GR Corolla Ownership vs Fiesta ST

[JTBros]

I’ve owned my GRC for three months now and put 1500 miles on it. Came from a ‘15 Fiesta ST with Recaros that I owned for five years and put on 40k miles. Sold the FiST on Cars & Bids to make way for the GRC and got a very healthy return. Selling price before tax for the FiST was $15k when it was three years old with 40k miles and I got $11.2k for it. Link to listing that also talks about the modifications the FiST had:
https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3gojk7jo/2015-ford-fiesta-st

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Fiesta ST but never truly fell in love with it. It always was kind of a place holder till I finished college and was able to get an STI or similar. I will say it never skipped a beat, was exceptionally fun, returned great MPG, had all the fearures and had some of my favorite seats I’ve sat in.

Why I wanted to sell it:

• Wanted something a little bit bigger (considered something like a Chevy SS but that was too much of a jump) with a larger trunk floor. I’m frequently lugging around golf bags and ski boot bags. The FiST required two seats to be folded for golf bags and two ski boot bags was the max.
• Wanted something AWD. I had a WRX before this with all seasons and had winter tires on the FiST. The FiST did much better with braking and turning but the WRX got me out of deep snow spots and up icy hills better. Was constantly thinking “what if we married both these great things.”
• Wanted something a bit faster with no wheel slip. The FiST was so dang fun in the aspect of being able to hammer down and not worry, but I was always itching for just a bit more power. I’m not the type to yearn for 500 horsepower cause it’s not that useable, but 300 would be nice. I could’ve gotten the FiST to this level but then I’d be looking at LSDs and trying to mitigate wheel spin, which I’d rather just do away with.

So how does the GRC compare? Does it check all the boxes? Some yes, some no.

The good:

• It has all the power I could want, pulls really well (although it does run out of steam up top) and no more wheel spin to worry about. Definitely have to be more mindful of my speed now.
• Super tight chassis. The ride is similarly stiff to the FiST but the whole car moves more as a unit, rather than feeling separate things happening at different times in the FiST. The FiST would allow you to explore the edge of grip and not be too heinous, I’m not sure if I’ll be finding that outside of a track setting with the GRC.
• More spacious trunk (kinda). The floor of the trunk is much larger which is what I wanted. There is a steep cut in from the trunk shape that takes away volume (like an Audi Q8) but I just wanted the overall larger floor.
• Great noises. The valved exhaust makes a good noise on startup in this. Plus you get lots of turbo noises. Not looking to change that any time soon but I’m so glad there’s no speaker sounds or anything like that.
• Decent tech. I kept yearning for a car that had CarPlay, proximity entry, heated seats, and AWD. One other huge benefit this has is adaptive cruise. My Bronco doesn’t have it and its definitely something I’d like in all future vehicles.

The so-so:

• Toyota cheapened the Corolla for ‘23 and it shows. I actually sat in a ‘22 XSE and was quite pleased with the interior. However, for the Core model of the GRC they took away a lot of the soft touch plastics. There’s also no more dual climate. I’d understand if the price point was lower but the Elantra N, Golf R, CTR, Focus RS and last gen STI managed to have better materials and ergonomics than this.
• The seats. These are definitely not as good as the Recaros, CTR, or Elantra N seats. The fabric on the Core model looks cheap and isn’t that grippy. The Circuit has nicer materials but you don’t get better bolstering till the Morizo trim.
• The Core doesn’t look that exciting aside from the fender flares. Admittedly they are quite large and do make a statement, but the Circuit package really completes the look.
• The shifter doesn’t like to be rushed. You have to be purposeful in your shifts otherwise you might get grinding. It definitely is more notchy than the FiST but it and the clutch take some adapting.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely. I do want to try to get a Blue Flame Circuit model though. That will fix 99% of my gripes with it. I was offered a white Circuit and while I really wanted it I was in the midst of purchasing a home.

Also, these are not worth a dime over MSRP. They do excellent for their price point, but I cannot fathom spending $45k on my trim.

Happy to answer any questions about it!

 

[M-Sport fan]

So, what are the (few in the country) dealers gouging for the Morzio, like $75K, for a Corolla??

