Compare the2024 Toyota GR CorollaVS 2023 Ford Mustang

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota GR Corolla are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford Mustang doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the GR Corolla are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mustang doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The GR Corolla has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Mustang doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GR Corolla has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Mustang 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.

The GR Corolla has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Mustang doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The GR Corolla Premium/Circuit Edition has standard Parking Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Mustang doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

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

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the GR Corolla for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Mustang.

The battery on the GR Corolla is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the GR Corolla’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Mustang’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Ford.

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 Ford 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, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 18th.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota GR Corolla is faster than the Ford Mustang turbo 4 cyl. (manual transmissions tested):

The GR Corolla has a standard locking fuel door. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Mustang. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota GR Corolla higher (5 out of 10) than the Ford Mustang (3 to 5). This means the GR Corolla produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Mustang every 15,000 miles.

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

The GR Corolla stops shorter than the Mustang:

The GR Corolla’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GR Corolla has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Mustang.

The GR Corolla Circuit Edition handles at .97 G’s, while the Mustang GT Premium Fastback pulls only .96 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the GR Corolla’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Mustang’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.5 feet). The GR Corolla’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Mustang w/20” tires’ (36.1 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Toyota GR Corolla may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 650 pounds less than the Ford Mustang.

The GR Corolla is 1 foot, 2.9 inches shorter than the Mustang, making the GR Corolla easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the GR Corolla a Compact car, while the Mustang Fastback is rated a Subcompact.

The GR Corolla has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Mustang can only carry 4.

The GR Corolla has 1.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mustang Fastback (84.6 vs. 82.8).

The GR Corolla has .8 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mustang Fastback.

The GR Corolla has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Mustang Fastback (17.8 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

The GR Corolla’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Ford does not offer a locking feature on the Mustang’s standard power windows.

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

If the windows are left open on the GR Corolla the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Mustang can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GR Corolla has two rear doors to provide better access for cargo and rear passengers. The Mustang doesn’t offer rear doors.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the GR Corolla has a standard rear wiper. The Mustang doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The GR Corolla’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Mustang Premium/Mach 1.

The GR Corolla 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 Mustang doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the GR Corolla has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Mustang doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota GR Corolla Premium/Circuit Edition has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Mustang doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The GR Corolla was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Mustang GT/Bullitt hasn’t been picked since 2019.