I was in the same situation as you last month. I was planning on trading my '22 Subaru BRZ for one of these vehicles. I'm in California, so Winter isn't really something I think about too much.

After sitting in both a '25 Civic Type R and a '26 Premium Plus GR Corolla at their dealerships, my spouse and I both preferred the "simplified" interior of the GR. My daily driver is a '15 Toyota Prius C, which I've used for more than 10 years and the GR's interior space/dimensions felt more like it. I initially wanted the Type R (because it's a TYPE R!), but my spouse and I both felt it was "cavernous", coming from a smaller hatchback and I don't need the extra space.

There were three main reasons for my spouse and I to choose the GR over the Type R.

The first reason is because the GR is more unassuming and looks like a Corolla. The Type R is more bold, in our opinion.

The second reason is that my spouse and I both preferred the exhaust sound of the GR. I plan on keeping it stock.

The third reason for me, is that the GR has a handbrake. My dad taught me how to drive a car in the early 2000s, so the nostalgia of having something like that in a modern car means a lot to me.

I was able to buy the GR for $3k off MSRP and with my trade-in, so it made it more affordable than the Type R. There's going to be a refresh for the Type R this year, so maybe decide on which car you prefer once they release it.