I’d go to jail for the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla

They got me. Caught doing 53 MPH in the left lane of the New Jersey Turnpike. Pulling out without looking and accelerating like I was tugging a T-Rex. Refusing to close the ten car length gap in front of me in traffic. I’m going away to car jail for good, sentenced to driving a Corolla forever.

But ummm – they didn’t check the badge on which Corolla. *Laughs evil laugh*

The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla overview

A Toyota Corolla, or really any subcompact econo box, would probably be considered jail time for someone like me. I’m talking about unsupportive, mouse fur-covered seats, soggy spaghetti suspensions, and an engine best suited for service in a Russian gulag’s power station.

BUT. But…they are naturally light. Nimble. Sprightly? That seems like a good place to start for fun.

It’s true, and so long ago we started to receive hot versions of these little cars. The Golf GTI. Subaru WRX. Mitsubishi Evo (Mirage, folks). It’s a long list, and many are dead aside from the WRX and GTI, which have grown up and gone to college. If you want rowdy, anti-social, annoying, rude – the kind of car that hocks a loogie while checking out your wife in church – it ain’t on sale any more. 

Those cars may have been crude, but they were heroes with a history that came either from real racing or Gran Turismo. By the time they got here, the names were so legendary that we were frothing at the mouth here in the US. Not for the Corolla though. No vaunted rally car name, no video game star power. So maybe Toyota is just really late to the party? Like, really really late?

And look at it. A three-cylinder engine? Tiny 18-inch wheels? How sporty can a car with Toyota Safety Sense really be? I can practically hear you now – “Not mah Evo.”

Go ahead friends – snicker all you want. It’s time to dunk on your butts.

Performance Score: 10. Pop the hood?

My job is to describe to you in detail how a car feels to drive. But how sad the sensation is right now – no matter what I write, it will pale in comparison to experiencing the visceral feel the GR Corolla has.

Engine

Normally, I wouldn’t be ashamed to tell you that I’ve never driven a car with a three-cylinder engine. And I admit that even looking through the specs, I wasn’t so thrilled.

Yea, 300 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque. But it’s just 1.6 liters – what kind of turbo does it have, Mount Fuji? It’ll take days to build boost and huff.

In reality this G16E-GTS motor is one of the best I’ve ever experienced, with no regard for cylinder count. It’s not hyperbole to say it feels like a V-6, and a good V-6 at that, not something Dodge shoves in a base Charger. This motor pulls and pulls forever – there is no point at which it is not eager for you to cane it. Okay – there’s a little lag down low, but it’s easy to work around with paddle shifters. A 7,000 RPM redline offers plenty of room to run, and because peak power is available just 500 RPM before, you want to rev the snot out of it constantly. 

The sound out of the funky triple exhaust outlets (one in the center) is gruff and awesome. There is no wiff of cheap or weak here – it’s like a Rally car. Not exotic, but not common – almost Porsche-like. You can pick out an S58 from a mile away, but you’d never guess the GR Corolla by exhaust note alone, and that adds to the lore.

Transmission

Enthusiasts get so hung up on this bit. “Automatics are bad”, as if it’s a three-speed unit from 1972.

But not all DCTs are good, and the eight-speed fully automatic in the GR Corolla is proof that you don’t need exotic to be fun. This is maybe the first car ever that I’ve actually wanted to shift by pulling the paddles. It’s so crisp, never guessing what gear it should be in. And it pairs perfectly with the GR’s all-wheel drive. The way this grips – it embarrasses an Elantra N.

The GR even keeps pace with a BMW M2 as the Corolla holds on for a solid one full G of lateral grip. Floor this out of turns and laugh like the Joker hanging out of a cop car.

Now that I’ve told you all that – this car is available with a six-speed manual. Remember how I’ve said that most modern cars aren’t worth the stick sacrifice? This isn’t one of them – try going old school, even if it makes the GR slower.

Steering and Chassis

I’m having a hard time coming up with a comparison for this car. It’s light, at just over 3,200 pounds, and small (compared to modern standards) 18-inch 235/40 tires don’t look all that imposing. That’s a clue – Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber wrapped around each wheel.

Pop the hatch to find an optional chassis brace in the rear. Our Premium Plus example also gets a forged carbon fiber roof. There are front and rear Torsen Limited Slip differentials and a GR sport-tuned suspension, though it isn’t adjustable. This is a lot for a small car.

The result is more in line with a Lotus than anything else. If you gave me the keys to this car or a Cayman GTS, I might bet that I’d go faster in the Corolla. It’s extremely well-balanced and always confidence-inspiring. The front-end is direct and grips like that of an M3, and the rear is eager to let you have fun without losing control. But don’t be intimidated, because it’s so light, nimble – even tossable. 

And the steering – heavy! Direct! Here it is, real feedback! You will feel tired after flogging this thing. Which isn’t to say you will feel beat up, because the GR rides better than most other machines that are this hard core. 

