Should you buy one?

Yes. The Corolla Touring Sports might be difficult to get excited about, but it offers excellent efficiency, comfort and dealer support. The fact that it also offers hybrid economy without the faff of needing to plug in should appeal to drivers who just want a conventional family car. The latest model with its updated, more powerful engines is better than ever, and has some genuine driver enjoyment to offer as well as more pragmatic features.

Capable of 60mpg in the real world, it offers a genuine – if costly – alternative to a diesel Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus. It compares well with the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer, which should place it at or very near the top of your estate car shopping list.

The Touring Sports is also comfortable, looks good and offers up to 10 years of warranty cover at no extra charge. It’s hard not to recommend this car.

What we like

The hybrid drive system is economical, low in CO2 and works on battery alone for a surprising amount of the time. That makes it highly appealing for anyone not yet ready to move from internal combustion to a full electric vehicle.

What we don’t like

The Touring Sports is hardly fun to drive – and the CVT automatic, while efficient, remains an acquired taste. It’s also a shame that the boot of the 2.0-litre models suffers because of its larger battery pack.