2025 Toyota GR Corolla Review: A Family Hatch and Rally Car in One

Born to be a Classic

Some cars are born to be instant classics through their captivating design, overachieving engineering or unanticipated high sales numbers.

These days, it’s getting harder to surprise the online automotive community. We’ve reached a point where someone “leaking” images or details about a new upcoming model has become so routine that one assumes its part of the brand’s marketing campaign. 

The Toyota GR Corolla debuted in 2022 for the 2023 model year, but the only surprise we got was outrageous dealer markups. Because we expected this car in one form or another after seeing its predecessor, the smaller Toyota GR Yaris, which debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon. 

The GR Yaris shook the digital auto world by storm. It was an unexpected and welcome return to high-powered hatchbacks that used to rule the roads before the crossover takeover.

Yet, this three-cylinder turbocharged marvel wasn’t going to be available in the United States. But with desire comes demand, and nothing moves a product faster than hype. Anyone with a basic sense of business and appreciation for cars knew Toyota would figure out how to monetize the viral hype in the North American market. 

The GR Corolla, a Mighty Mouse of Speed

A couple years later, the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is still bearing profitable fruit as a fun, practical, and exclusive high-performing vehicle. Part of its charm is being a rally-bred four-wheel-drive, three-cylinder, four-door hatchback.

It’s a compact car boasting more power than most mid-size sedans and SUVs. It has performance stats on par with vehicles double the number of cylinders and turbochargers. It’s a mighty mouse of speed that can handle its power on asphalt or gravel. 

Updates to the 2025 GR Corolla

Changes for 2025 include a new GR Direct eight-speed automatic transmission with launch control, featured in the model shown, as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual.

Styling tweaks include a functional power bulge hood scoop, improved airflow styling on its fascia and suspension tuning to increase traction. Moreover, front and rear limited slip differentials are now standard across the GR Corolla’s three trim levels: Core, Premium and Premium Plus.

The model shown is the chart-topping Premium Plus, sporting a lovely shade of Super Sonic red ($425), accessorized with a forged carbon-fiber roof and a set of 18-inch matte black 15-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. Red GR brake calipers look attached to the massive 14-inch front disc brakes and 11-inch discs at the rear. 

I would compare the GR Corolla’s aggressive styling within its cute dimensions to a hamster sporting a Mohawk.

Small with attitude and its three-pipe exhaust system poking out from the rear diffuser does a good job of vocalizing its punk rock aggression. It’s just a shame that red is the only vibrant color available on this limited production model, with the other three exterior colors being white, black and a shade in between. 

Interior Keeps It Simple

Black is the only interior color option on the GR Corolla, but the Premium Plus adds red stitching to the synthetic leather-trimmed upholstery for a bit of flare. In addition, a chassis base ($720) located in the rear hatch provides motorsport chic. 

Vital information for the driver is displayed on a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and via an available heads-up display.

I appreciate Toyota’s restraint in not gluing a desktop monitor to the center of the dashboard. Instead, it opts for a modest 8-inch screen with one dial for audio volume and a series of analog buttons and dials to manage the climate controls. 

The center console consists of a manual handbrake ideal for situations where you need to perform a three-point turn in one cinematic rotation.

More importantly, a rotary dial is located behind the gear lever and next to the handbrake to select the GR four-wheel-drive system from Normal asphalt to Gravel or push down in the center to engage Track mode. 

This 4WD system works by distributing power to the front and rear wheels in a 60/40 split during normal driving conditions, favoring the front wheels. However, the driver can change it to 30/70 to swing the tail out like a blue-blooded rally car or maintain a 50/50 split to maximize track day fun.

A detail I absolutely love is the word “EXPERT” appearing on the instrument cluster when you turn the traction control completely off. 

Four Wheels, Three Pistons, Big Power

The heart of this car’s appeal is the G16E-GTS turbocharged 1.6L three-cylinder engine, which sounds like a wasp nest kicked by a steel-toed boot.

It buzzes with fury as it climbs the tachometer, sprinting from zero to 60 in five seconds and all the way to a top speed of 143 mph. Speeds between 60 and 143 mph come and go faster than you’d expect, so be wary of speed traps in your area. 

You won’t understand this car, or its price, driving in congested streets. To achieve enlightenment, you’ll need to travel on a road that looks like a crazy straw on a GPS map.

It doesn’t matter if the road is paved so long as you traverse it at speeds that shouldn’t be disclosed to any authority. Then, you’ll get it. You’ll feel the effort Toyota Gazoo Racing put into this car in live action as it zigs-and-zags letting you drive it to the edge without flirting with disaster. 

The only drawbacks are economical, with fuel economy rated at an average of 22 mpg, demanding a steady diet of premium fuel. I managed to drive 225 actual miles before the gas tank was sipping on fumes. The little engine’s manic demeanor makes it thirsty. 

A Limited Supply

Toyota stated it would produce “approximately” 1,500 GR Corollas for the year, so finding one will require time and money, with a starting price of $38,860 for the entry-level Core model.

Good luck finding one for a price close to what Toyota’s official website is asking because dealerships love adding fees on top of the MSRP for hot cars in demand. 

Engine: 1.6L Turbocharged three-cylinder

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

0 to 60: 5.1 seconds (automatic)

Starting Price: $38,860 (Core)

Price as Shown: $50,433 (Premium Plus)