2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid: High Mileage, Low Cost, Total Winner!

If an average of 44 miles per gallon and a starting price of $22,800 US sound good to you, then you should check out this year’s Toyota Corolla Hybrid. 

It’s considered a small sedan, so it can get a bit pinched in the backseats. This is a car to be considered when you want to buy new, need something to get your around town (mostly to work and home), something that won’t make gasoline/petrol one of your Top 5 monthly expenses …. and something you will enjoy driving.

All around the internet, you will read about the 2023 Corolla Hybrid as having “refreshed styling”. Well, yes, the car does look sharper and crisper this year.  It certainly keeps getting bigger IMHO….or perhaps I just keep getting bigger.

Mind you, there are no races to be won with the 2023 Corolla Hybrid, though you will get 138 horsepower, which is up from 2022. Around town, the ride is smooth and easy on your nerves, so perhaps fewer espressos may be needed.  On the highway, there is a wee bit of engine strain. (All-Wheel Drive is available, that will help.)

Toyota’s infotainment system is one of the easiest to maneuver, one that anyone who’s not Smarter Than the Average Bear can set up with a minimum of tech savvy.  I know many of you have advanced degrees in all that whiz-bang stuff that involves Al-Gore-Rhythms and slide rulers but then there are bears like me who just like to eat our way through life, press a button and let life unfold like a picnic blanket. 

You just hop in, find the little phone icon on the screen and sync your smart phone. It’s pretty simple, really, although I had to take my nephew to Dairy Queen a few times before I finally got the hang of the process. (This year’s system has been upgraded and is more responsive.)

Safety-wise, you are truly protected: Forward collision warning, forward automatic braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, rearview camera, pedestrian/cyclist detection, traffic sign recognition, automatic high-beams. All standard.

When it comes to hybrids, they are your best bets for squeezing the most from your gas money. And you don’t have the constant worry you have with electric cars about whether or not you have enough charge to keep you going.  (I recently heard this referred to as ‘range anxiety’.)

If you are looking for more interior space, the Toyota Camry Hybrid would be a better choice, but it costs more. In February, I wrote about the Camry Hybrid (a car worth your consideration); here’s a link to my review. 

Some good news on the car buying front: it appears that new cars are (for now) selling a smidge below sticker price in some parts of the world.  Hopefully this trend will continue. 

I mean, manufacturers have a lot to lose as well as car buyers if prices continue to rise…..