Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2023 review: more power, better tech, still GREAT fuel economy!

[@TheCidKagenou]

I know the more "exotic" cars get more attention and view but I really do appreciate the attention you give to cars that we actually buy. I have never been a fan of the Corolla but this generation has definitely changed that. Will keep an eye on the next Gen and hold on to it should the ICE bans become a reality.

[@tehclam]

Wish Toyota sold the wagon in Australia, since it solves the issue of boot space and is much nicer to look at than the sedan. Would buy one.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Which Corolla wagon would you prefer? There is a shorter wheelbase Corolla Touring made in Japan which is available in AWD Hybrid. There is a longer wheelbase, FWD Corolla Touring Sports made in England or the boxier Corolla Fielder which is also made in Japan.

[@tehclam]

@@rightlanehog3151 I’d be happy with the SWB touring

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@tehclam 😉

[@chasingcars]

The European Corolla wagon is awesome looking

[@nathanthomas6988]

@@tehclam It's now available for grey import.

[@Australiano87]

Only one person in this world can make me watch a review of the world’s most boring car: Tom Baker

[@chasingcars]

I like odd compliments.

[@jeeves6490]

He was awesome as the Doctor.

[@zambacan]

And want one!

[@pjb5594]

I think you meant the worlds most popular car.😉

[@b.p.r.]

@@chasingcars which model do you recommend?

[@MrTonifumi]

$38,000 is crazy.

[@alanclarkeau]

Comparable with anything else similar - but far better fuel & service costs.

[@andyz9455]

Love Tom’s rhythm. No offence to other journalists in the channel but hey, pls do more reviews!

[@sidjyothi]

That fuel economy is insane. I recently had a ascent sport hybrid as a rental and short city trips to the shops would put the economy at 2.9l/100

[@chasingcars]

Yeah, it’s quite uncanny

[@SSchithFoo]

😱

[@BlameGamerOfficial]

I really do like the Corolla. My wish is a return for the CT though.

[@chasingcars]

It’s being considered at the moment

[@BlameGamerOfficial]

@@chasingcars Great news, thank you for sharing. Hope it is a hatch and not a kind of UX.

[@petergazarek9466]

TOYOTA 😍👍🏻

[@snoopy13946]

I was given one of these by a car hire company last year in NZ and at first I thought “oh no”, but I had a lot of fun with it and after one week actually considered buying one. Easier to get in and out of compared to my Mazda 3, which is a contortionist’s nightmare!

[@chasingcars]

Yeah, the handling is objectively very good

[@jasonmok]

I reserved a rental car in NZ but I am worrying about the boot space now. Can you let me know how many suitcase can you put?

[@Richkill]

Same, I hired a 2017 hatch for the North Island and a 2017 Sedan on the South. The Hatch was just so much better in terms of highway cabin noise and steering feel as well as handy features like radar cruise control and better interior. Anyway, I also have access to a 2017 sedan at home and keep bugging my partner to trade it in lol.

[@spiro5327]

I compared one of these with a Mazda 3 some time ago and the Corolla was way better to drive. If anyone thinks this car is boring etc think again

[@marcpacey]

Finally more thrust in a Corolla Hybrid - some of the things we get excited about! We had an Corolla Hybrid Sedan soon after it came out. Great space, comfortable and excellent boot. Then you attempted to drive it at 100+ it was downright dangerous! Any overtaking manoeuvre ( where time spent on the other side of a white line needs to be at a minimum) could be measured with a sundial ! We moved it on faster than it did go uphill an a freeway. Great content as usual.

[@chasingcars]

Thanks Marc. Yes, agreed - the old Corolla hybrid was really only appropriate for the city. But the new motor means the 2023 version is now reasonably perky.

[@brettducker7284]

Three months ago I took delivery of my Corolla Cross non hybrid and to be honest I wish I'd ordered a Corolla hatch Hybrid instead as I'm discovering an SUV isn't for me. Also the fuel economy is not great. The Corolla hatch looks really good.

