You knew this comparison test was coming. The moment Toyota literally slid the GR Corolla across a stage for its big debut, we were wowed by its “that’s a Toyota?!” audacity and 300-hp, racing-derived three-cylinder engine, six-speed manual, and adjustable all-wheel-drive system. Its bogey for true greatness was clear even then: The Honda Civic Type R has been our favorite hot hatch since 2016, when for the first time in 30 years of the Type R subbrand, Honda sold it in America. Could a Corolla go toe to toe with the house of R? R you kidding?
Nope, there’s no joke here. The 2023 GR Corolla, whose name ties it into the same Gazoo Racing subbrand behind Toyota’s GR86 and revived Supra sports cars, arrived as a legitimate competitor. It packs its racing-derived three-cylinder engine, manual transmission, and all-wheel drive inside a Corolla hatchback body puffed up with adorably chonky fender flares and a gulping front intake.
Right on cue, Honda unveiled its new 2023 Civic Type R, a heavy update of the previous generation with new styling inside and out that largely retains the old model’s mechanicals—the good stuff. It remains a 300-plus-hp compact hatchback with a six-speed manual gearbox, firmed-up suspension, and a looming rear wing. Having felled all of its all-wheel-drive competition—and with the front-wheel-drive Hyundai Veloster N’s exit this year—it becomes the lone front-drive hatchback with more than 300 ponies. To see whether Toyota’s GR Corolla could topple the
