The GR Corolla is as splendid a piece of machinery as has ever graced our garage. The joy of the Corolla comes in pushing it as hard as it will go, taking the engine, suspension, and brakes right to their limits—but that doesn’t mean knocking your head against the car’s limits. The GR Corolla loves a good caning and still provides thrills aplenty even if you dial back a bit. Driving it fast feels like the perfect partnership between human and machine, and the fact that you need to use those paddle shifters to keep the engine humming is a reminder that the machine can’t operate at its best without a competent human at the wheel. Although noisier and harder-riding than the Golf R, it’s still a tolerable vehicle to live with. The GR Corolla is, by any measure, a monument to the art and love of driving, and the $39,995 base price makes it a gift, at least in stick-shift form. How could a car like this lose a comparison?
It can when faced with something like the Golf R. The Volkswagen is the more refined machine, and it does everything the GR Corolla does at a slightly higher level. It’s quicker, both on paper and in the real world, a bit quieter, a bit more comfortable, and quite a bit more practical. While the GR Corolla begs for abuse, the Golf R makes achieving speed easier and more relaxing, allowing drivers of all abilities to feel like a deity behind the wheel. Of course, the Golf R is the more expensive car, but eliminating that Euro Style package (we’ll happily take a sunroof and power seats over an 80-pound disadvantage) drops its price down to within a few bucks of the GR Corolla—and that makes it slightly more car for slightly less money.
For that reason, the Volkswagen Golf R is the winner of this comparison, but if you choose a Toyota GR Corolla over the Golf, you’re not making the wrong decision. The real winner is the lucky so-and-so who gets to choose between these two excellent automobiles. Our advice: Buy both.
