TRY: What is the best gasoline engine in the Toyota Corolla Hybrid?

Auto brands seem to be splitting their minds between two types of vehicles: SUVs and EVs. However, customers still have a lot to choose from the hatchback. Mazda and Toyota updated their classic family cars and the Opel Astra is completely new. The Seat Leon serves as a means of comparison.

Opel lends us the Astra with a simple three-cylinder turbo engine with 130 hp, while Mazda comes with a 186 hp four-cylinder gasoline engine with complex compression ignition. With the Leon 1.5 eTSI, Seat offers a 150 hp four-cylinder with mild hybrid technology, a fun medium. Meanwhile, Toyota plays the full hybrid card: a naturally aspirated gasoline engine and a powerful electric motor together produce 140 hp.

In this article we focus on the Toyota Corolla and its hybrid powertrain. You are studying a complete comparison test Automatic inspection 4. You buy a magazine at a supermarket, bookstore or local our webshop.

The most economical hatchback in the test

Of Opel Astra it has a very small engine with low horse power. Its 130 hp three-cylinder engine is connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission that, with some effort, ensures that you always have enough power.

The Corolla also automatically shifts, but it does so steplessly. Although the Japanese have managed to reduce the effect of the annoying rubber belt of the constantly changing transmission, the shifting behavior still takes some getting used to. Especially for a sports driver. The smooth interaction of the naturally aspirated combustion engine and the electric motor encourages smooth and anticipatory driving.

This is compensated by lower consumption. With a practical consumption of 5.1 l/100 km, it is not only the most economical car in the test, it is also a hatchback that comes close to its stated WLTP consumption (4.4 l / 100 km). It is possible that the Corolla Hybrid with a smaller 43-liter tank still has a greater range (843 km).

Smooth, not gamey

The Corolla’s hybrid powertrain doesn’t like to run sporty and finds a kindred spirit in the chassis. The 16-inch tires are also not designed for optimal angles, because the high walls absorb all the kinetic energy. As a result, Toyota remains six seconds behind the rest of the circuit.

Excellent suspension comfort

The Corolla scores highly in terms of ride comfort, as it is the only test vehicle with independent rear suspension. The rest has a simple torsion beam and that’s a type of rescue that’s common in the Polo segment, but looks bad to us here in the Golf class.

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And you also feel it: whether you are alone in the car or with the whole family, Toyota offers excellent suspension comfort. It’s just a shame that the wheel arches are poorly insulated, so you hear every splash of sand.

A small caravan

The trailer on the towbar of the hybrid corolla can only have 750 kg. Its competitors drag 1,300 to 1,500 kg of temporary holiday accommodation through Europe.

In terms of ease of use, it’s surprising how haphazardly Toyota has distributed the buttons on the dashboard, but at least they’re real buttons.

Lowest base price

We replace our stopwatch with a calculator. Then the Corolla Hybrid shows good numbers. Of the four, it has the lowest price (32,995 euros), the cheapest maintenance bill and the friendliest wear and tear. In addition, fuel costs are not too bad and Toyota now offers a 10-year warranty. In short, this is the face of the Corolla.

An electric car with a battery that makes the consumption as low as possible does not make the car unnecessarily heavy. Toyota is in the same weight class as Opel and Seat. The Mazda3 it is slightly heavier and therefore more expensive in road tax.

Conclusion

Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid is economical, comfortable and affordable, but there is room for improvement in other areas. For example, not particularly spacious or strong. And the comfort of the suspension may be good, but the seats are average and the cabin is quite noisy.

One of its main advantages is a hybrid car: smooth running characteristics, excellent power delivery, low consumption. It just lacks spice and flexibility, so acceleration times aren’t great, as is shifting behavior. So the Corolla has a good petrol engine, but not the best.

You are studying a complete comparison test Automatic inspection 4. You buy a magazine at a supermarket, bookstore or local our webshop.

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