 | Positives: Serious power from a raucous 3-cylinder engine, impressive handling characteristics, chunky aggressive looks, great manual transmission, |
 | Negatives: Pedals are spaced too far apart, cheap interior bits, over-reliance on touchscreen controls. |
 | Bottom Line: Kudos to Toyota for building this little hot pocket that's about as fun a hatchback can get. It's a blast to drive, and it looks like nothing else out there. |
Driving Experience
We find it hard to believe that in the age of EVs, SUVs and CVTs, Toyota brought a nutty 3-cylinder turbocharged hot hatch and gave it just one transmission choice... a six-speed manual. The GR Corolla might not be great as a daily driver, but what fun you'll have wringing it out when you can with 300 horsepower and Toyota's GR-Four all-wheel-drive system. Pedal placement isn't great, but we love the standard rev-match feature. It's a remarkably fun car to drive.
Ride Quality: The ride is borderline punishing, which is what we've come to expect from a car of this nature. It's not as compliant as a Golf GTI or R, nor is it as bad as the current Subaru WRX, but we can live with it for what the car delivers in terms of performance.
Acceleration: The GR Corolla might be down on cylinder compared to the Golf R, WRX, and the Civic Typ R, but you'd never know it. It actually is quicker to 60 mph than all three manual transmission versions of those models, doing it in a mere 4.9 seconds. The manual shifter is on the notchy side, but we like the clutch's effort which makes it easy to operate.
Braking: The brakes are very strong and easy to modulate, no matter what the occasion. Feel is also quite good.
Steering: There's some solid feedback coming through the column, and the turn-in is very quick. Accuracy is excellent, and you can dart around with no issues.
Handling: This thing corners like a champ with very little body roll. It feels very controllable and more organic than the Golf R. We LOVE the manually-adjustable torque splits that can change the way the car feels in turns.
Technology
Despite the fact that the software in all Corolla's has been updated, the system in the Corolla is just ok. It's fine in terms of usability and controls, but it's no looker. At least it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard along with Amazon Alexa capability and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Optional equipment comes in the form of a wireless charging deck and built-in navigation.
Infotainment System: The 8-inch touchscreen is, at least, easy to use and not difficult to navigate. It responds to inputs well, and making selections isn't too distracting from the driving experience.
Controls: Sadly, the physical buttons that flanked the touchscreen are now gone, and those functions are now relegated to the touchscreen. At least there are physical climate controls, and the steering wheel controls are pretty good.
Styling
No one will call the GR Corolla a beauty. It's a tool for driving, and it looks the part. Sure, it's aggressive and angry-looking, but that doesn't mean we don't like it. The chunky fenders, purposeful aerodynamics, and the GR badges help everyone know this isn't some run-of-the-mill Corolla. It's too bad the interior isn't more special.
Front: The front fascia is more aggressive than the standard Corolla Hatchback, as it should be. The larger black lower grille, the side cooling vents, and the bigger fender flares look great.
Rear: Really, only the liftgate, the rear window, and the taillights are the same as the Corolla Hatchback. The rest of it is all GR, including the rear valence, the triple exhaust, and the massive bumper and rear haunches.
Profile: The aero, black wheels, functional front fender vents, and the short overhangs give it that excellent rally car look.
Cabin: The cabin is purposeful but by no means fancy. The Core model doesn't mean to get the suede seats, but at least the fabric has a decent texture. The thick-rimmed steering wheel, GR shifter, and the aluminum pedals add sportiness. There's a bit too much piano black plastic for our liking, and it's a pretty dark and basic cabin.
Comfort
The interior dimensions are pretty much the same as the standard Corolla Hatchback, which means decent. Rear legroom is tight, but at least it has four usable doors.
Front Seats: The well-bolstered seats have decent cushioning, and they're great for keeping you in place when you take those apexes hard. The thigh length in the seat cushion could be improved, but overall they're pretty good.
Rear Seats: 29.9 inches of rear legroom isn't terrible. It's two inches more than the third row of the Toyota Highlander. It's five inches less than the Golf R or GTI, though. The middle position has too much of a seatback bulge, while the outboard spots have good contouring for occupants.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): Sound deadening isn't bad, but you can hear the roar of the little turbo three every time you get on the gas. We appreciate that there's an audio connection between the driver and car and road.
Visibility: Sightlines out the front and sides are good thanks to a solid seating position and sloping hoodline, but the thick C-pillar interrupts the views out of the rear and rear sides.
Climate: Airflow is good from the center and side vents in the dash. The rear occupants don't get any vents from the back of the center console. Our tester came with the optional Cold Weather Package with heated seats and a heated steering wheel, which we did not test.
Safety
The GR Corolla hasn't specifically been tested for crash safety, but the Corolla Hatchback performed quite well from the IIHS. The GR Corolla comes with Toyota's latest safety tech suite, as well.
IIHS Rating: The 2023 Corolla Hatchback earned the Top Safety Pick award with demerits in the side updated crash test.
NHTSA Rating: Not tested.
Standard Tech: The GR Corolla comes with the excellent Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 with re-Collision System w/ Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert w/ Steering Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Road Sign Assist.
Optional Tech: None.
Storage/Cargo
If it's big caro and storage space you're looking for, the GR Corolla does not have it. The cabin is so-so, and the hatchback area is smaller than competitors like the Golf R and the Mazda3 5-Door hatchback.
Storage Space: Aside from the center console's cupholders, the small armrest, and a shallow cubby in front of the shifter, there's not much for gear in the cabin.
Cargo Room: It's small back there, with only 18 cubic feet in the hatch area and 23.3 with the seats folded flat. The Golf R, by comparison, does 19.9 cubic feet and 34.5 cubic feet, respectively, a significant difference.
Fuel Economy
For a quick and thrashable hot hatch, it's rather impressive to get good fuel economy. It's the small-displacement 3-cylinder turbo mill you have to hank. While the EPA ratings are lower than the miserly Corolla Hatchback, the numbers are still pretty good. 24 combined might not be stratospheric, but it is slightly better than the Volkswagen Golf R.
Observed: 19.4 mpg.
Distance Driven: 132 miles.
Audio
Our tester came with the optional 8-speaker JBL premium audio system in the Technology Package for $770. It's a good system, and the amplifier helps provide a solid listening experience. Bass and clarity are good.
