Compare the2022 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 DoorVS 2022 Toyota GR 86

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GR 86 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The GR 86 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door and the GR 86 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door the rating of “Top Pick” for 2018, a rating granted to only 180 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GR 86 has not been tested, yet.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The GR 86’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GR 86’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the GR 86 (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 13th.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 184) than the GR 86’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The John Cooper Works Hardtop’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 51 lbs.-ft. more torque (235 vs. 184) than the GR 86’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door gets better mileage than the GR 86:

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GR 86 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The GR 86 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

An eight-speed automatic is optional on the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the GR 86.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door offers an optional sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The GR 86 doesn’t offer an SMG.

To help the driver achieve optimum performance and fuel economy, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a standard up-shift light to indicate when to shift based on power needs and conditions. The GR 86 doesn’t offer an up-shift light.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S/JCW Auto’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The GR 86 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the John Cooper Works Hardtop’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the GR 86:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The GR 86 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door Base has a standard space-saver spare (not available on S) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the GR 86; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The GR 86’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is 1 foot, 3.7 inches shorter than the GR 86, making the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GR 86 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door a Subcompact car, while the GR 86 is rated a Minicompact.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GR 86 (80.3 vs. 77.2).

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has 3.3 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 3.4 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom, and 4.6 inches more rear hip room than the GR 86.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the GR 86 (8.7 vs. 6.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door easier. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s trunk lift-over height is 25.4 inches, while the GR 86’s liftover is 27.2 inches.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The GR 86’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The GR 86 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks MINI 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GR 86 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The GR 86’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The GR 86 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a standard rear wiper. The GR 86 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To shield the driver’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side window, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a standard extendable sun visor. The GR 86 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

On extremely cold winter days, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s optional (except Classic) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The GR 86 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the MINI Cooper Iconic has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The GR 86 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The GR 86 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The MINI Cooper comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Toyota GR 86 isn’t available as a convertible or four door.