• Corolla promises low fuel and tax bills against rivals
• Entry-level 1.8-litre has highest economy, lowest emissions
• More powerful 2.0-litre still won’t be expensive to run

What are the running costs?

The Toyota Corolla’s hybrid engines are now properly economical in real-world journeys, especially if the car is driven mostly at urban speeds. And while they do consume more petrol on the motorway, the Toyota system is even efficient in these circumstances now, and we’ve easily been able to top 60mpg in mixed driving. This helps lessen annoyance at the small 43-litre fuel tank over longer distances.

The 1.8-litre hybrid is the most economical and has the lowest emissions. The larger 2.0-litre hybrid engine’s CO2 figures aren’t exactly poor, though, and have actually gone down following the 2023 facelift despite the drive system delivering more power. The facelifted 1.8 matches its previous results yet also delivers an even bigger power bump.

22

As self-charging hybrids, neither Toyota Corolla variant needs to be plugged in to charge, but you’ll find they still manage to run on electric power a remarkably high percentage of the time.

View detailed mpg and CO2 figures on our detailed Toyota Corolla spec page

Servicing and warranty

All Corollas come with a three-year warranty, but this can be extended to as much as 10 years or 100,000 miles if you have the car serviced at a Toyota dealer. Aside from that there’s a 12-year, unlimited mileage corrosion warranty, along with a three-year rust and paint warranty.

Toyota also offers fixed-price service plans that can be paid ahead of time or in monthly instalments, so you can plan your costs.

Reliability

• Toyota has an excellent reliability record
• Hybrid engines proven to be generally trouble free
• Warranty support for up to 10 years

Historically, the Toyota Corolla has been among the most reliable hatchbacks available. The hybrid system is typically proving very robust and other mechanical parts have been largely trouble free, in line with previous-generation Toyota hatchback and hybrid models.

There have been a few official recalls, however – the most serious relating to a bolt on the brake pedal bracket possibly not having been done up correctly, and the most numerous relating to the emergency call function not operating properly.

If buying used, it’s worth checking that any recalls have been fixed before you purchase, but they should be covered by Toyota, regardless.