GR Corolla front

Evan is an East Coast based automotive journalist and a Certified Engineering Technologist. He is an avid autocrosser, hack mechanic, and a member of AJAC. If you don't find him driving or writing about cars, you'll probably find him in the garage breaking one.

It’s been ages since one could mention Toyota in the same breath as ‘GTI’ or, indeed, any variant of true hot hatch. That’s changed of late, with the appearance of cars like the tasty GR86 and fun Supra. Now, the company’s speed demons – spurred on by CEO Akio Toyoda who soon moves into a chairman’s role – have introduced the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/features/does-the-gr-corolla-live-up-to-the-hype">GR Corolla</a>.

Under its stubby hood is a 1.6L three-cylinder turbocharged engine making 300 horsepower which works out to a stupefying 185.4 horsepower per litre. To put that in perspective, a V8-powered Ram 1500 pickup truck would have to make over a thousand ponies to equal that figure (it doesn’t even make 400, if you’re wondering). Tied to this frenetic little mill is an all-wheel drive system and a six-speed manual transmission sorting out power.

There will be three trims of the GR Corolla, explaining why a specific variant of Toyota’s little hatch qualifies for its own Base Camp post. Kicking things off is the Core, priced at $45,490 plus fees and coming equipped with a few unique features compared to American examples. Atop that list is a Torsen limited-slip differential which helps tidily sort out power during spirited track sessions. This goodie isn’t on the American base car, so take note if you’re researching yer purchase using sites from that country.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175047" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GR-Corolla-int.jpg" alt="toyota gr corolla" width="1800" height="900" />

A trio of colours are on tap for the Core trim, including an extra-cost Supersonic Red. Black, shown here, does a good job of showing off the car’s boxy flared rear haunches and permits the maw-like grille to blend easily. It’s to trouble to pick out the Core compared to the next-level Circuit trim since the latter has a hood with flared nostrils and some other styling cues which are immediately identifiable.

Inside, heated seats are also Canadian-spec on the Core, though the 8.0-inch touchscreen and six-speaker stereo are becoming universal in most Toyota models of this ilk. The brand’s Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver aids inspire confidence on messy days with gear like lane keeping and auto dimming headlamps plus a dynamic cruise control system which accounts for road speed whilst negotiating some curves. The driver’s perch adjust six ways and all seats are wrapped in fabric (different upholstery options appear further up the food chain).

What We'd Choose

It is a significant $8,500 jump to the Circuit edition, especially given the fact there is no extra horsepower in the engine bay (not that we’re complaining; 300 ponies in a car this size is tremendous). It’d be a different conversation in markets where the Core does not have the limited-slip diff, but that’s not an issue in Canada. Snazzier seats upholstered in a suede material, better audio gear, and a heated steering wheel – plus the exterior visual addenda – are the bulk of this trim’s claims to fame.

Worth making the leap, then? We’d be more inclined to save the cash and budget that cheddar for items which pair well with GR Corolla ownership. A sum of $8,500 would buy a lot of tires, for instance, not to mention several track days and perhaps a few lessons from any number of schools in the country. With the Torsen diff on board the Core in Canada, it is easy to recommend that trim.

Every week, wheels.ca selects a new vehicle and takes a good look at its entry-level trim. If we find it worthy of your consideration, we'll let you know. If not, we'll recommend one - or the required options - which earns a passing grade.

Base Camp: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla

2023 RZ 450e Wave 6 Canada 043

For over half a decade, Dan Heyman has written professionally about cars and car culture, specializing in luxury/performance vehicles, 4 x 4s and pickup trucks, with a micro city car or two thrown in for good measure. If he's not striking a spacebar, he's likely out photographing cars on the twists and turns of the Coast Mountain roads outside his hometown of Vancouver, BC, or cutting a line on a racetrack.

The Lexus RZ is the first foray for Toyota’s luxury brand into the world of EV motoring, and it comes to us at a time when Toyota/Lexus is making strides to add 30 battery EV (BEV) models by 2030. In the case of the RZ, that means it gets a fully-electrified powertrain anchored by a 150 kw EV motor on the front axle, and an 80 kw example on the rear for a total power output of 308 horsepower, which is quite the jump from the 204 hp the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-toyota-bz4x-first-drive">Toyota BZ4X</a> makes and with which the RZ shares its e-TNGA platform. It comes in three trims for the Canadian market: 450e Signature ($64,950), 450e Luxury ($73,550) and 450e Executive ($80,950).

