Toyota Corolla Excel 2.0 Review

Introduction

We feel a tad sorry for Toyota. It is a fab firm that makes everyday cars for everyday people – quietly, unassumingly, and without a hint of fanfare.

But that can easily lull you into thinking its cars aren’t actually very good, or forgettable, or both.

And none of the above does Toyota any justice at all.

After all, it's one of the most reliable automotive brands on the planet, and produces cars that are superbly economical and generous in terms of standard equipment.

The Corolla, then, surely fits that definition better than any other Toyota – certainly today.

And one thing that proves our point is that it's probably completely lost on you just how many years this car has been around.

It outdates many of us, having first launched way back in 1966 - the year England won the World Cup! Yes, that's right; next year, it'll be celebrating its 60th anniversary, albeit with a long gap that saw it discontinued in the UK from 2007 to 2019.

The Corolla has taken on quite a few forms over the decades: fastback, coupe, saloon, and is now available in hatchback and estate versions in the United Kingdom, and we’re interested in the hatchback today.

It is now in its 12th generation, too – this current model was launched in 2018 and underwent a facelift in 2023 – and it features a fifth-generation hybrid powertrain.

Minor tweaks for the current year include revised paint jobs and newly designed alloy wheels, as well as the ushering in of more environmentally friendly materials to the car.

Is the Toyota Corolla finally ready to come out of its shell and tell the world it's a great car? We have really high hopes – so let's find out.

At A Glance

If you're judging which car to lease based on looks, then the Toyota Corolla is likely to be a decent contender.

It has got a sporty front end, with a large mesh grille that carves out a shape for a couple of low air intakes and lights. Sat above that is a thin bar which neatly fits with the front headlight arrangement.

The sides look quite modest, with smooth lines and only a tiny hint of an indentation in the lower part of the doors, while the lack of chrome detailing adds to its sporty flair in some models.

Around the back, the Toyota Corolla is more layered, with a roof spoiler overhanging the diagonally angled rear window, before the tailgate drops away vertically, above a large sticky-out rear bumper.

The taillights resemble claws, digging into the tailgate, while a blackened cutout lower down houses the number plate, with two slits on either side.

The Corolla is attractive, desirable – yet still family-friendly, without being ostentatious or excessively menacing.

The Japanese car looks sharp, modern and contemporary.

Key Features

Four trim levels are offered on the Toyota Corolla in the United Kingdom these days.

The entry-level Icon comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.5-inch Toyota Smart Connect+ infotainment screen featuring satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a DAB radio, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display.

You also get LED headlights, a wireless phone charger, keyless entry/start, dual-zone air conditioning, heated front seats and driver’s lumbar support.

Next up, the Design trim upgrades to 17-inch alloy rollers, adding LED dual-beam projector headlights, automatic wipers, power-folding door mirrors, white ambient lighting, and some chrome exterior detailing.

The Excel gets 18-inch dark grey alloy wheels, a head-up display, multi-beam LED headlights, adaptive high beam, and sports seats in Black Alcantara with grey leather stitching.

The top-of-the-range Corolla GR Sport features 18-inch black alloy rims, GR Sport exterior detailing, front sports seats, red stitching on the gear lever, and a perforated leather steering wheel, as well as black mirror covers.

There is a choice of two powertrains – both of them have front-wheel drive and are four-cylinder petrol mills with automatic gearboxes.

The first is a 1.8-litre engine producing 140PS, while the second is a 2.0-litre power unit pushing out 178 horses.

The latter used to be a 193PS lump, but it's been reduced in the name of fuel efficiency and emissions, while the former has been given an extra 20PS.

Both powertrains are available on all the Corolla's trim levels.

Performance & Drive

We are focusing on the 2.0-litre powertrain in Excel trim.

It manages the zero to 62mph sprint in 7.4 seconds, which is quite brisk for an average family car, and roughly the same time as the older, more powerful variant. Its top speed is 112mph.

It feels quicker than it is, too, and delivers a pleasing level of keenness to get up to about 40mph – and keep going up to motorway speeds.

The hybrid system was redesigned when the Toyota Corolla underwent a facelift in 2023, with battery efficiency being a key component in terms of weight savings and physical size, as well as extracting more poke from the electric motor. It has certainly worked.

