DRIVEN: 2025 GR Corolla vs 2023-2024 GR Corolla
ClubLexus Editor Michael S. Palmer with a 2023 & 2025 GR Corolla
Does the 2025 GR Corolla FEEL any different than the 2023-2024 models? Our back-back-driving comparison delivers surprising results!
Two years after the GR Corolla debuted, Toyota is back for 2025 with a mid-cycle refresh that includes the hot hatch’s first automatic transmission, a new front bumper with additional cooling, and several revised suspension components. But, let’s be honest. Engineers are always claiming various changes and upgrades from year to year. This is especially true for Gazoo Racing and Lexus F-branded vehicles. But do you have to be a suspension engineer or track rat to really feel the suspension differences between the new 2025 GR Corolla and the previous two model years?
To answer this question, Toyota loaned us a Supersonic Red 2025 GR Corolla Premium Plus with less than 300 miles on the clock (RIP break-in period). And then I reached out to a great Facebook community called 2023+ GR Corolla Group where several local GR owners offered to meet up. Among them, Kevin Quijano (aka GR Corollas on Instagram & YouTube) was kind enough to let me have a go in his 2023 GR Corolla Core that you’ll see pictured throughout this comparison. (For context, his Core is stock save for a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and a Circuit Edition hood.)
2023 GR Corolla Core owner Kevin Quijano
We ended up driving back-to-back routes on the highways and ramps around Los Angeles International Airport in Southern California. A mix of grooved concrete surfaces with lots of abutments and other imperfections that quickly reveal any and all suspension flaws. It’s a great place to compare ride quality.
And we were both surprised by the instant and obvious results.
What Changed for 2025?
Before we get to the drive itself, let’s go over all of the 2025 GR Corolla changes, compared to the previous two model years.
- Optional 8-speed Automatic with paddle shifters, launch control, and a transmission cooler
- Torque bumped up to 295 ft.-lbs.
- Premium Plus replaces the Circuit (adds a head-up display, removes the bigger rear spoiler & forged wheels)
- Supplemental engine radiator (standard on Premium Plus, optional on Premium)
- Rebound springs added to the inside all four shocks
- Revised front grille with larger radiator openings and active heat extraction
- Foglights deleted
- Revised rear coil springs
- Revised rear axle mount
- Revised GR Four all-wheel-drive system
- Active exhaust tuned slightly differently (now audibly closes in ECO mode)
- Toyota’s Audio Multimedia System (the touchscreen radio interface) has a slight update menu options stay visible even when wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are in use.
While there are obvious changes, 2025 model year GR Corollas aren’t radically different from the previous two model years, but they are, shall we say, more evolved and finely tuned.
2025 GR Corolla Driven: Can You ACTUALLY Feel the Differences? Yes & No!
Earlier this year, I chatted with Toyota engineers and PR reps about the 2025 model-year redesigns, which included a tour of the revised suspension components and GR FOUR tuning. (Video above.) The goal, they said, was to make the GR Corolla sharper and more capable on track. So, they revised the rear springs, putting in a denser coil. Next, they added a rebound spring inside the shocks on all four corners. They also revised the bracket used to mount the rear axle to the vehicle’s chassis. And they re-tuned the torque-vectoring modes in the GR FOUR system.
Let’s first talk about the damping and springs because, wow, what a noticeable difference.
The 2023 model remains fun and darty, like driving a 300-hp go-cart. But the suspension, in this case after 19,000 miles, was extremely smooth and forgiving. It’s a great mix of comfort and capability. Easy to turn in, grip for days. And even though it’s a little down on torque, it’s got all the zip you need for this amount of weight and power. The word that comes to mind is plush, but only by a few degrees of softness.
Stepping into the 2025 model, the differences were immediate and obvious (although not radical).
I’ll get into the Automatic vs Manual debate in a future article. But the suspension tuning in the 2025 model feels harsher, transferring more vibrations and imperfections into the seats and steering wheel without feeling rattly and unrefined. Turn-in felt a touch more precise as well. Which may have been helped by this press loaner’s optional rear chassis brace (which debuted last year). It’s not the best for daily driving in places with subpar infrastructure, but overall it feels more planted and connected to the road.
In short, if you’re looking for the hottest of hatches, the 2025 GR Corolla has never been better. (I’m jokingly calling it the Morizo Jr.)
In terms of the power bump, the 22 extra ft.-lbs of peak torque was less obvious than one might imagine. Did the 2025 Auto feel faster because it had more power, because the automatic’s additional gearing is better at hitting shifts and keeping the car in an optimum power band, or both? It’s hard to quantify, especially as time passes. We drove a 2025 manual a few days after this comparison. But without very specific back-to-back testing with an older model, I can’t say the newer tune feels noticeably faster from a ye olde butt dyno perspective.
GR FOUR
As for the GR FOUR all-wheel drive system, I should point out a few things. I’ve driven the Core, Circuit, Morizo, and now the 2025 Premium Plus. Outside of one press track day back in 2022, the other few weeks’ worth of GR Corolla wheel time has been on dry, sunny Southern California public roads. Spirited driving, of course. But well below this vehicle’s traction limits where torque vectoring might make a massive difference.
