the most accessible and reliable cars for decades. In the 80s, Toyota released its fifth iteration of the popular Corolla, along with a certain performance variant known as the AE86 Sprinter Trueno. This peppy yet practical variant rose to pop-culture stardom when it became the hero car of the TV series 'Initial D.'

In stock form, the Toyota AE86's tiny 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produced about 130 horsepower. It came in rear-wheel drive configuration, standard independent suspension, and an optional limited-slip differential. However, Corollas weren't the only choice for people looking for practical yet sporty alternatives at the time, as Volkswagen was also offering its Golf hatchback. Hailed as the original hot hatch, the first Golf GTI also sported independent suspension but utilized a front-wheel drive configuration instead. In a modern Toyota vs. Volkswagen drag race, the German marque would've had the power advantage over its Japanese rival, but not in this case.

Volkswagen's beloved hatchback carried an equally compact four-cylinder engine, albeit a less beefy one that barely produced 100 horsepower. Of course, both cars will participate in a long endurance drive, not a race, and having the better straight-line performance would be the least of their worries. When two drivers put the sporty yet economical 80s icons to the test on a trip spanning 1,000 miles, well, things got interesting, to say the least.

Battle for the most reliable 80s car: Hachiroku meets OG Hot Hatch

Although the chosen participants are two equally popular and reliable 80s cars in their own right, their respective values were anything but that. For starters, the '86 Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno procured for the trip was almost $40,000. To prepare the Yoda for the long drive, it underwent numerous repairs and was given the optional LSD. Its various maintenance bills, not to mention its conversion into the famous 'Initial D' car, all accounted for a steeper overall cost.

Meanwhile, the chosen '84 Volkswagen Golf GTI – a US-spec known as the Rabbit GTI – had cheaper maintenance needs, leading to a more budget-friendly price of about $10,000. One would think the newer 'model and its trademark Toyota reliability would have the advantage in the long run, especially since more money was put into it in upgrades alone.

Unfortunately, the celebrated Corolla AE86 showed signs of trouble shortly after the Volkswagen's brief dilemma. The older Golf GTI was the first car to take an unscheduled pit stop, with its driver shortly postponing the trip after noticing strange odors emanating from the hot hatch's engine bay. After determining that the Volkswagen was functional enough to continue, the journey resumed only to be interrupted... again.

An exercise in durability or futility?

It didn't take long before it was the Toyota's turn to stymie the trip's progress, producing various odd cabin noises, engine rattling, and, eventually, some major overheating woes. The 'Initial D' car's engine problems persisted to the point where it got so bad, it had to take frequent breaks just to cool off. As if the frequent stops prolonging the trip weren't bad enough, the Corolla's subsequent problems led to even more delays.

From its exhaust tip falling off to its oil pan scraping the road, the 'Initial D' car literally fell apart piece by piece when it went off-road. At one point, the old Yoda was pulled over by authorities after its taillights started malfunctioning. The endurance run is far from over, and the Toyota is already running into a litany of mechanical failures, whereas the Volkswagen is handling its minor issues swimmingly. But before you settle the Toyota vs. Volkswagen reliability debate, it's worth noting that these cars weren't exactly on equal footing from the get-go.

Unlike the relatively stock Golf GTI, the Corolla AE86 already had some dubious modifications installed before it was purchased, likely hampering its reliability. A lock is missing, the windshield washer isn't working and its original engine was swapped for a performance-oriented BEAMS engine from a Toyota Altezza. In addition, the Corolla's 265,000 km (164,663 mi) mileage suggests its best days are behind it, at least when compared to the Volkswagen's 200,000 km (124,274 mi). Since the AE86 was bought sight unseen, its driver had no way of telling how much the poor Yoda had been tampered with.

After all, it hardly represents the fan-favorite tofu-delivering car from 'Initial D' (yes, its side decals literally say “something in Japanese"), let alone the trusty Corolla. Perhaps the Frankenstein Toyota can redeem itself simply by making it to the end of the 1,000-mile run. While this ongoing long drive might not be able to determine the most reliable 80s car, at least it's showing that even a not-so-hot Hachiroku can survive the harshest road conditions against the original hot hatch, for now.