We Didn’t Ask the Toyota GR Corolla to Get Less Fun, But Here We Are

There’s no denying we love the Toyota GR Corolla, at least when it has a manual transmission. We’ve also sung the praises of many well-programmed automatics or dual-clutch gearboxes, so we’re not anti-auto. What we are against, though, are any changes that make a car less fun to drive.

This year, Toyota broadened the GR Corolla range by adding a custom eight-speed automatic transmission to the options sheet. As a business case, it’s a no-brainer. Far more automatics are purchased annually than manuals, so not only will Toyota likely sell more of these, but those increased sales will also shore up the spreadsheet for the niche performance vehicle and hopefully keep it in production longer, ideally leading to future generations.

And that’s not all that’s new. All models also get an additional 22 lb-ft of torque, which was previously restricted to the special one-year Morizo model. The automatics also get launch control and a transmission cooler, with the option for a second radiator for additional engine cooling.

Further, the automatic cars get their own springs, anti-roll bars, and rear mounting geometry, plus rebound springs on all four corners. A new grille makes space for all that additional cooling. Finally, Toyota messed with the manually adjustable front/rear torque split feature, renaming the numerical ratios to Normal (60/40), Gravel (50/50), and Track (automatically adjusted by the computer based on real-time data from 60/40 to 30/70 front/rear).

Put it all together, and you have a car that’s … less fun to drive. Partly to blame is the new transmission, which tends to upshift too early, downshift too late, and unnecessarily shift midcorner. All that can be fixed by using the steering wheel paddles, but it’s indicative of unfinished or misguided development.

The new torque split settings and suspension changes gum up the works, as well. Toyota says they’re supposed to make the car more stable and handle flatter. Maybe, but from behind the wheel, all we feel is a less playful car. We previously found Track mode to be the most fun, and letting the computer play with the torque split instead of keeping it fixed at 30/70 seems to be the culprit.

There are other hang-ups, too. Somehow, despite a minimal 50-pound weight penalty, the automatic gets 2 mpg city/1 mpg highway worse fuel economy than the manual, which typically doesn’t happen anymore. We’re also disappointed to see the updated 2025 models still don’t get the improved interior of the standard Corolla despite the price premium. At least in that case, we can choose to believe the money went to the go-fast parts.

In the end, Toyota has cast a wider net but made a worse car. That’s not to say the automatic transmission GR Corolla isn’t fun. It’s just not as fun as its manual transmission sibling, all while using more gas, so what’s the point? If we have to ask a question like this, it can’t be a finalist. This review was conducted as part of our 2026 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.