Admittedly, both engines sound a little screechy if you work them hard, especially the 1.8-litre engine. Of course, neither is a hot hatch, and it will show if you're trying to focus on the power, particularly with the CVT (continuously variable transmission) gearbox.

The CVT only has one gear, which, in effect, adjusts itself to produce the same effect as having multiple cogs to choose from. When worked like a dog, it sounds quite high-pitched and more than a tad annoying.

Instead, it's best to view the Toyota Corolla for what it is: a capable and economical family-focused motor. Do this, and you’ll be impressed by what it has to offer – especially as the Toyota can run in all-electric mode for short bursts.

The engine cuts in and out unobtrusively, and it’s nice to pootle about around town at low speeds in comparative silence, or ride at a brisk 60-70mph cruising along on motorways and dual-carriageways.

Ride comfort is a big plus. Our 18-inch alloy wheels were the largest and, therefore, the harshest, but they were still absorbing and adept at soaking up the rougher craters and lumps in the road. Drive the entry-level Icon grade Corolla, on its smallest 16-inch wheels, and you'll be very impressed with the level of absorption.

Handling is okay, rather than massively entertaining. The light steering makes it easy to drive around town but, while it does weight up around faster bends, it’s not sufficient to give you the confidence to blast it around a twisty rural British B-road. And, if you corner quickly, the body lean is more noticeable than in several of its rivals.

Drive it sensibly, though, and the Toyota Corolla is actually quite agile when kept within its conservative limits. It is perfectly adequate, with a directness that should satisfy most, and a comfortable cruiser that’s a match for just about any other family hatchback. The chassis feels well-tuned, with plenty of stability, balance and body control.

Again, it’s many millions of miles away from being a hot hatch, and keen drivers will still find it unexciting, but it's capable, safe, and comfortable. It will likely win the respect of anyone who appreciates reasonable handling.

Running Costs & Emissions

The 2.0-litre Corolla we’re testing returns 61.4mpg in Excel guise and puffs out 106g/km of CO2. We were averaging 55mpg in our test car, so the figure isn't much of a stretch, unlike in some vehicles.

As impressive as these figures are, they're still unlikely to turn the Toyota Corolla into an attractive company car, where plug-in hybrids with lengthy all-electric ranges, or even better, fully electric vehicles, are required to find the best Benefit In Kind tax savings.

Road tax will cost £390 for the first year (£350 in the Icon trim with the 1.8-litre engine), dropping to £195 from the second year onwards (subject to annual increases).

Toyota is one of the most reliable car brands, often coming near the top of league tables.

Interior & Technology

The cabin of the Toyota Corolla looks invitingly smart, albeit lacking in luxury.

It is nicely designed, with plenty of silver trim brightening up the otherwise dark colours of the upholstery, notably on the steering wheel, including its lower double-spoke, the doors and the gear lever surround, as well as the climate control unit.

There is also a strip of silver running along the dashboard, as well as around the air vents.

The quality of the materials on offer, many of which are soft to the touch, only enhances the classiness of the Corolla's look.

Granted, it won't be a threat to the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Audi, JLR or BMW, but it's simply nice and exactly what you want from a family-oriented car.

The 10.5-inch infotainment screen peers up over the top of the dashboard, and it’s a usefully convenient position to touch the screen when on the move.

What’s more, it’s a new system, offering nicer graphics and a more intuitive menu layout than Toyota’s older renditions, plus it’s far less clunky, offering far more responsiveness to your inputs.

Admittedly, the screen still isn't the sharpest, and the satellite navigation isn't the best system we've used. Therefore, smartphone mirroring through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will likely come in handy, allowing you to use Google Maps instead.

Thankfully, physical air conditioning controls are retained, making it convenient to adjust the temperature on the move.

Behind the Corolla's steering wheel sits the 12.3-inch digital instrument display, which is customisable and enables you to choose the information that you want prioritised.

Practicality & Boot Space

The seats in the Toyota Corolla are made of recycled materials, and they're very comfortable on the whole.

There is no standard electric seat adjustment, so you have to adjust the seats manually, but it's pretty easy to find a decent driving position. That said, comfort is enhanced by a powered lumbar adjustment for the driver, which is standard across the range - and particularly beneficial if you have a back issue. There is no lumbar support offered for the front seat passenger, though.

