Compare the2026 Toyota GR86VS 2025 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door

The GR86’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

Both the GR86 and the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the GR86 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 12 times as many Toyota dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GR86’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GR86 second among s in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. With 18 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than MINI.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 10th.

The GR86’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 67 more horsepower (228 vs. 161) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GR86’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (228 vs. 201) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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 Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The GR86 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (13.2 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The GR86’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door are solid, not vented.

The GR86 stops shorter than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

For better traction, the GR86 has larger tires than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (215/45R17 vs. 205/45R17).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GR86’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (101.4 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GR86 is .8 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The GR86’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.3% to 44.7%) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s (63% to 37%). This gives the GR86 more stable handling and braking.

The GR86 Premium handles at 1.00 G’s, while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GR86 Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S (24.7 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 25.7 seconds @ .72 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GR86’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.4 feet).

The Toyota GR86 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 pounds less than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The GR86 has .1 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The engine in the GR86 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

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. MINI does not offer a locking feature on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’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 Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Assist eCall can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The GR86’s standard Smart Key System allow you to unlock the doors from either outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. start/stop switch standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The GR86 Premium/Yuzu Edition’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Compared to the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, the Toyota GR86 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota GR86 and the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The GR86 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 4 more times in the last 13 years. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Toyota GR86 outsold the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door by 39% during 2024.