Toyota GR Corolla vs Honda Accord

What's the difference?

The GR Corolla had a lot to live up to before, given the likes of the GR Yaris and GR86 fit their briefs so well.

Now, with a little more daily useability and a little more performance, the GR Corolla is even better at both sides of its Jekyl and Hyde personality.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Will the new Honda Accord e:HEV RS topple the SUV throne? Unlikely, but it proves sedans can still haul the family around in relative comfort and style.

The new Accord drives stupidly well and offers great ongoing ownership costs, even if it's price tag is a little steep. It's hybrid powertrain also offers fantastic efficiency and that's a big win.

The Corolla already looks more sporting than most hatchbacks even before the GR treatment, but a few tweaks up front, some wider wheel arches and a third exhaust exit at the back have this thing looking almost ready for a rallycross.

The only downside to that is the changes are relatively minor from some angles. If you weren’t aware of the GR version, you'd need to see the GR Corolla from the front or spot that exhaust to know something was up.

The update has, however, ushered in a change at the front bumper, where the air intakes have been adjusted for improved airflow “to the radiator, intercooler, brake ducts, sub radiator and automatic transmission fluid cooler”

In part, this was necessary to help cool the new automatic gearbox, though it does generally help with overall cooling.

While the GR Corolla looks the part, there’s more function to it. The air that passes in through the side intakes at the front is vented to a duct in the wheel arch that also cools the brakes.

It’s the same as the GR Yaris sibling in terms of the philosophy behind aerodynamics and cooling in many ways, though much of the Yaris is bespoke, where on the Corolla, parts have been attached to the standard body.

Like the outside, the inside of the GR Corolla is mostly the same bones as its non-hot-hatch relatives, but the aforementioned sports seats, leather trim and aluminium pedals are all fairly strong hints this isn’t quite ‘hire car spec’.

The design for the new Accord is powerful with a sexy silhouette that features a rear spoiler, black accents and sporty 18-inch alloy wheels.

The old chunky grille is long gone and at certain angles you almost get a Nissan 200 SX vibe, which is gorgeously retro and a refreshing take for Honda - which has been playing it safe for the last few years.

The interior is simply styled but looks timeless. The dashboard has clean lines and a featured honeycomb mesh that hides the air-vents. It's a feature which might not land with everyone but it adds personality.

The black upholstery looks plush and there are enough soft-touchpoints to make the cabin feel like it deserves a premium tag.

As far as hatchbacks to build a daily-useable hot hatch upon go, the Corolla is a relatively solid starting point in terms of ergonomics.

Physical buttons and controls for things like climate are within reach for most functions of the car, though the multimedia touchscreen itself isn’t the most up-to-date.

The seats are comfortable but hold you firmly in place, and the steering wheel, pedals, and shifter are all in the correct positions for engaging driving - particularly important in the manual version.

The storage space is where the GR Corolla disappoints a little. There’s door card space for a water bottle, cupholders, the wireless device charger, but not really anywhere for larger items.

Behind the front row, adults will find themselves a little cramped in terms of kneeroom, while dark interior materials make the second row feel poorly lit.

Further back in the Corolla is the 213-litre boot, which is pretty small even for a hatchback, although Toyota lists a maximum 503 litres with the seats folded down.

Under the boot floor is a tyre repair kit, rather than a spare tyre. Keep that in mind if undertaking a road trip.

Access to the cabin is great thanks to wide door apertures but the Accord is a low car to get in and out of with its 134mm ground clearance. Expect a couple of grunts when parked on a hill!

Both rows offer ample legroom but the front enjoys the best of the headroom. A 183cm (6.0ft) friend was lumped with the middle seat and spent the trip dreadfully hunched over and uncomfortable. Save the middle seat for kidlets.

The electric front seats offer decent comfort for a longer trip but it's disappointing that only the driver’s side gets lumbar support.  

The rear row enjoys well-padded seats and amenities, like retractable sunblinds, reading lights, two USB-C ports and directional air vents but it took a while for the back to cool down on hot days which my kid made known. Loudly. 

Storage consists of a large glove box and middle console (which can accommodate a small handbag), a sunglasses holder, four cupholders, four drink bottle holders and two map pockets. There is also a dedicated phone tray but a few extra cubbies up front would be welcomed.

