After a couple of weeks of ownership and finally completing the break-in period, I've had enough time behind the wheel of the GR Corolla to share some initial driving impressions.
Coming from the FR-S, I knew the GR Corolla would be a very different experience. I was trading a low-slung, rear-wheel-drive sports car for a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive hatchback. The hope was to gain some everyday practicality without sacrificing too much of what makes driving enjoyable.
So, how has it been living with the GRC?
Things I Really Like
The powertrain is certainly one of the highlights.
Despite having only 1.6 liters of displacement, the turbocharged three-cylinder is surprisingly responsive. You really don't notice much turbo lag unless you're deliberately looking for it, such as accelerating in a high gear at low RPM.
The engine revs smoothly and never feels like it's struggling. There's plenty of power for everyday driving, and it eats up speed limits with ease. It certainly makes the daily commute to work a little more entertaining.
The six-speed manual transmission is also a pleasure to use. Shifter engagement is crisp, with throws that aren't overly long. Combined with the responsive engine, it makes for an enjoyable powertrain package.
The engine and exhaust notes are also quite livable. There's enough character to remind you that you're driving something special, but nothing excessively loud or obnoxious. A welcome feature for old ears like mine.
Another highlight is the Brembo braking system.
I really like the pedal feel. The travel is linear and predictable, making it easy to modulate braking pressure. There's a reassuring consistency to the pedal that I appreciate.
The downside? Be prepared to clean your wheels frequently. The factory brake pads produce a considerable amount of dust.
The suspension is also reasonably well suited for daily driving. It's certainly on the firm side, and you do feel the bumps and imperfections in the road, but it's not so harsh that it becomes tiresome. There's a sense that the chassis is tightly controlled, without excessive body movement, and the car feels composed during normal driving.
It's a reasonable compromise for a car that's meant to serve double duty as both a practical daily driver and something you can enjoy on a winding road. Of course, whether that same suspension setup holds up under track conditions is something I'll have to find out.
One interesting adjustment has been heel-toe downshifting.
With my size 8 shoes, I find that I really have to use a traditional heel-toe technique to reach both the brake and accelerator pedals. In the FR-S, I could simply pivot my foot and use the side of it to blip the throttle. That doesn't work nearly as well in the Corolla.
The GRC does have automatic rev matching, and I found the system to work quite well. However, I could still feel the slightest interruption during some of the downshifts. It's subtle, but if the system isn't going to be completely seamless, I figure I might as well do it myself.
Besides, heel-toe downshifting is part of the fun.
Things I Don't Like
Every time you climb into the GR Corolla, you're reminded that, underneath everything, it's still a Corolla.
The interior is essentially that of a $20k economy car, with another $20k worth of powertrain and drivetrain bolted onto it.
Of course, that's an oversimplification, but it's certainly how the car feels.
The seating position is another area where I really miss the FR-S.
The FR-S was a proper sports car, and its driving position suited me exceptionally well. You sat low in the chassis, with the car seemingly wrapped around you. Everything felt natural and purposeful.
In the GR Corolla, you feel much more like you're sitting on top of the car rather than in it.
It's not necessarily uncomfortable, but it's a very different experience, and one that takes some getting used to.
Another area where the GR Corolla falls short of the FR-S is steering feel.
The difference is night and day. The FR-S has wonderfully crisp, direct steering that gives you a real sense of connection with the front tires. It's one of the things I loved most about that car.
The GRC, by comparison, feels noticeably more numb. The steering does what you ask of it, but there's a layer of isolation between the driver and what's happening at the front wheels. It simply doesn't communicate with the same clarity as the FR-S.
Perhaps that's not entirely surprising, considering the two cars were designed with very different priorities. But it's something I immediately missed coming from the FR-S.
I'm curious to see whether that difference becomes more apparent once I get the GRC on track.
The cargo space was also a bit of a disappointment.
You would think that moving from a small sports coupe to a five-door hatchback would provide a substantial improvement in practicality. Unfortunately, the poorly designed foam inserts beneath the cargo floor take up a surprising amount of usable space.
In fact, with the rear seats folded down, I wouldn't be surprised if the FR-S could carry just as much stuff, if not more, than the Corolla.
Not exactly what I expected from a hatchback.
Final Thoughts
Despite those complaints, the GR Corolla has been checking most of the boxes I wanted from a fun daily driver.
The engine is responsive, the transmission is enjoyable, the brakes feel excellent, and the car has enough character to make even an ordinary commute entertaining.
There are certainly compromises. The interior is basic, the seating position isn't nearly as engaging as the FR-S, the steering lacks some of the feedback I enjoyed, and the practicality isn't quite what I expected.
But perhaps that's the tradeoff with a car like this. It's not trying to be a dedicated sports car. It's taking an ordinary economy hatchback and giving it a genuinely exciting powertrain and drivetrain.
And so far, that formula works pretty well.
Of course, there's still one rather important question left to answer.
How does it perform on track?
I'm hoping to take the GR Corolla to Gingerman Raceway next month. Once I've had a chance to push it beyond what public roads allow, I'll be back with some proper on-track driving impressions.