totally with you on all the points. the gr makes normal driving really fun. i face this issue as i own a type r but i cant get past myself on selling the gr. i dont need two cars but i dont need the money either. first world problems.I cross-shopped the GR Corolla (stick), Golf R (DCT), Type S (stick), and WRX (stick).
The R was a bonafide rocketship, but it was just… boring. I found myself getting comfortable and (eventually) distracted during my test drive of a buddy’s stock R. The R is a great car — it’s fast, comfortable, good-looking, and muted. It’s the mature adult of the hot hatch bunch.
The GR, on the other hand, is SLOW. But what it lacks in speed it more than makes up in driver engagement. It keeps me interested, focused on the task of driving, and constantly attempting to become better at driving the thing — optimizing cruising speed, shifting more smoothly, avoiding engine bog, etc. It’s the opposite of boring. I’m incredibly unlikely to take out my phone and use it to suppress boredom (and increase my chances of getting into an accident). It’s what I want out of a car that I mostly drive by myself in whatever way I want.
It would not be the car I’d choose if:
1. I routinely had to transport my kids in the back,
2. I had to drive to customer locations or anywhere that I’d want to represent myself as professional (or at least mature),
3. My spouse needed to ride shotgun more than once a quarter,
4. Stoplight racing was important to me,
5. I had a better attention span (and less need for constant stimulation).
I type all this to say: I’d never be a buyer of a DAT GR Corolla over the DCT Golf R, but I gain a bunch of driver engagement points out of the 6spd GR Corolla that the Golf R can’t match. And, I fully recognize that my criteria (prevention of boredom while driving above all else) are not everyone’s cup of tea.
@wheelhaus - There’s a core lesson / worldly adage embedded in your comment that I appreciate greatly and strive to follow every day (though don’t always succeed). I think it can be parsed into two statements:I'm never going to knock anyone for liking what they like. I learned that lesson a long time ago, that I have more in common with other car enthusiasts than any other group, why would I want to alienate my peers, for some insecure need to feel superior? If they're into cars, cool, lets chat. I do however, find it very interesting what influences -why- people like what they like. Comparing numbers on paper is pretty meaningless in the long run, but its fun topic to chat about. Overly opinionated/preloaded/biased reviews and comparisons are entertaining, but that's it. Many are negative... on purpose. The only part I find frustrating is how it all influences people's opinions and egos, pushing a negative image like some sort of competition and ultimately limiting interest. Not all press is good press in this respect even if a channel gets extra clicks for it, it's ultimately at the expense of the hobby we all love. This is the reason why cars like this exist in such few numbers; too much criticism.
Personally I'm with the lot of you regarding reasons why I chose the GRC. It's certainly not the best driving, best handling car I've personally ever owned, and it makes plenty of sacrifices that other cars excel at. But, it does all the things I want, the way I like, and it does them well enough with no major red flags that I'm very happy with it.
Right on. One of the main reasons I bought a GRC rather than a Golf R. Well, mostly it was the horrible MK8 interior. But I certainly love the feel of the 50/50 split on the GRC better than how my old Golf R felt.If you look at the reviewers that gravitate towards the GRC more, they tend to live in areas with more frequent elevation changes. They live in IL. SG seemly doesn't take that into account, so they just drive it around flat ass Autobahn raceway, whatever the hell that's suppose to be as a marker for the car. No wonder they harp on it, they live in an area that more FWD bias area would be acceptable.