Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Discussion
A friend of mine gets an estate as a lease car every 12 months as he works at the factory. I have never driven it but as a passenger these are my observations:
Good points
-Around town it is very smooth and quiet, and pretty nippy due to the electric motor.
-Seats are very nice, especially in the top spec model.
-General interior quality is pretty good
-He averages over 50mpg no matter how he drives it or where he goes.
-Top models are loaded with kit and plentiful on the used market due to factory workers getting silly cheap lease deals on them
-Make sure you get (I think) a 2020 model onwards as they have Apple Carplay/Android Auto. Early models did not come with this
-Up to 10 year warranty if you get a service at Toyota dealers
Not so good
-Headroom is compromised in the rear for adults due to how the roof cuts in
-If you have the 2.0l model boot space is compromised as the 12v battery is relocated to underneath the boot floor
-The CVT box is still a bit eurgh when accelerating hard (e.g on a slip road)
Good points
-Around town it is very smooth and quiet, and pretty nippy due to the electric motor.
-Seats are very nice, especially in the top spec model.
-General interior quality is pretty good
-He averages over 50mpg no matter how he drives it or where he goes.
-Top models are loaded with kit and plentiful on the used market due to factory workers getting silly cheap lease deals on them
-Make sure you get (I think) a 2020 model onwards as they have Apple Carplay/Android Auto. Early models did not come with this
-Up to 10 year warranty if you get a service at Toyota dealers
Not so good
-Headroom is compromised in the rear for adults due to how the roof cuts in
-If you have the 2.0l model boot space is compromised as the 12v battery is relocated to underneath the boot floor
-The CVT box is still a bit eurgh when accelerating hard (e.g on a slip road)
I've driven a few, they're good apart from rear seat legroom in the hatch.
Just about ok for short trips with adults in the back, but very cramped for anything longer.
New model has just been released and the base 1.8 gets much improved performance now. 2 or 3 seconds off the 0-60 time.
Just about ok for short trips with adults in the back, but very cramped for anything longer.
New model has just been released and the base 1.8 gets much improved performance now. 2 or 3 seconds off the 0-60 time.
I have had two 2.0 Excel estates - the first met a deer on a country road at 55mph and was written off with everyone on board completely uninjured. I was sufficiently impressed with it, both before and during the crash, that I went straight out and bought another one.
The second is a 2022 model and I agree with all the above: seats really are great and it's quite happy round town or on the motorway, although the original fit Falken tyres are a bit noisy at speed. Fuel consumption was just over 50mpg in the summer but has dropped a bit now the weather is cold, currently on 48.1 with a fair bit of motorway driving, where the hybrid system is probably of least benefit.
Rear seat space in the estate is better than the hatch and the boot is big enough to take a spare wheel under the floor, which the hatch can't since, as mentioned above, the 12v battery takes up some space.
I haven't driven or looked at the 2023 model.
The second is a 2022 model and I agree with all the above: seats really are great and it's quite happy round town or on the motorway, although the original fit Falken tyres are a bit noisy at speed. Fuel consumption was just over 50mpg in the summer but has dropped a bit now the weather is cold, currently on 48.1 with a fair bit of motorway driving, where the hybrid system is probably of least benefit.
Rear seat space in the estate is better than the hatch and the boot is big enough to take a spare wheel under the floor, which the hatch can't since, as mentioned above, the 12v battery takes up some space.
I haven't driven or looked at the 2023 model.
Edited by Meld on Thursday 2nd March 14:27
Edited by Meld on Thursday 2nd March 14:28
Recently bought a 2019 Touring with the 2.0 hybrid engine and Excel trim.
Bad points first, the infotainment system is a bit behind the times (probably better in later cars though) and headroom is a bit tight. Although apparently you can have the early versions updated to add Android Auto/Carplay functionality, which I'll do at the next service.
Motorway economy is around 55mpg at 70mph, closer to 60mpg on A roads.
It's a nice thing to drive, smooth and quiet unless you're giving it the beans, the 2.0 has a decent amount of poke for overtaking. Really nice seats in the Excel. Boot space is decent but you do have quite a low roofline. Panoramic roof on mine makes a big difference to the interior, well worth looking out for.
Bad points first, the infotainment system is a bit behind the times (probably better in later cars though) and headroom is a bit tight. Although apparently you can have the early versions updated to add Android Auto/Carplay functionality, which I'll do at the next service.
Motorway economy is around 55mpg at 70mph, closer to 60mpg on A roads.
It's a nice thing to drive, smooth and quiet unless you're giving it the beans, the 2.0 has a decent amount of poke for overtaking. Really nice seats in the Excel. Boot space is decent but you do have quite a low roofline. Panoramic roof on mine makes a big difference to the interior, well worth looking out for.
Bought a new 1.8 Corolla estate in 2021.
Plus. Smooth, very economical. It was obviously going to be reliable.
Minus. Operating the various bits of the infotainment system drove me mad. Nothing was logical or intuitive.
The worst thing was that it was SO BORING. I felt like Mr Smith from Smith Street in Smithtown.
There was nothing to dislike about the car, but I disliked it. I sold it through CarWow after a few months. Got the same money back that I paid for it.
Plus. Smooth, very economical. It was obviously going to be reliable.
Minus. Operating the various bits of the infotainment system drove me mad. Nothing was logical or intuitive.
The worst thing was that it was SO BORING. I felt like Mr Smith from Smith Street in Smithtown.
There was nothing to dislike about the car, but I disliked it. I sold it through CarWow after a few months. Got the same money back that I paid for it.
Got one coming soon on lease. 1.8 estate facelift. Not driven one, but hear good things. I like that they all have decent levels of kit on the tech side. Mostly cosmetic changes as you go higher up the trim levels (the front lights are funkier eg). Even base ones have radar cruise eg
Also British built! The only UK produced estate now, unless Jaguar still makes the odd XF estate out of Castle Brom
Also British built! The only UK produced estate now, unless Jaguar still makes the odd XF estate out of Castle Brom
Edited by malaccamax on Thursday 9th March 08:39
When one million and one taxi drivers have them you know they are good for the job.
Just a quick point on the CVT gearbox. Yes' it's noisy under hard acceleration, but it makes sense in the urban/suburban environment. I currently have my Mums Honda Jazz CVT. I hated it at first because of the unnecessary tech and noisy CVT on full bore acceleration. But it's now my preferred car for suburbia/urbia because the CVT is so much smoother when braking and linear when accelerating than a traditional auto and makes DSGs feel agricultural.
Just a quick point on the CVT gearbox. Yes' it's noisy under hard acceleration, but it makes sense in the urban/suburban environment. I currently have my Mums Honda Jazz CVT. I hated it at first because of the unnecessary tech and noisy CVT on full bore acceleration. But it's now my preferred car for suburbia/urbia because the CVT is so much smoother when braking and linear when accelerating than a traditional auto and makes DSGs feel agricultural.
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