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ND MX-5 vs GR86 vs BRZ: 440 lb Lighter, 47 hp Down

The ND MX-5 weighs roughly 440 to 480 lb less than the GR86 or BRZ but makes 47 hp and 33 lb-ft less, so the choice is not about which is faster. It is about whether you want a 2-seat convertible that needs revs, or a 2+2 coupe with usable mid-range torque and a trunk you can fold a rear seat into. The GR86 and BRZ are mechanically near-identical twins; the real fork is roadster versus coupe.

The short answer

Section titled “The short answer”
You wantBuyWhy
One car that does everythingGR86 or BRZ2+2 seating, 6.3 cu ft trunk plus folding seats, more torque, coupe refinement
Open-air driving and the lightest, purest steeringND MX-5~440-480 lb lighter, convertible, the best shifter of the three, 29 mpg
Lowest running cost and best fuel economyND MX-529 mpg combined vs 22 for the Toyobaru
A dedicated track/autocross car on a budgetND MX-5 soft topHuge aftermarket, Spec Miata support, cheap to run; watch the gearbox
Track grip and outright pace out of the boxBRZ tSSTI suspension, Brembos, Michelin PS4; address oil starvation first
GR86 vs BRZWhichever you can buy without markupAutoGuide finds them nearly identical on the road

The numbers: 47 more horsepower against 440 fewer pounds

Section titled “The numbers: 47 more horsepower against 440 fewer pounds”

The Toyobaru twins share one engine and one chassis. The MX-5 is the outlier on every axis: smaller engine, far less weight, two seats, soft fuel economy advantage.

SpecND MX-5 (MT)Toyota GR86 (MT)Subaru BRZ (MT)
Engine2.0L NA I42.4L NA flat-four2.4L NA flat-four
Power181 hp @ 7,000228 hp @ 7,000228 hp @ 7,000
Torque151 lb-ft @ 4,000184 lb-ft @ 3,700184 lb-ft @ 3,700
DrivetrainRWD, limited-slip (MT)RWDRWD
Transmission6MT or 6AT6MT or 6AT6MT or 6AT (auto not on tS)
Curb weight2,368 lb soft top / 2,470 lb RF2,811 lb2,820 lb Premium / 2,837 lb Limited
Seating22+22+2
Cargo4.59 cu ft (soft top)6.3 cu ft + folding seat6.3 cu ft + folding seat
Fuel economy26/34/29 mpg20/27/22 mpg20/27/22 mpg
Base price (2024)~$29,000-$30,400~$29,100-$30,395~$31,315

MX-5 figures come from Mazda’s 2024 MX-5 spec deck: SKYACTIV-G 2.0L, 181 hp at 7,000 rpm, 151 lb-ft at 4,000, 7,500 rpm redline, 13:1 compression, front-midship engine, RWD, a cone-clutch limited-slip differential on the manual (a Super LSD, not the Torsen the NA/NB used). Manual soft-top curb weight is 2,368 lb with a 52:48 weight distribution; the RF is 2,470 lb at 51:49.

The GR86’s 228 hp / 184 lb-ft and 2.4L NA boxer are confirmed by Toyota’s own capacities page, which lists the base manual curb weight at 2,811 lb. Independent sources put it slightly higher: KBB lists 2,851 lb and TopSpeed 2,833 lb, a spread that comes down to trim and measurement standard. The BRZ shares the engine and weighs about the same, 2,820 lb Premium to 2,851 lb tS per KBB.

Prices move year to year and vary by source. Treat the figures above as approximate. The KBB roundups for the GR86 and BRZ and Mazda’s spec deck are the anchors; dealer markups in particular have made the GR86 a luck-of-the-draw buy, with owners on r/JDM reporting the BRZ is easier to order to spec at MSRP.

On a stopwatch the gap nearly closes; in character it stays wide

Section titled “On a stopwatch the gap nearly closes; in character it stays wide”

Despite the 47 hp deficit, the Miata’s low weight keeps it close. TopSpeed’s instrumented comparison recorded both cars at 0-60 in 5.4 s, a quarter mile of 14.0 s for the GR86 against 14.2 s for the Miata, and an autocross lap of 26.7 s versus 27.1 s. Roughly four tenths separates them on a tight course.

The driving character is where they diverge, and this is the real decision.

The torque curve. The GR86 and BRZ make 184 lb-ft at 3,700 rpm and pull from the mid-range, so you can short-shift and still accelerate. The Miata makes peak torque higher and less of it; AutoGuide’s three-way test notes you have to keep the revs up to make it move. Some owners find even the 86 and BRZ short on torque, reporting them as too slow and feeling no quicker than an older Miata, so the torque advantage over the ND is relative, not abundant (r/cars).