All trims, meanwhile, get a 71.4 kWh battery (64 kWh usable). Charge rates can be as high as 150 kw, for a 30 minute 0-80% charge time. If you’re gong to charge at home expect a 9.5-hour charge time as on-board charging only goes as high as 6.6 kw—lower than I’d like to see when you consider the competition. Range, meanwhile, is rated at 354 km with the 18-inch wheels (Signature only) and 315 km with the 20” option.

Lexus has made some waves with their hourglass-shaped “spindle” grille, not all of which are positive as some found it a little too aggressive. Personally, I’ve found it to be just aggressive enough to differentiate Lexus from both its competition and its former self. Being an EV, the RZ doesn’t need a grille, but there is a paint-matched insert in an hourglass shape. They’ve kept some of the “spindles” along either side of the insert to tie it a little tighter to the other models.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175014" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8521.jpg" alt="2024 Lexus RZ" width="2000" height="1333" />

Those seeking something more unique will appreciate the wheel designs, dual-tone paintjobs and bright colour options such as the two-tone Ether and black seen here. ‘Round back, we find more Lexus touches including a full-width light bar and large “Lexus” scripting. Not 100 per cent sure on the standard contrast colour fenders and rocker panels, though. It fits well with the two-tone paintjob, but is a little too BZ4X otherwise.

Inside, the styling situation and even the ambiance depends heavily on whether or not the RZ is specced with a traditional steering system – one with a physical connection to the wheels – or a steer-by-wire system set to be available later on. Since the new system offers adaptive ratios, you don’t have to turn the wheel as much and don’t need to make use of the traditional hand-over-hand technique when navigating tight spots or parking. As a result, Lexus has provided a yoke instead of wheel. It looks like something you might find in an F1 car and it forces you to keep your hands at the 9- and 3 o’clock positions while providing a better view of the digital gauge cluster ahead.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175000" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-RZ-450e-Wave-6-Canada-018.jpg" alt="2024 Lexus RZ" width="2000" height="1333" />

Other eye-catching interior bits include an optional full-length moonroof that gets an optional dimming feature (the change happens immediately with the press of a button) as well as a standard 14” touchscreen display with Lexus Interface infotainment. It’s a slick, good-looking and fast system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as “Hey, Lexus” voice activation that can do everything from setting your climate control to directing you to the nearest sushi joint. Audio duties, meanwhile, are handled by either a 10-speaker system, or crisp and bass-heavy 13-speaker Mark Levinson system.

Size-wise, the RZ sits between <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/review-2022-lexus-nx-450h">the NX</a> and <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-lexus-rx-first-drive">RX</a> in the line-up, but actually offers more front and rear headroom and more front legroom than the RX, which is larger overall. As a result, RZ occupants both front and rear are well catered to. The battery being mounted so low in the chassis means the RZ gets a higher roofline for more headroom without compromising the centre of gravity.

A long time ago, you turned a key to start a car; with the RZ, you press a button to start and turn a dial to select drive or reverse, or press a button for park. It’s a low-clutter affair that does well to go with the rest of the dash; it features only a select few buttons and dials but thankfully, they’re the ones used most. The way the climate control knobs are integrated into the display, meanwhile, is a great touch.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175001" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-RZ-450e-Wave-6-Canada-022.jpg" alt="2024 Lexus RZ" width="2000" height="1333" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175012" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8516.jpg" alt="2024 Lexus RZ" width="2000" height="1333" />

Setting off in the RZ, you feel that power right away. One of the benefits of BEVs like this is instant throttle response and acceleration and the RZ is no different. You’ll be at around town speeds in no time and at highway speeds not long after that. Even when cruising, there’s enough there that you’re not left hanging. Select Sport mode, meanwhile – others include Normal, Eco and Range, the last of which sends torque to the rear wheels only in low-load situations -- and it gets more responsive still. The speed is great, but how quietly it goes about its business is the real takeaway. Lexus has made use of aluminum and high-tensile steel to reduce body creaks and rattles and it’s worked a charm. Even the rear dampers have been specially tuned to keep from transmitting road noise into the cabin.