[@alanclarkeau]

Absolutely - I looked at the Cross and couldn't see the point.

[@zaksk-zhj77]

This mid range Corolla now costs more than a base RAV4 from 2 years ago.

[@chasingcars]

Wow, great point. Inflation, hey.

[@craigelliott2524]

Expensive and get ready for a loooooong wait (think 12 to 18 months). Great steer and excellent hybrid tech. If you get get another similar car for $30k… 7k buys a lot of petrol at $1.70 litre (and the hybrid still use petrol)

[@Alpha_7227]

@@craigelliott2524 The mazda 3 and Cerato offer more bang for your buck and you will receive way sooner than the 18 months for a hybrid corolla.

[@ALxdCr4ftPlays]

Toyota New Zealand charges NZ$38,290 for it. I applied for special interest for one from my local Wellington Kent Tce branch, but I might hold off another 2 years before getting my next car. NZ Govt rebate for it is NZ$3,400. Sunburst & Blue Crush come as new colours. Its a shame Toyota doesn't wanna go full EV, they're the only manufacturer that hasn't yet (out of Hyundai, Nissan, Kia, MG, BMW, Mazda, etc).

[@Dan40049]

I'd love to trade in my 2017 corolla asent sport for one of these but at $37.000 it's not possible esp with the economic response to covid.

[@Ausfailia]

I definitely wouldn't consider buying this at $38k

[@nickyk703]

We were very lucky with our wait for our SX in this model - 4months. We love it, only down fall are your points. No air con in the back and boot small that's OK. It's more so only a town car for us. It's great on the open road, esp up the Twmba Range when in power mode. And fuel economy is amazing and is fun to drive.

[@jessedanielryder]

couldnt really care less about the power, i wished they'd also start focusing on getting that fuel economy under 2.5L/100km, it will make hybrids more reasonable than BEV's

[@madhardcorenick]

I would love to own a Corolla Hybrid. However, I would honestly go for the sedan every day of the week. The boot space in the hatch is way too small and I actually prefer the more conservative look of the sedan and looks inoffensive, unlike the i30 Sedan, which I think is ugly.

[@chasingcars]

Yep, the sedan certainly has practicality going for it.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

At $38,000, for mid-range spec... the Mazda 3 GT and i30 N-Line Sedan are just on another level. They are faster, vastly better appointed, nicer inside and just as good (if not better) to drive. The financial benefits of the hybrid are a bit overstated. If it's 2.5L per 100km, then at $1.70/L it's $637.50 per year for a 15,000 km year. That's nice, but it's not a world of difference.

[@jack11224]

$637.50 for every 15,000 km is quite considerable. But yes, it all depends on the situation and how much driving the owner does and if they really care about fuel savings. Definitely agree with you interior wise. It does really look bland and cheap for $38,000.

[@JP-hh2qj]

Spot on.. it seems like people cant calculate it.. only freaking on the fuel miser..

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

@@jack11224 it’s not really a lot, when you consider the loss to, say, depreciation in the same timeframe

[@jack11224]

@Jeremy Bean-Hodges You are correct. Basically, any car with a 4 cylinder engine is going to get a decent fuel economy figure. As long as it's not a V8 or anything of that nature, there's not much to worry about. However, as you mentioned the topic of depreciation and to go against what you are saying, I would guarantee that a Toyota would hold its value far better and depreciate less over its lifetime compared to its Mazda or Hyundai competitor.

[@fale892]

$38k and not even top trim, bloody hell. These manufacturers making monkeys of everyone

[@HIOP0]

EVERYONE?. DOES EVERYONE DRIVE ONE OF THESE?...EVERYONE?. F00L.

[@zaamuro8408]

Genuinely a good steer and rides very well on high profile tyres. Wish my Subaru Liberty rode as well on Sydney roads.

[@chasingcars]

Yep the chunky tyres really help out

[@TYAC_TPE_SF-Bay]

Two downsides that have no solution: 1. high dash deck 2. loud road noise. All the while there are no alternatives from the Crown family or Lexus brand.

