https://www.caranddriver.com/review...olla-circuit-2022-volkswagen-golf-r-compared/
At the beginning of the indoctrination process, car enthusiasts learn that a single vehicle cannot excel in every aspect. For instance, a low-slung, lightweight sports car cannot have adequate space for passengers and cargo. Hence, a diverse fleet is the ultimate goal. However, the three cars reviewed here come very close to the ideal. They have adult-friendly back seats, spacious hatchback cargo, and track capabilities that enable them to compete with sports cars from a few years ago. Furthermore, they cost no more than the average new car, with prices in the mid-$40,000s.
The GR Corolla is the newest car in this group and the third vehicle in Toyota's impressive Gazoo Racing division. The rally-inspired GR is based on the Corolla hatchback and comes with a 300-horsepower 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive, and a mechanical parking brake. The Civic Type R is Honda's revamped model for 2023, an upgrade from the previous generation, which was the first to bring the red R badge to the US in 2017. With a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the Type R produces 315 horsepower, and like the Corolla, it only comes with a six-speed manual.
Finally, there is the Volkswagen Golf R, which has been part of the European lineup since 1976. In 2004, VW added an all-wheel-drive performance model, which they called the R32, above the GTI. The Golf R, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivers 315 horsepower, equaling the Type R, and boasts a torque-vectoring rear diff that can send all the rear torque to either wheel.
All three cars are within $800 of each other and have red, white, and blue paint jobs, reminding us that American automakers are increasingly abandoning cars and no longer producing models like these. We drove the cars hard on canyon roads in Southern California and the Streets of Willow Springs road course, and we loved them all. Even the third-place finisher is on our 10Best shortlist. However, some cars come closer to the ideal of doing it all.
In third place is the Toyota GR Corolla Circuit. The high-boost three-cylinder engine makes a chuffing and snorting sound, even at parking-lot speeds, and the shifting is more mechanical and requires more effort than the other two. On the track, it needs second gear in places where the other cars are happy with third. The Corolla has a wider pricing spread than the other cars, and ours was the Circuit model, which added limited-slip differentials, a forged carbon-fiber roof, and interior upgrades. It scored lowest in practicality measures of rear-seat and cargo space and had the most jittery, unsettled highway ride. The GR Corolla reliably puts a smile on the driver's face, but there is another car that steers and handles better.
At the beginning of the indoctrination process, car enthusiasts learn that a single vehicle cannot excel in every aspect. For instance, a low-slung, lightweight sports car cannot have adequate space for passengers and cargo. Hence, a diverse fleet is the ultimate goal. However, the three cars reviewed here come very close to the ideal. They have adult-friendly back seats, spacious hatchback cargo, and track capabilities that enable them to compete with sports cars from a few years ago. Furthermore, they cost no more than the average new car, with prices in the mid-$40,000s.
The GR Corolla is the newest car in this group and the third vehicle in Toyota's impressive Gazoo Racing division. The rally-inspired GR is based on the Corolla hatchback and comes with a 300-horsepower 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive, and a mechanical parking brake. The Civic Type R is Honda's revamped model for 2023, an upgrade from the previous generation, which was the first to bring the red R badge to the US in 2017. With a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the Type R produces 315 horsepower, and like the Corolla, it only comes with a six-speed manual.
Finally, there is the Volkswagen Golf R, which has been part of the European lineup since 1976. In 2004, VW added an all-wheel-drive performance model, which they called the R32, above the GTI. The Golf R, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivers 315 horsepower, equaling the Type R, and boasts a torque-vectoring rear diff that can send all the rear torque to either wheel.
All three cars are within $800 of each other and have red, white, and blue paint jobs, reminding us that American automakers are increasingly abandoning cars and no longer producing models like these. We drove the cars hard on canyon roads in Southern California and the Streets of Willow Springs road course, and we loved them all. Even the third-place finisher is on our 10Best shortlist. However, some cars come closer to the ideal of doing it all.
In third place is the Toyota GR Corolla Circuit. The high-boost three-cylinder engine makes a chuffing and snorting sound, even at parking-lot speeds, and the shifting is more mechanical and requires more effort than the other two. On the track, it needs second gear in places where the other cars are happy with third. The Corolla has a wider pricing spread than the other cars, and ours was the Circuit model, which added limited-slip differentials, a forged carbon-fiber roof, and interior upgrades. It scored lowest in practicality measures of rear-seat and cargo space and had the most jittery, unsettled highway ride. The GR Corolla reliably puts a smile on the driver's face, but there is another car that steers and handles better.