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vs GR Corolla

Shiba Speed

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So Scotty has concerns about a 3 cylinder turbo engine. So all he did was state an opinion. No facts to back it up.
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Kyofu

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So Scotty has concerns about a 3 cylinder turbo engine. So all he did was state an opinion. No facts to back it up.
Yep, nothing to note here. I'd be more worried if there were report of the same engine blowing up in the GR Yaris over seas.
 

VarmintCong

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How was your experience with e36?
That was my favorite car. So perfectly balanced. Steering was incredible. Engine sounded really sweet and liked to rev. I drove it to 145k miles and got an E46 ZHP which was almost as good but not as much feel as the 325i.

Not cheap to own, it went through suspension parts and cooling system every 60-80k miles, but not many other failures.
 


VarmintCong

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Anyone still picking the GRC over the Type R?

I was leaning GRC before it came out and reviews showed it wasnā€™t as fun as we imagined. I was hoping for a Toyota Focus RS or even STI. But seems less fun than those. So now I donā€™t really see any reason to put up with the cramped and inferior interior.
 

superporpoise

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Anyone still picking the GRC over the Type R?

I was leaning GRC before it came out and reviews showed it wasnā€™t as fun as we imagined. I was hoping for a Toyota Focus RS or even STI. But seems less fun than those. So now I donā€™t really see any reason to put up with the cramped and inferior interior.
Iā€™m conflicted between the two but leaning GR Corolla. I live in the PNW where it rains all the time, and I think the GRC might be more fun more often. I also prefer a smaller car and want heated seats.

I also donā€™t care about having the very best performer ā€” I am 100% happy with my Elantra N from a performance perspective, and would upgrade to the CTR mostly for the hatch + better gearbox feel (saying that out loud, prooobbbably not worth the 15K price difference, hah).

That said, I go back and forth weekly it seems. Would love to hear othersā€™ thoughts ā€” especially anyone who has driven both (Iā€™ve only sat in both).

The Golf R is also on the table if they fix the touchscreen madness ā€” though I wish it was made by Honda or Toyota and not VW.
 

TimeRacer

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Anyone still picking the GRC over the Type R?

I was leaning GRC before it came out and reviews showed it wasnā€™t as fun as we imagined. I was hoping for a Toyota Focus RS or even STI. But seems less fun than those. So now I donā€™t really see any reason to put up with the cramped and inferior interior.
Car really seems like a smaller hatch STi. Need to remember the STi with the subpar Subaru factory tuning and asymmetrical locked AWD has always been on the slower side of acceleration for the power and always liked to understeer at the limit stock. Subaru interiors have never been great either. So if you were looking for an STi replacement in hatch form, Toyota pretty much fulfilled the role except with a better handling smaller car.

The big draws for the GrC are going to be perceived Toyota reliability, AWD, heated seats/steering winter stuff, enough utility in the hatch and the lower price IF you're able to find one at MSRP. But the interior is out of a $20k car, the ergo of the Corolla in general isn't great and the car is really small, especially with the raised floor in the hatch area. It's one of the cheaper (again MSRP) 'good' backroad carvers with the AWD and short wheelbase and if you wanted a smaller car. If you compare against the Golf R it's the price, haptic controls, not full time AWD and VW vs Toyota reliability/repair cost and slower agility due to longer wheelbase (and interior) and AWD implementation.

Golf R might get the new steering wheel for the 2024 MY if you can wait but the touch infotainment and climate stuff is still going to be there.
 


fredzy

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I finally picked up my GR Corolla today. Itā€™s a wild beast and Iā€™m quite happy with it. Simply perfect little machine. BUTā€¦ arenā€™t there always buts? GRC was the smart choice. FL5 was where my heart was!

If it were possible to get a CTR at MSRP I might have pursued it. Even $45k is a bit of a pill for me.. these cars just arenā€™t worth that. But I probably would have paid it.

What I do though, is I combine the CTRā€™s silly price with the meh soundtrack, ridiculous ride quality and FWD to brew up a steamy batch of copium. Huff that shit down to forget about how gorgeous the FL5 is, how šŸ«  the seats/cockpit are and how massive the rear hatch area is.
 

VarmintCong

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I finally picked up my GR Corolla today. Itā€™s a wild beast and Iā€™m quite happy with it.
Are they going near MSRP, i haven't been keeping up?

how's the engine sound vs the Type R?

Some 3 cylinders sound good, had hopes for my Focus' 3 cylinder (a detuned version of the Fiesta ST's engine), but it sounds pretty ordinary.
 

fredzy

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Are they going near MSRP, i haven't been keeping up?

how's the engine sound vs the Type R?

Some 3 cylinders sound good, had hopes for my Focus' 3 cylinder (a detuned version of the Fiesta ST's engine), but it sounds pretty ordinary.
I havenā€™t revved it out much yet, maybe 4500 tops but it sounds so good to me. I want to say at these RPMs it sounds like a big truck lol, but in a good way. Just noisy enough too. Lots of turbo noises which fits the drama. And I know from videos it sounds great up top so I canā€™t wait, just a plus all around.

MSRP is relatively common, certainly compared to Type R. It comes down to whether itā€™s a dealer whose policy is to sell at MSRP or not. In my area there are a good number of them but those dealers generally keep lists, which are years out at this point so it can seem hopeless getting onto one.
 

TDC50

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Congrats on picking up the GR! In this world of boring crossovers Iā€™m thankful there are some useable enthusiast machines left.
 

landyman71

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So I drove them both (CTR and GRC) on the same day back to back and figure this may help!

CTR: I drove a boosted blue example which honestly makes the red interior really pop! I drove it a couple of miles on some nice-ish roads (whatever roads are left in GA without potholes).

GRC: Black core with the LSDs and the Tech pack. Also drove that a similar amount but had more highway time.

I drove each like how I would a daily, which is how I would use them. If you think that either is a rough daily, try dailying an '83 LR 110 without a/c in Florida with a 1.5 hour commute. I'm unsure that I'm all there. Anyways!

Compared to the GRC, the CTR interior was fantastic and the shifter was more snickety and felt a little shorter (I don't know how else to describe it). It also felt more focused. But it also was definitely a front wheel drive car. It was a little greasy as it had rained a few hours earlier and it would spin and wheel-hop at every opportunity. I put that also down to tire. But it felt sharp and in the right place would definitely be very capable. Just not in every situation. Lots of great steering feel.

Compared to the CTR, the GRC interior was shite, but at least it had black carpet. The CTR's red carpet scares the OCD in me. Overall, I think the GRC was the most playful. To elaborate, it gripped for absolute days and never slipped and just felt like it wanted more. It also sounded better. If I buy the CTR the first thing I will do is rip out the artificial engine noise. But god the interior. I would have to get the circuit if possible. Also you could definitely tell this is a turbo car because that turbo lag is real. But in a fun way. The CTR felt more linear when it wasn't spinning which was amazing.

Looks are subjective so I won't comment. Each has its own appeal. If you have more questions ask away!
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