Toyota Corolla test drive 2024

Make and model: Toyota Corolla
Description: Mid-sized hatchback and estate
Price range: from £30,505

Toyota says: “Corolla has evolved over more than half a century, keeping pace with changing customer tastes and preferences and embracing new technologies for safety, comfort, convenience and connection.”

We say: This familiar name in Toyota’s lineup offers a smooth hybrid experience in an economical and affordable package. 

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Introduction

The very first Toyota Corolla was launched in 1966 and, since then, more than 50 million examples have been sold across the world. Despite the name disappearing from Europe between 2007 and 2019 (when Toyota preferred the name Auris), the Corolla badge returned with the current model in 2019.

Now in its 12th generation, the model is available as a five-door hatchback or an estate (called a Touring Sports in Toyota-speak), powered by a choice of two hybrid engines and is built in Derbyshire. For a while, there was a saloon model that was built in Turkey, but that was quietly discontinued a few years ago. In 2023, the Corolla was updated with some mildly revised styling and extra technology.

As of October 2024, the Toyota Corolla holds an overall New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 73% in our Expert Rating Index, as of October 2024. As a second-hand buy, it also scores a Used Car Expert Rating of A with an even better score of 78%. 

What is the Toyota Corolla?

Available as a hatchback and an estate, the Corolla is a flexible mid-sized car. The estate is also offered in a commercial vehicle specification, which turns the car into a van-like environment with two front seats and a large load space in the rear. The Suzuki Swace is built on the same platform and is essentially a rebadged version of the Corolla, but that’s only available with the estate body shape so there’s fewer choices. 

Competitors include the likes of the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, SEAT Leon and Honda Civic. This category is generally quite closely priced so differences come down to the driving experience, fuel economy and how well equipped the vehicle is. The Corolla is also up against other rivals including the Peugeot 308, Mini Countryman, Kia Ceed and the Mazda 3. 

First impressions

If the photos look familiar, it’s because the current Corolla has been around for five years already. It had a light styling refresh last year, but you’d need to park the 2024 car next to a 2019 car to tell the difference. The overall effect is still modern and vaguely stylish. Although it doesn’t exactly stand out in a crowd, it certainly looks more distinctive than the bland Aurises that came before it.

Inside, there’s a large touchscreen and a simple layout that’s easy to familiarise yourself with. The emphasis is on functionality rather than fancy styling and materials.

All variants come with a choice of two petrol/electric hybrid engines that offer low emissions and good fuel economy.

We like: Economical hybrid engines
We don’t like: Less distinctive design than competitors 

What do you get for your money?

Both the hatchback and Touring Sports versions are available in four different trim levels: Icon, Design, GR Sport and Excel. 

Icon comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, 11-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 12-inch driver’s display, wireless phone charger, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and heated front seats. The hatchback is priced from £30.5K with the 1.8-litre engine, and upgrading to the 2.0-litre engine takes that to just over £32K. Touring Sports estate versions add about £1,500. 

Design trim adds 17-inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, ambient interior lighting and the option of a panoramic roof. Hatchback prices start from £32K. A powered tailgate with a hands-free kick sensor is included on the Touring Sports version, with prices again about £1,500 over the hatch. 

As the name suggests GT Sport adds sporty styling with 18-inch alloy wheels, GR Sport seats, red contrast stitching on the steering wheel and gear stick, black door mirrors, dark chrome lower grille, GR Sport scuff plates and bi-tone paintwork. The smaller-engined hatchback starts at £33.4K and the larger engine is from £35K.

Top trim Excel includes adaptive high beam headlights, leather upholstery, head up display, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, safe exit assist and bi-tone paintwork. In its hatchback guise, Excel costs £34.5K for the 1.8-litre engine or £356K for the 2.0-litre engine.

The Corolla range comes with a three year, 60,000 mile warranty which can be extended up to ten years or 100,000 miles if you continue to have the car serviced by authorised Toyota workshops. 

We like: Affordable jumps between trim levels
We don’t like: Some safety equipment reserved for top specification

What’s the Toyota Corolla like inside?

