Compare the2024 Toyota GR CorollaVS 2023 Honda Civic Type R

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the GR Corolla are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota GR Corolla has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GR Corolla has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GR Corolla 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 Civic Type R 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.

The GR Corolla has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The GR Corolla’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The GR Corolla has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the GR Corolla and the Civic Type R have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 rear parking sensors.

There are over 16 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Honda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the GR Corolla’s warranty.

The battery on the GR Corolla is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the GR Corolla’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Civic Type R’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota GR Corolla is faster than the Honda Civic Type R (manual transmissions tested):

For better stopping power the GR Corolla’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic Type R:

The GR Corolla’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Civic Type R are solid, not vented.

The GR Corolla’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58.4% to 41.6%) than the Civic Type R’s (61.4% to 38.6%). This gives the GR Corolla more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the GR Corolla’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the Civic Type R’s (36.1 feet vs. 39.9 feet).

The GR Corolla is 7.3 inches shorter than the Civic Type R, making the GR Corolla easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the GR Corolla Circuit Edition is quieter than the Civic Type R:

The power windows standard on both the GR Corolla and the Civic Type R have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GR Corolla is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Civic Type R prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The GR Corolla’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Civic Type R’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On extremely cold winter days, the GR Corolla Premium/Circuit Edition’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.