2023 Honda Civic Type R v Toyota GR Corolla GTS road/track comparison (inc. lap times)
2023 Honda Civic Type R v Toyota GR Corolla GTS road/track comparison (inc. lap times)
A titanic tussle for the title of best Japanese hot hatch between two of the finest examples yet 👉 Full Review: https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial…
Just a decade or so ago, the idea that two of the hottest hatches ever created would be based on the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic would have been laughable.
But Japanese performance cars have made a resurgence and, for proof, look no further than the new Nissan Z, Subaru BRZ and the Toyota GR Yaris, 86 and Supra.
Now, it’s time to put the two newest members of the club – the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla – head to head and you might be surprised at Scott Newman’s verdict.
Fast Forward
00:00 Intro
01:12 Pricing and specs
03:30 Type R Interior review
04:12 GR Corolla Interior review
04:44 Infotainment \u0026 safety
05:27 Passenger space
06:12 Luggage space
06:59 GR Corolla road test
10:25 Type R road test
14:29 Lap times
17:58 Verdict
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Content
1.12 -> Let's rewind 10 or so years ago.
2.6 -> The idea that I would be standing next to
two of the hottest hatches ever seen, and
7.87 -> one is a Honda Civic and the other a Toyota
Corolla, would seem absurd.
12.05 -> But this is 2023 and Japan is back on top
of the performance car world.
17.24 -> We've got a new Z, a new Supra, the GR86 BRZ
twins, and the Honda Civic type R, and Toyota
24.199 -> GR Corolla.
26.039 -> To be honest, both are really, really good
but which is best?
30.57 -> Before we find out, please like the video,
subscribe to the carsales channel, and give
34.29 -> us your pick for the winner in the comments
below.
49.14 -> In this video, we're going to take a close
look at both cars inside and out, see which
66.08 -> impresses most behind the wheel, and even
see which is quickest on track.
69.15 -> But first, some details.
70.15 -> At first glance, it looks like there's quite
a big price disparity between these two, but
76.61 -> remember, Honda only quotes drive-away pricing
these days.
79.61 -> So in reality, the difference is about five
grand.
82.07 -> Funnily enough, available colors are identical,
too.
85.25 -> Red, white, black, and gray, and that's pretty
much where options start and finish.
90.99 -> Both cars have five-year, unlimited kilometer
warranties, though Toyota covers the driveline
94.64 -> for seven, and both have capped-price servicing
programs.
97.46 -> The GR Corolla needs fettling every six months
or 10,000 Ks and will cost you $1,800 over
102.721 -> three years or 60,000 kilometers, whereas
the Honda is truly an incredible bargain.
108.05 -> At just $995 for the first five years or 50,000
Ks.
113.38 -> Let's quickly run through some of the specs
of these two.
115.729 -> Starting with that one.
119.43 -> The Type R is the bigger car.
121.24 -> 200 millimeters longer than the Corolla as
well as being wider, though the roof line
124.81 -> is a little lower.
126.5 -> Despite this, it's the lighter car at 1,429
kilograms and wears 19-inch rims, an inch
131.62 -> smaller than its predecessor, funnily enough,
with 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
137.79 -> Brakes are 350-millimeter discs with four-piston
Brembo calipers at the front, and 305-millimeter
143.091 -> solid discs and single pistons at the rear,
and adaptive dampers are standard.
148.11 -> The Corolla is smaller but heavier at 1,470
kilograms, that's the price of all-wheel drive,
153 -> and has 18-inch wheels with 235/40 Yokohama
Advan tires.
157.77 -> So, much less contact patch than the Honda.
160.89 -> The front brakes are 356-millimeter discs
with four-piston calipers, and 297-millimeter
166.69 -> discs with two-piston calipers at the rear.
168.97 -> And unlike the Civic, we have a passive suspension
setup.
171.88 -> Here, we have two cars with very similar power
and performance but they make it in quite
176.72 -> different ways.
178.16 -> The Honda has the bigger engine, more power
and torque, but being front-wheel drive, trails
183.099 -> the all-wheel drive Corolla to 100 Ks an hour
by 1/10 of a second.
187 -> At least, that's the claim.
188.44 -> Despite only having three cylinders, the Corolla
gets pretty close in terms of outputs and
193.129 -> has the fuel efficiency advantage as well.
194.959 -> Though driven in the intended manner, neither
of these cars are gonna get anywhere near
198.83 -> their claims and they'll also run outta fuel
pretty quickly, too, as the Corolla has a
203.64 -> 50-liter tank and the Civic just 47.