Which brings us to the steer-by-wire system. The faster you’re travelling, the less the front wheels turn as you add steering lock. You can change lanes on the highway with just a twitch of the wheel – which only turns 150-degrees, lock-to-lock – while driving slowly over a winding driveway, for example, increases the ratio so the same turn of the wheel returns that much more steering angle. It’s odd at first, but uncanny once you get the hang of it. The lack of a steering column, meanwhile, means reverberations are greatly reduced.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175008" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8500.jpg" alt="2024 Lexus RZ" width="2000" height="1333" />

With traditional power steering, the RZ returns fine turning response, although I appreciated the extra weight felt in Sport mode more here than I typically do in vehicles of this type.

Overall, the RZ experience is one punctuated by fantastic ride quality, a well-equipped interior and that steer-by-wire system, delayed as it may be, is incredible.

Those range figures are going to be a bit of a problem, however, when the likes of the Cadillac Lyriq or BMW iX are cresting 500 km. So it does get eclipsed there but I’m not convinced range is the be all end all when it comes to EVs. I don’t doubt its importance, but the RZ’s strengths will do well to draw buyers’ attention.
<h3>2023 Lexus RZ 450e</h3>
BODY STYLE: Five-door luxury crossover

DRIVE METHOD: front and rear EV motors, all-wheel drive
ENGINE: dual permanent magnet synchronous EV motors, 308 hp

ESTIMATED RANGE: 315-354 km
TRANSMISSION: single-speed automatic

CARGO CAPACITY: 389-910 L

TOWING CAPACITY: N/A

Base MSRP: $64,950

WEBSITE:  <a href="https://www.lexus.ca/lexus/en/automobiles/rz">Lexus RZ</a>

2023 Lexus RZ 450e First Drive

043A7465

She thinks about him a lot when she is driving. Tom O’Brien was a high school teacher with a hot-red Toyota Tercel stick shift. In the years before he retired, having become chaplain of Senator O’Connor College School in North York, the father of four, who was born in Ireland, decided he needed to size up his set of wheels. There was but one requirement for the new vehicle: extra space.
Space to transport the many things that might keep a community close-knit: food for a communal dinner, equipment for a Sunday singalong, a back seat ready to give any neighbour a ride.
Perhaps Tom O’Brien was not thinking of himself when he bought his 2011 <a class="text-block__link" href="https://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/vehicles/rav4/overview?gclid=CjwKCAiAl9efBhAkEiwA4TorikomGLKd_vza7ZzLUf9NMNwT8VXFsjhzNMUItfarkgrTgyfl8yGjjRoCgdoQAvD_BwE">Toyota RAV4</a>, but of everyone else.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174993" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/043A7380-scaled.jpg" alt="why i love my car rav4" width="2560" height="1708" />
His daughter Wanda, who now owns the SUV, agrees and adds that was just her dad.
“I remember back then being really excited to see this new car that my dad had bought.
“And then I saw it,” recalls Wanda O’Brien, whose late father Tom bought the 2011 Toyota RAV4 second-hand.
“I saw this brown machine in my parents’ driveway and I thought, ‘Ew, dad! If you’re going to spend money on a new car, first of all, why brown?’ I was living overseas at the time, and, on the occasion that I’d be home, I’d use the RAV for errands and such.
“It just felt too big, too uncomfortable. It wasn’t for me, but my dad.
"He just loved it.

