Compare the2022 Toyota GR 86VS 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata

The Toyota GR 86 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GR 86 Auto has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The GR 86 Auto’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GR 86 and the MX-5 Miata have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the GR 86 for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the MX-5 Miata.

There are over 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GR 86’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mazda is rated lower.

The GR 86’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (228 vs. 181) and 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 151) than the MX-5 Miata’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota GR 86 is faster than the Mazda MX-5 Miata (manual transmissions tested):

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the GR 86 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The GR 86 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the MX-5 Miata (13.2 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

A standard “hill holder” feature keeps the Toyota GR 86 with manual transmission from rolling backwards on a steep slope. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer a hill holder feature.

For better stopping power the GR 86’s brake rotors are larger than those on the MX-5 Miata:

The GR 86’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the MX-5 Miata are solid, not vented.

The GR 86 stops much shorter than the MX-5 Miata:

For better traction, the GR 86 has larger tires than the MX-5 Miata (215/45R17 vs. 195/50R16). The GR 86’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the MX-5 Miata (215/45R17 vs. 205/45R17).

The GR 86’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the MX-5 Miata Sport’s standard 50 series tires. The GR 86 Premium’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the MX-5 Miata Club/Grand Touring’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GR 86 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the MX-5 Miata Sport. The GR 86 Premium’s 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the MX-5 Miata Club/Grand Touring.

The Toyota GR 86’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mazda MX-5 Miata only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

The GR 86 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GR 86’s wheelbase is 10.5 inches longer than on the MX-5 Miata (101.4 inches vs. 90.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GR 86 is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the MX-5 Miata.

The GR 86 Premium handles at 1.00 G’s, while the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GR 86 has standard seating for 4 passengers; the MX-5 Miata can only carry 2.

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the GR 86 easier. The GR 86’s trunk lift-over height is 27.2 inches, while the MX-5 Miata’s liftover is 32 inches.

The GR 86 Premium Auto has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The GR 86’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The MX-5 Miata’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The GR 86 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The MX-5 Miata has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Grand Touring.

The GR 86’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The MX-5 Miata’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The GR 86’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.

The GR 86’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

A built-in pollen filter removes pollen, exhaust fumes and other pollutants from the GR 86’s passenger compartment. This helps prevent lung and/or sinus irritation which can trigger allergies or asthma. The MX-5 Miata’s air conditioner doesn’t offer a filtration system.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the GR 86 Auto has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The MX-5 Miata doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The GR 86 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2022. The MX-5 Miata hasn’t been picked since 2019.