[@dannygernaat9961]

Even with my Ford Fiesta i could fit a German sheppard and a 10 yrar old kid in there, and go on a holiday.

[@electrikoptik]

@ 8:01 How come the SX Hybrid '23 did 0-100km/h in 8.89 sec on greasy roads whilst the ZR Hybrid '23 did it in 9.29 sec on dry roads?

[@chasingcars]

One reason could be that the SX has surprisingly good grip or got a good slip start on the greasy surface. Another is that we weighed both, and the ZR was 100kg or so heavier but has no extra power (see table)

[@GlowingTube]

These are great. What stops me from buying one is the high prices, long wait times, tiny boot, tight rear seat. The sedan fixes the space issues but it looks like you must be retired and a member of the bowls club. Now, the wagon would be fantastic but it's not available in Australia.

[@marcrobert2603]

The rearvieuw camera is soooo bad. It even has''t the moving lines on it.

[@Stevegrande1]

So if you get top of the range you don’t get a spare. It’s Australia. Every car should have at least at a minimum a space saver like the sx spec has like this one. I’ll never buy another car with out at least a space saver spare. Wife’s current merc has nothing, zippo, except run flats, which are totally useless when you put a hole in the side wall 200k from home on a Sunday night 😡😡

[@rickdias1981]

Corolla now cost nearly the same as Camry...

[@chasingcars]

Absolutely right - which seems crazy, as the Camry is even better! But the wait times on Camry are longer again than Corolla, so perhaps it is a demand/supply thing.

[@HIOP0]

THEN GO BUY ONE AND ST£U.

[@OlyMar83]

I got the 2020 corolla sedan hybrid and it’s actually not bad on the freeways. Not sure why it gets a bad wrap in terms of power. It’s not a hot hatch by any means but it’s not “gutless” either like all these reviews allude too. I have no issues overtaking.

[@nareshkrishnakumar9819]

the waiting times depend on model you go for. sometimes you would only wait 4 months minimum like my parents did.

[@kadajawi2]

Funny, other sources quote 313 liters boot space for the 2.0 liter and 361 liters for the 1.8 engine.

[@MLife1972]

I'm all for cars that are less than 1800 mm wide. Even small cars are getting porky and won't fit in my garage.

[@Alpha_7227]

You can't even get a test drive. It will take at least 18 months to get one. Have they managed to fix the dreadful deceleration noise as you apply the brake descending a hill.

[@Muhammad_dawud]

my dad just bought one today he ordered it last year august in Australia it would have taken another 6months but the guy that was in front of in the waiting question cancelled his order so now we have it earlier

[@gerryc1575]

Ireland and UK guarantee runs to 10 years/170ishK Kilometres, as long as you service it in a main dealer, first 3 years, free servicing

[@LisaLiu-gx3ry]

Where is the unique peacock black colour? and why have they removed the rear air conditioning?

[@johnholst]

We don't the best Toyota models here in Korea. I wish we got this! Thanks Tom!

[@chasingcars]

No worries!

[@bitet1]

It's 5th generation? They still selling new 23 cars with 4th generation motor

[@MrBayoublue]

Is toyota looking at buying canoo to boost their commercial EV and light truck EV

[@thakillerb]

we've got these at work and they are absolutely brilliant for the price, its between this and a model 3 for me in regards to upgrading my current vehicle. Camry needs an update but that thing is a really great option too.

[@仔明傻]

Would think the Ascent hybrid sedan is a better bargain for the price? Keyless entry, satnav, bigger boot...

[@lssutton4]

I get mine on the 28 th of February I was so lucky as at first they said 24 month wait. A business ordered a fleet of them in my town but they didn’t really need them all at once so I get to have mine early. Can’t wait.