<div class="image article-content__image image__has-rightrail pure-image hideRegistration image--flush-sides">
"A few years later — three years ago now, this January — my dad died unexpectedly at the age of 72. He had gone in for a routine surgery and things just went very wrong.
"The loss of my father has been the first major grief I’ve experienced in my life. The pain of it has been so vast and enormous.
"My family and I feel it was a grace that my father passed away right before the pandemic hit. I feel terrible for those who suffered a loss during that chaotic time. But then there I was, stuck in Toronto and in deep grief from the loss of my father. I desperately needed an escape and I discovered one, that same summer, in camping.
"I had a Mazda at the time, but it was always just so tight to pack it up for those trips into the wild that I needed so badly. My thoughts started turning to the RAV for the same reason my dad had considered it: for its sheer amount of space. I put my hand up to say that I wanted it and took over the ownership in 2022.
"The first time picking it up and getting into it as my own was in my childhood driveway. I remember getting into it and feeling a bit emotional. Sitting there in the driver’s seat I thought, ‘Hey, Dad. Thanks! I really appreciate it.’
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174994" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/043A7462-scaled.jpg" alt="why i love my car rav4" width="2560" height="1708" />
"The car, in I suppose more ways than one, enabled me to move again. I’ve learned that grief doesn’t just have to be painful. And now having this vehicle available to me, and having experienced this slow burn of coming to absolutely love it … I feel so safe and comfortable in that car and I know that’s so clearly linked to the safety and comfort that he always provided. I even love the colour now.
"I think whenever the time inevitably comes that it’s time for this car to go — will that be hard? Yes, but I almost feel like I’m at a different stage where I’m thinking it is just a thing and I’m so grateful I had it. I’m genuinely just really grateful to have it for the time that I do.
"One of the last things my father said, in the hospital before he passed away was, ‘Ah life, there’s great pain, but there’s great joy, too.’ With grief, I’m at that point where, yes, there is pain, but there is so much joy.

<div class="image article-content__image image__has-rightrail pure-image hideRegistration image--flush-sides">
"This car, in its connection to my father, brings me so much joy."
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174992" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/043A7371-scaled.jpg" alt="why i love my car rav4" width="1708" height="2560" />
<div></div>
<div class="text-block-container">“I listen to my dad sing while I drive”</div>
Being an older car, this RAV has a CD player. My dad was a very humble singer and guitar player who had actually written some of his own songs. As a retirement gift, we had purchased him some studio time and when he passed away we used those recordings to produce a CD. I listen to it often when I drive, and I do cry sometimes. But it helps ground me in the loss, because, although no one I meet going forward will ever have a chance to truly know him, we have his voice and his words. They can get to know him through his music.

<div class="text-block-container">“There’s room enough for anything”</div>
The fact that you can bring the seats fully down in this car means you can really load it up. It has made packing for camping so much easier and does things like enable me to have easy access to my cooler while I’m out there — I like to keep it safely tucked away as I’m a bit bear-paranoid. My mom actually said to me recently, ‘You know, they don’t make them like that anymore.’ Apparently the new RAVs are much shorter than this one. She said, ‘That’s why your father got it’ and I thought, ‘That’s why I love it.’
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174996" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/043A7560-scaled.jpg" alt="why i love my car rav4" width="2560" height="1708" />
<div></div>
<div class="text-block-container">“Who knew how fast it could go?”</div>
Several times since his passing, friends of my father’s have found out he drove this particular car and been shocked that he would drive something so speedy. This car, I’ve discovered, has a 3.5-litre 2GR-FE V6 engine, which means it can go very fast. But it surprises everyone, because my dad presented as such a gentle man. I actually wonder if he ever really knew the capability of it. Me, I’m a pedal-to-the-metal person, and often when I drive now I can hear him saying, ‘Wanda, would ya slow down?’ and I say with a loving eye roll, ‘Yes dad. I see that car, Dad. Thank you.’ ”
Do you love your vehicle? Email us at <a class="text-block__link" href="mailto:wheels@thestar.ca">wheels@thestar.ca</a> with “Why I Love My Car” in the subject line and tell us, briefly, why you do!
Correction — March 8, 2023: Tom O’Brien was a high school teacher and chaplain at Senator O’Connor College School in North York, and he drove a Toyota Tercel. A previous version of this article misstated the location of the school the and the model of the car.

</div>
</div>

A daughter finds her own road to healing in dad’s car

2024_Toyota_GrandHighlander_WindChillPearl_001

Toyota is finally building a proper three-row crossover. A vehicle that will go after the likes of the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2022-chevrolet-traverse-rs-review">Chevrolet Traverse</a> and <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-hyundai-palisade-review">Hyundai Palisade</a>. It's called the Toyota Grand Highlander, but it doesn't have all that much to do with the standard Highlander other than the name.