206.67 -> Let's take a look inside.
214.069 -> So obviously, the Civic Type R is a hell of
a lot of money but it does go some way to
220.09 -> justifying that price tag in here, as in general,
this is a very high-quality interior.
224.88 -> It might not look too groundbreaking but it
does feel very well put together.
229.28 -> All these knobs click nicely, the buttons
feel solid.
233.019 -> These seats are extremely comfortable.
235.22 -> The driving position's good.
236.41 -> We've got this iconic Type R teardrop gear
knob.
239.659 -> It's, in general, a very nice hot hatch interior.
242.659 -> There are a couple of missing features compared
to the Corolla, though.
245.78 -> Namely, heated seats and a head-up display.
248.84 -> Neither are deal breakers but both are also
very nice to have.
257.979 -> The Corolla feels cheaper inside, primarily
because a standard Corolla interior doesn't
263.03 -> feel as premium as a standard Civic interior,
which is reflected in their relevant price
267.29 -> tags.
268.29 -> It is well-equipped, though, with the heated
seats and steering wheel and head-up display,
272.39 -> missing in the Civic, and all the important
touch points.
275.32 -> So, wheel, gear shifter, and handbrake, manual
handbrake too, which is always nice, are wrapped
280.23 -> in leather.
281.23 -> The sitting position is also good, though
I do wish the steering wheel would come up
285.55 -> a fraction higher, but it's still a big improvement
over the GR Yaris.
289.56 -> The Civic has the nicer interior overall but
the Corolla has more features, so call it
293.371 -> a draw.
294.371 -> And the two are pretty even for infotainment.
296.419 -> Screen size similar, responsiveness similar,
and both have wireless Apple CarPlay and wired
301.229 -> Android Auto.
302.229 -> It's a similar story in terms of safety systems.
304.919 -> Both cars have all the toys you'd expect in
a modern vehicle and both aren't particularly
309.12 -> intrusive, though it's worth turning off lane
assist if you're on a narrow country road.
313.77 -> Digital dashes feature in both cars and you
can choose between a digital representation
317.27 -> of analog dials, or if you select Sport in
the Corolla or R-plus in the Civic, you get
322.73 -> a sportier view with a horizontal rev counter
and shift lights.
327.19 -> The first thing to note in the back of the
Civic Type R is that it's just a four-seater.
331.58 -> If you miss that on the spec sheet, the fact
that there's a pair of cup holders occupying
335.19 -> the center of the rear seat is a pretty strong
hint.
338.02 -> Rear passengers won't have any complaint in
terms of accommodation.
340.88 -> There is a heap of space back here but it
is a pretty basic environment.
344.33 -> There are no air vents, no temperature controls,
no USB ports, which isn't that unusual for
349.979 -> the hot hatch segment, but it is pretty unusual
in a car costing more than 70 grand.
354.55 -> It's a pretty sparse existence here in the
back of the Corolla, too.
357.54 -> There's an okay amount of space but no air
vents, though you can access a USB-C and 12-volt
364.14 -> outlet in the back of the center console,
and we've got these cup holders here in the
367.63 -> door armrest as well as a couple in the fold-down
center armrest.
371.199 -> If you need boot space, then there is only
one suitable car here.
375.79 -> Like all of the current gen Corollas, the
GR's boot is pretty pathetic at just over
379.61 -> 200 liters, basically half what the Honda
offers.
383 -> The Civic Type R puts that extra length to
good use with a very handy luggage space.
387.25 -> Okay, okay, enough details.
390.03 -> Now we'll get to the good stuff.
391.7 -> We'll see which one of these is a standout
from behind the wheel.
404.31 -> Now, I copped a bit of flack in the GR Corolla
launch review for saying I preferred it to
426.19 -> the GR Yaris.
427.19 -> They're a passionate lot, those GR Yaris owners.
428.259 -> They don't like you suggesting that their
car is anything other than the best thing
432.19 -> since sliced bread.
434.03 -> But guess what?
435.03 -> I'm doubling down.
436.59 -> This is a better car to drive than the GR
Yaris.
440.15 -> Is it as quick?
441.24 -> Probably not because it's 250 kilograms heavier.
444.87 -> That and its larger size also means it's not
as agile.
447.639 -> So, why do I think it's a better car to drive?
451.3 -> A big part of it is the seating position.
454.88 -> I'm located properly in the car rather than
sitting way up high, and that makes a huge
459.31 -> difference in how you feel the car behaving.