[@albertgan9423]

just get a used current gen Camry Hybrid - great car

[@chasingcars]

That’s an option though not everybody is keen on a 5+ yo car without warranty

[@huckietam6746]

I test drive this car for my daughter last year. There are two points I want to make. The main drawback this car is the environment/sound insulation. It was like driving a car in the Flintstones cartoon. The sales told me even the ZR trim will not make a difference to this. The second point is that in UK, also a right hand drive country, they have the 2.0 hybrid which has 146kw which is about 2.5k pounds more expensive in each trim. That little car will be very fun.

[@chasingcars]

The ZR would be worse for road noise because of its lower profile and sportier tyres - and no additional cabin sound insulation

[@leongkhaikheng]

Interesting.. I don’t find the road noise an issue in the ZR though I have not test driven the SX. I am actually impressed with the handling and suspension. Is a great car to drive

[@JP-hh2qj]

Expecting too much.. its toyota hybrid.. and thats all about it..

[@IronmanTeachMaths]

Did you turn on the air con while running the test

[@bazinga615]

How did you find the road noise on coarser roads? In terms of comparison in the class, was it worse than the i30 / Cerato?

[@chasingcars]

Pretty loud. Most in this segment are. Mazda 3 and VW Golf are a bit quieter

[@bazinga615]

@@chasingcars thanks. You’ve reviewed the hybrid sedan in the past too. Would a sedan design be better for road noise vs hatch ?

[@chasingcars]

Normally yes, a sedan is quieter because the load space is enclosed rather than open to the cabin (where it can generate noise and resonance)

[@lukelawrence6007]

Hey tom.ive had my corolla since 2020 these are great 1st or 2nd or last car 1 down side to this corolla you will scrape the front spolier

[@markraines8138]

Was given one of these last weekend. Drove nicely. But the rental hack had no navigation and no usb port.

[@matthewb9824]

I really don't understand this obsession reviewers have with the 0-100 test. It is absurdly ridiculous to do this test on any car that isn't marketed as a performance car - especially the Toyota Corolla, and a Hybrid model at that! No one buys a car like this in the hopes of taking off from a stop at the speed of light and it isn't built for that kind of driving anyway. The 0-100 test is just plain stupid and unnecessary, so please stop including them in reviews unless it's a performance car!

[@chasingcars]

We won’t stop including them. We aren’t looking for every car to be fast - the question is whether the vehicle is sufficiently quick for its segment, and for the kind of driving people might do with it. Frankly, your opinion that it’s unnecessary is just one view - we don’t share it - and if our inclusion of extra data including 0-100 times offends, other channels might suit you better!

[@saikesh2510]

As good as a car corolla is, at $38k nah, I would rather get a Mazda 2 instead and save $10k+

[@HIOP0]

WHY DON'T YOU WALK AND SAVE $38K?.

[@fs5590]

Suitable for a price of 20/25k.

[@yungtkadrian]

Is there a Corolla Wagon variant in Australia? Would like to have one rear space is way better than the hatchback

[@chasingcars]

Sadly no.

[@ajmaminggen796]

how long is the wait as of July 2023?

[@alwayswinning3743]

I'm looking at getting corolla hatchback end of year, should I go for hybrid or just plain? Don't know cars, but everyone saying Hybrid, I'm not sure about paying 30k plus for one?

[@adzdisdat8844]

Car prices are ridiculous everywhere you go, from used to new cars.. inflation is everywhere.. 35-38k for a hybrid, ive been looking around and theres not much out there .. Toyotas are reliable and hold their value in the long term from previous experience.. also a mate of mine has this exact same car 2023 model and he tells me he gets 950-1000km from a single tank and with the prices of petrol these days, you probably save urself some dollars a year.. very easily.

[@alwayswinning3743]

I've now been looking ag getting another Hyundai getz just to get me going for another 50-10 years, current one on last legs. I don't have $$$ for new atm, so will have to wait for new. And still wouldn't mind getting toyota 2nd hand but don't want to paay anything over $10k for a 2nd hand car, If I were with toyota Km's will be high as @@adzdisdat8844

[@aaron6091]

We want the prius prime 2023!

