2023 Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a few years into its 12th generation as a compact car that offers buyers many choices. There are sedan or hatchback body styles with hybrid and gas engines and front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Its affordable pricing is ideal for entry-level buyers with modest budgets, but this five-person compact still manages to pack in plenty of features. A robust infotainment system, good standard safety and decent material quality make this affordable car surprisingly appealing regardless of price.

The Corolla gets a significant refresh for the 2023 model year that starts under the hood. The old 1.8-liter base engine has been put out to pasture, making the more powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder standard across the lineup. Infotainment and safety are upgraded, and the hybrid now offers all-wheel drive. In the sedan, three gas trims are priced from $22,645 (including a $1,095 destination fee) for the LE to $27,095 for the XSE, while the three hybrids are $23,895 to $27,695. Significantly, 2023 sees a decrease of $1,250 for the base hybrid. All-wheel drive adds $1,400. The hatchback comes in just two trims, priced at $24,060 and $27,525.

Competition for the Corolla includes the Honda Civic, which is available as a sedan or hatchback. There are also the Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Versa, which are both sold only as sedans. The Civic and Elantra have performance versions, the Civic Type R and Elantra N, as does the Corolla, the Corolla GR, while the Versa has only one engine option. Only the Elantra offers a hybrid in addition to its gas engines.

Power for the Corolla comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 169 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission for both the sedan and hatchback. The hybrid sedan has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 134 net combined system horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard, but there is the option for all-wheel drive on select hybrid trims.

The Corolla stands out in the segment for its range of configurations with a sedan or hatchback, hybrid or gas engines and front-wheel or all-wheel drive. It combines that versatility with good fuel economy and standard features, so the base trim doesn’t feel like a lackluster option. Add pricing that makes it easy on the budget, and the Corolla is a well-rounded compact car option.

This year, the Corolla has a larger 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with enhanced features and excellent voice recognition that makes it easy to operate while keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. There’s also Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the latest version of its comprehensive safety suite with expanded functionality of many existing features. The 2023 Toyota Corolla gets upgrades that keep it competitive in the segment while its pricing keeps it affordable for modest budgets.

Performance: 10/15

Toyota discontinued the old base engine in the Corolla and rolled out what was the premium engine as standard for the full lineup this year. This 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine powers both the sedan and hatchback. It delivers 169 horsepower with 151 lb-ft of torque paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission. There’s sufficient power for strong acceleration, but this isn’t a sports car. Instead, look to the performance-focused GR versions of the Corolla for a more engaging drive experience. Handling is suitable for an affordable compact, making it easy to guide through the corners with controlled steering, but again, it leans toward comfort rather than sportiness.

There’s also a 1.8-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that delivers 134 combined net system horsepower with 156 lb-ft of torque. However, the hybrid is only available in the sedan. It’s a less engaging option than the gas engine, but it does improve your fuel economy and may pencil in your favor if that’s your priority. Front-wheel drive is standard, but the hybrid has the option for all-wheel drive on select trims, which is something to consider if you live where winter weather typically includes a healthy dose of snow.

Fuel Economy: 14/15

The EPA estimates that the 2023 Toyota Corolla—both sedan and hatchback—will return 32 mpg city, 41 mpg highway and 35 mpg combined with the gas engine. The hybrid ramps up those numbers significantly, earning EPA estimates of 53 mpg in the city, 46 mpg highway and 50 combined. Considering the 21 mpg improvement in the city metric alone, the hybrid is the choice for devout hyper-milers. But even the gas engine is efficient and will help keep you on budget when gas prices go up.

Overall, the segment gets good fuel economy with our competitive set, averaging about 32 mpg combined for gas trims. However, the variety of engines offered by the competition skews the average a bit with performance options that pull the figure down. Nevertheless, there’s quite good fuel economy throughout the segment, depending on the trim and engine you choose. As for hybrids, the Hyundai Elantra comes out slightly ahead of the Corolla, making it the best pick of the lot in terms of pure fuel efficiency.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 12/15 

The 2023 Toyota Corolla received an overall five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but is not yet rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The lack of complete ratings from these agencies lowered our safety score.

Standard safety tech includes Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 with pre-collision with pedestrian detection, including low light pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection, lane departure warning with steering assist and road edge detection with sway warning system, automatic high beams, full-speed adaptive cruise control, road sign assist and lane tracing assist. Optional features include blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning.