462.12 -> Yes, it's probably slower because it's heavier
but there's more power, more torque.
467.5 -> Not a higher peak figure but a wider spread
and shorter gearing, so the difference probably
472.65 -> isn't as much as you might imagine.
475.25 -> Certainly, difficult to imagine anyone having
an issue with how this car goes, given how
481.199 -> quick it is.
482.59 -> I say it every time I drive one of these cars,
but this engine is incredible.
486.59 -> 138 kilowatts per liter is obviously ridiculous
but it's so responsive.
492.28 -> It revs hard to 7,000 rpm.
494.979 -> It sounds interesting.
496.6 -> It's thirsty if you drive it hard, but can
also do like six liters per 100 K if you're
500.759 -> just cruising.
501.759 -> It's remarkable.
503.699 -> The gearbox is also very good.
505.34 -> Slick shift, well chosen ratios.
507.71 -> There is rev matching if you're lazy but it
doesn't work very well and it's super easy
512.33 -> to heel-toe it accurately.
514.4 -> This drivetrain is covered by a seven-year
warranty.
517.339 -> The other thing that makes the GR Corolla
better to drive is its longer wheel base and
521.98 -> wider tracks.
523.19 -> On the one hand, the smaller Yaris is more
agile and that pays dividends on a certain
527.6 -> type of road, and that's why it's the homologation
car for the rally cars.
532.13 -> But the GR Corolla is a little bit more stable,
it's a bit more progressive in its behavior
537.07 -> and subsequently, you can drive the absolute
wheels off this thing with utter confidence.
542.91 -> The steering is a little slow, off center
initially but you quickly adapt.
547.55 -> The brakes are awesome, the front end is strong,
and as soon as you get to the apex, you can
551.55 -> get hard back on the power.
552.72 -> Because enough of it is sent to the rear,
the car continues to rotate and fire itself
558.18 -> out of a corner.
560.76 -> People often ask about the adjustable all-wheel
drive system but in my experience, it's not
566.421 -> something you really feel the difference in
unless the car's already broken traction and
571 -> it needs to decide where to send the torque,
and that's not really something that happens
574.21 -> on the road.
575.21 -> I've got it in the 50/50 track setting which
also allows you to back off the ESP into its
580.13 -> expert mode for a little bit of extra leeway.
584.68 -> Obviously there's great traction, but look,
in summary, this thing is just a fantastic
590.089 -> road-going rally car.
591.3 -> People my age grew up with WRX STIs and Lancer
Evos. and I think we all thought that that
597.56 -> kind of car had basically disappeared forever.
599.79 -> The GR Corolla proves that is definitely not
the case.
603.69 -> Yeah, it's a bit firm day to day, but not
too bad especially given the control it gives
609.18 -> you when driven hard.
611.57 -> So, we like the Toyota very, very much.
614.21 -> But what about the Honda?
632.64 -> This new Civic Type R has a huge task on its
hands.
636.46 -> Not only does it have to be better than the
GR Corolla, but it has to be better than its
640.889 -> predecessor.
641.889 -> Now obviously, that's the case with every
new car but its predecessor happens to be
646.589 -> the best hot hatch I've ever driven.
648.5 -> Okay, it looked a bit weird and the interior
wasn't great but it was absolutely outstanding
654.94 -> to drive.
655.95 -> Therefore, this new car has very big shoes
to fill and in many respects, it's a logical
661.48 -> evolution of that predecessor.
663.35 -> That does feel a bit firmer.
665.37 -> The old car had a magical ride quality and
maybe I'm remembering it to be better than
670.97 -> it was, but this new car does feel more focused.
673.769 -> Don't get me wrong.
675.44 -> In Comfort, it's still very, very good but
I'm tending to leave it in Comfort even on
680.81 -> twisty roads just to keep some compliance
in the car.
684.31 -> Still, one of the benefits of this new model
is the ability to mix and match settings in
690.399 -> an individual mode, so you can then tailor
the car to your preferences.
694.64 -> For sporting driving, I've got the engine
in R-plus, I've got the steering in Comfort
698.959 -> because I don't see the point in adding extra
effort for no benefit, and as mentioned, suspension
703.76 -> in Comfort though on smoother roads, I'd knock
that up to Sport.
705.41 -> The steering is better than the Corolla's.
711.269 -> In Comfort, the weighting is, well, perfect
and it is much more responsive.
717.06 -> The instant you turn the wheel, you get a
response and crucially, exactly the response
722.12 -> you were expecting.
