Five doors, 62.8mpg and a £14k price tag... This used hybrid family car looks like great value on paper. But what's it like in reality and what can you expect for your money?
Trim-wise, entry-level Icon comes well equipped with dusk-sensing headlights, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats and 16in alloy wheels. Icon Tech adds a lot of extra upgrades that include sat-nav and parking sensors. In fact, its only major omission is rain-sensing wipers – you’ll need to upgrade to Design trim if you want those. Design also brings 17in alloy wheels, heated door mirrors and privacy glass.
The Corolla’s ride is most impressive, being quite soft, and this is definitely one of the more comfortable cars in its class. It handles in a safe and secure manner, too, and it has a reasonable level of grip. It can be quite refined, too. Because the electric motor can manage on its own in stop-start traffic, progress is virtually silent and the petrol engine doesn’t spoil the peace too much when it does cut in to provide assistance. On faster roads, though, particularly those with inclines, the petrol engine begins to whine away noticeably. The blame for this lies with the Corolla’s CVT, which causes the revs to rise and hold on to them while the car catches up with your intentions. The 1.