I’ve heard all the Toyota GR Corolla gripes from my expert car reviewer friends. “It’s like $50,000 and made of cheap plastic,” they moan. “It’s slower than a Type R,” they bellyache. And you want to know something? They’re right. Actually, it’s slower than a Hyundai Elantra N, and I don’t mind it a lick because this thing is sick.
I spent a week with the new eight-speed automatic-equipped GR Corolla, reliving my high school hot hatch days back before I had real responsibilities. I learned to drive for fun in a Mk4 GTI, and while I was a VW diehard back then, I still would have swooned for a car like this. Now that I have a wife and three kids, there’s no world where it makes sense for me, which I believe is why I enjoyed it so much.
First off, it’s extremely unserious. Sure, it looks mean, but in a boy-racer type of way. The hood vents are proof, as are the wide fenders and gaping maw. That carries over inside as the usable trunk space is cut way down by a rear strut brace that I’m not sure any real customers are asking for.
Just look how little room there is once I put a chainsaw and the necessary accessories back there:
If we were supposed to judge the GR Corolla by its practicality—which I don’t believe we are—it would get a poor rating. But in reality, it’s a performance car that happens to be a hatchback. That’s the conclusion I reached after trying and failing to fit two carseats in it. (One is fine, but the other just won’t cram in if the driver seat is scooted back to fit my 6’5″ frame. Read the full dad review here.)
I’ll tell you how much all that mattered when I put my foot to the floor on some two-lane Ozark roads: Zero. I couldn’t care less that a 55-inch TV wouldn’t fit between this thing’s deceivably narrow haunches as I flew through parts of my daily commute faster than I ever had. It was more than a testament to its 300-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder—although it was that too. Instead, it was proof to me that all of my buddies’ critiques were like a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score on a movie that gets overwhelmingly positive reviews from actual people.
That’s when I reached out to my one friend who knows what’s up. Adam Ismail, fellow senior editor at The Drive, bought one of these over a Honda Civic Type R. Here’s why:
“One of the things I love about this category now is that each car feels wildly different. The GR Corolla doesn’t have, say the Civic Type R’s sharpness, but it feels a little more visceral, a little rougher, in a fun way. I also just think it looks better and believe that if you’re spending $40K-plus on a sport compact, you should get all-wheel drive, because rally cars are the best.”
Now, Adam’s is a manual instead of a paddle-shift automatic like the one I tested. I’d probably follow his lead if I were to buy one myself, but there’s no legitimate reason to shame someone who wouldn’t, especially when the eight-speed is as good as it is.
The shifts are quick, getting you back into the powerband whenever you tell the car to go fast. It doesn’t keep you locked out of lower gears due to fear of higher revs, either—at least within reason. I was clicking and clacking between third, fourth, fifth, and sixth all the time and never got frustrated by the ‘box. It also didn’t lug the engine around whenever I was driving like normal and encountered a big hill, which we have so many of where I live.
I didn’t even have to think about whether or not I was in the right gear as I entered a big sweeper. The digital dash readout is super clear, telling you where you’re at in the rev range with a short glance. Toyota set the limiter at 7,000 rpm once the engine is warm, and peak hp comes on at 6,500 rpm, so the car encourages you to keep it spun up. The laggy turbo likes that, too.
I can’t tell you how it feels in relation to a Type R or an Elantra N because I’ve never driven those. I don’t mind admitting that because the GR Corolla was a blast, totally untainted by comparison. Maybe those cars are faster, I don’t know, but the Toyota delivers the fun 100%.
The all-wheel-drive traction is where it’s at, to me. It was rainy as all get out the week that I had the car, and while I never flogged it in a downpour, the roads were always at least damp. Each of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s just hung on as I pressed the pedal closer to the floorboard, and I never found the limit as I went as fast as I felt comfortable.
See, I tested the GR Corolla not long after I drove a Lexus LC 500 for the first time. I’m not saying the Toyota was better or more capable than the rear-wheel drive, 5.0-liter V8-powered beaut, but I will say I felt more confident pushing it to the edge. Part of that is the cost—the ‘Rolla was less than half the price of the Lexus—but I think that matters when you’re talking about cars strictly meant for fun.
I would have loved to test out the Corolla’s 60/40 power split on the dirt road near my house, and Toyota would have let me. Still, a company rep said that the tires needed to be in great shape for the next round of journalists who were set to drive the car on track. Not knowing how the Michelins would hold up to gravel, I opted not to, but everything I’ve watched and read indicates that it’s perfectly at home on that kind of surface.
To me, that’s why the GR Corolla gets the nod on fun factor alone.
You can debate the logic all you want, but the truth is, no car in this segment is a great value on real-world metrics alone. I could never spend $50,000 on a car that won’t fit my family. But if you don’t need to do that and you’re just looking for a good time, then by golly, the GR Corolla is it.
I miss it right now.
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2025 Toyota GR Corolla Specs | |
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Quick Take
I don’t care if it’s faster or slower than something else. It’s a stinkin’ blast.
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