2024 Mazda MX-5 RF vs Toyota GR86

For as long as we’ve run MX-5 against some sort of 86 (and that’s been a while), the comparison has always been somewhat lopsided. It’s clearly a hardtop versus a roadster, but also an easy drop-top versus a more clearly focused sports car – or, as in more recent editions, the test has pitted a plentifully available Mazda against a limited-edition Toyota, trading for overs like it is a GT3. Clearly, anyone looking for a convertible has only one choice here. But the other similarities – light weight, rear-wheel drive, high-revving four-cylinder engines and standard six-speed manual transmissions – are so acute that bringing the two together again in the wake of a very modest MX-5 facelift proved irresistible.

Plus, there’s the unavoidable fact that these types of cars are becoming rarer by the day. Even since comparing a GR86 to an MX-5 with BBR less than two years ago, the Jaguar F-Type and Audi TT have ceased production, a few more cars you can rely on to put the wind in your hair and bring a smile. on your face. Things have gotten so bad that even Toyota, that great proponent of modern driver-focused cars, has stopped accepting UK orders for the Supra. And it doesn’t look like they’re coming back. We now live in a world without a Fiesta ST, where every Golf GTI is an automatic, the BMW M2 lists the manual as an option, there is no Hyundai N car with an internal combustion engine and an AMG A45 costs £65,000. Still, you can walk into a Mazda dealer tomorrow and place an order for a six-speed, 1,000kg, 7,500rpm sports car. Maybe even drive away. As long as that can happen, and as long as Toyota continues to say “limited GR86 availability” on its website (or has delivery mileage cars in its ads), we’ll continue to drive it near one another. Because (spoiler alert) they’re both brilliant.

Despite the age of the basic parts and despite the best efforts of the gray paint, it is not difficult to still be immediately seduced by the little Mazda. The little visual update (basically tidying up the lights) makes it look modern and fresh – if still a bit top-heavy in RF form – and just seeing a car this small and unpretentious on a 24- license plate is encouraging. The interior, even though the architecture was introduced before the GT86 facelift, remains preferable to the GR in terms of layout, functionality and choice of materials. The new infotainment setup itself looks smart and almost elegant compared to Toyota’s etch-a-sketch screen, the fonts are a model of clarity and the important controls just work. As with so many MX-5 packages, it’s hard not to wonder why so many other manufacturers overcomplicate the basics.

Of course, both Mazda and Toyota make a virtue of being small, light and deceptively simple. With each passing day, that combination becomes more desirable for anyone disillusioned (or worse) by overweight, overwrought performance cars. Look at them here on the road, with one lane of space and an obvious misalignment in the chassis. The necessary compromises imposed to achieve that aren’t drastic either; Photographer Oli squeezed into the back of the Toyota, okay, and there can be quite a few groceries in the back of the Mazda. Modest doesn’t have to mean missing out, and when barely a week goes by without hearing about how sustainable vegan upholstery is on a 2.5-ton plug-in V8, the joy of driving two honest (i.e. unaided of a lithium-ion V8) battery) 30mpg+, sports cars under 200g/km increase exponentially. Heavier powertrains mean heavier brakes, tires, suspension and cars in general.

In an MX-5, it takes about three minutes to be convinced that motor vehicles of almost any caliber could be about 500 kg lighter and four-fifths larger. Maybe after getting used to this 184hp engine since 2018 (and the Toyota’s 234hp since ’22), you’re looking for a little more oomph, but you’ll likely enjoy the manual transmission’s joy of darting between hedges. and running around corners are sufficient distraction. . This latest ND update has also brought out the best of the platform: the MX-5 is slightly less roly-poly than before. The new limited-slip differential means it exits corners more decisively, with power going exactly where it’s needed when it’s needed, and this works very well in combination with the Competition setting for the DSC. Pushing the limits is no longer the leap of faith it once seemed, thanks to a more forgiving chassis and smarter assists. You’ll probably still want BBR springs, for the look and extra precision, although they no longer feel essential.

Other than that, little has changed; that wasn’t necessary. Throttle response, pedal feel and gear shift were impeccable, meaning they are still among the best on the market. The steering isn’t that perfect, and having a steering wheel that feels a little too big doesn’t help with your sense of belonging, although the willingness of the whole package is such that it does inspire confidence. The cammy four-cylinder bark remains quite pleasant; the ride is fundamentally well arranged for the job at hand. If modern, characterful, modern cars are a turn-off, the MX-5’s contemporary take on the classic sports car is still the perfect tonic.