To that end, I can’t say there’s a massive difference in how the traction feels between the new 2025 system and the previous years. Still, I have a few thoughts that may be helpful for potential customers.
With the earlier 2023-2024 GR FOUR setup, Track Mode with its 50-50 torque split front-to-rear is my favorite. (As a reminder, this is now called Gravel in 2025.) I liked the way it blends traction to all four corners and makes the car feel planted at all times. The rear-biased, 30-70 option never really worked in my testing, which could be my fault. But it also felt as if the car never felt powerful enough to be rear-happy on dry surfaces.
(I’ve seen videos of others enjoying this mode in the snow, of course.)
In the 2025 model, I’ve gone back and forth between Gravel and the new Track Mode, which automatically transfers up to 60 percent of the torque to the front wheels, or up to 70 percent of the torque to the rear wheels, depending on various sensors and conditions. Basically, the idea is to send the torque to where you need it most.
In everyday, spirited driving, I still love the way the 50-50 split feels (all traction and all go all the time), but I’m not sure if I could feel anything in Track Mode without being on track. That being said, I do have one interesting anecdote. The automatic GR Corolla offers launch control and I’ve also been doing some casual 0-60 testing.
Without launch control, the GR Corolla hit 60 mph in a GPS-measured 5.55 seconds in Gravel Mode. But the best I could manage in Track Mode was 5.71 seconds. With launch control engaged, Gravel produced a 5.25-second run to 60, while Track managed 5.20 seconds.
2025 vs 2023-2024 Values
Looking online locally in Southern California, used 2023 GR Corollas with under 20,000 miles (many under 10,000 miles) appear to be priced in the mid $30,000 range, while more premium grades and/or 2024 models in the low $40,000 range. For 2025 models, that’s anyone’s guess. GR models don’t typically qualify for manufacturer subsidies. And I’m sure greedy dealerships will be trying to tack on market adjustments and unnecessary packages. But the new car market is in a much different place than it was when the GR Corolla first debuted. In short, unless you can find yourself an actually-rare Morizo, I wouldn’t pay one penny over sticker for any GR Corolla.
With that in mind, if you’re looking at a manual transmission GR, you’ll probably save $10-15K by going the used route, and you’ll get a very engaging performance experience. If you’re looking for an automatic or want a new feature like the sub-radiator or the head-up display, go with the 2025 model.
2025 vs 2023/2024 GR Corrolla Specifications
2023 on the left; 2025 on the right
For those who like just the facts, here’s a quick overview of the major similarities and differences between the model years —
2025 GR Corolla
- Grades: Core, Premium, Premium Plus
- Pricing: $40K – $50K
- G16E-GTS 1.6L Turbocharged 3-Cylinder Motor
- Horsepower: 300 hp
- Torque: 295 ft.-lbs. (all grades)
- Transmissions: 6-Speed Manual or 8-Speed DAT (Direct Automatic Transmission)
- GR FOUR: Normal (60-40 front-bias torque split), Gravel (50-50 torque split), Track (automatically transfers torque between a 60-40 front bias and a 30-70 rear bias)
- Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (Morizo), Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (all others)
2023 & 2024 GR Corolla
- 2023 Grades: Core, Circuit, Morizo
- 2023 Pricing: $37K – $53K
- 2024 Grades: Core, Premium, Circuit
- 2024 Pricing: $38K – $48K
- G16E-GTS 1.6L Turbocharged 3-Cylinder Motor
- Horsepower: 300 hp
- Torque: 295 ft-lbs. (Morizo), 273 ft.-lbs (all other grades)
- Transmission: 6-Speed Manual only
- GR FOUR: Front (60-40 front-bias torque split), Rear (30-70 rear-bias torque split), Track (50-50 torque split)
- Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Should You Upgrade? Maybe
If you own a 2023 or 2024 GR Corolla, is it worth trading in on a 2025 model year? OR, if you’re thinking about buying your first GR Corolla, should you buy a 2023/24 or a 2025?
The bottom line is this: the 2025 GR Corolla is quite noticeably different from a driving and suspension standpoint compared to earlier models. Not wildly so, of course. All three model years are wickedly fun and capable surgical instruments. It’s just that the 2025 is a sharper scalpel. So my advice for upgrading depends on four factors —
- Budget
- The quality of your local roads
- Intended use
- Your health
If money and value are your priority, save a few bucks by picking up an older model year. Or, if you live someplace with rougher roads, track days aren’t a priority, and/or you want a daily driver, 2023-2024 models might be a better fit for you. (This is especially true if you struggle with lower back pain.)
However, if you’re looking for an improved track experience. Or, if precision and sharpness are your priority, and you live someplace where the roads are in pretty good shape, or the GR will only be a weekend toy, 2025 might be a better fit for you.
Huge thanks to Kevin Quijano for all of his help and time, and to Toyota USA for the double GR Corolla loan this week. More coming very soon!
Images: Michael S. Palmer