The boot offers plenty of space with its 570-litre capacity, which is great for the class, and you can also open up storage options with the ski-port door, if need be. The powered boot release is a handy feature.

The touchscreen multimedia system looks nice but is a pain in the butt to use until you set some time aside to get to know it. It’s just not intuitive but the screen is responsive and it's a bonus that you get the built-in sat nav and Google apps. 

The new Accord gets wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but it took a few beats to get the wireless CarPlay to work.

The charging options are good throughout the car with four USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from.

The model line-up has been streamlined for the new Accord and there’s only one variant available, the e:HEV RS model.

The new Accord is well-specified but misses out on some luxurious extras most of its rivals sport, like heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated rear outboard seats.

Which might all seem superfluous at first but maybe not when you consider the new Accord's $64,900, before on-road costs, price tag sits just shy of the more expensive Skoda Superb top model, which is $65,590, before on-roads.

The next two rivals are more affordable with the Mazda 6 Atenza priced at $52,590 MSRP and the new Toyota Camry SL at $53,990 MSRP.

The standard equipment list for the new Accord includes leather-appointed upholstery, electric front seats, lumbar support for the driver's side and a panoramic sunroof.

There's also keyless entry and start, adaptive LED headlights, a powered tailgate and a host of high-end technology throughout.

That includes a new 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system with satellite navigation and built-in Google apps, wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Honda app (with over-the-air updates), a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charging pad and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.

The GR Corolla’s 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is now a little torquier than before, with outputs now 221kW (at 6500rpm) and 400Nm (between 3250 and 4600rpm) thanks to an extra 30Nm.

The G16E-GTS engine can now drive the Corolla’s four wheels through a choice of gearboxes, either the existing six-speed manual or an eight-speed torque converter automatic.

As well as the usual drive modes, Eco, Normal and Sport, the Corolla’s GR-Four all-wheel-drive system can split the torque to the front or rear wheels via its limited-slip diffs.

Normal, Track and Gravel modes can distribute drive either 60:40 front/rear in Normal, 53:47 in Gravel, or variably depending on conditions and need for acceleration in Track.

Toyota hasn't provided a 0-100km/h time for the 2025 GR Corolla in either variant, but the auto should knock it over in under five seconds, with the manual taking a little longer.

Our test vehicle has an electric continuously variable transmission and features a new self-charging hybrid powertrain that couples two electric motors with a 2.0L, four-cylinder petrol engine that combine to produce 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque.

Only being available in one powertrain may limit its audience but the combo delivers decent performance for a sedan of this size.

Toyota’s claimed fuel consumption for the GR Corolla with a manual gearbox hasn't changed from the previous 8.4L/100km, which isn’t bad for a sports car.

With the auto, Toyota says it burns through the fuel faster at a rate of 9.5L/100km.

In either case, the Corolla’s 50-litre fuel tank needs to be filled with premium 98 RON petrol, and theoretically could provide more than 500km of driving if conditions and your driving style are both perfect for efficiency.

Chances are, however, you’ll feel the need to put your right foot down a little harder than they did during WLTP testing, if for no other reason than to hear the turbo flutter when you lift off.

The new hybrid powertrain means lower outputs and the official combined fuel cycle figure is just 4.3L/100km! Which is only beaten by the Toyota Camry's 4.0L/100km.

The on-test figure pops out at 5.1L/100km after doing a some urban stuff but mostly open-road driving. Which is where hybrids tend to be the least efficient, so the fuel usage is excellent.

Based on the official combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle and 48L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 1116km, which is a little less than the Toyota Camry but still an amazing range for a family car.

That range figure drops to around 940km using our real-world average consumption number.

The GR Corolla isn’t as engaging to drive as the GR Yaris, it’s not as honed as one particular rival, the Honda Civic Type R, and it’s not as ‘nice’ as the Golf R.

But the GR Corolla is still an excellent car to drive, and it’s better for its update. In fact, the two major gripes I had with the pre-facelift car have been addressed.

I was in a unique position to be able to compare the old and new versions of the GR Corolla as I drove a MY 2024 version a week prior to the media launch for the 2025 model.

The first and probably biggest issue I had was that the Corolla’s suspension seemed like it must have been rather stiff and the body bracing quite rigid for a car riding on 19-inch wheels to let that much road noise and that many harsh bumps into the cabin.

