Compare the2023 Lexus ISVS 2023 Toyota GR Corolla

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota GR Corolla doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The IS’ optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Lexus IS has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The IS has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The IS offers optional Auto Rear Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The IS offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The GR Corolla only offers a rear monitor.

Both the IS and the GR Corolla have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The Lexus IS weighs 430 to 705 pounds more than the Toyota GR Corolla. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the IS its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GR Corolla has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The IS comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The GR Corolla’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the IS 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the GR Corolla. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the GR Corolla ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The IS’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the GR Corolla’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the IS first among compact premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The GR Corolla isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

The IS has more powerful engines than the GR Corolla:

	Horsepower	Torque
IS 350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	311 HP	280 lbs.-ft.
IS 500 5.0 DOHC V8	472 HP	395 lbs.-ft.
GR Corolla 1.6 turbo 3-cylinder	300 HP	273 lbs.-ft.
GR Corolla Morizo Edition 1.6 turbo 3-cylinder	300 HP	295 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

The IS has 17.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the GR Corolla (17.4 vs. gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The IS has a standard automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The IS stops shorter than the GR Corolla:

	IS	GR Corolla
70 to 0 MPH	159 feet	167 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The F Sport Design’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GR Corolla’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the IS Performance has standard 19-inch wheels. The GR Corolla’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The IS has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the GR Corolla; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The IS offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The GR Corolla’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the IS’ wheelbase is 6.3 inches longer than on the GR Corolla (110.2 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The IS’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the GR Corolla’s (58.4% to 41.6%). This gives the IS more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the IS’ turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the GR Corolla’s (34.2 feet vs. 36 feet). The IS AWD’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the GR Corolla’s (35.4 feet vs. 36 feet).

Passenger Space

The IS has 5.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GR Corolla (90.2 vs. 84.6).

The IS has 2.8 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and 8.5 inches more rear hip room than the GR Corolla.

Cargo Capacity

The IS’ standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The GR Corolla Morizo Edition doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the IS offers cargo security. The GR Corolla’s hatchback body style, non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the IS is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the GR Corolla. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 49% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The IS has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When three different drivers share the IS, the optional memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat (memory seat optional for the front passenger), steering wheel position and outside mirror angle. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a memory system.

The IS’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The IS’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The GR Corolla has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The IS’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The GR Corolla’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the IS offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the IS to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The IS’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

When the IS with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The GR Corolla’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The IS’ optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The GR Corolla offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the IS keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The IS has a standard center folding armrest for the driver and front passenger. A center armrest helps combat driver fatigue. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a front seat center armrest.

The IS offers an optional center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The GR Corolla Morizo Edition doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The IS’ standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Model Availability

The IS is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The GR Corolla doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus IS, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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