New Toyota Corolla Hybrid - any thoughts?
Discussion
Hi all,
Thinking of getting a new Toyota Corolla Hybrid with the 1.8 Hybrid engine. Any thoughts on them here? They seem good value at around £23k for a decent spec one. I thought the old Auris was a dull old thing, but the replacement seems a bit more dynamic and seems to be very well specced.
Residuals are predicted to be very good!
Thanks
Thinking of getting a new Toyota Corolla Hybrid with the 1.8 Hybrid engine. Any thoughts on them here? They seem good value at around £23k for a decent spec one. I thought the old Auris was a dull old thing, but the replacement seems a bit more dynamic and seems to be very well specced.
Residuals are predicted to be very good!
Thanks
I nearly bought the previous one twice, new one looks good - combination of discounts, very local dealership, and practicality.
The hybrid system is very good if you can get past the usual auto journalist moans - yes, if you hoof it the engine just sits at peak power and drones away.
It's a good solution if you can't plug in at all and/or do long journeys all the time. Else a PHEV or pure EV feels like a much better solution these days if you can.
The hybrid system is very good if you can get past the usual auto journalist moans - yes, if you hoof it the engine just sits at peak power and drones away.
It's a good solution if you can't plug in at all and/or do long journeys all the time. Else a PHEV or pure EV feels like a much better solution these days if you can.
Go on and test drive one. I think it is best car to drive in its class. My only issue is quite high road noise. You should also test drive 2.0 hybrid Corolla, because it is much more enjoyable to drive and offers good real life performance, but still gets a very good mpg. 1.8 HSD is the most economical option for sure.
Much better car than used boggo 3-series.
Much better car than used boggo 3-series.
Our Lexus IS300H which is essentially running almost identical tech is coming up to 5 years old in March.
Not done much miles - 28k in total, but by far the most reliable car I have ever owned, never needed a drop of oil, still on factory tries, 12V battery going strong, even key fob batteries havent needed changing, not a single fault/warning light ever.
Real life mpg is around 50mpg on normal unleaded, no DPF/Adblue rubbish to worry about despite doing all short trips. More than adequate performance and techwise has all the stuff you would expect now, so crash avoidance braking, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert etc.
I've been critical of Toyota/Lexus approach to alternative fuels in the past, but the longer we own our hybrid the more I'm happy to admit I was wrong. Not the most exciting ownership prospects, but for the simple job of getting you from A to B with no fuss these cars are fantastically reliable.
This is what the engine bay in ours looks like after nearly half a decade of commuter usage, if you brushed off the layer of dust you could be forgiven for thinking its only just left the showroom!!
Not done much miles - 28k in total, but by far the most reliable car I have ever owned, never needed a drop of oil, still on factory tries, 12V battery going strong, even key fob batteries havent needed changing, not a single fault/warning light ever.
Real life mpg is around 50mpg on normal unleaded, no DPF/Adblue rubbish to worry about despite doing all short trips. More than adequate performance and techwise has all the stuff you would expect now, so crash avoidance braking, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert etc.
I've been critical of Toyota/Lexus approach to alternative fuels in the past, but the longer we own our hybrid the more I'm happy to admit I was wrong. Not the most exciting ownership prospects, but for the simple job of getting you from A to B with no fuss these cars are fantastically reliable.
This is what the engine bay in ours looks like after nearly half a decade of commuter usage, if you brushed off the layer of dust you could be forgiven for thinking its only just left the showroom!!
Edited by gangzoom on Thursday 9th January 06:30
KTF said:
What sort of discounts are available on these and from where?
Not sure how prices have changed recently but we paid £33k for the Lexus against a list price of £44k, that was a factor order, but back in 2015.I would have thought 10-20% discount on list price should be achievable?
HKP said:
Residuals are predicted to be very good!
WBAC says they will given nearly £17k for ours, call it £16k after usual knocking down for stone chips thats 48% residual value at 5 years.For a mass produced 'premium' saloon thats really impressive residuals, coming in at £280/month in depreciation from new. Add in £20/year VED, fuel cost of 10p per mile, cheap independent servicing at £200/year you can see why they hold on to their value.
We looked at a Tesla Model 3 to replace the Lexus, just the £40k luxury car tax alone would have paid for nearly 60% of annual fuel bill on the Lexus!!
Its very hard justifying moving on from these cars based on running/ownership costs. Its not by chance nearly all minicab drivers are now using Toyota hybrids.
Edited by gangzoom on Thursday 9th January 06:25
They are great economical cars : you can achieve really good MPG, and service/maintenance costs are low.
The powertrain is well-known as it exists since 2010 on the Prius III, and has been copy/paste on the CT200h, Auris,...
