A couple of years ago, the Toyota GR Corolla made a big impression in the auto industry. It was a fun rally car for the road for about $45,000 CAD. But it wasn’t perfect. So for 2025, Toyota gave this car some updates. Are they enough?
Performance
Engine – One thing that hasn’t changed is the engine. It is still a 1.6L turbocharged 3-cylinder that develops 300 hp (224 kW). But what has changed is its torque. It’s been bumped up from 273 lb-ft to 295 lb-ft (370 Nm to 400 Nm). Granted, the Morizo edition had the higher torque output before but that model was very hard to come by.
This engine likes to rev. The redline is at the 7,000 mark and it produces its peak power at 6,000 rpms. Peak torque is between 3,000 to 5,500 rpms. Below the 3k rpm mark, the engine has no power at all. There’s a huge boost threshold below that mark. But above it, the turbo spools up fairly quickly for punchy acceleration.
Fuel Economy – The fuel consumption remains the same as well if you option it with the 6-speed manual transmission. But with the new 8-speed automatic, the fuel economy is actually worse. That took me a little by surprise as modern automatic return better fuel consumption ratings than a manual transmission. So the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla automatic is rated for 12.1 L/100km (19.4 MPG) in a city and 8.6 L/100km (27.4 MPG) on a highway. In the real world, I noticed this increase in fuel consumption as I averaged 10.4 L/100km (22.6 MPG) vs 9.7 L/100km (24.2 MPG) the last time I drove the GR Corolla.
Transmission – The big news with the 2025 GR Corolla is the addition of a new 8-speed automatic transmission. Toyota calls this the “Direct Automatic Transmission” or “DAT”. But it’s not a fancy dual-clutch automatic or a CVT (thankfully) and is instead a slick shifting traditional torque converter automatic. The gear changes in everyday driving are smooth but you can feel them if you really pay attention. However, they don’t make for an uncomfortable drive. In Sport mode, the gear changes are held for longer and are a bit more snappy to change. Additionally, the first few gears seem to be similar ratios as the manual version because the car still needs to shift into 3rd gear to reach 100 km/h, or 62 mph. Overall, this is a very good transmission that knows what to do given the situation and is quick to respond whether it be a stab of the throttle or using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Plus, it makes the car more livable because there’s no need to worry about gear changes, slipping the clutch on stars, hill starts and it’ll let your left leg rest in rush hour traffic. Of course, you can still get the 2025 GR Corolla with the 6-speed manual if you want to row your own gears.
Braking – Stopping this car are 14-inch, 2-piece front rotors that are clamped down by 4-piston calipers and 11.7-inch rear discs with 2-piston calipers. In everyday traffic, it doesn’t take much effort from your foot to bring the GR Corolla to a quick stop. During more spirited drives, the pedal remains firm with a solid brake feel. I unfortunately could not take the car to a track to see if the brakes had any fade in that environment but what I can say is that the standard pads produce a lot of brake dust. At the end of my week with the car, the front wheels looked more bronze than black.
Handling – This is the party piece of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla. It uses a clever GR-Four all-wheel-drive system with two Torsen limited slip differentials; one in the front and one in the rear. The limited slip diffs used to be optional on the U.S. spec of this car but they are now standard across all trims and continue to be standard on this Canadian spec car. These control the power delivery to each wheel and the driver can choose between more power to the front wheels or the back wheels. By default, this AWD system will send 60% of the engine’s torque to the front wheels and 40% to the rear wheels. At the turn of a knob on the center console, 70% of the torque can go to the back and 30% to the front. Or the power distribution can be split evenly, 50/50, when it is in Track mode. Another change for this model year is the change in names for these different configurations. They are now simply known as Standard, Gravel, & Track.
The 60/40 configuration makes the GR Corolla feel like a front-wheel-drive hatch. It has hefty steering with more of an emphasis towards understeer. The 30/70 setting unloads the front a bit and allows the car to better rotate as it exits a corner. Additionally, with traction & stability turned off, you can powerslide the GR Corolla in this AWD configuration. In Track mode, the even power distribution provides maximum grip however, the equipped snow tires didn’t provide much of it during my week with the car. I could hear them squealing in agony if I went a bit too quickly around a roundabout. With the standard equipped summer tires, however, you can push this car through corners much more quickly than you’d imagine you could and the car continues to hold on firmly to the road like a kitten holding onto its mother.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – There is a price to pay for the cornering grip. The Toyota GR Corolla has a stiff ride. I will admit, it’s not as bad as I was expecting it to be as the suspension can soak up small to moderately sized potholes and manhole covers. But driving over a deep pothole feels as though you’re driving without any tires on the wheels. On longer journeys, the ride can be punishing.