Brakes

STOP! Because you can do it over and over again with no drama or fading. 14-inch front discs (slotted, not drilled because this is a real track car) are held tight by four-piston calipers in front, with 11.7-inch rotors in back. The pedal matches the rest of the car too – firm, with plenty of bite and feel.

This car embodies the very concept of this publication. It is not the fastest thing on the road – not even close. But if you gave me a choice of vehicle for one last drive before serving my life sentence, the GR Corolla would be above 99% of Porsche 911s out there. It’s that good.

Lifestyle Score: 2. Wagon weakness

I must admit that this part is a bit difficult to get through – we have a wagon that isn’t very practical. So why is it a wagon, and not shaped like a GR 86 or a Supra? I digress.

The good news is that these seats are great – they hold you tightly and are very supportive without being restrictive. But they don’t go low enough for me, making the GR yet another car I have a hard time getting into. They offer manual adjustment only, but they look cool.

Beyond that, this is a tight car. It’s narrow like a 20-year old 911, and the back seat isn’t very suitable for anyone that’s beyond crawling age. The trunk too – that brace means the seats don’t fold down, and it’s shallow. You can cram weekly chores in there though, so hopefully your spouse will simply think it’s a practical choice.

Maybe that’s the reason for the shape – to fool everyone into thinking this is just another Toyota.

Fuel Economy: 7. Two-face

I’m sure there are multiple reasons for selecting a three-cylinder. Cheaper to build, easier to package, lighter, and better fuel economy.

All are true, except that last part. The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla averages about 22 MPG, and that’s what I saw during my time with it. I beat it up too, so overall it’s pretty good on fuel (even if the 13.2-gallon tank requires frequent fill-ups). The part that gets me is that those are six-cylinder numbers – a GR Supra with a manual gets 21 MPG.

The engine fits the personality of the car perfectly, so no foul. But don’t think you’re getting a fuel miser. 

Features and Comfort: 6. The speed is all you need

Surely you’re familiar with the contractor’s pyramid of cheap, fast and good. With cars, it’s usually cheap, fast, and nice.

The GR Corolla is pretty cheap. And it’s fast. Uh oh…

Back to your roots

You get a lot of performance for the $39,160 Core model base price. Even our fully-loaded Premium Plus example tops out at just $50,144. But if you value luxury finishes or high-end feel more than raw thrills, you might look around and notice an M240i isn’t that big a reach.

Open the door to reveal black Brin Naub synthetic leather with red stitch. Brin Naub is “a brand of synthetic or vegan suede material”, and yea, it’s your only choice. Large swatches of black plastic trim are abound on the doors and dash. Want an arm rest? Too bad. There’s a real hand brake though – truly an endangered species.

It’s not all bad. We have a sweet JBL stereo, Toyota’s standard (and very good) infotainment system, automatic climate control, heated seats, all the driving assistants you could want, and a fat steering wheel that’s so fun to grab. The digital dash can change based on your drive mode – just turn the big prominent dial in the center console.

The GR might reveal the fact that it’s based on a Corolla, but I believe there’s enough to keep you satisfied when not in Max Verstappen mode.

Supersonic

You have but four colors to choose from, and it’s a basic palette: Black, white, grey, or this Supersonic Red for $475. Toyota made the right choice for our press car.

Three trim levels will determine what you get on your GR. The Core, Premium, and Premium Plus look nearly identical, but only the Plus gets that awesome forged roof and functional gloss black hood vents.

But don’t worry, there’s plenty to distinguish the car visually from Corolla family members that do not eat 8,000 calories a day, regardless of trim. Would the fender flares be better if they were actually sheet metal as opposed to being tacked on? Sure, but the look is at least unique.

Others small cars and wagons to consider

• 2025 Hyundai Elantra N
• 2024 Subaru WRX TR
• 2024 Subaru BRZ tS
• 2013 BMW 335i xDrive
• 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is rare and special

I’m not a big fan of looking back in life. My 20s were great, but I don’t want to go back there and start over. Do you know how hard it was to find Mrs. Machines? There were no G80 M3s in 2005. The Giants hadn’t won Super Bowl 42 yet.

But my guilty pleasure remains cars. The thought of an Evo, or a Nissan Z – it’s appealing, no matter how cheap or crappy the interior is. I couldn’t own one now – my tastes have changed. If only there was a way to have both; a comfortable car that felt old school. The GR Corolla is that car.

The way the world is now, I’m just not sure how many more times a car like this will appear. I hate to sound like an elitist, but a majority of the population won’t even understand why this GR Corolla exists. Kudos to you though – demand is such that Toyota has decided to build this car beyond its initial limited production.

So yea, I’ll go to jail for the GR. Or maybe because of it. Behind its wheel, I am invincible. I’ll buzz the state trooper barracks, race that Lambo from every stop light, and pull up in front of your house to to steal your dog. He likes my car better anyway.

So lock me up officer. Just don’t throw away that key.