2026 Toyota GR Corolla Review

Mildly improved 2026 GR Corolla remains wickedly fun.

James Riswick | 

Oct 10, 2025 | 8 min read

James Riswick

Most people will saunter by the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla and not give it a second look, totally unaware of its automotive awesomeness. They might not notice it at all. Yet I think this little hatchback, with its 300 horsepower, three-cylinder engine, and rally-ready all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, is one of the most amusing cars you can drive today.

For 2026, structural rigidity enhancements promise improved handling. A new secondary air duct improves engine cooling, and the bulging hood, previously exclusive to the range-topping model, is now standard. Toyota has discontinued the Core base trim level, making the former Premium trim the new base model. The Premium Plus gains a nine-speaker JBL sound system and artificial engine noises.

The result is a GR Corolla that's a teensy bit more responsive when driven hard, even if there's nothing new that dramatically improves this future classic. More importantly, none of the tweaks mess it up.

James Riswick

About the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla Review Vehicle

The 2026 Toyota GR Corolla is available in Base and Premium Plus trim levels. Prices range from just over $41,000 to a little more than $47,000, including the destination charge. That's with the standard six-speed manual transmission; the eight-speed automatic is effectively an additional $2,000.

For this review, I tested two versions of the Premium Plus: an automatic on the street (pictured) and a manual on the Sonoma Raceway track in California. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the automatic was $49,160, including the $1,195 destination charge.

Toyota provided the vehicle for this GR Corolla review and covered the costs of airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.

James Riswick

The GR Corolla Is Muscular Outside

With its wide fenders and swollen hood, the GR Corolla still resembles a Corolla Hatchback that's hit the gym. As stealthy as it may be to some, it'll still stand out to those "who know," especially with the three tailpipes out back.

The interior remains unremarkable. I appreciate the GR's sport seats and steering wheel, grippy Brin Nuab upholstery, contrast stitching, alloy pedals, memorable instrument graphics, and chunky mechanical hand brake. Still, Toyota offers nothing like the Honda Civic Type R's vivid red seats and carpets to set the performance-tuned Corolla apart.

Additionally, I think the interior quality falls short of Honda's standards, and its functionality is worse. Sure, that chunky mechanical hand brake may be better for parking with a manual transmission and wicked cool for hand-brake turns. But its presence forces the relocation of the cupholders and the deletion of the center armrest and bin underneath. By contrast, the Civic Type R's center console and interior, in general, are just as functional as those of a humble Civic LX.

James Riswick

Nevertheless, the GR Corolla's sport seats are grippy and supportive. I didn't find myself relying upon my core strength to keep me in place when lapping Sonoma Raceway, yet the seats weren't constricting or overly firm during my street drive. Their range of manual adjustment is also good, even for a 6-foot-3 driver.

Unfortunately, the GR Corolla suffers from the same tiny back seat and cargo space as the standard Corolla Hatchback. The Civic Type R offers far more adult-friendly accommodations, and its cargo capacity is superior (24.5 cubic-feet versus the Corolla's 17.8 cu-ft). In my previous real-world testing, I was able to fit more luggage in the Honda and in the Hyundai Elantra N's traditional trunk than in the GR Corolla.

James Riswick

The GR Corolla Gets a Head-Up Display for 2026

The GR Corolla's 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system features an intuitive interface with clean graphics and functionality similar to other Toyotas. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is standard, along with satellite radio. Native navigation is available through one of several connected-services subscriptions, and it successfully got me back to my hotel from Sonoma Raceway.

The GR Corolla also features a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel with performance-oriented graphics and layouts that differ by drive mode. The Premium Plus includes a head-up display showing vehicle speed, which is far better than looking down at the gauges while on the track.

James Riswick

The GR Corolla comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 package of safety features. I didn't have many opportunities to test them (thankfully, in most cases), but the lane-keeping assist proved unobtrusive enough that I didn't feel the need to turn it off on a rural, winding road.

Opting for the automatic transmission adds "full-speed-range" capability to the adaptive cruise control, which means it can bring the car to a stop. After getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic, I can confirm it'll do that. In my experience, however, it did not resume travel when the car ahead began to move.

