Compare the2024 Toyota GR86VS 2024 Ford Mustang

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GR86 Auto has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Mustang doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

Both the GR86 and the Mustang 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Toyota GR86 is safer than the Mustang Fastback:

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the GR86 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.

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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the GR86 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Mustang doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the GR86 gets better mileage than the Mustang Fastback:

The GR86 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. 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.

The GR86’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Mustang EcoBoost are solid, not vented.

The GR86’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 Mustang EcoBoost’s standard 55 series tires.

The GR86 Premium handles at 1.00 G’s, while the Mustang GT Premium Fastback pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the GR86’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Mustang’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.5 feet). The GR86’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Mustang GT/Dark Horse’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.8 feet).

The Toyota GR86 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1150 pounds less than the Ford Mustang.

The GR86 is 1 foot, 9.5 inches shorter than the Mustang, making the GR86 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GR86 is 5.5 inches narrower on average than the Mustang, making the GR86 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the GR86 easier. The GR86’s trunk lift-over height is 27.2 inches, while the Mustang’s liftover is 30.2 inches.

The GR86’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower both of them with the lock engaged. Ford does not offer a locking feature on the Mustang’s standard power windows.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the GR86’s exterior PIN entry system. The Mustang doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its 911 Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GR86 Premium/TRUENO has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Mustang doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The GR86’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Mustang Premium/Convertible/Dark Horse.

The GR86 has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Mustang.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota GR86, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The GR86 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 3 more times in the last 12 years. The Mustang has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.