2025 Toyota GR Corolla Automatic Review

You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Whether you’re unable to drive a manual-equipped car or you simply don’t want to, you shouldn’t be prevented from having fun. And the good news is one of the most amusing performance cars on the road is now one of the most inclusive. The better news? The engineers behind the automatic version of the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla knocked it out of the park with the tuning of the eight-speed that’s under this hot hatch’s hood.

Power 9 / 10

To be clear, this newly available transmission isn’t an argument against the standard six-speed manual. If you want a clutch pedal, get it. But for people who can’t go that route, the eight-speed automatic is more than just a sad alternative.

The so-called “direct automatic transmission” (DAT), which is marketing speak for the sport-tuned version of the eight-speed “direct shift automatic” found in the Toyota RAV4, reacts remarkably quickly to pulls of the paddle shifters and will occasionally (almost telepathically) drop two gears at a time, giving you readier access to torque.

It's a testament to Toyota’s willingness to respect a driver’s wishes that, in manual mode, the car will allow you to stay in gear until redline; it will even let you bounce off the rev limiter if you don’t upshift.

It may seem like there’s no practical reason to do that, but it’s a welcome signal that the car trusts you to be in charge of your own experience — and that the automaker is confident the entire unit won’t grenade in the process. [Right, Toyota…?–Ed.] Better still, it prevents accidental double-upshifts that can rob you of fun if you decide to tap the paddle a millisecond after the computer does the job. 

What is perhaps most impressive about the transmission is how it works in the automatic mode that doesn’t require the driver to think about changing gears at all. Toyota gives owners four drive settings (sport, normal, eco, and custom) that change when the transmission shifts (along with a handful of other parameters). In both sport and normal settings, the DAT will happily allow the GR Corolla’s turbocharged 1.6L three-cylinder engine to sing at the top of its rev range while accelerating.

While slowing back down, it uses throttle position to anticipate a driver’s needs and downshift, allowing them to accelerate quickly out of a corner and utilize all of the engine’s 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque (that’s 22 lb-ft more than in 2024). The relatively high revs also lead to engine braking as you ease off the accelerator pedal, giving the throttle an elastic feeling that’s predictable and reminiscent of driving a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Fuel Economy 4 / 10

The downside of allowing the car to play with the full circumference of the rev counter is that it’s not particularly economical. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) estimates the 2025 GR Corolla will consume around 10.5 L/100 km in combined driving, which, unusually, is even more than the manual (9.8). This tester did not meet NRCan’s estimates, with an indicated rating of 11.4 L/100 km, though I did a lot of city driving and wasn’t careful with the throttle pedal. No matter which way you cut it, that’s worse than the Honda Civic Type R (9.7 L/100 km combined) or the Volkswagen Golf R (9.3) — the car’s closest competitors. It’s pitiful fuel economy, but I doubt most buyers will care.

Driving Feel 8.5 / 10

It is, after all, easy to be forgiving of such an impressively capable car. Its powerful engine, customizable all-wheel-drive system (which distributes torque between the front and rear wheels), and the front and rear limited-slip differentials (which mediate torque between the left and right sides) work well with the transmission to get the grunt to the road and launch you out of corners. Better still, that capability doesn’t turn the Toyota into something too serious. The power delivery and the ability to funnel as much as 70 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels in the sport setting make the GR Corolla a lively playmate.

My one complaint with this tester was that I noticed a nervous shimmy under heavy braking and while turning in for high-speed corners. After some discussion internally here at AutoTrader HQ, where the manual version of the car was sure-footed on summer tires, the winter rubber must have contributed to this sensation. Although it’s forgivable, the GR Corolla is marketed as an all-season wonder, so this subtle (and hopefully temporary) weakness feels like it’s worth flagging. Even with that one caveat, I still had a hoot behind the wheel.