 

[JTBros]

So, what are the (few in the country) dealers gouging for the Morzio, like $75K, for a Corolla??

I’ve definitely seen them asking that much, whether or not they sell for that much is debatable.

 

[NATYPE]

Really appreciate you taking time to share. Feels like a very grounded take on what it does well vs doesn't. I can absolutely imagine that difference in overall chassis stiffness / feeling more like a solid unit.

 

[thomas50shades]

There have been a few of the Corollas sold on BaT (and perhaps C&B as well) if you want to compare price vs what these dealerships are trying to sell for (keep in mind it's auction price + buyer fee which would be 5% and 4.5% respectively).

 

[Mega ST]

The fact that a 50k factory prepped Hot Hatch is even comparable to the FiST being 3 times the cost is saying something on how good a car the FiST is. I've had 2 Audi's both modded with over 500hp and a host of other cars, but none gave me the smile factor the FiST does. So usable everyday without drawing too much attention to my shenanigans. I'll have to see what the GR prices look like in the used market in a year or two.

 

[JTBros]

The fact that a 50k factory prepped Hot Hatch is even comparable to the FiST being 3 times the cost is saying something on how good a car the FiST is. I've had 2 Audi's both modded with over 500hp and a host of other cars, but none gave me the smile factor the FiST does. So usable everyday without drawing too much attention to my shenanigans. I'll have to see what the GR prices look like in the used market in a year or two.

I honestly wouldn’t even put them in the same league. Main purpose of the post was to tie in how the GRC delivers to what I was looking for from the FiST. Plus my GRC was under $40k, sure the Morizo is $50k but that has even more enhancements.

 

[Mega ST]

Not in same league of course, but comparable in certain aspects such as driving pleasure and according to you seat comfort. I would probably snatch up a GR for under 40k. My brain won’t let me pay 40k+ for a Corolla no matter how outfitted. Even so, it is an amazing piece of kit. Same problem I had with the Type-R. At least the GR is AWD. Congrats on ur purchase tho!

 

[Dpro]

I honestly wouldn’t even put them in the same league. Main purpose of the post was to tie in how the GRC delivers to what I was looking for from the FiST. Plus my GRC was under $40k, sure the Morizo is $50k but that has even more enhancements.

I guess we have different tastes . I have never been a big I gotta have all wheel drive unless the bias is that of what Nissan did with its GTR past and present which is favor it to the rear over those crazy We manufacturer FWD cars so we are going to bias it towards the front over the rear. I also watched a vid on the GRC were they had to fight to get the thing to drift unless Morizo . To me that’s a blatant turnoff. Great concept almost there but like others have said the fact that even did compare your FiST to it says a lot for the FiST. Plus truth be told by your own admission the FiST never really won you over
. Where as a lot of us who come from years of Sports car driving and high powered ones readily admit the FiST unabashedly stole our hearts. I will freely admit the FiST was the modern car to remind me of my high school years with setup lowered Datsun 510’s which were not only championship track cars but Autocross and rally as well. That’s a tall order to fill.

Indeed you are right to state you would not put them in the same class. Your WRX/STI’s are the comparable vehicles and honestly I never felt the passion for those . The GR Corolla and even the Focus RS as well as the EVO kinda displace the WRX and STI in my opinion. I would never own a EVO well because Mitsushitty . The RS was kinda the dream that should have been the FiST RS while the GR Corolla was the shoulda been Yaris yet Toyota did use the Corolla suspension for ( don’t doubt it’s a documented fact) wider track in the GR Yaris so at least your GRC is a lot closer to to Yaris than the RS could ever get to FiST.
All said and done thank you for your pro’s and con’s on the GRC it could be cool though I find it overpriced at this time.
I will probably test drive one to confirm if my bias towards any non Nissan AWD car holds true but mainly still focus on RWD cars and keep my FiST as this a is nothing else like it on market.

 

[FiestaSTdude]

I really wish Toyota made the gr Yaris over here. It looks about the same size as the fist, it’s manual transmission, and it’s awd. The gr Corolla looks too big for me.

