MINI John Cooper Works vs Toyota GR 86

The short version

The MINI John Cooper Works is more fuel-efficient: 30 vs 24 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $650 a year less in fuel for the MINI John Cooper Works (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The two cars

The 2025 MINI John Cooper Works is a minicompact car offered with a 2.0L 4-cyl turbo engine and front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. EPA rates its most efficient version at 30 MPG combined (27 city / 37 highway), 48% better than the 2025 minicompact car average of 20.3 MPG, for an estimated $2,750 a year in fuel.

The 2025 Toyota GR 86 is a minicompact car offered with a 2.4L 4-cyl engine and rear-wheel drive. It measures about 168 inches long and 70 inches wide on a 102-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 2,818 lb.

Buying used? The 2024 John Cooper Works and the 2024 GR 86 have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2015 John Cooper Works and the 2022 GR 86.