2025 Toyota GR Corolla vs. 2025 Volkswagen Golf R: Hot Hatch Showdown on Track

• The Golf R's 2025 update adds more horsepower and a new package that saves weight.
• The GR Corolla gets a slight torque bump and a new automatic transmission for 2025.
• We put them through our full testing regimen, plus hot laps around our track and on a timed autocross.

In one corner, we have the 2025 VW Golf R, the AWD counterpart to the legendary GTI, but with more power and a higher performance ceiling that we were excited to try to reach. And our test vehicle also came with the lightweight Euro Styling package that brings lighter 19-inch alloy wheels, manually adjustable seats, a sunroof delete, and a titanium Akrapovic exhaust, which combine to save about 80 pounds.

To balance things out on price and equipment, we brought along a 2025 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus with its newly available eight-speed automatic transmission. Sadly, the Golf R is no longer offered with a manual of its own. We mourn, and we move on.

After spending a day screaming around our test track in both cars, some clear themes began to emerge in favor of each.

Testing results

For more insight into these performance figures, be sure to check out our testing pieces for the Golf R and the automatic-equipped GR Corolla.

There wasn't much daylight between these two when it came to braking and on the skidpad, which makes sense considering they are close in weight and have similar braking hardware and summer tires.

The gigantic gap appeared in our acceleration testing, where the Golf R crushed the Toyota. There's a gap in power, but that alone can't account for the 1.4-second difference in 0-60 mph times. This seems to be where the difference in transmissions manifests, with the Golf R's dual-clutch unit not only providing quicker shifts but a lot more push off the line. Both cars had launch control, but if we dig a little deeper, the VW is also 0.5 second quicker from 0 to 30 mph than the Toyota.

The GR Corolla's eight-speed automatic uses a traditional torque converter that seems to really be sapping power from the engine. With the manual transmission, the GR Corolla's 0-60 mph time drops down to 5.4 seconds, and this is a very rare case in modern performance cars where rowing your own gears is the quicker way to get down the drag strip.

On track

With its numbers advantage in tow, we took to the track first in the Golf R to see how it all comes together. The Volkswagen is a rather sophisticated machine. Nearly everything is adjustable, from the steering to the powertrain to its nearly 15 different firmness settings for the suspension. And that's not to mention the three different race modes (Race, Nurburgring and Drift) and the Custom setting where you can tailor it to your liking. I chose Custom mode with everything dialed up, traction control off, and the suspension at maximum firmness for the smooth asphalt of our test track.

The Golf R's natural tendency hedges slightly toward understeer, and when the nose pushes, you have to have faith in the AWD system to move the power where it's needed to help get you out of the corner. This process happens quickly, but it also feels a bit inconsistent, and it was challenging to place the car exactly where you wanted to on track. Compounding this issue was a lack of feel through the steering wheel; you'll hear the tires start to lose grip and feel it through the seat before your hands.

This isn't to say the Golf R isn't fun on a track. It puts its power down on corner exits with real confidence and the transmission is absolutely fantastic, with lightning-quick shifts and little latency between pulling on the paddles and the gears changing. But with the computer doing a lot of the heavy lifting beneath you, there's a definite layer between the driver and the road ...

You won't find that in the GR Corolla. This is about as analog as you can get, and you feel that instantly through the steering (the wheel is also perfectly sized), which offers plenty of feedback and a directness on turn-in that the Golf R is missing. 

For 2025, if you select the Track setting for the AWD system, it is now a variable torque split that hovers between 60:40 and 30:70 front:rear, rather than 50:50 as it was before. But it remains transparent to the driver and the car is super predictable, with a trend toward oversteer that allows the hatch to throw these tiny, easily controlled little slides when you push it around corners before the rear wheels hook up and scoot you toward your next destination.

If you want to maximize the fun, though, you have to go back to the order sheet and get the manual transmission. Beyond it being more enjoyable to row your own gears, the manual car feels noticeably quicker on the track and has a well-executed rev matching system on top of that. Save $2,000, add a third pedal, and improve the experience all at once.

Autocross

Our final test for the day was a two-lap trip around our autocross course, which combined a slalom with a couple of hairpins on the first lap, a chicane on the back straight. The Golf R's go-go advantage meant it would win — the question would be by how much.

The gap turned out to be smaller than anticipated, with the Golf R completing its laps in 39.4 seconds and GR Corolla following behind at 40.1 seconds. While the Volkswagen was able to get going quicker, in our tight course, the GR Corolla's handling advantage meant that it was easier to maintain momentum around the hairpins that bookended the course. The Golf R's understeer meant I had to back off the throttle to keep it within the cones, and that cost it time.

Our verdict

Both of these cars proved to be excellent evolutions of the modern hot hatch (AWD division), but if you're picking one of these to drive every day, it's not really a contest. The Golf R's better testing numbers, far superior interior, and the ability to dial in its suspension make it the best choice if you're looking for a car that's fun on the road and primed for the occasional scoot around a canyon road or an autocross.

However, there's something so deeply satisfying about the driving experience in the GR Corolla that I keep coming back to. As a car for a track day or if you have designs on wrenching on it yourself, it's got serious appeal (as long as you can avoid the automatic). Turning back the clock in the Toyota is a great way to spend an afternoon.