View: https://youtu.be/jtXoZ6_YNTs
Edit: in finding this video I went down a dangerous path and now am really mad that we don’t get the gr Yaris. Not that I could afford one anyway 😂

 

[Woods247]

I honestly wouldn’t even put them in the same league. Main purpose of the post was to tie in how the GRC delivers to what I was looking for from the FiST. Plus my GRC was under $40k, sure the Morizo is $50k but that has even more enhancements.

Yet even the "$50K" Corolla cant turn laps without almost immediately overheating the diff (defaulting to FWD) or calling 911 and ending the day altogether. I have seen three GRCs do this. All were stock and one (Core PPack) was driven by a green driver. I'm a huge Toyota fan but the GRC needs serious redesign to accomplish what their marketing hype suggested (track car). Perhaps Toyota will release a software update to address the false crash issues but its inability to turn laps, be playful and its ridiculous exhaust design could be permanent. I look forward to the second gen GRC however. If they make it, it might be perfect since Toyota typically listens to enthusiasts. If I were in the market for a new AWD street hatch today, the Golf R sits on top because it is better in literally every way including maturity, since what people think matters to you. You gotta have thick skin to take a Ford Fiesta into battle. Don't I know it!

 

[JTBros]

Yet even the "$50K" Corolla cant turn laps without almost immediately overheating the diff (defaulting to FWD) or calling 911 and ending the day altogether. I have seen three GRCs do this. All were stock and one (Core PPack) was driven by a green driver. I'm a huge Toyota fan but the GRC needs serious redesign to accomplish what their marketing hype suggested (track car). Perhaps Toyota will release a software update to address the false crash issues but its inability to turn laps, be playful and its ridiculous exhaust design could be permanent. I look forward to the second gen GRC however. If they make it, it might be perfect since Toyota typically listens to enthusiasts. If I were in the market for a new AWD street hatch today, the Golf R sits on top because it is better in literally every way including maturity, since what people think matters to you. You gotta have thick skin to take a Ford Fiesta into battle. Don't I know it!

The GRC’s overheating seems to be mitigated by heat wrapping the exhaust around the diff. Same solution people used for the GRY. I’ve seen the 911 issue before but not sure how that’s mitigated.

I’d consider the Golf R but it looked the antithesis of exciting to me. Plus the manual shifter is meh and I’m in for engagement not lap times. Also while the interior materials and appointments are nicer I never want to give up manual knobs for basic use cases.

 

[dhminer]

Yet even the "$50K" Corolla cant turn laps without almost immediately overheating the diff (defaulting to FWD) or calling 911 and ending the day altogether. I have seen three GRCs do this. All were stock and one (Core PPack) was driven by a green driver. I'm a huge Toyota fan but the GRC needs serious redesign to accomplish what their marketing hype suggested (track car). Perhaps Toyota will release a software update to address the false crash issues but its inability to turn laps, be playful and its ridiculous exhaust design could be permanent. I look forward to the second gen GRC however. If they make it, it might be perfect since Toyota typically listens to enthusiasts. If I were in the market for a new AWD street hatch today, the Golf R sits on top because it is better in literally every way including maturity, since what people think matters to you. You gotta have thick skin to take a Ford Fiesta into battle. Don't I know it!

Wow that’s absurd

 

[pixelzombie]

Great photos, never would've guessed that was a Corolla. Back in 2004 my wife wanted to buy one but I suggested to also test drive the Mazda 3. She got the Mazda and we drove it until 2019 which is when I got my FiST.

 

[Woods247]

The GRC’s overheating seems to be mitigated by heat wrapping the exhaust around the diff. Same solution people used for the GRY. I’ve seen the 911 issue before but not sure how that’s mitigated.

I’d consider the Golf R but it looked the antithesis of exciting to me. Plus the manual shifter is meh and I’m in for engagement not lap times. Also while the interior materials and appointments are nicer I never want to give up manual knobs for basic use cases.

The current overheating diff fix is to bang the exhaust with a hammer until it’s in the shape of an oval then heavily wrap it. I have no idea why they ran the exhaust so close to the diff but that fix seems to work. That’s really not the issue though. The bigger issue is if you attempt an e-brake turn, your car will call 911. Every time. We took them on skid pads too. 911.. Every time. I’ve never had one in dirt but I can’t imagine it’ll work without pulling fuses. Again, my guess is Toyota will update the software to fix that issue. They really don’t have an option because everyone who drives these cars as intended knows it’s critically flawed and cannot be used for “fun”. It’s fine for street but this was supposed to be a factory ready track toy and it isn’t. It’s an overpriced pointless street car at the moment. The XSE can do everything the GRC does and it looks better.