We'll start out with the styling because this new 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander shares nothing with the standard Highlander. This one looks much more like the rugged 4Runner SUV with the edges slightly smoothed off. In photos, at least, it certainly looks like it's big enough to hold tons of passengers and cargo.

Which it should be able to do. Toyota calls the third-row "adult sized," and says that it has room for seven carry-on suitcases behind the third row of seating. With all of the seats folded, the Grand Highlander has 2,775L of cargo space. That's about 400L more than the standard Highlander or a Hyundai Palisade and on par with the cavernous Traverse. Though about 600L shy of the even larger Toyota Sequoia.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174599" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2024_Toyota_GrandHighlander_StormCloud_021.jpg" alt="Toyota Grand Highlander" width="2500" height="1667" />

Three different powertrains will be offered, including two hybrid systems. And all 2024 Grand Highlanders sold in Canada will have all-wheel drive as standard.

We'll start with the 2.4L turbo-four. Toyota didn't give power figures for the unit, but it's most likely the same engine as in the Highlander. That means 265 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.

Two hybrid systems will be offered, the first Toyota's 2.5L four-cylinder-powered system with a combined fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km. Again no official power figures, but expect it to be the similar to the system found in the Highlander including that model's purely electric AWD system.

Platinum models will be offered exclusively with the Toyota Hybrid Max powertrain. We've seen this sports-hybrid system before in the Toyota Crown. It combines the more powerful 2.4L turbo-four with Toyota's hybrid motors. The result is 362 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. 0-100 km/h will take 6.3 seconds, it can tow 5,000 lbs, and we assume it will have an impressive fuel economy figure.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174595" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2024_Toyota_GrandHighlander_StormCloud_012.jpg" alt="Toyota Grand Highlander" width="2500" height="1667" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174596" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2024_Toyota_GrandHighlander_StormCloud_014.jpg" alt="Toyota Grand Highlander" width="2500" height="1667" />

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174597" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2024_Toyota_GrandHighlander_StormCloud_015.jpg" alt="Toyota Grand Highlander" width="2500" height="1667" />

Inside, the Grand Highlander will offer a 12.3-inch centre screen running the new Toyota Audio Multimedia system. The system includes "Hey Toyota" voice commands to adjust audio as well as climate settings, and will have cloud-based points of interest and nav data. The system will also offer over-the-air updates to help keep it fresh.

Seven USB-C ports around the cabin make sure everyone can stay charged. There are twins in the front plus a wireless charge pad, two in the middle, and two in the third row. The seventh is in the front, in a spot dedicated to the front passenger.

Blind-spot monitoring comes standard, along with rear cross-traffic alert. Front and rear parking assist is offered on Limited and Platinum, with a 360-degree camera system also available.

Also standard on the Grand Highlander is Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This system includes adaptive cruise, lane tracing, road sign assist, automatic high beams, and pre-collision with pedestrian detection. A new part of the system is Proactive Driving Assist. This is Toyota's new highway driving assistant that can help maintain distances between the vehicle in front and help steer around obstacles.

Toyota hasn't announced the prices or when the 2024 Grand Highlander will go on sale. Since those announcements are expected in late summer, don't expect to see them at dealers before August.

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander features ‘adult sized’ third-row seating

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Toyota remains on top

Toyota, despite the production challenges faced by the industry last year, remained the biggest automaker in the world. The company, including its subsidiaries like Daihatsu and Hino managed 10.5 million sales in 2022. Second place Volkswagen, including Audi, Skoda, and the rest, sold 8.3 million, down seven percent. Toyota hopes to build even more units this year but warns that there could still be shortages of crucial parts.

Mach-E production increases

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174515" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/news-2-6-3.jpg" alt="Mustang mach-e" width="2500" height="1667" />

Ford is building more copies of the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/review-2021-ford-mustang-mach-e-gt">Mustang Mach-E</a> EV and has slashed prices up to $8,500. Ford says it is because of a new and more efficient supply chain for EVs. More parts for less money leads to more cars for a lower price. The basic Mach-E's price stays flat at $56,995, but a Premium Standard Range is down $7,000 to $64,995. At the top end, a GT Performance Extended range is down $4,750 to $92,745. Ford will reach out to buyers who took delivery since Jan 1 to help out with the price cut.

