2024 Toyota GR86 vs. 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost

2024 Toyota GR86 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

We live in a world of SUVs and pickups. Americans want big, tall vehicles with lots of room – and they’re willing to pay a lot for them. Yet on the other end of the automotive spectrum, you can still get low-slung sporty cars that prioritize fun and style. And they don’t have to cost a fortune, either. 

Two such models are the Ford Mustang EcoBoost and the Toyota GR86. These cars have plenty of differences, but also plenty of similarities. They’re both rear-wheel-drive coupes with four-cylinder engines and starting prices of around $30,000. And, fundamentally, they’re both cars that gleefully sacrifice functionality for a sportier look and feel. For this review, we’ve tested both the GR86 and the Mustang to see how these different yet similar cars compare across eight categories. Keep reading to see which one we picked – and which one seems like the better affordable performance coupe for you. 

Exterior Design

The 2024 Ford Mustang is newly redesigned, but it might take a Mustang aficionado to spot the subtle differences from last year’s model. But whether it looks brand-new or not, the Mustang looks like nothing else on the market. It’s big, wide, and low – a sports coupe with presence. Its sharp edges keep it modern, even as its overall look recalls the Mustang’s 1960s-era heyday. 

The 2024 Toyota GR86 is a different animal. The Mustang is 21 inches longer, 5 inches wider, and 3 inches taller. While the Ford is proudly big and brash – and its big hood needs to accommodate an optional V8 engine – the Toyota looks shrink-wrapped. Sheetmetal wraps around and engine and a cockpit without a square inch of needless bulk. We might wish for more definition from its gently rounded headlights, and we definitely wish it looked less like the Subaru BRZ (Toyota and Subaru co-developed the two models). But overall, the GR86 looks much more like a Porsche than a Camry. You’ll know which design pulls harder at your heartstrings, so we won’t name a winner of this category. Note that the Mustang is available in a choice of coupe and convertible body styles while every GR86 has a fixed roof. 

Winner: Tie 

2024 Ford Mustang ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Design

Inside, the new Ford Mustang adopts an interior design that has become familiar from affordable economy cars to top-tier luxury models. On our test vehicle, a 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster connects to a big 13.2-inch center touchscreen, dominating a blocky dashboard. (Base Mustangs also have the digital-heavy experience but the screens perch separately on the dash, which looks less cohesive to us.) The touchscreen climate controls can be fussy, but overall the Mustang’s system works well at presenting a wide variety of information. And folks who prefer an older-school experience can set the digital gauge cluster to an ’80s-Mustang analog theme. 

Some folks will prefer the simplicity of the Toyota GR86. It still has a touchscreen, yes, but it measures just 8 inches and sits in the center of the dash rather than on the top. The Subaru-sourced infotainment software and graphics look 10 years old, but the system does support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. And you use buttons and knobs for most controls. Largely, this category comes down to your choice between maximally and minimally modern, but we’ll lean toward the Mustang based on another factor: The GR86’s dashboard design is entirely charmless. Low-grade plastic trim is shaped into a mix of angular blocks and curved bulges. Minimalism can be beautiful. The GR86 is not. 

Winner: Ford Mustang

2024 Ford Mustang ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Passenger and Cargo Accommodations

Since the Mustang is longer and wider than the GR86, it should come as no surprise that it has more space to spread out. Some folks will prefer the Toyota’s cozier feel to the wide, open Ford, but there’s no question that anyone can fit better into the Mustang’s front seats. Our test vehicle’s optional Recaro sport seats still hug your body like in a smaller car, or you can upgrade the standard chairs with heating, ventilation, and power adjustability. The GR86 has optional heated seats but doesn’t take its creature comforts further. 

Don’t expect the Mustang’s larger size to mean it’s the more practical car, though. Both coupes have tiny rear seats that can only fit a passenger with the front seats moved well forward. On paper, the GR86’s 6-cubic-foot trunk is less than half the size of the Mustang’s 13-cubic-foot one, though the Ford’s awkwardly shaped space isn’t much more useful in the real world. Still, on the basis of its extra space and amenities, the Mustang wins this round. 

Winner: Ford Mustang 

2024 Ford Mustang ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Ride and Handling

The 2024 Toyota GR86 weighs just 2,800 pounds, making it one of the lightest cars on the market. Between a low weight, low center of gravity, and well-balanced rear-wheel-drive weight distribution, the GR86 is built for agility. There’s no extra slop in the Toyota’s taut ride and handling, as it corners with glorious precision. We’d pick even crisper responses in routine driving, but as you push it harder, this little car is built to delight. 

