{"id":245535,"date":"2023-11-17T13:20:54","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T13:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?p=245535"},"modified":"2023-11-17T13:20:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T13:20:54","slug":"toyota-corolla-gr-sport-long-term-test-a-high-quality-but-slightly-cramped-hybrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/toyota-corolla-gr-sport-long-term-test-a-high-quality-but-slightly-cramped-hybrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Toyota Corolla GR Sport long-term test: a high-quality but slightly cramped hybrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Final report: a trip to the West Country underlines our hatchback\u2019s strong points<\/h2>\n


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    3.5<\/span> out of 5<\/span><\/p>\n

    How we review cars<\/span>Find your Toyota CorollaOffers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors…New Car DealsNew Car Deals<\/span><\/use><\/svg>Find your perfect new car<\/span>Find your perfect new car<\/span><\/p>\n

    I was privileged to drive Toyota\u2019s first ever hybrid, the Mk1 Prius, in Japan in the late nineties before it went on sale here. Looking back now its technology seems archaic, and against a headwind of scepticism from petrolheads who took umbrage at the Prius\u2019s mission to help save the planet, Toyota ploughed a lonely hybrid furrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Ironically, instead of petrolheads it\u2019s preachy EV adopters who slate Toyota for sticking with hybrid tech nowadays, claiming the company has been too slow to embrace electric-only power. Well, we\u2019ve seen 90+mpg on the dashboard readout of the Corolla several times when driving around our local country lanes, which is more than I remember eking out of the 50cc step-through moped I briefly flirted with as a youth, and I seriously doubt that Corolla buyers need to take eco lessons from the drivers of electric \u2018Two Ton Tessies\u2019 that are proliferating in these parts.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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    On motorway runs we\u2019ve been getting between 45-55mpg, depending on how much of a hurry we\u2019re in, which means we\u2019re getting diesel-like economy, without the added smog. On a cross-country A-road it\u2019s likely to be closer to 65mpg, and I\u2019m very satisfied with that figure.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve mentioned previously what a pleasure the Corolla is to drive, especially when stepping from an SUV\/crossover-type car. I\u2019ve even suggested occasionally that it has a sporty feel, but that\u2019s not to say you\u2019d want to take it on a track day. In spite of its big alloys and wide tyres in our almost-range-topping GR Sport spec, the Corolla doesn\u2019t respond very well to being driven on its door-handles. Driven merely briskly though, the deft steering response and a well tied-down chassis mean the Corolla is reassuring and even fun.<\/p>\n

    Talking of spec, the GR Sport is pretty lavishly kitted out. For a little less than \u00a33,000 over the Corolla Icon\u2019s \u00a330,225 starting price, you get 18-inch gloss black machined-finish alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors with auto brake (the latter being occasionally annoying\/alarming when it activates unexpectedly during close-quarter manoeuvres in car parks), a three-spoke leather wheel with red stitching and creaky chrome insert, power adjustable lumbar support for the driver, and auto-retractable door mirrors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s on top of the suite of Toyota Safety Sense driver aids, a 10.5-inch multimedia system\u00a0\u2014 requiring a cable connection for Android phones, wireless for iPhones \u2014 and wireless phone charging of the Icon, and LED dual-beam projector lights and smart-entry\/push-button start of the intermediary Design trim. All-in-all, it makes for an impressive package, and one I\u2019ve enjoyed more than I expected over my six months getting to know the car.<\/p>\n

    Toyota Corolla GR Sport: second report<\/h2>\n

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    Our Toyota Corolla hatch ticks lots of boxes, but practicality lets it down.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n