Sport 2.0 Hybrid 178 Excel Jbl CVT 5dr

Simply Brilliant

When my van started costing a fortune to run (2013 Nissan NV200 1.5dci) and my partner's 16 plate Skoda Citigo started making very strange noises, we felt it was time for a change. Our key priorities were space & fuel economy given that my partner commutes daily and we are outdoorsy so need the space in the back for stuff and occasionally sleeping. We initially considered the Skoda Yeti, a car my partner had always liked, but the only ones available in Norfolk were either diesels or 1.2TSI DSG which, from experience, are less than reliable and both the cars we saw had +50K miles and were out of warranty.

Whilst looking to sell my van, I came across a 21 plate Corolla TS 2.0 Excel in white which had 47,000 miles at a local dealer and popped round to see it that weekend. The dealership (Richard Nash Family Cars in Norwich) were great to deal with and we instantly liked the car.
After an hour or so test drive, we were convinced and bought the car there and then.
The interior is lovely, particularly in Excel guise with leather everywhere, gorgeous bucket seats and all the tech you could want. The only thing missing would be cooled seats for the few days a year temperatures do rise but coming from a van, this feels like luxury.

On the road, the Corolla TS is refined, even on 17" wheels and around town, I wouldn't want to be driving anything else. There's a reason every taxi driver in Norwich has one. On the dual carriageway at 70mph, you find yourself more often than not in electric mode with minimal wind noise making its way into the cabin. Road noise is good too and we often find ourselves almost whispering as the car is just so quiet. Adaptive radar-guided cruise control, lane keeping assist and other tech make long distances a breeze - in fact, I've found myself using cruise control in town, where the computer can then optimise energy use. This typically gets into the high-60s in terms of mpg.

The downfall of the Corolla TS according to most reviews is when compared to its rivals: not as fun on the twisties as a 3-series touring, not quite as big as an Octavia estate in the boot.
That said, once you get used to the car, you can easily drive swiftly on small roads whilst knowing you're using less fuel than the BMW, and still carry 2 road bikes in the boot without taking the wheels off. But let's be honest, this is not a B road blaster, it's a comfortable, spacious and economical car which drives as you'd expect for what it's designed for. And it does that wonderfully.

A bonus point which we only later discovered is that you can fit all 3 parcel shelves (yes, for some reason the parcel shelf comes in 3 bits, including a dog separator) under the boot floor (which is reversible so you don't damage the carpet). With the seats folded down, there are a few cubby holes to store bits and bobs of your liking in the gap between the boot and the back seats. We currently use it for bike spares, some hiking kit and a tire pump.

When researching the car, I came across a number of videos/reviews which mentioned how annoying the CVT is because it drones rather than revs like a traditional car. If you look at it through the lens of maximising efficiency, you soon get over it and I very much enjoy flooring it out of a roundabout on the dual carriageway, getting up to speed quickly and then settling below 1500rpm for the rest of the journey. What's not to like?

In terms of running costs, these naturally align with its design: they are low.
The car, new, would have cost around £38K in today's market. We purchased it for a little over 22K with the 47K miles on it. Fully comprehensive insurance for 2 youngsters under 25 with clean driving licenses and 5 or so years experience each comes in at around £550 for the year from Admiral - a far cry from the £1700 or so quoted to ensure my van. The fuel tank is small at around 40litres which, when driving sensibly, is good for 400miles. At current prices (August 23), it costs around £55 to fill up and lasts the best part of a month between commuting and shopping. Servicing at Toyota dealerships (around £250 for a minor service and £100 more for a full service) allows you to also benefit from Toyota's 10-year/100,000 mile warranty. Definitely a selling point for us.

Worth noting, is that MPG varies wildly depending on how you drive the car. Drive it like a "normal" car, you'll get high 40s. Drive it to maximise efficiency (breaking early, driving smoothly, anticipating other traffic,...) and you will easily get into the high 50s and mid 60s without too much trouble. Just sit back and relax - something which the car really makes you do - and you will immediately get better fuel economy. The MyToyota App is another fun little feature of this car which allows you to better understand your driving and where to improve. For the nerdier folk, it is a lot of fun and my partner and I have started competing for the best drive score.

Overall then, this is a fantastic car which bridges the gap between ICE and EV without the compromise of either. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

Report as offensive