Comfort 6 / 10

All that fun comes at a cost, though. The transmission’s willingness to hang onto gears and the exhaust system’s laissez-faire attitude make this a loud car — this despite the automatic’s two extra gears as compared to the manual version. On top of that, there’s no adaptive suspension, unlike the Civic Type R and the Golf R, so there’s no relief from the sporty ride, even during long drives. That’s not to say the suspension is poorly calibrated, though; it's rigid, but it isn’t crashy.

Practicality 6 / 10

Another minor knock against the GR Corolla is that it doesn’t fare well against its two closest competitors when it comes to cargo capacity. While its trunk will accommodate an acceptable 504 L of stuff, the Volkswagen Golf R will swallow up 564 L and the Honda Civic Type R will take 695 L. Elsewhere, the GR Corolla’s rear seats are OK, but they don’t offer an abundance of legroom, and there’s no centre armrest between the front seats, which means there’s no storage there, either. None of these shortcomings are disastrous, though, and in my week with this tester, it never felt unbearably cramped.

User-Friendliness 8 / 10

The GR Corolla isn’t at the forefront of technology, but it does at least come with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display that reorients itself to focus on revs when you activate the sport setting. Admittedly, the eight-inch infotainment touchscreen feels small by today’s standards, but that’s not always a bad thing, as owners of earlier versions of the eighth-generation Golf R know all too well. Without a ton of real estate on the touchscreen, the GR Corolla relies heavily on the tactile buttons that are easy to find and use. It’s not the slickest setup, but it works.

Features 8 / 10

The GR Corolla is fairly well equipped no matter which version you go for. The standard model is only available with a manual transmission, but it comes with heated seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist, adaptive high-beam settings, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Those who opt for the Premium package (which adds $8,000 to the price of the manual version and is mandatory on the automatic model) also get a wireless phone charger, an eight-speaker stereo, and suede seat inserts. Otherwise, the upgrade also adds a transmission fluid cooler, a head-up display, matte black wheels, a black painted grille, a bulged hood, and a forged carbon fibre roof.

Safety 9 / 10

The standard Corolla performs very well in crash tests, earning five stars in crash testing from the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On top of that, the GR Corolla gets a robust suite of safety technology, including lane keep assistance, automatic high-beam control, and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, to name just a few features.

Styling 6 / 10

While I’m willing to believe that some readers may find beauty in the tortured angles and excessive radii of the GR Corolla’s sheet metal, to my eye, it’s a mess. 

Although I can see what Toyota was going for with the big race car-style box flares it added to the Corolla’s fenders, they hang off the car heavily and I find its overall posture ungainly — like it’s heading in two directions at once. Up front, the larger air intakes may be important for cooling the automatic transmission, but they further contribute to making the car look like its mouth is being clamped open by a dentist.

It's not all a disaster, though. The 18-inch alloy wheels, for instance, do a good job of giving the GR Corolla some rally-car-ruggedness and the aggressively bulging hood (with its silly little vents) is at least expressive. The Supersonic Red paint is also nice, though I’m sad to see the Blue Flame paint disappear for 2025, leaving only white, black, and silver as alternatives. The interior, meanwhile, is relatively inoffensive, and the splashes of red, in the form of contrast stitching on the seats and the handbrake, add a welcome flare.

Value 7 / 10

As compared to its two closest competitors, the standard GR Corolla (which is only available with a six-speed manual transmission) is a pretty good value. Starting at around $51,000, it’s a little more than $2,000 cheaper than the Volkswagen Golf R and $5,000 less than the Civic Type R. Opting for the automatic transmission forces buyers to include the $8,000 Premium package, increasing the price of the car significantly. This top-of-the-line tester rang in at around $61,000, which is about what an optioned-out Golf R will cost.

The Verdict

That makes the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla a competitively-priced good time, and the addition of an automatic transmission only makes it a more complete offering. However, the car is not without its faults. Although it’s fun to drive, it consumes more fuel than its competitors while offering less space and less comfort. You certainly won’t mind that from the driver’s seat, but if you frequently drive with passengers, they may be less forgiving.