Colorado and Canyon pricing

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174516" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/news-2-6-4.jpg" alt="chevrolet colorado" width="2500" height="1668" />

Chevrolet and GMC have added the new <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/news/first-look-2023-chevrolet-colorado">2023 Colorado and Canyon</a> midsize pickups to their sites so we can get an idea of pricing for the latest pickup entrants. Prices are up, due to much more content, new powertrains, and, well, the price of everything being up. Colorado climbs $5,000 to $37,197 for a basic WT. GMC doesn't offer that trim anymore, so now starts at $48,487 for an Elevation model. All get a 2.7L turbo-four with three different power levels. Chevy Colorado tops out at just under $60,000, with the GMC getting close to $70k.

Velar updates

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174517" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/news-2-6-5.jpg" alt="range rover velar" width="2500" height="1291" />

Range Rover is giving the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/first-drive-2020-land-rover-range-rover-velar-svautobiography-dynamic-edition">Velar</a> a tiny facelift for 2024 but a big tech update. The headlights and taillights are the most noticeable part of the facelift, though the rear bumper is also tweaked. Inside, there is a new floating screen with curved glass that looks extra special. It operates using a new infotainment system that brings 80 percent of functions to within two button presses. There is also a new noise cancellation system and a new wool interior option.

GLE updates

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174518" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/news-2-6-1.jpg" alt="mercedes benz gle" width="2500" height="1875" />

Mercedes-Benz has given the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/vehicle-reviews/review-2020-mercedes-benz-gle-450">GLE-class</a> an update for 2024 as well. This one is more thorough but does include new headlights and a new grille. Inside, it has a new wheel with touch controls and it also gets the second-generation MBUX interface. This has more voice controls and better natural speech recognition, and it should be quicker too. Suspension system software tweaks should improve both ride and handling. Two standard versions will be offered, the 255 hp four-cylinder GLE 350 and the 375 hp six-cylinder GLE 450. Mercedes-AMG will offer the 429 hp GLE 53 and the 603 hp V8 GLE 63 S. Every version will have mild hybrid electrification.

AJAC announces 2023 finalists

AJAC has announced the finalists for <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/features/ajac-announces-2023-canadian-car-and-utility-vehicle-of-the-year-category-winners">Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility</a> Vehicle of the year. After more than 1,700 votes from some of Canada's top auto journalists and 250 or so eligible vehicles, it comes down to this. The three finalists for the 2023 Canadian Car of the Year are BMW i4 (Best Premium EV in Canada for 2023), Hyundai Elantra N (Best Sports Performance Car in Canada for 2023), and Mazda3 (Best Small Car in Canada for 2023). The three finalists for the 2023 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year are Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Best EV in Canada for 2023), Kia Telluride (Best Large Utility Vehicle in Canada for 2023), and the Mitsubishi Outlander (Best Mid-Size Utility Vehicle in Canadaï for 2023). The two overall winners will be announced on February 16th at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto and streamed on REV TV.

News Roundup: GM's New Pickups Priced, Ford Mach-E Gets Cheaper, Toyota Sells Most Vehicles in the World

2023_GR_Corolla_Circuit

Chris D’Alessandro is a writer living in downtown Toronto. Growing up in a family of used car dealers and mechanics, he’s been immersed in car culture his entire life. A frequent contributor to VICE Canada, Chris’ screenwriting work has also won a Canadian Comedy Award. So, “hipster, wise-ass, gearhead” pretty much covers it. Follow Chris on Twitter @chrisdaless and Instagram @chrdalessandro

Everything you’ve read or heard about the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is true.

Which is weird. Because in today’s digital world of extreme hyperbole, tribalism and prioritization of personal preference over objective truth — the instances in which anything is ever everything everyone is saying it is are seldom.

“The best ever” and “the worst ever” are terms thrown around with such reckless abandon in an effort to generate clicks, views, and fleeting dopamine that we’ve killed the very concept of nuance. It’s been replaced with willful bias.