Furthermore, the seats hold you in really well when you’re in the back-country. But they do not have any lumbar adjustments and after an hour-long commute to work, I felt my lower back hurting a bit.
Interior Space – As is the norm, front occupants have the most amount of space. Even at 6’4”, I didn’t struggle to find a comfortable seating position. The driver’s seat is manually adjustable and it can be raised or lowered if you’re shorter than I am. The passenger seat is not height adjustable. One annoying thing is that there are no arm rests in between the seats. This means that if you drive with one hand, like how I do on highways, you’ll have to keep your hand on your lap or on the gear selector.
The back seats are tight for someone of my stature. They have the same amount of legroom and headroom as the standard Corolla Hatchback which is less legroom than the Corolla sedan. I had a decent amount of space in that car but in this one, I wanted to get out as quickly as possible.
Behind the seats, the GR Corolla has 503 L (17.8 cu-ft) of space. The back seats can fold down 60/40 but you may have to move the front seats forward in order for them to fold flat. Underneath the floor you’ll find the battery, a tire repair kit and a small cubby for small items.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – In addition to having a stiff ride, the Toyota GR Corolla has a very loud cabin. Of course you’ll hear that 3-cylinder engine when you put your foot down and it has a growly sound to it. Plus, everytime that you lift off the throttle pedal under boost, you can hear the blowoff valve. But when you’re not pretending to be Mika Hakkinen, a lot of tire noise intrudes into the cabin. You’ll have to turn up that radio in order to drown out the noise.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – Another change for the 2025 GR Corolla, that is not welcomed, is its higher price. It now starts at $48,515 CAD ($38,860 USD) with the 6-speed manual transmission. On this Core trim, the Premium package can be added which will increase the price by $8,002 CAD. To get the automatic transmission, it will cost you over $10,000 CAD as the automatic version of the GR Corolla comes with a price of $58,737 CAD ($48,650 USD).
Gadgets – At least for the price of the automatic GR Corolla, it does come as a fully loaded vehicle. It has a dual-zone automatic climate control, a wireless phone charging pad, heated front seats along with a heated steering wheel, an 8” touchscreen with Toyota’s latest infotainment system which allows for wireless CarPlay & Android Auto, a backup camera, a 12.3” driver display with 3 different zones that allow for custom gauges and information, auto high-beams, power mirrors, power windows, power locks, push button start with keyless entry, a head-up display, 8-speaker JBL audio system, front & rear parking sensors, and full speed adaptive cruise control. All of these features are available in the Premium Package with the manual transmission.
Interior Design – The interior remains largely unchanged for this model year with the exception of the automatic gear selector. But otherwise, it looks like a regular Corolla interior that has been spruced up with sporty GR touches. The materials are hard or soft plastic and the seats are upholstered in fabric which I don’t mind as it holds you in better than leather. The interior looks cheap but if Toyota used more expensive materials, then this car would cost almost as much as the GR Supra.
Exterior Design – The most noticeable change to the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is the front bumper. It has more ducts for better cooling as this is the achilles heel of the GR Corolla on a racetrack. With the automatic transmission, the GR Corolla has a new sub-radiator and a transmission cooler. The carbon fiber roof is standard on GR Corolla’s equipped with the automatic transmission and available as part of the Premium Package for cars with the manual transmission. Around back, the car remains unchanged with the same tail lights, same wide arches, and same triple exhaust pipes.
Safety – Standard on every GR Corolla are 10 airbags and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This suite of safety & driver aids include pre-collision with pedestrian, bicycle, & intersection support with emergency steering assist, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, auto high beams, and adaptive cruise control. The car is also equipped with a backup camera and blind spot sensors.
Warranty – In the past, sports cars would receive a shorter warranty period. But this 2023 Toyota GR Corolla has the same warranty period as every other new Toyota vehicle. 3 years / 60,000 km comprehensive and 5 years / 100,000 km powertrain. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For information on USA warranty, click here. (Scroll to bottom of page)
Conclusion – In the end, the addition of the automatic transmission makes the GR Corolla, not only attainable for those that don’t know how to drive a car with a manual transmission, but also faster and more comfortable for daily commutes. Sure, it’s not as engaging as the 6-speed but the great thing is, you can choose which one you want. Personally, I’d go for the automatic.
Thank you to Toyota Canada for providing the GR Corolla. www.Toyota.ca
2025 Toyota GR Corolla Gallery