James Riswick

What It's Like to Drive the 2026 GR Corolla on a Track

The fun starts with the engine, a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that produces 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. That's 22 more pound-feet than when the GR Corolla launched (upgraded last year), and after driving 2023 and 2026 models back-to-back, I did notice a welcome bit of extra oomph when accelerating up the turn one hill at Sonoma Raceway.

The growling little turbo-three still sounds like a puppy feverishly tugging on a rope, accompanied by the distinctive chorus of three tailpipes. It's incredibly cool, so I can't understand why, for 2026, Toyota decided to pipe in a bunch of "sporty sounds" through the JBL sound system based on acceleration, deceleration, and other parameters. That back-to-back drive with the 2023 definitely didn't make me yearn for the fakery.

The six-speed manual gearbox isn't as buttery smooth and precise as the Civic Type R's, nor as pleasingly mechanical as the unit in the Toyota GR86, but it remains the enthusiast transmission of choice. It's easy to drive, and although the brake and throttle are a tad too far apart for ideal heel-and-toe downshifting, the automatic rev-matching system will do a fantastic job for you.

I didn't get a chance to drive the eight-speed automatic on a track, so Toyota's claim that it anticipates the need to shift in a way that "is similar to professional drivers" went untested. On the street, I found it to be serviceable, with rapid responses for highway passing and quick reactions to its paddle shifters. However, it doesn't feel like a performance automatic as the Elantra N's crisp and hyper-responsive dual-clutch transmission does.

James Riswick

The changes made to strengthen the chassis and other elements since 2023 are subtle. If it wasn't for Toyota offering up three back-to-back-to-back model years for full-speed laps on Sonoma Raceway, there's no way I would have detected the crisper turn-in from the steering or the tighter body motions while cornering. Is it better? Yes. Will a 2023 GR Corolla owner be scampering to the dealer to get a 2026? I doubt it.

The GR Four AWD system continues to provide the driver with different front-to-rear power distributions, but starting last year, the options have changed. A 60:40 split remains for Normal mode, but the original 50:50 split intended for the track is now labeled "Gravel" for rally-style driving. (I briefly got to do that as well at Sonoma, and oh boy, was it a riot. I'd say the GR Corolla is happier on a rally course than a racetrack.)

The old 30:70 mode, which provided a looser, rear-biased feel and potential tail-out hijinks, has since been replaced by a new "Track" mode that varies the power split from 60:40 to 30:70 based on driver input and current conditions. I still preferred the 50:50/Gravel setting on the track, finding it more neutral and predictable through corners. It felt faster. The variability brought back some of the rear-biased looseness I experienced with the original 30:70 mode, which can feel more fun, especially when exiting hairpins.

In short, the GR Corolla is an incredibly controllable, confidence-inspiring, and forgiving car on the track, allowing you to drive as much with the throttle as with the nicely contoured steering wheel. It can be just as fun out in the real world, though you must also deal with a ride that's less compliant than what's provided by the adaptive suspensions of the Civic Type R and Elantra N.

James Riswick

Is the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla a Good Car?

The Toyota GR Corolla is both a great car and, in my opinion, a future classic. Car enthusiasts will be fawning over these for decades to come, and for good reason: The GR Corolla is incredibly capable, fun, and characterful. It's not the easiest car to live with, though, so if you're looking for a daily driver rather than a weekend toy, the Honda or Hyundai might be a better idea.

James Riswick

James Riswick has been testing cars and writing about them for more than 20 years. He was the senior reviews editor for Autoblog and previously served multiple editor roles at Edmunds. He has also contributed to Autotrader, Car and Driver, Hagerty, J.D. Power, and Autoguide Magazine. He has been interested in cars forever; his mom took him to the Toronto Auto Show when he was 18 months old and he has attended at least one every year since (OK, except in 2020). When he's not testing the latest cars, he has a babied 1998 BMW Z3 in James Bond blue, a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon, and a 2023 Kia Niro EV.