Used Toyota Corolla cars for sale

The Toyota Corolla is well known for being one of the most popular cars across the globe. It offers good handling and reliable performance, meeting the demands of busy modern life. In 2019, the family car was marked the world’s best-selling car, according to AutoExpress.

The Toyota Corolla is available as either a hatchback or an estate, with the estate version being called the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. Whichever you choose, used Toyota Corolla cars s come generously equipped and compete admirably with other popular family cars such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen Golf and the Honda Civic.

Toyota Corolla updates and facelifts

Originally launching in 1966, the Corolla has undergone several facelifts and updates, leading to the twelfth generation being released in 2019. As part of the transition from the Mk11, which was launched in 2012, the Mk12 received a new hybrid engine which allowed it to compete in the growing hybrid car market. In 2020, the hybrid engine received an update to further improve its performance.

In 2023, the Corolla received a facelift which added a new 2.0-litre hybrid engine option. The interior received some changes too, with the eight-inch infotainment screen upgraded to 10.5-inch. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was also added during this facelift.

Practicality and style of the car

Both the hatchback and estate offer good amounts of space for transporting luggage and shopping. With a 60mm longer wheelbase than the hatchback, the Corolla estate has a 598-litre boot, which can be expanded to 1,606 litres by folding down the rear seats. While smaller than the estate, the hatchback still offers a decent 361 litres of boot space. In comparison, the Vauxhall Astra offers 422 litres in the hatchback and in the estate, 547 litres which expands to 1,634 litres.

On hybrid versions, the boot capacity does decrease slightly as the battery is stored in the boot. The space in the estate reduces to 581 litres, or 1,591 litres when expanded, while the hatchback goes down to 313 litres. However, with the rear seats up the hybrid estate still offers 34 more litres than the non-hybrid Vauxhall Astra.

The loading bay is flat and square with a low loading lip to ensure large items can be loaded and unloaded easily. Two ISOFIX points are also located on the two outermost rear seats, allowing child seats to be secured well.

Running costs

The Toyota Corolla sits within insurance groups 14 to 22, which is typical for a car of its class. It also has an annual road tax between £170 and £180. In comparison, the Volkswagen Golf falls into groups 14 to 24 and the Ford Focus into groups 8 to 21.

How a used Toyota Corolla drives

Available on iterations before 2022, the 1.2-litre petrol engine can put down 114bhp and achieves 0 to 62mph in 10.1 seconds. This engine returns around 44.8mpg.

Hybrid engines on a Toyota Corolla are efficient and have a high performance. The 1.8-litre petrol engine is mated to an electric motor, putting down a combined 138bhp and 142Nm of torque. This achieves 0 to 62mph in 9.1 seconds and returns around 57.6–62.8mpg.

There is also a 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor that can put down a combined 193bhp and 190Nm of torque. This completes 0 to 62mph in 7.4 seconds and returns around 53.2–57.6mpg. The hybrid engines come with a CVT gearbox.

Hybrid engines received an upgrade in 2020 which increased the performance of both engines. The 138bhp engine was previously 120bhp and the 193bhp was increased from the previous 178bhp.

Engines and official MPG

Please refer to the table below for a comprehensive list of engines and their official MPG figures.

2019 - onwards

Engine	Official WLTP MPG
1.2	44.8 mpg
1.8 Hybrid	57.6–62.8 mpg
2.0 Hybrid	53.2–57.6 mpg

Features you can expect in a Toyota Corolla

Interior

The interior of the Corolla is practical and stylish, with premium touches that give it an edge on its competitors. Finished with high-quality materials and a very high build quality, the interior is clutter-free and intuitive when driving.

There is plenty of headroom in the cabin, and legroom is also decent. The estate offers more space for rear passengers because of a 60mm increase in the wheelbase in comparison to the hatchback. Finding a comfortable driving position is easy and drivers sit high up giving them a commanding view of the road ahead. Front seats can also come with extra lumbar support and heated seats.

When driving, rough and uneven roads are dampened by the Corolla’s good suspension, even with the extra weight of the hybrid engine. Interior storage on the Toyota Corolla is plentiful. In the front, there is a tray that can be used to store smartphones when driving, which can also feature a wireless smartphone charger. There is also a large and wide glovebox, a pair of cupholders and decently sized door bins that can be used to store drink bottles or other personal items.

Technology

At the top of the dashboard sits the infotainment screen which can come in two sizes. In used Toyota Corollas produced before 2023, you’ll find an eight-inch screen, while in iterations from 2023 onwards, you’ll find a 10.5-inch screen. This comes with an integrated sat nav system as standard as well as a DAB radio, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

The menu can be controlled via the touchscreen interface or, on pre-2023 models, physical buttons could also be used to navigate. A voice control feature was added in 2023, allowing for verbal commands to be given to control the car’s functions. Toyota’s MyT app can be used to remotely control car functions as well, allowing you to turn on the car’s climate control from your smartphone to get the car warm for when the driver gets in.

Also on the dashboard is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. This replaces the conventional analogue dials with a customisable screen layout. A head-up display comes with the Toyota Corolla Excel trim, projecting vital information onto a small screen ahead of the driver’s seat so you can remain focused on the road.

The Toyota Corolla comes with a generous range of driver assistance features, which were expanded in 2020 with the addition of Toyota’s Safety Sense set-up. These include automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. The Corolla also features a safe exit assist which issues a warning to prevent the passenger opening a door into oncoming vehicles or cyclists. Other features include adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and Toyota’s Lane Trace System, which helps the car stay in the centre of the lane when it drifts towards the edges.

Safety

Scoring a full five stars on the Euro NCAP safety tests, the Toyota Corolla also scored highly on adult and child occupant protection tests, awarded 95% and 84% respectively. This rivalled the scores given to the Vauxhall Astra which was awarded four stars overall and 80% and 82% on adult and child protection tests respectively. The Corolla scored similarly to the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf on the adult protection tests, with their respective 96% and 95% scores.

Safety features on the Corolla include a blind spot monitoring system, which alerts drivers of vehicles in the blind spots. Electronic stability control also features and helps prevent drivers from skidding by correcting over or understeering. Emergency steering assist steers drivers away from oncoming obstacles in the event of a collision. Rear cross traffic alert detects oncoming vehicles when reversing out of a parking spot, for example.

Trims available on the Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla Icon

The Icon is the entry-level trim for the Toyota Corolla and offers a generous number of features. You’ll find an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a wireless smartphone charger, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats. It also has 16-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors with automatic braking, and LED headlights.

Toyota Corolla Design

The Design trim adds rear privacy glass, ambient lighting and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. The exterior features 17-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, LED dual-beam headlights and a power tailgate.

Toyota Corolla GR Sport

The GR Sport trim adds some styling features that make the Corolla look sportier. These include sports seats with partial leather upholstery and red contrast stitching on the gear lever and steering wheel. On the exterior, there’s a chrome front grille, bi-tone paint finish, black door mirrors and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Toyota Corolla Excel

The Excel trim is the flagship trim for the Toyota Corolla. This adds a head-up display for the driver, full leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof. On the exterior, the Excel trim adds adaptive high-beam headlights with multi-beam LEDs, bi-tone paint finish and 18-inch alloy wheels. Other features include blind spot monitoring, safe exit assist and cross traffic alert.

Search our stock of used Toyota Corolla cars for sale.