This lack of nuance and objective analysis is all over the car world. Enthusiasts so often boil things down to a simple good or bad paradigm that we often miss out on truly good products.

For example, I was so thoroughly <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/review-the-new-nissan-z-doesnt-live-up-to-the-hype">underwhelmed by the new Nissan Z</a> that I actually forgot I drove it. It wasn’t the experience I wanted from the Z, but it's the one I got. And now I simply can’t imagine why any person would buy one over a <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2022-chevrolet-camaro-ss-1le-review">Camaro SS</a> or <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/track-test-review-2023-toyota-gr-supra-mt">GR Supra</a>. But because the GR Supra commits the superficially unforgivable sin of being born of a partnership with BMW, there are still those who claim to adore the Nissan Z — despite it losing every comparison test.

The Internet decided the Z was a winner and the GR Supra was a loser before they had even hit the market — before anybody had driven either of them. For certain parts of the community, that’s their reality. Ours be damned.

The GR Corolla’s narrative was also written almost immediately following its announcement, albeit in a much more favorable light. Minds were made up before anyone had even turned the ignition over — this was going to be a great car.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174290" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corolla20-scaled.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="2560" height="1920" />

You know the specs by now. 300 horsepower produced by an incredibly compact 1.6-litre, turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. Outside of Toyota developing the car all on their own, this unique power plant really was the source of the initial hype. The engine is the same racing-inspired G16E-GTS unit present in the GR Yaris — which was notably never available in North America.

There are of course more important performance improvements than just the power. The chassis tuning, sticky Michelin Pilot Sport tires, sport brakes, steering tuned to perfection, all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual transmission.

Outside, the GR Corolla differentiates itself with widened fender flares, signature GR rims, hood vents, a gaping front facia channeling air to the intercooler, and three separate exhaust exits (one for each engine cylinder).

Inside are a variety of GR badges, including on the steering wheel. Also present are race-inspired seats — which are incidentally very well bolstered while maintaining a reasonable level of comfort — and a leather-wrapped shift knob.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174287" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corolla21-scaled.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="2560" height="1920" />

The rest of the interior is very much “just a Corolla” — like any rental car or cab you’ve ever been in. However, the GR Corolla is not assembled alongside its standard counterpart and is instead produced alongside the GR Yaris at the "GR Factory" inside Toyota's Motomachi plant, where the assembly process is more of a hands-on affair.

So the hype in this case was totally understandable. It’s difficult to not read the above and start licking your chops with dreams of corner-carving hot hatch glory for a price you could actually afford.

Not to mention the previously forbidden fruit element adding fuel to the hype fire. For a generation raised on limited-quantity sneaker and hoodie drops, this couldn't have been a more perfect storm.

Happily, in this case, the hype is justified. Because the GR Corolla is truly a great car to drive fast. And by “great” I mean, “one of the all-time greats”.

Carving up a back road in the GR Corolla is pure, unadulterated driving bliss. The car rotates like magic. There’s no nose dive. No tricky back end. It’s just point and shoot, “take the corner as fast as you can” goodness. All thrills. No chills. And lots of turbo noises.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174291" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023_GR_Corolla_Circuit_HeavyMetal_028-1500x1000-1.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="1500" height="1000" />

The car makes you feel like an absolute hero. And that’s where the GR Corolla edges out competitors like the Honda Civic Type R.

Both cars are very fun and rewarding. Both imbue you with underserved levels of confidence. But the Type R feels sort of like a performance-enhancing drug to drive fast. It always feels like it’s making you a better driver than you are. And you’re always vaguely aware of that. The GR Corolla feels more one-to-one — like you’re bringing the car to its limits, not the other way around.

300 horsepower feels like a magic number for the little Corolla. With 0 - 100km/h times in the mid 5-second range, it certainly won’t make your life flash before your eyes. But it’s more than quick enough in the real world, and best of all, you can floor it everywhere.

Toyota’s big win with the GR Corolla is successfully capturing what’s so special about the 86 — the opportunity and ability to actually explore the upper limits of a sports car — and bringing that to the Corolla platform.

