2025 Toyota GR Corolla

Toyota mostly fulfills its reputation for building efficient and exceptionally reliable vehicles. Most of their models do well in our testing, thanks to their impressive fuel economy, comfortable rides, quiet cabins, and ease of getting in and out. All of this makes Toyotas among the best options for used vehicles. The brand was a hybrid pioneer, starting with the original Prius. Toyota has evolved and expanded that technology, and most vehicles in its lineup are available as a hybrid. Toyota also sells a number of plug-in hybrids, which were once called Prime but are now simply referred to as Plug-in. The company also knows how to add a dose of excitement into its lineup. The GR86, GR Corolla, and Supra are legit, fun-to-drive sports cars. However, some models we’ve tested have been disappointing. The company’s EV, the bZ4X SUV, is mediocre.

Toyota is going wild with the GR Corolla. It is essentially a factory-bred tuner car based on the Corolla hatchback, enshrouded in a brash body kit and stuffed with a 300-horsepower turbocharged engine. That three-cylinder powerplant is paired with a six-speed manual transmission and it drives all four wheels. For 2025, Toyota also began offering an eight-speed automatic. The engine also got a slight bump in torque. Boosting traction are wide UHP summer tires. Beyond the obligatory sporty trim details throughout the cabin, the GR Corolla notably has a 12.3-inch display for the instrument panel, rather than analog gauges. The Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (aka TSS 3.0) suite is standard equipment on all GR Corollas, packing the latest active safety features from the automaker. And despite the extreme performance that the GR Corolla promises, it is backed by a regular 3-year warranty and includes two years of free maintenance.