Forward visibility is helped by the front pillars being kept as thin as possible. Even though they’re quite a bit chunkier at the back – not helped by the shape of the rear windscreen and the rear side windows – you can still see enough over your shoulder, and parking sensors are included as standard on all Corolla models. You get a rear-view camera, too.

The front of the Toyota Corolla is spacious enough for a driver and passenger, offering a generous amount of legroom, helped by the amount of travel in the front seats.

Headroom is also sufficient, even though you'll get slightly more in some rivals. Meanwhile, you shouldn't have any issues elbow-banging a fellow front-seat occupant, as the Corolla's cabin is sufficiently broad.

It is a bit less generous in the rear, unless you're transporting shorter adults or children, and some foes are certainly more spacious. Furthermore, the Toyota's sloping roofline reduces the amount of headroom on offer.

The boot space measures 361 litres if you have the 1.8-litre engine, but this drops to 313 litres if you opt for the larger 2.0-litre powertrain. It expands to 1,052 litres and 1,004 litres respectively if you fold the Corolla's seats in a 60:40 split, which isn't as convenient as the 40:20:40 split you'll find in some cars. However, the 60:40 configuration is pretty typical of this class.

Admittedly, the boot is shallower compared with some of its rivals, so the space isn't as usable if you need to transport bulkier items.

There are no sliding or reclining seats in the back, and there's no underfloor storage, as the Toyota Corolla's 12V battery is placed there instead.

There are no rear door bins, either - although you do get a couple of cupholders instead. However, the glove compartment is a respectable enough size, and there are several cubbies and storage areas elsewhere in the Toyota's cabin.

Safety

The Toyota Corolla hatchback was tested by Euro NCAP back in 2019, earning a five-star rating, and scoring a whopping 95% for adult occupants, 84% for kids and 77% for safety assists.

The latter category includes a large range of safety technology, such as rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, a tyre pressure warning system, vehicle stability control, intelligent adaptive cruise control, and proactive driving assist.

You also get emergency steering assist, a pre-collision system with pedestrian and pedal cyclist detection, as well as front-to-front oncoming car and motorbike detection.

All Toyota Corolla models come equipped with parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera.

Options

There are several optional extras available on the Toyota Corolla hatchback.

There are Red and Black style packs, which, surprise, surprise, literally turn some of the exterior features red or black, depending on your preference.

A Protection Pack includes boot liners, protection plates, and mud flaps, while the Protection Pack Plus adds rubber floor mats.

Solid white is the Toyota Corolla's default body colour, while dark grey, black and a purpley-blue are the metallic hues, along with pearl white, sterling silver or scarlet red, which all cost extra.

The Excel trim can also be equipped with a Skyview panoramic sunroof.

Rival Cars

Despite the explosion in the popularity of SUVs in the UK in recent years, there are still plenty of alternatives to a Toyota Corolla hatchback.

There is the Honda Civic, the Hyundai i30, the Kia Ceed, and the Renault Megane E-Tech, to name a few.

Also on your car leasing shortlist should be the Peugeot 308 Hybrid, the Vauxhall Astra Hybrid, the Volkswagen Golf, the Skoda Octavia, and the Mazda 3.

All the above are available with mild-hybrid, full-hybrid, or plug-in hybrid power. If the Toyota Corolla appeals but the hatchback doesn't, it's also available in estate form.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Toyota Corolla is a superb contender.

Modest and unassuming doesn’t mean average – it’s great at what it does.

The Corolla has reasonably good looks, the interior looks nice, albeit a tad short of luxuries, and the hybrid system provides superb levels of fuel economy, complemented by a generous equipment list and ride comfort that's difficult to beat.

The Toyota Corolla is fairly good to drive, too, offering a keen level of performance for what it is, as well as decent, albeit unexciting, handling.

The safety equipment is generous, the safety scores are excellent, and the reliability is really good.

And, as if that wasn't enough, any of the Corolla's weaknesses – notably the boot space and rear seat space – can be addressed by its sister estate car, known as the 'Touring Sports'.

Admittedly, the infotainment system still isn’t great, but overall, the Toyota Corolla proves not only that it's underrated, but also that it's one of the most capable family hatchbacks on the car leasing market.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Toyota Corrolla 

**Correct as of 15/09/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £2,520.27 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.