Though it wasn’t mentioned before the on-road drive loop, the car felt more compliant without sacrificing ability and seemed much more suited to daily duties.

Toyota’s product team confirmed there had been tweaks made to the rear suspension geometry and that I wasn’t just imagining it.

The second issue is more for the sake of passengers who may be less agreeable to the three-pot thrum resonating along the exhaust underfloor.

Toyota has solved this by putting a slight mute on the pipes in the Eco drive mode, so the car is now just ‘a bit’ lairy rather than full boy racer.

Generally, it’s hard not to compare the GR Corolla to the smaller (but original) GR hatch, the Yaris. Especially having driven them back-to-back at the media launch.

Without leaning too much on that, I will say that while the Yaris feels like a rally car that's been modified to be road-legal, the Corolla feels more like a road car that was tweaked for rallying.

The Corolla stops just short of being too ‘raw’ for everyday use in most aspects, but it’s still very capable when it comes to driving fast. 

Like its suspension, the steering feel is dialled in for feedback without being too rough, and allows you to corner accurately without feeling like you need to second-guess or adjust inputs.

When it comes to handling, it doesn’t feel like the Corolla is entirely leaning on the Yokohama Advan tyres for grip, as it feels tied-down and doesn’t pitch and roll through corners.

The duality of the GR Corolla is helped by its drive mode and differential settings and even on track can help you lean into your own driving style.

While the rear-biased 30:70 setting previously made for a slightly tail-happy hot hatch, the new variable Track setting does a fabulous job of keeping the drive where it needs to be, though it turns out it’s also rather handy for sliding the Corolla around a wet skid pan.

Another neat trick is the GR’s handbrake, same as the Yaris, which can disconnect the rear diff when engaged so you don’t need to dip the clutch pedal in the manual version when indulging in handbrake turns.

It will set you back to 2WD mode when the drivetrain overheats, however, or at least when its sensors suspect the drivetrain has overheated - something that only happened after a lot of handbrake turning and spinning wheels as the hatchback slid sideways.

The Corolla’s brakes are ventilated 356mm front and 297mm rear discs, and doesn't lose stopping power even after plenty of tight, twisting road driving where the brakes and the sticky Yokohama Advan tyres copped a workout.

The new auto transmission is also a delight. It's calm during normal driving but snappy with shifts in Sport mode and set to manual gear selection. It won’t really cooperate on a rapid drive of its own accord.

The only criticism of the auto gearbox (aside from being less engaging than the manual, but that’s your own choice) is that the shift paddles behind the wheel feel a little plasticky, but I’m nitpicking at this point.

Power delivery for the new Accord is pretty punchy and, in most scenarios it’s responsiveness is great. But occasionally, when you’re getting up to speed, there can be a small lag before things kick in.

The Accord handles like a dream and feels firmly planted on the road in corners. Even in high winds, the car feels stable and sure of itself. Delightful.

The cabin is quiet and engine noise is at a minimum most of the time. Around town, the Accord sounds and behaves like an EV. Only once you hit the open road do you get some road noise but it never intrudes on chatting.

It might also be one of the easiest sedans to park and it's got a lot to do with the top-notch 360-degree view camera system and direct steering.

The new Honda Accord hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP yet, but it has eight airbags, which includes a knee airbag for the front passenger, but you miss out on a front centre airbag.

Standard active (crash avoidance) safety tech includes blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, rear occupant alert, forward collision warning, tyre pressure monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera system as well as front and rear parking sensors.

There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers. The rear seat is wide enough to easily accommodate two big booster seats but you might get lucky with three smaller seats.

Toyota offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plus an extra two-year warranty on the GR Corolla’s engine and driveline.

There’s also a capped price on the first three years of servicing for the GR Corolla at $310 per service.

The downside to the servicing arrangement is that intervals are six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. That's more regular than a usual schedule and it means potentially pricier servicing for the seventh visit onwards.

The Accord comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, and an eight-year battery warranty, which are now normal terms for the class.

You get a five-year capped priced servicing program and it costs just $199 per service, which is very competitive.

Servicing intervals could get annoying if you put a lot of kays on your car as they're set at every 12-months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.