Toyota Corolla Review 2023

If you're looking for a cheap-to-run family hatch, the Toyota Corolla is a great choice. A lot of buyers would now prefer SUV alternatives like the Toyota RAV4 but there's still a lot going in the Corolla's favour. It's very comfortable, has a high-quality interior and will be very reliable. In short, it's pretty much the ideal hatchback.

If you want a hatchback family car there’s no shortage of quality to choose from. The new Honda Civic is one of our favourites, while the old 2017 Honda Civic is a thoroughly sensible used car purchase. The latest Volkswagen Golf is a quality hatch and should be on your radar, too, while the ever-popular Ford Focus has been recently updated and represents excellent value for money. We'd also look at the versatile Skoda Octavia, while the Mazda 3 is a left-field choice with desirable looks and a superb cabin.

This is one area where the Toyota Corolla is head and shoulders above its Auris predecessor. Toyota has always made well engineered and solid cars, but interiors have never been a strong point. However, it’s really upped its game with this Corolla. 

There are no cheap plastics, even if you go looking in out-of-the-way places, while the finish is top notch. So instead of clunky buttons and rough plastics, you get something that feels far more premium. There are no squeaks or rattles and all the buttons and controls feel solid. We’re not entirely convinced by the little buttons that flank the touchscreen on earlier models, but that’s a minor gripe that was fixed in 2023.

When the Toyota Corolla first went on sale in 2019, the infotainment system was its biggest weak point. Its eight-inch screen looked dated, was clumsy to operate and you couldn’t even bypass the irritating menus by mirroring apps from your phone. A hasty update towards the end of 2019 saw the introduction of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but it still wasn’t as slick as systems found in rivals.

The latest 2023 Toyota Corolla finally has the infotainment system the original car deserved, with the same 10.5-inch display as the new Toyota bZ4X electric SUV. It’s worth looking for a later car for this alone, although it’s still not perfect. While it’s quicker (and easier) to operate, we find the display in the latest Ford Focus to be more user-friendly. It doesn’t help that the screen has been plonked on the dash, either, with no attempt to angle it towards the driver.

On the plus side, the 2023 update has also seen the Toyota Corolla fitted with impressive digital dials behind the steering wheel. These are bright and clear to read, while looking much more modern than the old part-digital display.

While space is important, it's the way this space is utilised that's more crucial to many. And the one thing that is a weak point in the Corolla is the boot. It's not the actual boot space itself that's the issue with the Toyota Corolla. That's actually a decent size at 361 litres which is more than a Ford Focus and not far short of a Volkswagen Golf.

The issue is with the rear design of the Corolla and in particular the angle of the tailgate. While it makes for a swoopy looking rear end look, it means you have to lean forward to get to the boot, which is further hindered by an oddly big back bumper.

Another consequence is that it's quite hard to shut the boot in one movement. The smooth shape and angle mean it's hard to push down from the outside while the inner handle requires some Houdini-esque joint movements in your wrist. A Honda Civic is far more practical in this respect.

The rear seats fold down but it's not a flat floor and there are intrusions from the side which mean it's not that easy to carry big or boxy things home from Ikea. That combined with a high load lip makes this a not especially user-friendly cargo area. There are also non-existent rear door pockets, replaced instead by a cupholder. 

The Toyota Corolla's dimensions are 4370mm long and 1780mm wide, while if you like the sound of the Corolla but want a bigger boot, then take a look at the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, the estate version of the Corolla.

Toyota has long been the champion of hybrid technology and that shows in the Toyota Corolla. It's smooth, quiet and quick. Thanks to the electric power motor, there’s instant power away from a standstill and the engine comes on song so quietly that it’s almost imperceptible in normal driving. Yes it can drone when you really plant your right foot, but even then it’s never coarse.

The 1.8-litre hybrid is the mainstay of the range and we think it’s the best in the line-up. The standard 1.8 rarely feels short of power, even though early models only had 120PS - only moderately more than a 1.0-litre Volkswagen Golf. Power was boosted in 2023, with the 1.8-litre hybrid now producing a more respectable 140PS. It feels sprightlier than before, accelerating to 62mph in 9.7 seconds (nearly 2.0 seconds quicker). 

There is merit to the 2.0-litre though. With 196PS (or 180PS in earlier models) it’s much more responsive, while the extra power means you don't have to deal with the gearbox noise for as long when building speed.

The necessity of a CVT-type gearbox in these things means you’ll never get as much enjoyment from a hybrid Corolla as you will from a well-set-up turbocharged petrol car with a twin-clutch automatic – a TSI and DSG equipped Volkswagen Group car, say. But the 2.0 hybrid Corolla is the closest any hybrid has ever come. And a CVT is likely to be much more reliable.

