Compare the2023 BMW M2VS 2023 Toyota GR Corolla

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The BMW M2 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 Corolla doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the M2 and the GR Corolla 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, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The BMW M2 weighs 529 to 681 pounds more than the Toyota GR Corolla. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The M2 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The GR Corolla’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The M2’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GR Corolla’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the M2 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the GR Corolla (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Toyota.

Engine

The M2’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder produces 153 more horsepower (453 vs. 300) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 273) than the GR Corolla’s standard 1.6 turbo 3-cylinder. The M2’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder produces 153 more horsepower (453 vs. 300) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 295) than the GR Corolla Morizo Edition’s standard 1.6 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the BMW M2 is faster than the Toyota GR Corolla (base engine) (manual transmissions tested):

	M2	GR Corolla
Zero to 60 MPH	3.9 sec	4.9 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	6.2 sec	7.8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	8.7 sec	12.1 sec
Quarter Mile	12.2 sec	13.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	118 MPH	105 MPH
Top Speed	177 MPH	143 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the M2’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the M2’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 Corolla doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

The M2 offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

The M2’s 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 Corolla doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the M2’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GR Corolla:

	M2	GR Corolla
Front Rotors	15 inches	14 inches
Rear Rotors	14.6 inches	11.7 inches

The M2 stops much shorter than the GR Corolla:

	M2	GR Corolla
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	167 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	100 feet	110 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the M2 has larger tires than the GR Corolla (F:275/35R19 & R:285/30R20 vs. 235/40R18). The M2’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GR Corolla (F:275/35R19 & R:285/30R20 vs. 245/40R18).

The M2’s 275/35R19 front and 285/30R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GR Corolla’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the M2 has standard 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the GR Corolla.

Suspension and Handling

The M2 has a standard 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 Corolla’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the M2’s wheelbase is 4.2 inches longer than on the GR Corolla (108.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the M2 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 0 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the GR Corolla.

The M2’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52.1% to 47.9%) than the GR Corolla’s (58.4% to 41.6%). This gives the M2 more stable handling and braking.

The M2 handles at 1.04 G’s, while the GR Corolla pulls only .94 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The M2 has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GR Corolla (88 vs. 84.6).

The M2 has 2 inches more front shoulder room and 2.3 inches more rear legroom than the GR Corolla.

Cargo Capacity

The M2’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The GR Corolla Morizo Edition doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

With its coupe body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the M2 offers cargo security. The GR Corolla’s hatchback body style, non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the M2. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The M2 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The GR Corolla 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.

The engine in the M2 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the GR Corolla. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The M2 Auto offers a 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 GR Corolla doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When two different drivers share the M2, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a memory system.

The M2 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and tachometer readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The M2’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The GR Corolla has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The M2’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 Corolla’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the M2 offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the M2 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The GR Corolla’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The M2’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The GR Corolla offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The M2 has a standard center folding armrest for the driver and front passenger. A center armrest helps combat driver fatigue. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a front seat center armrest.

The M2 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The GR Corolla Morizo Edition doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The M2’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 GR Corolla doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the M2 and the GR Corolla offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the M2 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The M2’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer an automated parking system.