[@yuribudilov5638]

my Toyota dealer in Melbourne says the estimated waiting list for 2023 hybrid Corolla is 12-18 months and admitted this is just a guess, it could be longer. He agreed that the hybrid model waiting list is actually getting worse in 2023. So, a Corolla hybrid is a car you buy when you are not buying a car. You are just joining the 1-2 year-long queue for deposit of $1000 at an unknown future price. The same applies to any hybrid Toyota, I might add.

[@chasingcars]

Quite right, but a quick read of this comment section (and others) reveals many people who pounce on cancelled orders much more quickly than that. Just have to really be on top of your dealer.

[@chasingcars]

(And get quite lucky)

[@dointheokecoke5548]

your wearing out that bit of rd,double white lines why cut over them ?

[@chasingcars]

It’s our private test track, and needed a repair at one point

[@richierich087]

I have the Hybrid SX Sedan in glacier white on order, should be ready hopefully in a few months if the dealer’s monthly updates are accurate 😉

[@chasingcars]

Enjoy! When did you order?

[@richierich087]

@@chasingcars I ordered last year around August.

[@m3csl89]

@@richierich087 i ordered mine in celeste grey back in july last year. hopefully i will get mine soon.

[@richierich087]

@@m3csl89 that’s great. I asked for mine to be ready around early May, specifically so I could save some $$$. I was told before that it was on schedule to be built in February. I spoke to the dealer and it looks like it might be built in February or March. Either way, it looks like it is coming soon. I also like Celestite grey. It is like a nice blue type colour. I also like Lunar Blue, but I think lunar blue looks a bit too dark on screen. Not sure how dark it looks in real life - I haven’t seen the lunar blue colour in real life. Exciting times to look forward to our new cars 😀👍

[@bangguppong4022]

I am also wating for my ascent sport hybrid sedan with celeste grey. I ordered last May and now only one person in front me of my dealer. Hopelly It might be built in March.

[@robertceroli3512]

Toyota recently featured in the financial review the car of choice for scalpers upon taking delivery flip it for easy 5k profit

[@chasingcars]

Very frustrating. But I guess it’s a mark of the popularity of the car.

[@kodessa]

Toyota gypped us by not giving us the bigger infotainment screen that's in the Corolla Cross

[@chasingcars]

Yeah, the small screen looks..a bit small

[@bryanjuni706]

Great review! Thanks for the detail and the humour!

[@sad6549775]

37K and the infotainment of this level? Why does it feel like they designed it for a lower price point and accountants simply jacked the price?

[@sad6549775]

Or artificial way to move people into SUV (higher margin) and pulls a ford?

[@chasingcars]

Because there are severe wait times and a long queue of buyers, there’s no incentive to put the price down (which would then extend the wait list further)

[@davidshaw6884]

😂 Loved your cheeky commentary in this one Tom.

[@bobsuzy1]

It’s the equivalent of driving a white fridge. I can’t believe Toyota can make people wait 12 months for these tin cans. Mazda 3 or VW Golf are much better drives, worth the extra petrol to ensure you don’t want to top yourself every time you open the garage door. Time for a proper update Toyota.

[@chasingcars]

Out of date Corolla opinion, IMHO.

[@eponymous7910]

Hmmm in my experience nothing can sap your will to live quicker than an out of warranty Golf when the repairs pile up

[@HIOP0]

ANOTHER F00L. WHAT FLEET OF LUXURY LIMOS DO YOU KEEP STABLED?. TIME FOR A PROPER INFORMED POST...IF YOU CAN MANAGE IT...

[@aerienix]

Imagine if they put the 2L hybrid system from the Corolla Cross in here.

[@chasingcars]

It'd fly!

[@conrafael9465]

Uk models have the 2.0 lt hybrid engine

[@aerienix]

@@chasingcars warm hatch levels!

[@rjbiker66]

@@conrafael9465 only if you pay a lot of money.

[@JP-hh2qj]

It will be too expensive in aus due to aus gov import tax depending on engine size..

