More power and more efficiency, as well as better safety and multimedia systems, enhance the refreshed 2023 Toyota Corolla. The 2023 Toyota Corolla is a compact sedan or hatchback, offered with gas and hybrid powertrains, the latter of which delivers Prius-grade fuel consumption with more streamlined and less egg-shaped styling. The Corolla runs up against other compacts in a small but strong segment that includes the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Mazda 3.
The Corolla no longer wears beige even when it’s painted another color. It has a stray busy line or two, it’s almost but not quite as precisely drawn as the VW Jetta or the Mazda 3 sedan. But at long last, it’s more interesting to look at than not, and even interesting inside. That’s not to say there’s anything extreme about the thoroughly conventional profile of the Corolla sedan, or anything revealing in the almost undetectable details that distinguish Hybrids from gas-powered versions. It’s plain and inoffensive, and that’s perfect for what and whom it’s built.
Hatchbacks have a little more dazzle, or maybe it’s just that we’re no longer so familiar with that body style. The sizzle comes with the GR Corolla, which takes the hatchback shape and puffs it up with wider fenders that can swallow its 18-inch wheels and gaping air intakes feeding its turbo intercooler and cooling down its brakes. The tri-tip exhaust is a dead giveaway.
Most gas-powered Corollas now sport the gruff 169-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 found previously in the SE and XSE models. It’s capable of perfectly adequate acceleration and fuel economy, but the loudness that accompanies it undercuts the Corolla’s otherwise pleasant demeanor. A CVT slurring around in the powerband doesn’t help matters, or make the Corolla feel any more responsive. It’s lost its 6-speed manual transmission option, too.
Who buys a non-Hybrid Corolla for the powertrain, anyway? Take the gas-electric model for many reasons, not only its sky-high efficiency. Its combination of batteries, a motor, and a small gas engine generate an unimpressive total of 121 hp, but it’s so much more muted as it accelerates via its own CVT that it’s worth the second-slower acceleration times (about nine seconds to 60 mph, by our reckoning).
All Corollas have good balance and handling. The relatively soft suspension tune is complemented by direct but relaxed steering. In ride quality and in cornering, the Corolla feels like a larger car and that’s to its credit. All-wheel drive is an option on both hybrids and gas-powered Corollas, and it’s standard on the rip-snorting GR Corolla.
Most models are exemplary on gas. Base cars get EPA ratings of 32 mpg city, 41 highway, 35 combined. High-spec versions get a little less, due to weight. Corolla Hybrid sedans get spectacular results, with EPA ratings of as much as 53/46/50 mpg, and at worst, 47/41/44 mpg.
The Corolla’s crash-test performance is nearly flawless. The IIHS calls it a Top Safety Pick+, but that applies only to versions with upgraded LED headlights. Other versions have “Marginal” headlights. The NHTSA gives the Corolla five stars overall. The Corolla carries standard automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control, while blind-spot monitors are an option. Outward vision is decent.
Decent interior space meets decent interior trim in the Corolla. The Corolla cabin has an airy, open feel, particularly when it’s wrapped in lighter hues. Logical and cohesive, the interior gets some leather-like trim on the seats and dash if you spend up to that level. The Corolla sedan offers the best accommodations for up to five people, but four fit best in it and in the trimmer hatchback. In all, a plain well-assembled interior won’t attend anyone.
Toyota fits the Corolla with supportive front seats that have lots of travel and are wide enough to accommodate a range of body types. Sedans wear basic cloth, while Hybrids get a smart woven material; both can be upgraded to synthetic leather and front-seat heating.
While Corolla sedans have a 106.3-inch wheelbase, hatchbacks sit shorter on a 103.9-inch wheelbase. That plays out in the back seats of both, where sedans have much better legroom. Even in the sedan, though, the second row doesn’t have plentiful headroom. Both are better suited for short trips in the back seat. In cargo space, the hatchback trumps the sedan, with roughly 18 cubic feet of room, compared to the sedan’s 13.1-cubic-foot trunk.
The Toyota Corolla makes value its hallmark. Superb value in almost every version makes the 2023 Corolla a standout, as does its swell infotainment system and its complete set of standard features. Toyota has dropped the base Corolla L, leaving the $22,645 Corolla LE as its entry-level sedan. It has a newly standard 8.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, keyless start, and cloth upholstery. We’d spend up to the $23,895 Corolla LE Hybrid, which gets digital gauges in addition to the regular equipment. If the body style compels you, the cheapest hatchback is the $24,100 Corolla SE.
With synthetic leather upholstery and all-wheel drive, the $27,695 Corolla Hybrid XLE is a certified bargain. But you’ll spend more for the fantastic performance of the GR Corolla: it’s $36,995, but comes with all its go-fast hardware, plus a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. It’ll be difficult to find one anywhere near sticker price for a while, though.
At the end of the day, the 2023 Toyota Corolla might just be what you need. It’s relatively small size, great safety tech and value with Toyota reliability make it a great small car for first time buyers. With the Corolla Toyota has struck the veritable sweet-spot of the small car class. It does everything you’d want with Toyota refinement and reliability.
