Why buy the Toyota Corolla?
The Toyota Corolla is a sharp-looking mid-size car available as a five-door hatchback or estate (called Corolla Touring Sports). Both have distinctive looks and offer good value for money, with running costs kept to a minimum thanks to the use of hybrid power. It’s available with a wide choice of trims, including luxurious and sporty ones. We’re focusing here on the 12th-generation Toyota Corolla model introduced in 2019.
Toyota Corolla range and updates
Since 1966, more than 50 million Toyota Corolla models have been sold across the world, making it the best-selling car of all time.
The current Toyota Corolla has been on sale since 2019, when it replaced the Toyota Auris. The two versions of the Auris – 2007-2012 and 2013-2018 – were essentially European versions of the 10th- and 11th-generation Corolla models sold elsewhere in the world.
The Corolla name returned in 2019 in the form of three models: hatchback, estate (Touring Sports) and saloon, with a choice of a 1.2-litre petrol engine or 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrids. The 1.2-litre engine was sold until 2020, while the slow-selling saloon was removed from the UK market in 2022.
Toyota Corolla tech and features
The Toyota Corolla has always offered a generous level of equipment, but the situation is even better on post-2023 cars. That’s because as well as improving the hybrid system and battery pack, Toyota also updated the infotainment system, with a larger 10.5-inch touchscreen and an impressive 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. These are fitted as standard features across the range.
The Corolla has four trim levels: Icon, Design, GR Sport and Excel. In simple terms, the Icon has everything you need; the Design adds extra equipment and some cosmetic enhancements; the GR Sport has additional sporty design features and the Excel is the top-of-the-range model. The range is simpler than before, when it included the Icon Tech and Trek, which was a rugged-looking version of the Corolla Touring Sports.
Toyota Corolla running costs and value
According to official figures, both the 1.8-litre hybrid and 2.0-litre hybrid give up to 64.1mpg, although this is based on cars with 16-inch alloy wheels. Choose the 17-inch or 18-inch wheels and you can expect to see a small drop in fuel economy, but not enough to make you think twice about upgrading to a nicer model.
The more time you spend in the city, the more likely you are to save fuel, because the car will do its best to remain in electric mode for as long as possible. This isn’t something you can do in the old non-hybrid 1.2-litre version, which gives up to 44.8mpg, according to official figures. Road tax is affordable thanks to low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while insurance premiums are reasonable thanks partly to a suite of driver assistance systems.
Toyota Corolla vs rivals
Toyota Corolla rivals include the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Peugeot 308. The Corolla gives you decent interior space and practicality (the estate particularly so) with generous levels of equipment, excellent quality and a great reputation for reliability.
The Corolla doesn’t have the wide engine range of some rivals but not all have such a cost-effective hybrid option.