If you can plug-in a car "somewhere", I would also suggest you to take one: while I am doing 60mpg with a CT200h, a colleague is doing 75mpg for the same type of journey with a PHEV Kia (forgot which one).
If you can't, then I think the Toyota hybrid system is a reliable alternative for whom is not a fan of diesel, full EV and/or small turbo petrol engine.
Be aware that they are NOT fun cars, and they love to be driven "cool" with anticipation: that's where they give you the best return on investment. They are also pretty rubbish on long motorway journeys (ok once in a while, but I would avoid or upgrade to Lexus saloon if you do it often).
I do have a fun car for weekends. I do enjoy getting back in the "quiet and smooth" CT on Mondays
The powertrain is well-known as it exists since 2010 on the Prius III, and has been copy/paste on the CT200h, Auris,...
If you can plug-in a car "somewhere", I would also suggest you to take one: while I am doing 60mpg with a CT200h, a colleague is doing 75mpg for the same type of journey with a PHEV Kia (forgot which one).
If you can't, then I think the Toyota hybrid system is a reliable alternative for whom is not a fan of diesel, full EV and/or small turbo petrol engine.
Be aware that they are NOT fun cars, and they love to be driven "cool" with anticipation: that's where they give you the best return on investment. They are also pretty rubbish on long motorway journeys (ok once in a while, but I would avoid or upgrade to Lexus saloon if you do it often).
I do have a fun car for weekends. I do enjoy getting back in the "quiet and smooth" CT on Mondays
Petrol Only said:
Ended up in a leased golf for half the money.
Hi, can you please show your calculation ?Petrol Only said:
The 1.8 is gutless
For hills, pick-up and motorway, yes. For cruising until 60/65mph and congested roads, it is more than enought. Even acceleration from 0 to 40-ish is pretty good in Sport mode, as you have the electric engine and ICE pushing togetherBought one in Perth WA. Alternative was a Mini, (have had 2 before) but the roads here are dull, speed limits low and enforced, and the latest Mini is getting large and flabby to drive anyway. The Corolla is very comfortable place to be for city driving, and so far getting 53 mpg - for comparison a friend doing exactly the same driving in a Hyundai I30 gets 34 mpg. It’s the car your spreadsheet tells you to buy, but, to be fair to Toyota, they have nailed it.
Very cheap servicing and insurance too.
Very cheap servicing and insurance too.
cedrichn said:
Petrol Only said:
Ended up in a leased golf for half the money.
Hi, can you please show your calculation ?Petrol Only said:
The 1.8 is gutless
For hills, pick-up and motorway, yes. For cruising until 60/65mph and congested roads, it is more than enought. Even acceleration from 0 to 40-ish is pretty good in Sport mode, as you have the electric engine and ICE pushing togetherNot really hard to see how she leased a end of run DSG golf match 1.5 TSI for £250 PCM compared to the 400+ a month she was quoted for a brand new corolla. Granted we didn’t push and look for the best deal because the golf was/is an all round better car. Except maybe reliability but that wasn’t a concern as it will be going back at 3 years old.
Mums regularly sees 45+ out of it too.
I really wanted to like the auris hybrid. But I’ve not given up on living yet!
Petrol Only said:
It is absolutely gutless even a st 1.6 TDI from VAG is better.
Not really hard to see how she leased a end of run DSG golf match 1.5 TSI for £250 PCM compared to the 400+ a month she was quoted for a brand new corolla. Granted we didn’t push and look for the best deal because the golf was/is an all round better car. Except maybe reliability but that wasn’t a concern as it will be going back at 3 years old.
Mums regularly sees 45+ out of it too.
I really wanted to like the auris hybrid. But I’ve not given up on living yet!
It is what I thought: you don't know how to compare cars and their use.Not really hard to see how she leased a end of run DSG golf match 1.5 TSI for £250 PCM compared to the 400+ a month she was quoted for a brand new corolla. Granted we didn’t push and look for the best deal because the golf was/is an all round better car. Except maybe reliability but that wasn’t a concern as it will be going back at 3 years old.
Mums regularly sees 45+ out of it too.
I really wanted to like the auris hybrid. But I’ve not given up on living yet!
You prefer having fun driving the Golf rather than the Corolla: me too, we can agree on that.
cedrichn said:
It is what I thought: you don't know how to compare cars and their use.
You prefer having fun driving the Golf rather than the Corolla: me too, we can agree on that.
Totally wrong. They are both boring cars to drive. Both boring white goods and exactly the right comparison.You prefer having fun driving the Golf rather than the Corolla: me too, we can agree on that.
If I want fun.
I go out in the Mx 5 or Boxster.
If I’m going to the beach/skiing taking the dog out I go in the rx400
And ifs boring drive going to town what ever I’ll take the wife’s auto 120D
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