723.12 -> It's not too fast, it's just spot on.
726.13 -> The Civic is also unbelievably fast, super
responsive, huge torque spread, not short-gear
734.76 -> ratios.
735.76 -> This all makes it faster than the Corolla
ones rolling, but the engine doesn't have
738.459 -> the same character.
739.779 -> You're actually better off changing up slightly
earlier and using the torque, 'cause there's
744.44 -> no real point extending it to redline.
746.71 -> There's no surge of power and the noise certainly
isn't anything special.
751.399 -> It's a very effective engine but not the highlight
the GR Corolla's three-cylinder is.
757.12 -> The gearbox is brilliant, though.
759.2 -> Shorter throw than the Toyota, super light
and accurate shift, and the Rev Match system
763.769 -> actually works very well.
765.58 -> Initially, I looked and looked and figured
you just couldn't turn it off but it turns
770.8 -> out you can.
771.8 -> It's just buried in multiple sub-menus.
773.519 -> Please, Honda.
775.25 -> Next time, one button next to the shifter.
778.339 -> I know it works very well but I'd rather stuff
it up myself than have the computer do it
782.42 -> for me, except you won't stuff it up because
this gear box makes shifting an absolute breeze.
787.769 -> Now, if you're one of those people that don't
like front-wheel drive cars, then the Civic
792.92 -> Type R will completely change your mind.
795.82 -> In fact, it won't just change your mind, it'll
blow your mind.
800.8 -> One caveat to that though is that unlike the
all-wheel drive Corolla, the Civic does really
804.79 -> need dry roads to give its absolute best.
807.529 -> It's still extremely effective in the wet
thanks to huge grip levels, great brakes,
812.079 -> the steering, et cetera.
813.779 -> But with this amount of power going through
just the front wheels, you're dealing with
817.42 -> wheel spin all the way through the first three
gears.
819.56 -> And then, even if it does hook up, if it hits
something it doesn't like it'll then flare
823.959 -> again and pull the nose this way and that.
825.94 -> In the dry, it's a totally different ball
game.
829.459 -> This car is absurd.
831.85 -> It is so fast.
833.29 -> On a twisting road like this, it's gotta be
one of the fastest things on sale, period.
838.26 -> It's not just the insane grip, and the mega
brakes, and the razor sharp steering.
844.37 -> The Honda feels so light.
845.37 -> There's a complete lack of inertia in everything
it does and that means you always feel in
849.459 -> control.
850.459 -> Yeah, there's still some traction issues out
of slow corners and there is some torques
855.55 -> there too, but it's a 235 kilowatt front-driver,
what do you expect?
859.68 -> In fact, the Civic Type R is so ridiculously
capable, it really needs a track to show what
864.399 -> it can do.
865.42 -> So, let's see which one of these two is quickest,
shall we?
868.62 -> Here we are at Sandown Raceway and we've got
one flying lap in each car.
898.73 -> First up, Toyota GR Corolla.
964.259 -> It sets a lap time of one minute, 25.6 seconds.
967.509 -> Now, for the Honda.
1057.309 -> The Honda actually feels less comfortable
than the Corolla but it takes the honors with
1061.16 -> a one minute, 24.4 second lap, 1.2 seconds
quicker than the Toyota.
1066.84 -> So, the Honda Civic Type R takes the lap time
honors but dare I suggest that if we tackled
1071.179 -> a rally stage, the positions would be reversed
and by a bigger margin.
1073.97 -> Which brings me to the conclusion and the
verdict.
1078.13 -> I've tried really, really hard to avoid a
split decision on this one, but it's probably
1082.64 -> what it should be as both these cars are absolutely
fantastic.
1086.929 -> The Civic is quicker, more practical, and
feels a bit higher quality.
1090.39 -> The Corolla is more fun, better equipped,
and a little bit cheaper.
1094.6 -> Really, it comes down to that track versus
rally thing I just mentioned.
1099.419 -> If you're a circuit type of driver that values
accuracy and precision, get the Civic.
1104.679 -> If you're a rally fan that likes to slide
and throw the car around, then get the Corolla.
1109.57 -> Personally, I'd take the Corolla but it's
the Civic that wins here and for one reason.
1114.929 -> I have driven an all-wheel drive hot hatch
that's as good as the Corolla, and that's
1118.64 -> the Ford Focus RS.
1119.78 -> But I'm pretty certain that there's never
been a front-wheel drive hot hatch that could
1123.909 -> match the new Civic Type R. Thanks for watching.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF1kPzhAKUQ