Relatively speaking, the $40,000 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is an accessible performance car that probably didn’t need further democratizing, but Toyota did it anyway by introducing an automatic version. Even with an automatic, the rowdy hot hatch is still a rowdy hot hatch. It’s fast, sharp, and raucous. Its tiny turbocharged three-cylinder engine’s boost builds like an ‘80s rally car’s, its steering is meaty and accurate, and its suspension is firm. It’s a car that likes to be wrestled around and gets better and better the faster and harder you drive it.
But it’s still a hatchback. So it needs to be practical, sensible, and usable every day. We were curious as to how this People’s Performance car fares with the littlest people among us: children. So, as a dad to two young boys, I put its practicality to the test for a week to see how Toyota’s hot hatch handles dad duty.
Back Seat Blues
Car Seat Installation: 👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️⚪️
Kid Comfort: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️
Kids’ car seats have a tendency to make any car’s back seat—even ones in big SUVs—feel small. So when I saw the GR Corolla’s rear quarters, I instantly got nervous. It’s a cramped space even without car seats (and even by small-car standards), but with them inside, the Toyota’s rear became a penalty box. Moving the front passenger seat forward to accommodate, the front passenger becomes instantly miserable, since my wife’s knees were uncomfortably close to the dashboard.
Loading the car seats in is a pain, too, as the door openings are narrow, as are the GR’s seats themselves. So it’s tough to get seatbelts through or around to buckle them in. Since I have a three-year-old and a seven-year-old, the little one has a full-on car seat that needs to be opened up like a clamshell and have the belt fed through it. The booster for the bigger kid is much easier; he just pulls the seatbelt across his body and buckles it like the rest of us. But this booster is wider than the rear seatback of the GR Corolla, so it doesn’t fit nicely and gets in the way of the buckle.
Once the kiddos were situated, they were mostly fine, but they didn’t have as much legroom as they would have liked. The three-year-old kept putting his shoes on the back of the front passenger chair, and I, too, received many kicks in the back from the seven-year-old. Hard to blame them, though, as they felt pretty claustrophobic, and there aren’t even any air vents dedicated to rear passengers. For context, I own an old E90 BMW 3 Series, which felt like a flipping S-Class to them after being in the GR Corolla.
Rear Seat Climate Control: ⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️
Trunk Space
Dad duty isn’t just about carrying kids, it’s carrying all of their stuff, too. That means backpacks, sports bags, toys, and any other random crap they suddenly have the urge to bring that day. So trunk space is every bit as important as backseat space.
Unfortunately, there’s probably more room in the GR Corolla’s front passenger seat than there is in its trunk. Not only is it comically small to begin with, but the 2025 model now has a rear strut brace that eats up some of what’s left and gets in the way when trying to fit big items with the seats folded down. It also gets in the way of attaching the car seat’s rear anchor, which inspired several, very colorful expletives at Toyota’s expense. Sure, the strut brace looks cool and shows off the GR’s performance chops, but a hot hatch is meant to be fun and practical. In this department, the GR is the former but not the latter.
This car won’t be all that helpful if your kid happens to be the goalie of their hockey team or play the cello, let alone accommodate big trips to IKEA or Home Depot.
Cargo Area Roominess: 👦🏼⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️
Interior Quality
As exciting as the GR Corolla is, it’s still a Corolla underneath, so its interior feels mostly the same as the standard car. Its materials are mostly pretty cheap-feeling, and the design is drab at best. However, the GR-specific front seats are great, and Toyota’s infotainment system is one of the better ones in the business. Overall, it’s fine for the driver, but it isn’t going to make any of its other passengers very happy.
The upside to the mostly hard, cheap plastics, along with standard leather seats, is that it’s going to be easy to clean. And where there are children, there is also much cleaning. Kids spill drinks and snack crumbs and dirty the carpets with their shoes. So, being able to easily wipe things down is necessary, and the GR’s cabin is great for that.
Comfort: 👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️⚪️
Cleanability: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼
Fun Factor
Practicality and functionality matter little if the kids aren’t smiling, though. That’s where the GR Corolla redeems itself. Its hilarious, rip-snorting nature makes up for a lot of its practical downfalls once the kids start giggling. Since the GR Corolla is quick but only modestly powered, you can stab the throttle and give the kids some speed and noise without getting too dangerous. It’s the perfect amount of power to safely provide some excitement.
It looks cool, too. My kids still talk about the “cool red car” they got to go to school in. They didn’t love climbing in and out of it, but once they were in and we were on the move, they loved it. They’d egg me on to drive faster and take corners harder. Whenever the revs climbed and its buzzy exhaust note roared, they’d laugh and ask for more. As a dad/car nerd, there are few things in life more fun. At that point, who cares about practicality?
Fun Factor: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼
The Dad Verdict
The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla isn’t a great dad car, even if it’s sort of shaped like one. It’s disappointing to see just how impractical it is, considering it’s a hatchback—you may actually get better practicality from a sporty sedan. However, it’s a great hot hatch and one of the most fun cars you can get for the money. So if you want a small, fun sports car that can fit some kids in the back if it has to, it might cause a couple of headaches, but the smiles it provides will make up for them.
Dad Car Verdict: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️
| 2025 Toyota GR Corolla Specs | MT | AT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $39,995 | $41,995 |
| Powertrain | 1.6-liter turbo-three | 6-speed manual | all-wheel drive | 1.6-liter turbo-three | 8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive |
| Horsepower | 300 @ 6,500 rpm | << |
| Torque | 295 lb-ft @ 3,250-4,600 rpm | << |
| Seating Capacity | 5 | << |
| Cargo Volume | 17.8 cubic feet | << |
| Curb Weight | 3,274-3,303 pounds | 3,319-3,347 pounds |
| 0-60 mph | 4.9 seconds | << |
| Top Speed | 142.9 mph | << |
| EPA Fuel Economy | 21 mpg city | 28 highway | 24 combined | 19 mpg city | 27 highway | 22 combined |
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