[@richierich087]

Someone stole the Toyota badge off the top of the engine! 7:14 😂🤷‍♂️

[@chasingcars]

Yes, what happened there!?

[@bazinga615]

@@chasingcars there’s a warranty bulletin out on this issue. Seems they will be making a running change. They also don’t know how/why this happened but looks like anyone without the logo will get the whole part replaced. It’s actually not just a decal.

[@richierich087]

@@bazinga615 wow, amazing. I legit thought someone poked around the review car and wouldn’t have imagined it came out of the factory like that 😬

[@bazinga615]

@@richierich087 I’m guessing they didn’t want to hold up manufacturing for a simple part on the first batch and decided to deal with it at a local level via a bulletin. I even have the bulletin number but this is internal Toyota use and I should not share publicly.

[@richierich087]

@@bazinga615 thanks for letting us know anyway, very interesting 😀👍

[@juliepowell2572]

Ordered mine in November and picking it up this weekend.

[@lindsayh9094]

Is that $44k drive away?

[@rebuildingdad3010]

We use these shape corollas for our fleet vehicles and I have to say, they are the most uncomfortable car to drive for over a period of time. Roof is too low, feels claustrophobic all round, rides like a go kart. I prefer the previous generation shape.

[@chasingcars]

Good to know. I prefer the power seats of the ZR because you can get into a better and more supportive position. But I’ve never had a major issue with the ride quality of this gen.

[@JP-hh2qj]

Well.. its all about toyota hybrid.. expecting anything else is in your dream..

[@stephendavidson5387]

Forget it CVT

[@Exxodus74]

It’s funny, I ordered mine in September and had it by November. ZR hybrid.

[@chasingcars]

Great result. Maybe a cancelled order?

[@Exxodus74]

Could be, salesman did say about 8 months initially

[@netersingh7262]

From which dealer did you ordered

[@rallymosm3331]

Good best

[@rallymosm3331]

Beautiful

[@rmanningau]

🥱

[@trevorbrad]

Would love to see a review of the new ZR! 🎉

[@chasingcars]

Filmed and coming soon!

[@trevorbrad]

@@chasingcars Awesome 🙌 thank you! :)

[@GAZZA55]

I live in new zealand and have a 2020 ZR hatch very happy with it. We have placed an order for the new 2023 updated model in orange ordered October last year should be here june/july this year well worth the wait they are 42,200 here.

[@salrocks8635]

Yo wasup

[@chasingcars]

G'day

[@planbparadise2046]

Is it Orange ????? 😮

[@chasingcars]

Sunstone orange ($575)

[@planbparadise2046]

@@chasingcars Thanks mate

[@HIOP0]

ARE YOU BLIND, THIS WAS PUT UP ON SCREEN NEAR THE START.

[@planbparadise2046]

@@HIOP0 Blind I am 😘

[@planbparadise2046]

@@HIOP0 Yes, timecode 0:54 - I am not blind after all 🤣

[@rjbiker66]

Can't you ditch the spare wheel and lower the load floor.

[@HIOP0]

BUY THE CAR, DO WHAT YOU LIKE.

[@Snapit551]

These Toyota cars are only driven by pensioners or taxi drivers

[@bazinga615]

Or people that don't care for the "SUV-mania" hype, prefer independent rear suspension, great ride and handling, best fuel economy, made in Japan, and under $40k

[@chasingcars]

No, that ain’t it

[@HIOP0]

DID YOUR CARERS LEAVE THE ROOM FOR A FEW MINUTES AND YOU GOT ACCESS TO THE KEYBOARD?.

[@yuribudilov5638]

this is because the pensioners, taxi and uber drivers want cars that do not break down often and cost less to own and last longer. Think about it for a bit, take your time. A Car is Transportation, this is its primary and overwhelming purpose. Everything else is a distant secondary purpose. A broken Ferrari in need of $20,000 of repairs after warranty ends is not a match for a pensioner driven Toyota.