There’s also an entry-level 115PS 1.2-litre petrol-only base model but this was discontinued in 2019. Only one in every 13 Toyota Corolla’s sold was powered exclusively by petrol, hence why it was quietly dropped.

Thanks to the electric motor that powers the Toyota Corolla at low speeds, it’s very refined around town and when the engine does kick-in, it’s so smooth it’s barely noticeable. It makes the Corolla one of the most refined cars around town this side of a pure-electric vehicle.

Of course, this isn’t just about noise. The Corolla does a superb job of insulating the cabin from the vibrations and jolts caused by poor roads thanks to the excellent suspension set-up. Get up to motorway speeds and there’s little wind or tyre noise either, making for very relaxed long distance progress.

And what of that CVT-resultant drone you often get with hybrids? Well yes, the engine can be a bit loud during acceleration but the noise isn’t particularly intrusive, and you soon learn not to mash the accelerator to the floor unless you absolutely have to.

All Corolla models come with Toyota's Safety Sense which has a pre-collision system, automatic high beam, lane departure alert, lane trace assist, sway warning and road sign assist. No surprise then that the Corolla was awarded the maximum five star rating in 2019 by crash test experts Euro NCAP.

The Safety Sense system was improved when the Toyota Corolla was updated in 2023. It now benefits from over-the-air updates, which means the software can now be upgraded automatically without needing to visit a dealership. There's also a new front camera which covers a wider field, while the distance of forward detection has been increased. That means it can detect potential collisions further in advance.

If you're looking for a reliable car, then you're not going to go wrong with a Toyota Corolla. As a manufacturer, Toyota enjoys an excellent reputation for reliability while the brand's been producing hybrid cars longer than most manufacturers. The Toyota Corolla doesn't appear to have any common issues reported since it arrived in 2019.

If that's not enough to convince you, Toyota's warranty can be extended for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles free of charge (provided you have the car serviced as a Toyota main dealer).

If you crash a Toyota Corolla, its complex hybrid system means it might cost a little more to repair than, say, a straightforward petrol Vauxhall Astra. That means it's ranked in slightly higher insurance groups - starting from group 18 for a 1.8-litre Excel and rising to group 22 for the 2.0-litre.

If you're a new driver, we'd recommend looking for an older Toyota Corolla with the 1.2-litre petrol engine. With its lower power output, this should be slightly cheaper to insure - although, as ever, it's worth shopping around for insurance quotes before paying a deposit on a new car.

Buy a hybrid Toyota Corolla and you'll qualify for a £10/year discount on your annual road tax - making a total bill of £155 each year (compared to £165 for non-hybrid alternatives). If you're looking for free road tax, you'll need a pure-electric alternative like the new Toyota bZ4X. That's a loophole that'll shortly be closed, however.

It's impossible to spend more than £40,000 on a new Toyota Corolla so you aren't in danger of being hit by the hefty £355 annual surcharge for premium cars.

In the current 2023 Toyota Corolla line-up, buyers can choose from four trim levels: Icon, Design, GR Sport and Excel. All are well-equipped - there isn't really a properly basic Toyota Corolla - so we'd advise against spending top money on one of the pricier models.

The Toyota Corolla Icon kickstarts the range with 16-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights. Inside, the new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is standard, as well as the 10.5-inch navigation system. Icon models also get a wireless phone charger, keyless entry and start, dual-zone air con, a reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors with automatic braking, heated front seats, over-the-air updates and Toyota's Safety Sense active safety systems.

The Toyota Corolla Design looks a bit swisher thanks to 17-inch black alloy wheels, LED dual-beam headlights and rear privacy glass. The Design also comes with a power tailgate, folding door mirrors and rain-sensing wipers, while inside you'll find ambient lighting and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

Looking for a Corolla with sporting pretensions? You'll need the Toyota Corolla GR Sport. This adds 18-inch dark grey/machine alloy wheels, a dark chrome lower grille and black door mirror casings. For the ultimate in headturning looks, the GR Sport is available with a bi-tone paint finish. Inside, the Corolla GR Sport comes with sports seats with part-leather bolsters and red contrast stitching on the steering wheel and shift lever.

Topping the range, the Toyota Corolla Excel builds on the Design with 18-inch dark grey/machined alloy wheels, adaptive high-beam headlights and multi-beam LED headlights. The Corolla Excel also gets full leather seats, a head-up display, blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and a clever safe exit assist feature. Bi-tone paint is available as an option on the Corolla Excel as well as a panoramic sunroof.