Personally I don’t like the VW manual either. It’s pretty awful but their DCT is insanely good. I like the GRC but I do feel the FiST is better. That’s all driver opinion stuff though… The CTR manual is the best I’ve ever felt. That’s another fantastic car. The new one is so clean as is the TypeS. YouTube sold a lot of GRCs and I was on the hook like everyone else. The issues we’re seeing are unimaginable for a car that’s directed towards track hobbyists. They’ll fix it though.

 

[Woods247]

Wow that’s absurd

Yeah. Toyota will fix it eventually unlike Ford. I have to unplug my RCM to keep my Fiesta from calling 911. The fact that my car runs normally with that thing unplugged makes absolutely no since whatsoever but I’m thankful it works. The GRC build quality is definitely superior to my FiST though. I think they used more that one coat of paint too. 😂 The forged carbon roof is gorgeous. The GRC flares remind me of SS Tuning flares for our cars. I like them a lot.

 

[ronmcdon]

under 40k is really not that bad for a Core (hopefully with the diffs). I was also checking them out, checked out a dealer in socal where I was tempted but could not stomach the $10k markup for a Circuit being at 55k.
good thing hearing about the car's shortcomings on the track. that would be the main deal breaker for me, unless it gets sorted out.
with the seats, I was under the impression the Circuit seats had more bolstering and that was one of the main reasons I was checking them out.
I really don't think 40k is bad for the Core. I just couldn't see myself not having major buyer's remorse not getting the Circuit instead, but even 50k is too hard a pill to swallow.

Golf R is not a bad choice and I get the impression ADM is not as painful, if not easier to avoid. the only con is the offensively bad infotainment that might even get intrusive in a track event, but not too bad at all.
I do love both the fk8 (10th gen) and fl5 (11th gen) CTR, but again ADM makes it so that a lower mileage fk8 is in the 45k range and a new or lightly used fl5 sits closer to 55k.
The 10th gen civic is really nice. last year had been modding my mother's hatch suspension for fun, replacing a lot of front control arm bushings, swaybars, bracing and rigid collars (not sure if we can get them for the fiesta).
The overall responsiveness is not far off my fiesta and I do like how there is the absence of torque steer.

With the Fiesta what I find hardest to live with is the torque steer. If it didn't have that I would love the car a lot more. I am tempted to replace my wavetrac with a gripper lsd, but not optimistic that will do a lot.
what is best for me is the low cost in consumables and it is a lot of fun to drive, although I find a bit more fun on the track than the street due to the torque steer.

 

[Jabbit]

Is there ever really a car that's hpde-ready from the factory? I think the 86 is closest but I can't fit in one. I always have my next car in the back of my mind for when the Fiesta vents it's block. But I'm coming up empty on this one. CTR is probably my choice but it's toouch $$. Maybe Civic Si or sport?

 

[WannabeST]

Is there ever really a car that's hpde-ready from the factory? I think the 86 is closest but I can't fit in one. I always have my next car in the back of my mind for when the Fiesta vents it's block. But I'm coming up empty on this one. CTR is probably my choice but it's toouch $$. Maybe Civic Si or sport?

I think the Supra is the best all around car you can get at the moment. The price is higher and hard to find without markup. BUT I have seen multiple bone stock dealer plate ones at the track put down impressive times. And the modified ones are obviously even faster. If I had the funds and shopping in that price range I would 100% be considering one.

 

[ronmcdon]

I don't think any car is ever really hpde ready from the factory, but some are more friendly than others, like you would only need alignment, brake fluid, and pads.

the 10th gen civic si is actually hard to get in the right amount of camber without lower ball joint camber adjustment kit up front for around 150, and with that you may not get more than -1 to -1.5, while rear camber is a bit high and needs some rear arms that are close to $300. overheating is also an issue, even for the CTR, so my guess is it helps to have a fmic upgrade if not also a radiator or oil cooler.