Corolla Hybrid or Prius?
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0:00 - Intro

BAD:

0:22 - The weird fit

The Corolla is a little under fire now with how hot the new Prius is BUT that’s not even what I’m talking about here - THIS XLE Hybrid has a very strange fit even within the Corolla family

This is the top trim
It’s the most expensive Corolla you can buy
And yet It’s also the least powerful Corolla
And the slowest Corolla…which is kinda weird as the hybrid
And if that wasn’t enough, it’s the only Corolla Hybrid you CANT get with AWD


0:54 - Rear seats

So sitting here in the rear seat, it’s a bit of a mixed bag

I’m not objectively offended by the space back here by any means
In fact, even at 6’1” I have several inches of legroom here
It’s headroom that’s the problem
And you DO get chargers and cupholders
But you DONT get vents or map pockets


1:21 - No sizzle aka the Prius problem

This shouldn’t really count as an objective point that we talk about in these videos so take this with a pinch of salt BUT it’s just not really that cool or interesting, especially with the new Prius

From a styling perspective, it’s pretty bland
Gray paint
16 in wheels
A sprinkle of chrome here and there
But really the blue hybrid badges are the only flair

The Prius is just significantly cooler now
It’s faster, better looking, and more practical
But it’s also more expensive

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GOOD:

2:09 - The Fuel Economy

This is OBVIOUSLY the point of this car..I mean it has a drive mode button and the only two drive modes are ECO and not ECO

But this was the perfect car this week - I was shooting stuff for a client all week and I took the Corolla because i was doing just about 100 miles per day
All highway and pretty much all at 80 mph
AND IT STILL GOT OVER 50 MPG
And that’s on the highway! It gets even better off the highway

Plus you have all these fun little games like EV mode, your eco score, and your electric driving ratio screen


3:00 - The Tech

I was also impressed with the tech here given the segment and price point

8 inch screen
Toyota connected software
Wireless ACP
Reverse camera
Digital cluster
JBL audio $675 and weirdly adds in wireless charger

And that’s not even mentioning the toyota safety sense 3.0 which worked so well this week and I was very grateful to have it for all the highway and at the price point


3:47 - Interior luxy stuff

Again, pricepoint in mind, there’s a decent amount of lux touches here that I liked

It’s not as nice a design as the civic
But i like the two tone leather…this softex feels weirdly high end
Heated seats
Sunroof
All windows up/down - weird kink dont judge me


4:32 - The drive

And I logged a BUNCH of time in the saddle this week and it was honestly the perfect commuter car

It’s a really surprisingly quiet ride
The suspension is really soft, kind of old luxury that I really like in something like this
And yeah it’s slow
And yeah it’s not powerful - 138 hp and 105 lbft

But it get’s incredible fuel economy
It’s really comfy
The visibility, especially forward is phenomenal
And TSS 3.0 made it such an easy car to live with if you’re doing any highway


5:19 - The trunk

With everyone going to SUVs for more practicality and trunk space this Corolla is a silent reminder that sedans still pack plenty of cargo space

The trunk is genuinely large
The seats do fold 60/40, but not from the trunk


5:51 - The price

And finally we’ll talk about the most critical part of the car, the price

Corolla hybrid starts 23,050
As tested 29,231
Talked about all the little issues within the corolla family
BUT even as tested it’s cheaper than a civic touring
Also FWD and NOT hybrid
Elantra Hybrid Limited starts at the as tested price here
And cheaper than Prius