Turns out it was! Pumping 70% of the available power to the rear wheels provides a spot-on amount of rotation, a subtle looseness, that makes the car feel lively and, here’s that word again, playful. I had also wondered after the first drive event if the three-mode GR-Four all-wheel-drive system’s 30:70 power split would be better appreciated on a mountain road than on a track, where it was basically just a good way to go slower than the 50:50 Track mode. Though I remember the steering being a bit meh at the track, it shined in the real world, contributing to how playful the GR feels. To our great surprise, the steering delivered more feedback, with crisp turn-in and agreeably light weighting that really lets you feel the road. Basically, it’s pretty boggy, and then snarl, growl, go, go, go! Nothing really happens before 3,500 rpm, and there isn’t as much of a mid-range punch as the four-cylinder Civic, but it’s happy to sit north of 6,000. The GR’s little turbocharged inline-three is growly, snarly and raspy, like a dog shaking the hell out of a rope toy. While the two cars seem awfully similar on paper, with 300 horsepower for the Corolla and 315 hp for the Civic with virtually identical 0-60 times in the low-5-second range, how they go about their acceleration is entirely different. It also didn’t exactly wipe the floor with the Honda in any of those categories, either: Out of a possible 90 points, it got 65 to the Type R’s 63.īut let’s put the objective stuff aside for a second, because it’s the subjective “fun to drive” category where the GR Corolla shines brightest. Because of this, scoring higher in the weighted car enthusiast categories just wasn’t enough to overcome its shortcomings. That said, it’s still a Corolla, which is inherently not as good as a basic 2023 Honda Civic. And if you’re looking for the more collectible car and the ability to make people go “Oh cool!” it’s the Corolla. From its wider rear body work and strengthened structure, to its bonkers engine and slick all-wheel-drive system, this isn’t just a Corolla Hatchback in a costume with a few go-fast parts added. Whereas the Type R looks and drives like the pinnacle of a car lineup that offers driver enjoyment at every ladder rung, the GR Corolla comes off as a Skunkworks project – because that’s basically what it is. Many of the categories are the same as we’d use for minivans or family sedans (passenger and cargo space, infotainment and safety features, interior quality and functionality, fuel economy), but we weighted seven categories, including two that are special for this test: gearbox and “fun to drive” joined acceleration, braking, steering, handling, ride, front seat support/adjustability and value as the “car enthusiast categories.” After tallying it all up, we had a clear winner, but acknowledge that “the loser” is arguably the cooler and more memorable car. All of that was a long-winded way of saying “they are effectively the same price and come with as much equipment as possible.” (Of course, all those prices are essentially theoretical as dealers across the country are adding many thousands onto the hood of any GR or Type R that finds its way onto their showroom floor).Īfter extensively driving them back-to-back through the canyons of Malibu, the traffic of Los Angeles, and the morass of the pre-school parking lot, we scored each car on our usual 1-10 rating scale. It goes for $44,995, or a few hundred more than the Civic. It includes all the Core options (Performance, Technology and Cold Weather packages), plus the hardcore Morizo Edition’s functional brake ducts, bulging hood also with ducts, red-painted brake calipers, a suedecloth/leather upholstery upgrade and the super-cool carbon fiber roof. Our particular test car was a GR Corolla Circuit, which was originally intended to be made for 2023 only, but has thankfully been given the green light for 2024, too. However, you will definitely want the $1,180 Performance package that adds front and rear limited-slip differentials, so that would be $38,175. Yes, the GR Corolla has a much cheaper base price, with the Core starting at $36,995. The Civic Type R comes only one way – loaded – so it provides the baseline at $44,385, including destination.
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