Comfort & Room: 10/15

The Toyota Corolla is a compact sedan but has surprisingly roomy front seats. They’re comfortable and supportive, with plenty of legroom for even tall adults to spread out. However, rear seats are a bit of a different story. The sedan has 34.8 inches of legroom, which is a few inches more than the Nissan Versa but less than the Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic. The difference is even more noticeable in hatchbacks with 29.9 inches in the Corolla and 37.4 inches in the Civic. Though front seating is quite good, rear seating in the Corolla is snug, something to keep in mind if you plan to transport passengers frequently.

The interior trims and materials in the Corolla are high quality, even in the base trim, but it isn’t a plush option. This is an entry-level car, and it does feel like one. Standard features include fabric-trimmed seats with a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, tilt and telescopic steering wheel and automatic climate control. Move through the lineup, and there are SofTex-trimmed seats with an eight-way power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and metallic interior trims for a more refined look and feel.

Infotainment: 11/15

This year, infotainment in the Corolla is upgraded to a standard 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a six-speaker audio system. There are also two front and two rear USB-C ports. Optional features include Qi wireless charging and a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system with an 800-watt amplifier and 10-inch subwoofer.

The system is easy to operate with a crisp screen and logical menus. There’s no larger screen size available in the Corolla, but the standard one is large enough for easy operation, especially in a small car where it’s not exactly out of your line of sight. This latest version of Toyota’s infotainment also features the ability to use voice commands simply by saying, “Hey, Toyota.” You can then use natural language to navigate the system, so you stay focused on the road and aren’t distracted trying to touch the screen and look at menus.

Cargo Space & Storage: 8/15

Corolla is a compact car, so it doesn’t have a surplus of cargo room like some SUVs. However, it still has a roomy trunk that offers 13.1 cubic-feet of capacity. The hatchback is a more versatile choice for cargo, with 17.8 cubic-feet behind the rear seats and 23 cubic-feet if you fold the rear seats down. Especially for large, awkward items, the hatchback is the better option, but it comes at the price of rear seat legroom. 

Cargo capacity is one area where the competition has the Corolla at a disadvantage. The Hyundai Elantra has a 14.2 cubic-foot trunk, while the Honda Civic sedan goes higher with 14.8 cubic-feet; the Civic hatchback has a total of 24.5 cubic-feet behind the front seats of the hatchback. Even the Nissan Versa has the Corolla beat with 15 cubes of trunk space. If cargo hauling is in your future, then more versatile options can be found among the competition.

Style & Design: 8/10

The Corolla is an entry-level compact car, so it’s not flashy. That said, it still has an attractive design inside and out. The exterior has a sporty look, especially in the hatchback, that makes the Corolla look fun and modern. Inside, think minimalist, especially in base trims. There is a good amount of hard plastic, but with finishes that mix things up enough to avoid being dull or boring.

As you move up the trim range, it gets a more visual punch with metallic accents and synthetic leather seating surfaces. There are no quilted Nappa leather or genuine wood trims, but few people shopping in this segment are expecting such. The Corolla is an affordable economy car with a good balance in its styling and just enough visual accents to make it appealing. It never feels cheap or shoddy but instead looks modern and streamlined.

Is the 2023 Toyota Corolla Worth it? Which Toyota Corolla is the Best Value?

The death of sedans, particularly compact ones, has been hyped over the last few years as SUVs and crossovers continue to gain popularity, but the Corolla proves there’s still plenty of life in the segment. It has great styling, good features and a responsive engine that makes it fun to drive. Fuel economy helps keep it affordable, especially if you go with the hybrid, and there’s even all-wheel drive for those who live in snowy regions of the country.

There’s not a broad trim lineup, but there are many choices with the sedan or hatchback body styles and gas or hybrid powertrains. Those who prioritize rear seat comfort should check out the sedan, but if it’s cargo, then the hatchback is a better choice.

The SE is our pick, regardless of body style or engine. It offers a few more features than the base trim, which helps create a more welcoming and comfortable interior for passengers. It also strikes a happy medium on price for those on a tight budget and is available with all-wheel drive as a hybrid.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2023 Toyota Corolla?

Insuring the Corolla won’t break the bank and falls in line with most of its competitors. According to our data, a Corolla LE sedan or hatchback averages about $2,100 annually for a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $2,138 for the Hyundai Elantra SEL, $2,102 for the Honda Civic EX and $2,055 for the Nissan Versa. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.