Hand on my heart, I had more fun in a 300-horsepower Corolla hatchback than I did in an <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/everything-you-want-to-know-about-the-dodge-challenger-hellcat-jailbreak">800-horsepower Dodge Challenger</a>. Sure, the Corolla didn’t make me feel like I was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3edi2Wkr5YI">Major Kong riding the atom bomb at the end of </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3edi2Wkr5YI">Dr. Strangelove</a>. But it also didn’t tire me out. I didn’t have to worry about accidentally waking the grizzly bear and being mauled to death. I also didn’t have to look for places and opportunities to let the beast loose. You don’t have to plan anything in the GR Corolla — you can just go have fun anywhere.

Are these two cars comparable products in any way? No. But “fun” is a universal measurement when it comes to customer satisfaction.

And while all the talk is about the quirky 3-cylinder powerplant, it pales in comparison to just how damn good the transmission is. The clutch is feather-light. Butter wishes it was as smooth as the action on the gear selector. Nailing crisp, clean shifts is as easy and satisfying as sipping a fine scotch or laying in a hot bath. The GR Corolla needs to be in the manual transmission hall of fame. The GR Corolla feels so good to shift, you’d swear the transmission was less engineered and more manifested as a result of someone selling their soul.

But perhaps best of all — and a clear advantage <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2022-toyota-gr86-review">over the GR 86</a> — is that because it's a Corolla, it's easy to live with. My tester sliced through Toronto rush hour traffic, was a breeze in parking garages, did grocery runs no problem. Hell, it was even fuel efficient. Even after extreme misbehaving in the car, I averaged under 10L/100km.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174286" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corolla24-scaled.jpg" alt="Toyota GR Corolla" width="2560" height="1920" />

This was another one of those cars that made me think, “Wait. Why do I own a Mustang, again?”

Because the truth is the GR Corolla is more fun, more dynamic and more rewarding than my V8 Mustang, despite having five fewer cylinders and 120 less horsepower — in addition to being more convenient, more practical, and more economical.

So, based on my experience with the car, I think the hype around the GR Corolla is justified and journalists really are not exaggerating when they go on about how damn good this thing is to drive. I mean, I am one and I just did.

However, there is a problem. Because part of the hype was born from the point that the GR Corolla was supposed to be a car you could actually afford.

The base “Core” model starts at almost $49,000 and while yes, everything is expensive nowadays, that price really is pushing it. Because other than the way it drives, nothing in the GR Corolla feels like a $50,000 car.

90 per cent of the interior, for example, looks and feels like any old rental Corolla. And it all has that nasty, cheap Toyota plastic-y smell — sort of like a fresh garbage bag. I know you know what I mean.

Then there’s the lack of sound deadening in the car. Noise, vibration and harshness are prevalent. To say the least. Driving the car on the highway is like being under an artillery barrage.

Yes, some of the charm of the car is that it feels like you’re driving somebody’s tuner project — like somebody just took a regular Corolla and added a turbo and racing seats. But asking $50,000 to start just feels like a really steep ask.

Especially when the <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-honda-civic-type-r-first-drive-review">Honda Civic Type R</a> exists.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172999" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSC03988.jpg" alt="2023 Honda Civic Type R" width="2048" height="1365" />

While the latest Type R might lose a drag race to the GR Corolla, if I was going to shell out this kind of money for a fresh hot hatch, I’d still have the Type R hands down. It offers almost all of the same driving bliss and reward as the GR Corolla, while having an interior and driver comforts you can at least trick yourself into believing might be worth $60,000 out the door.

Then there’s the elephant in the room. The real cost of hype. Dealer markup.

There are already horror stories of the GR Corolla being marked up <a href="https://www.theautopian.com/this-dealers-20000-markup-on-a-2023-toyota-gr-corolla-equals-an-entire-base-corolla/">$20,000 over sticker</a>. And it should go without saying that paying $70,000 or more for any Toyota Corolla on the planet should require you to take a test for actual donkey brains.

So, yes, the GR Corolla really is one of the all-time great hot-hatches and sincerely one of the most fun and rewarding cars I’ve ever driven. But you’d be an absolute fool to pay a penny over sticker for it.

And dollar for dollar, the Type R is still the better buy.

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