2025 Toyota GR Corolla Automatic First Drive: Better Than You Think

• The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is now available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
• The automatic gearbox is a $2,000 option; the six-speed manual is still standard.
• After a day's worth of hot laps, the two-pedal GR Corolla was a surprising delight.

What’s new with the GR Corolla for 2025?

This little nugget is already one of my favorite cars on sale, and Toyota made it even better for 2025. The automatic transmission might not call everyone’s name, but the company assumes that about 20% of buyers will go for it, expanding its reach to more enthusiasts. Beyond that headline option, there are a few more tweaks that make this overall package more appealing.

The turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine still makes 300 horsepower but now pumps out a more hearty 295 lb-ft of torque (up from 273 lb-ft). You’ll also notice a new look up front with a revised grille that adds two functional cooling ducts. The entry-level Core trim gets the previously optional traction-enhancing limited-slip differential as standard. Finally, the whole car is a little more rigid for better overall stability.

Shakedown at Charlotte Motor Speedway

A NASCAR track is probably not the first place that jumps to mind as an ideal spot to test a three-cylinder hatchback, but the infield road course, aka the “Roval,” is a great time. Right away, I can make use of launch control, a new feature for the GR Corolla. To activate, make sure the car is in Sport mode, turn off traction control, pull back both paddles to activate, left foot on the brake, right foot on the throttle, and then let it rip.

Toyota says the automatic GR Corolla matches the manual’s 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds. Stay tuned for the official Edmunds test result when we get this car at our test track (hopefully ASAP). For what it's worth, the automatic transmission only adds 45 pounds to the GR Corolla's weight.

When you're firing away from a stop, acceleration is brisk and accompanied by a wonderful array of noises from the three-cylinder engine and robust exhaust. Left to its own devices, the eight-speed transmission fires off shifts with quickness and perfect timing. This may be a conventional automatic gearbox, but it shifts with such immediacy that you'd think it had a dual-clutch setup.

Using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, you can execute multiple quick downshifts without any fuss from the gearbox. It's easy to get into a rhythm and control the flow of power around the track. The only bummer is that the gear shifter and paddles are straight out of the standard Corolla parts bin — there are no unique materials to make them feel special. They don't even get GR logos.

Subsequent hot laps remind me why I love the GR Corolla so much. New for this year, Track mode sends between 60% and 70% of the engine's power to the rear wheels depending on grip conditions and can constantly vary that input as needed. You can feel it working in the moment to combat the front end's natural tendency to push into a corner, instead of getting the rear end to rotate through a turn. This is the key differentiator between the GR Corolla and other front-wheel-drive competitors like the Honda Civic Type R.

The GR Corolla is just as enjoyable off the track, too. I wish the updated rebound springs better softened the overall daily-driving ride quality because this is still quite a stiff car, even by hot hatch standards. But that’s a mild gripe in an otherwise solid experience.

Which transmission should you buy?

Choosing the automatic transmission adds $2,000 to any of the GR Corolla's three trim levels. The cheapest way to get into a GR Corolla is the manual-equipped Core trim, which starts at $39,995, including the $1,135 destination charge. On the top end is the automatic Premium Plus model, priced from $48,650 with destination.

I don't think the automatic transmission is outright better than the manual, and there don't seem to be any tangible performance benefits to either transmission. However, I can appreciate that Toyota is giving customers the option of automatic shifting, making the car more accessible to people who don't want to or simply can't live with a manual transmission. Me? I'll still stick with three pedals. But I won't fault anyone who opts for two instead.