The Corolla’s interior is very functional and easy to familiarise yourself with. The 11-inch touch screen sits on top of the dash and is simple to control. Disappointingly, the screen quality isn’t as crisp as some rivals’ and the system can lag a bit, although the user experience can be improved by connecting with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The digital driver’s display offers all the important information at a glance and you can scroll through various data points about the car.

Toyota has stuck with real buttons for its climate controls so everything is quick to find and adjust. The Corolla’s interior feels well put together and hard wearing. Pitted against more premium rivals, the interior lacks some personality but it does everything you need it to with no fuss. All round visibility is good and although the rear view is slightly limited due to the narrower back window, there’s a reversing camera to support backwards manoeuvres.

In the hatchback version, the Corolla’s rear space is tight. For adults around six foot tall, head and leg room will be a challenge and fitting three people abreast won’t be particularly comfortable. The Touring Sports version offers a lot more breathing room and flexibility if you’re likely to carry rear passengers regularly.

Boot space is around average for this type of car but again if you need more room the Touring Sports model will have more luggage space. For those looking for maximum boot space in the hatchback variant, opt for the 1.8-litre hybrid engine as the 2.0-litre hybrid gets a smaller boot since the 12-volt battery is stored under the boot floor instead of in the engine bay.

We like: Functional robust interior
We don’t like: Rear passenger space is limited

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s two engine options to choose from, either a 1.8-litre petrol hybrid engine or a 2.0-litre petrol hybrid. The 1.8-litre engine has 140hp and a 0 to 60mph time of about nine seconds. The 2.0-litre version is a bit more powerful with 195hp and a 0 to 60mph time of about seven-and-a-half seconds. Both engines use basic hybrid systems that use the petrol engine and recuperation to charge the battery, but you can’t plug into into an external charger.

Braked towing capacity for both engines and hatchback and Touring Sports versions is 750kg. Unbraked towing is rated at 450kg so all versions would only be suitable for towing a small trailer or lightweight caravan. 

What’s the Toyota Corolla like to drive?

Driving the Corolla is effortless. It has light steering and thanks to the hybrid system it’s quicker than you expect, even with the 1.8-litre engine as the electric motor helps to boost the performance of the petrol engine (assuming you have charge in the battery).

Around town, the car stays very quiet, operating on electric power during light acceleration whenever there’s enough electricity available to do so. The petrol engine only kicks in when more performance is needed or the battery is depleted – which will happen quite quickly if you’re heavy with your right foot. If the majority of your use is fairly gently local journeys around town, it’s ideal for the job. 

It gets up to speed nicely for motorways and dual carriageways. Under hard acceleration the gearbox can make the engine a little noisy but it calms down once you reach speed. For the entry-level Icon trim, official fuel economy can be as much as 64mpg. In real world conditions, expect around 60mpg which is very respectable for a hybrid hatchback. 

While some competitors can offer a more sporty driving experience, the Corolla does everything you need it to and never feels sluggish or annoying. The hybrid system is smooth and the car comes with a good amount of safety equipment. 

We like: Easy driving experience  
We don’t like: Rivals are more engaging

Verdict

The Corolla name has been a mainstay in Toyota’s lineup for nearly six decades. In that time, it’s morphed into a modern hatchback and estate that’s affordable and easy to live with. The majority of buyers will find the 1.8-litre hybrid engine suits their needs best. For those that require more rear space, the Touring Sports version will be the best fit. 

Despite having a good range of trim options, Icon and Design will likely offer the right mix of equipment and affordability for most people. For under £35,000 you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and heated front seats and rear privacy glass. 

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Toyota Corolla, you might also be interested in these alternatives.

Citroën C4 | Ford Focus | Honda Civic | Hyundai i30 | Kia Ceed | Mazda 3 | Mini Countryman | Peugeot 308 | Renault Megane | SEAT Leon | Skoda Scala | Skoda Octavia | Suzuki Swace | Vauxhall Astra | Volkswagen Golf

Key specifications

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