by The GR Corolla quickly gained a reputation as one of the most exciting hot hatches on the market, combining a turbocharged three-cylinder engine with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system that provides handling reminiscent of a rally car. Despite its impressive technical specifications, a 2025 model in Omaha, Nebraska, recently failed to find a buyer, even though it was delivered in March of this year.
This is a new 2025 model in the Premium trim, which cost the first owner $43,228, including the delivery fee. With only 1,000 miles on the odometer, it is practically a new car on the secondary market, so one might expect bids to approach the original MSRP. However, reality turned out to be different.
The highest bid on the Cars & Bids auction was only $35,500, which fell short of the seller’s minimum price. Several factors influenced this.
First, the car’s location in Omaha, right in the middle of the country, could have deterred potential buyers from the coasts. The cost of delivery to the East or West Coast could have significantly increased the total expenses. Second, Toyota may have overpriced the updated 2025 GR Corolla, despite the visual changes and performance improvements.
Cars & Bids
Despite being an updated model with improved design and technical characteristics, some Toyota dealers are already offering it below the MSRP. They are likely anticipating higher demand for the versions with the 8-speed automatic transmission, so they are reducing prices on manual variants to accelerate their sales.
The Reality of Depreciation
In the end, everyone who buys a new car must be aware that it will quickly lose a significant portion of its value if they decide to sell it a few months later. Despite temporary market shifts during the pandemic, cars remain an asset that constantly depreciates. Of course, there are exceptions, but the GR Corolla, at least for now, clearly does not belong to their number.
