Toyota Corolla Review

• Typical used price (UK): £15,000–£24,000 (2019–2023 hatchbacks; higher trims and low-mileage at the top)
• This car: £17,799 (NX72XMT, HPL Motors The Wirral)
• Insurance group: 21P
• MPG: 64.2 (official combined)
• CO₂: 111 g/km
• Best for: Low running costs and Toyota reliability in a refined, well-equipped family hatch

Is It a Good Choice?

If you want a family hatchback that just quietly gets on with it, the Toyota Corolla is one of the best used buys around. It's a self-charging hybrid, so it's very economical and needs no plugging in, and it carries Toyota's outstanding reliability reputation, which makes it a low-worry car to own. It's also more refined and better to drive than its sensible image suggests.

This model is the 2.0 hybrid in Icon trim, the more powerful of the two hybrid engines, and it's very well equipped, with a large touchscreen, digital dials, adaptive cruise control and Toyota's full safety suite. With just 14,780 miles and one owner, it's a lovely low-mileage example. At £17,799 it isn't the cheapest car here, but Corollas hold their value for good reason, and it should reward you with years of dependable, cheap motoring.

Pricing & Running Costs

The current Corolla launched in 2019 and is hybrid-only, so used examples are plentiful and reassuringly frugal. It holds its value well thanks to strong demand and Toyota's reputation, so prices are firm but fair.

Typical UK Used Price Ranges:

• Early cars (2019–2020): roughly £15,000–£19,000
• Later cars (2021–2023): roughly £17,000–£24,000
• Higher trims and low-mileage cars: toward the top of that range
• This car (2022, very low mileage, one owner): £17,799

Running Costs

• An official 64.2mpg, with a realistic 50–55mpg in mixed driving and more around town, where the hybrid is at its best
• Insurance group 21P — reasonable for a car with this performance
• Standard flat annual rate of VED road tax (check the current DVLA figure)
• Toyota servicing is competitively priced, and keeping it up unlocks the extended warranty (see below)
• Euro 6 means it's exempt from ULEZ and Clean Air Zone charges

Performance & Driving Experience

The 2.0-litre hybrid is the quicker of the two Corolla powertrains, and it's genuinely brisk, producing 193bhp and covering 0–62mph in 7.4 seconds. It's worth understanding how the hybrid works: it's a self-charging system, meaning you never plug it in. At low speeds and in traffic it can run silently on electric power alone, then the petrol engine and regenerative braking top the battery back up automatically, which is a big part of why it's so economical in town.

On the road the Corolla is refined, comfortable and surprisingly enjoyable, soaking up bumps well and handling tidily with little body lean. The one thing to be aware of is the CVT automatic gearbox: accelerate hard and the engine revs rise and hold, creating a drone until you ease off. It's much less intrusive when driving gently, and at a cruise the cabin is quiet and relaxing.

Key Performance Figures:

• Power: 193 bhp (196 ps)
• Cylinders: 4 (petrol hybrid)
• Engine capacity: 1,987cc
• Gearbox: Automatic (e-CVT)
• Drive: Front-wheel drive
• 0–62 mph: 7.4 seconds

Interior & Technology

The Corolla's cabin feels a step more upmarket than you might expect, and this car has the improved technology introduced for 2022–23, with a 10.5-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, DAB radio, a wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, heated seats and adaptive cruise control, so it wants for very little.

Material quality is solid and the layout is clear and easy to use, with the newer touchscreen a real improvement over the small, dated screen in earlier cars. Front-seat comfort and adjustment are excellent. It's a genuinely pleasant, well-made place to spend time, and it feels built to last, as Toyotas tend to.

Space & Practicality

Practicality is the one area where this particular version asks for a compromise. Front space and comfort are excellent, but rear legroom is only average for the class, and the boot is the 2.0 hybrid's weak point: at 313 litres it's noticeably smaller than the 1.8 hybrid's 361 litres, because the larger engine's battery sits under the boot floor. It's fine for everyday use and a decent shop, but if maximum boot space matters, the 1.8 hybrid or the Corolla Touring Sports estate are worth considering.

Dimensions:

• Length: 4,370 mm
• Width: 1,790 mm
• Height: 1,435 mm
• Boot: ~313 litres
• Seats: 5
• Doors: 5

MPG, Emissions & Tax

• Combined MPG: 64.2 (official)
• CO₂: 111 g/km
• Euro status: Euro 6
• Fuel type: Petrol (self-charging hybrid)
• Engine: 1,987cc, 4-cylinder
• Gearbox: Automatic (e-CVT)

Running costs are a real highlight. Euro 6 compliance means it's exempt from London's ULEZ and other Clean Air Zone charges, and the self-charging hybrid system delivers excellent economy, particularly in town, where a realistic 50–55mpg is easily achievable and often more. Road tax is charged at the standard flat annual rate, so check the DVLA's current figure at the time of purchase.

Safety & Reliability

Safety is excellent. The Corolla scored the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP testing, with a standout 95% for adult occupant protection and a very strong 86% for pedestrian protection. It comes with Toyota Safety Sense as standard, which includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, road-sign recognition and adaptive cruise control. The rating dates from 2019 and has since expired as tests have become tougher, so it's best compared with cars of a similar age.

NCAP Ratings (Euro NCAP, 2019):

• Overall: 5 Stars
• Adult occupant: 95%
• Child occupant: 84%
• Vulnerable road users: 86%
• Note: Toyota Safety Sense (including AEB) is standard; rating dates from 2019 and has expired

Reliability is where the Corolla really shines. Toyota is renowned for dependability, especially of its hybrids, and the Corolla backs it up, finishing sixth in the family-car section of a recent What Car? Reliability Survey, with Toyota near the top of the manufacturer rankings. The hybrid system has been refined over many years and is known for its longevity. Best of all, Toyota's "Relax" warranty can extend the manufacturer cover up to 10 years or 100,000 miles, simply by having the car serviced annually at a Toyota dealer, so this car may well be able to continue that cover. As always, confirm the service history, and HPL adds its 128-point check and a warranty of its own.

Alternatives

• Honda Civic — the closest rival, another excellent self-charging hybrid with a bigger boot.
• Volkswagen Golf — a classier all-rounder, roomier in the boot but pricier to run.
• Ford Focus — the keenest driver's choice, with more space too.
• Skoda Scala — hugely practical and great value, if outright space is the priority.
• Hyundai i30 — comfortable and sensibly priced, with a long warranty.
• Mazda 3 — a stylish, upmarket-feeling alternative that's good to drive.

Verdict

The Toyota Corolla is one of the most dependable and cost-effective family cars you can buy used, and this low-mileage 2.0 hybrid Icon is a genuinely appealing example. It's refined, quick, superbly economical and backed by Toyota's reliability and its potential 10-year warranty, which together make it a wonderfully low-worry car to own. The compromises are the smaller boot that comes with this 2.0 engine, average rear space, and a little CVT drone under hard acceleration. But for peace of mind and low running costs in a classy, well-equipped hatch, few cars come close.