The steering. AutoGuide rates the Miata’s steering the most communicative of the three. It also rolls more in corners and feels eager to rotate, where TopSpeed describes the GR86 as the more serious, stable, higher-grip car. The Toyobaru’s wider track and (on the tS) Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires give it more outright grip; the Miata trades that for a lighter, more playful limit that arrives sooner and feels more approachable.

The shifter. AutoGuide rates the Miata’s 6-speed manual the best of the group. It found the BRZ clutch vague and the GR86 clutch the worst of the three. If the gearbox is the thing you touch most, the Miata wins it.

GR86 versus BRZ comes down to almost nothing. AutoGuide found the two nearly identical on public roads. The BRZ tS adds STI-tuned suspension, gold Brembo calipers, 18-inch wheels, and Michelin PS4 tires, and it is manual-only with no automatic option. For most buyers the deciding factor is which one you can actually get at MSRP.

Roadster versus 2+2: the practicality gap is the whole argument

Section titled “Roadster versus 2+2: the practicality gap is the whole argument”

The Miata is a 2-seat roadster with a 4.59 cu ft trunk and no back seat, soft top or power-folding RF hardtop. The GR86 and BRZ are 2+2 coupes: the rear seats are tiny, but they fold to open up real cargo space behind the 6.3 cu ft trunk.

That folding seat is the difference between a weekend toy and a one-car solution. Autocrossers on r/Autocross report fitting four wheels, a passenger, and a weekend’s tools in a BRZ and driving 600 miles each way at 27+ mpg; one GR86 owner hauled six cases of water and a stack of soda with the rear seat down. AutoGuide put it plainly: the GR86’s folding seats add practicality the Miata “simply dreams of.” If this has to be your only car, the coupe is the rational pick.

The trade-off is the open top, which no spec sheet captures. The convertible is the entire point of the Miata for most buyers; owners coming from an FRS describe the ND as softer and rollier than the coupe yet somehow more fun, crediting the open roof for much of it on the right roads (r/cars).

Two ND ergonomics notes for daily use. The cabin is tight; taller drivers sit knees-to-dash. And owners on r/cars consistently complain about the HVAC and screen buttons being too far back and level with the armrest, so you keep bumping the commander knob with your arm.

Each car hides one weak point, and both surface under hard track use

Section titled “Each car hides one weak point, and both surface under hard track use”

Both platforms are reliable for street driving. Each has a known failure mode that appears under abuse.

The Toyobaru oil-starvation problem. The FA24 boxer loses oil pressure in sustained high-G right-hand corners. Logged data at Thunderhill West showed 2022 FA24 cars dropping into the 20s PSI in fast right-handers against 50-60 PSI on the straights; the older FA20 only dipped momentarily and recovered. Some second-gen cars have suffered engine failures during or after track use, with an early theory that loose RTV sealant blocks the oil pickup, and a class-action lawsuit has been filed. Subaru disputes a design flaw and says the FA24 was designed as a road car. The mitigation is a baffled oil pan. Owners on r/cars consider the failures very rare and limited to heavily tracked cars, with the engine otherwise reliable. This is a hard-track problem, not a street problem.

The ND manual gearbox. Under autocross and road-race loads the ND manual breaks: autocrossers shear 2nd gear, road racers strip 3rd and 4th. Mazda revised the gearbox build several times to strengthen the fragile components and covers replacement under a TSB, reportedly even for cars modified to Street Touring autocross spec. Street reliability is otherwise strong; this surfaces under heavy track use.

Net: pick your poison by how hard you drive. Daily and weekend driving exposes neither.

Buy verdicts by use case

Section titled “Buy verdicts by use case”

One car for everything. GR86 or BRZ. The 2+2 layout, folding rear seats, mid-range torque, and coupe refinement make it the everyday-usable choice, a conclusion shared by AutoGuide, HotCars, and the haulers on r/Autocross.

Open-air fun and steering purity. ND MX-5. Lowest weight, the convertible, the best shifter, and 29 mpg. HotCars frames it as the car for the purest driving experience on a budget.

Track, out of the box. BRZ tS for outright grip and pace, with its STI suspension, Brembos, and PS4 tires, but budget for a baffled oil pan if you run it hard. If you want the cheapest, most-supported track and autocross platform, the Miata soft top wins on aftermarket and Spec Miata support; keep an eye on the gearbox. For the RF, note there is no good roll-bar option that preserves the targa function, so serious track buyers should choose the soft top or the coupe.

Autocross. Either. The Miata is cheap, light, and competitive; the BRZ and 86 are competitively classed in STX and far easier to tow and load for events, per r/Autocross.

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