The Toyota’s atmosphere is also unapologetically old-fashioned. But where the Mazda is the traditional British roadster brought completely up to date – the car for coastal drives and pub lunches if ever there was one – the 86 feels like the sports car it once was. This is the front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe for taking to the hill climb or sprint, putting up numbers, winning a trophy and getting home in time for tea and crumpets. It’s a palpably more serious prospect than its rival, from the weight of its gearlever to the tautness of its handling; the latter can make the 86 seem a little too strict even at low speed, although you don’t dwell on it for long. If we can steal ‘strongly built’ from Ford, the Toyota feels designed for many years of enthusiastic driving in a variety of scenarios – not being completely at home in the city is a price worth paying.

Even more than with the MX-5, everything is at your disposal in the two-door Gazoo Racing to get the most out of it. A steering wheel that isn’t as well placed (it always feels a bit low) responds more naturally, whether pushed off center or lock is added – that slight disconnect in the Mazda is emphasized by the 86’s directness and clarity. The brake pedal offers only a fraction more weight and feel. The gearbox isn’t quite as glorious; he has to settle for only first-class. The Track mode for the assists offers more leeway and subtler interventions than the Mazda, aided by a chassis that’s infinitely more precise. Where the MX-5 may feel like savings are needed, Toyota just needs a push in the right direction. Apart from some very special Porsches, there is nothing that completely harmonizes all the elements needed to enjoy driving like a GR86.

That was almost the case with the old 2.0-liter 86, and when you drove it like in a Best Motoring video, the GT felt fantastic. Where the GR has taken the car so significantly further – it has been said before but bears repeating – is that this sports car always feels brilliant. In the past, the engine was never as good as the brakes, damping or gearbox, but now it is. This means that the 2.4-litre engine enjoys both waiting for the upshift signal and leaving it in gear, drawing a neat line through a bend or pushing to the limit of grip, making progress or causing mischief. A four-cylinder that used to be slightly out of sync with the rest of the package is now the perfect partner, another superlative element of an incredibly cohesive and immensely satisfying little sports car. Still doesn’t sound great, but you can’t have everything…

Both cars then engage and entertain like few other cars can – or even try. There’s none of the fashion anxiety about whether more of a stretch of road could have been enjoyed in Sport Plus, because they’re both set up to perform from the start; the only frustration with the gearbox is when you don’t manage the shift properly; and instead of wincing when a tractor comes the other way, you can enjoy Japanese cars that feel like they were purpose-built for Britain’s B-roads. That’s not being Luddite about these things either; Cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N have skillfully demonstrated the possibilities offered by new technology. But it does seem a shame that in so many other cases the weight, complexity and asking price have increased without any increase in enjoyment. Never has relative simplicity and sweating the details produced two such satisfyingly fast(ish) cars. We should learn something from this in the future, even if six-speed manual transmissions and naturally aspirated engines cannot last much longer. Both cars have an authenticity that hasn’t been replicated anywhere else.

If you have to pick one to drive off into the sunset, it’s still the Toyota keys you take away. Even the best ND MX-5 yet can’t deliver on its mix of performance, functionality and driver reward. Just as the Mazda begins to wither and falter, the GR driver enjoys its composure, precision and integrity. You feel the core of everything that does it well. Losing the pleasure of a soft top is worth it for the driving pleasure it provides. It will forever be a shame that the GR86 didn’t arrive sooner and in greater numbers; even the most dedicated GT fans have to admit that it has languished over the last few years.

But it’s better than having no GR late at all, and it’s always worth reiterating how good it is. As for the MX-5, the gap between its paper stats (not more powerful, more money) and the on-road experience (lovely) feels wider than ever. Never before has a car been less suitable for an assessment based on the figures. It reminds us how much fun driving can still be, and there aren’t many greater accolades than that. Let’s hope that cars like these can find happy homes for many years to come – but even if they were to disappear tomorrow, they would be a wonderfully fitting tribute to a fast-vanishing era.

Engine: 2,387cc, four-cylinder
Transfer: Six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 234 at 7,000 rpm
Torque (lb⋅ft): 184 at 3,700 rpm
0-100 km/h: 6.3 seconds
Top speed: 230 km/h
Weight: 1,275kg-1,314kg
MPG: 32.1
CO2: 198-200g/km
Price: £32,495

Engine: 1,998cc 4-cylinder
Transfer: Six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 184 at 7,000 rpm
Torque (lb⋅ft): 151 at 4,000 rpm
0-100 km/h: 6.5 sec
Top speed: 216 km/h
Weight: 1,120 kg (including 75 kg driver)
MPG: 41.5mpg (WLTP combined)
CO2: 153g/km
Price: £34,300 (standard price; price as tested £34,870, including Aero Gray paint for £570)