For a long highway drive, we’d pick the 2024 Ford Mustang. The 3,600-pound Ford rides more smoothly and more quietly – like the bigger car that it is. At the same time, it’s also pretty agile, feeling firmly planted to the road. But while it’s capable, the Mustang’s numb steering makes it less joyful than the GR86. Not everyone will agree, but we’ll count that as a bigger demerit for a sporty car than the Toyota’s lesser refinement. 

Winner: Toyota GR86

2024 Toyota GR86 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Acceleration

Thanks to its low weight, the GR86 is a quick little car despite its fairly small engine. Its 2.4-liter naturally aspirated (non-turbo) horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine makes 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Expect it to hit 60 mph in about 6 seconds with its six-speed manual transmission and about 6.5 seconds with its available six-speed automatic. 

But the GR86’s low weight is no match for the Mustang’s big power. The Mustang’s “EcoBoost” engine is a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo making 315 hp and a mighty 350 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Our test car didn’t always accelerate smoothly at low speeds like city traffic, but it shouldn’t need much more than 5 seconds to hit 60 mph. Neither the GR86 nor the Mustang has a beautiful-sounding engine, but the Ford is quicker. 

Winner: Ford Mustang

2024 Ford Mustang ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Driver Engagement

Attentive driving enthusiasts likely caught a key detail in our previous category: Every EcoBoost Mustang uses an automatic transmission, while the GR86 comes standard with a manual. (Ford does offer a manual on V8-powered Mustangs, but at $42,495 and up, they’re better matched against the pricier six-cylinder Toyota Supra.) 

The GR86’s manual transmission is a slick-shifting stick that makes it fun to harness the little engine’s power. You can even rev it high and floor the accelerator without instantly risking a ticket like you would in a more powerful car. When this driving experience beats a spec-sheet victory, the Mustang has nothing to offer. However, if you’d be picking an automatic GR86, the 10-speed Mustang has the slicker transmission. 

Winner: Toyota GR86

2024 Toyota GR86 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Pricing and Features

The 2024 Toyota GR86 has a starting price of $29,300 in its base form, undercutting the base Mustang’s $30,920. Even with its optional automatic transmission, the Toyota is still a little less at $30,400. A base GR86 comes pretty well equipped for the money with amenities like automatic climate control and push-button starting; performance gear like a limited-slip differential; and advanced driver aids like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assistance. The next-up Premium model like our test vehicle has bigger 18-inch wheels with performance tires, suede upholstery instead of cloth, heated front seats, eight stereo speakers instead of six, and blind-spot monitoring for $31,900. Then there’s the highest-performance Trueno Edition with suspension tweaks and appearance add-ons. 

Ford offsets the Mustang’s higher price with a much longer list of amenities. You can get the Mustang with upgrades like a power driver’s seat, leatherette upholstery, a sunroof, ventilated front seats, and a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo. So equipped, the Mustang’s price premium rises further over the GR86’s. But if you’re willing to pay for these luxuries, only Ford delivers. 

Winner: Tie 

2024 Toyota GR86 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Fuel Economy

Given that the Mustang is bigger, heavier, and more powerful than the GR86, you might think it’s more expensive to fuel. You’d be mistaken. In EPA testing, the GR86 gets 21 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined with an automatic transmission and 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined with a manual. By contrast, the EcoBoost Mustang gets 22 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined (or about 2 mpg less with our test vehicle’s Performance Package). Furthermore, while Ford lets you run the Mustang on low-cost regular fuel (while recommending premium for maximum performance), Toyota requires premium on the GR86. 

Our test vehicles narrowed the gap. We got 28 mpg in our manual GR86 and 25 mpg in our Mustang, albeit not in scientifically repeatable testing. But between the Mustang’s higher EPA ratings and its ability to use regular-grade fuel when you’re not in a rush, it’s the fuel economy champ. 

Winner: Ford Mustang 

2024 Ford Mustang ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The 2024 Toyota GR86 is a terrific sports car for the right audience. Toyota poured its resources into making a world-class driver’s car, with sharp handling and a crisp manual transmission. The rest of the package is less incredible. 

The 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost, meanwhile, is a sports car for a broader audience. It’s roomier, more comfortable, and quieter. It has more contemporary technology, a higher-quality interior, and a longer list of luxury features. It’s also quicker and pretty agile in its own right. And all of this costs a modest premium over the Toyota, even before you consider the Ford’s lower fuel costs. We wish the four-cylinder Mustang offered a manual transmission. We wish its steering were sharper. And not everyone will love the screen-focused interior, especially in base models that don’t connect the digital gauge cluster to the center touchscreen.

When you’re looking for the liveliest possible driving experience, the GR86 comes out on top. But when you’re looking to blend fun and style with more comfort and value, the Mustang is the winner. 

Winner: Ford Mustang 

2024 Ford Mustang ・ Photo by Brady Holt