2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Review

Name: 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Brand: Toyota

Price Range: $15,995 - $22,998

If you want the fuel economy of a Toyota Prius but don't want to drive one, the 2021 Corolla Hybrid is an excellent substitute. It has the same hybrid system and delivers the same fuel economy. But it also has similar driving quirks, such as a grabby brake pedal at low speeds and a few strange noises and vibrations.

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2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Review

Pros

Impressive fuel economy
Plenty of standard advanced safety features
Interior is well built and uses high-quality materials
Thoughtful interior design

Cons

Only offered in the rather plain LE trim
Subpar acceleration
Grabby brakes and numb pedal are difficult to use smoothly

What's new

Android Auto smartphone connectivity is now supported
Part of the 12th Corolla generation introduced for 2020

Overview

Written by automotive expert Ryan ZumMallen

7/8/2020

The Corolla Hybrid returns after last year's grand debut, equipped with the hybrid powertrain from the Prius to bring extra efficiency to Toyota's popular small sedan. How much efficiency? How does 52 mpg in combined city/highway driving sound? That's one of the highest figures you'll find. For 2021, the Corolla Hybrid is functionally the same, though it now comes with Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

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2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
LE Sedan
$15,995
fair price
$318 above market
- 99,584 miles
- 1 accident, 2 owners, personal use
- 53 City / 52 Hwy MPG
- Auto Expo (17 mi away)
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
Close
Located in Manassas, VA
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
52 Combined MPG (53 City/52 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JTDEAMDEXMJ002418
Stock: 002418
Certified Pre-Owned: No
2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
LE Sedan
$18,485
- 57,992 miles
- Frame damage reported, 1 owner, corporate fleet vehicle
- 53 City / 52 Hwy MPG
- Auto Expo (17 mi away)
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
Close
Located in Manassas, VA
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Issue reported
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: Yes
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
52 Combined MPG (53 City/52 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JTDEAMDE4MJ008893
Stock: 008893
Certified Pre-Owned: No

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This is the least expensive hybrid vehicle in Toyota's lineup and consequently lacks some of the nicer features found in its Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid relatives. But it delivers exceptional fuel economy and offers you an alternative to the Honda Insight, which is Corolla Hybrid's most comparable rival. Consider the Corolla Hybrid a strong option for affordable and economical transportation.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Average

7.5

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7/10

How does the Corolla Hybrid drive? The Corolla Hybrid provides respectable power and smoothness during low-speed acceleration. You won't have any trouble keeping pace with city traffic. Acceleration is somewhat lacking once you're trying to get to freeway speeds quickly (0-60 mph took a slow 10 seconds in our testing), but that's typical for fuel-sipping cars like this one.

Around turns, the Corolla Hybrid is stable, though the economy-biased tires don't offer up much grip. The main drawback is an abrupt and grabby brake pedal feel at low speeds. It's more of an annoyance than anything else, but it makes the hybrid hard to stop smoothly.

Comfort

7.5/10

How comfortable is the Corolla Hybrid? The Corolla Hybrid's ride quality is well controlled. It's smooth without being overly isolating or floaty. Less appealing are the front seats. They feel cushy when you first sit on them, but they lack the support and adjustability needed to make long drives tolerable. As for noise, the hybrid is generally quiet, though the engine can sound unpleasant when you get hard on the gas.

Owing to the hybrid's fuel-conscious intentions, the climate control system offers an Eco setting that improves efficiency. You can use this setting for temperate days, but you'll want to switch it off if you are dealing with truly hot or cold days. Otherwise, the system just can't keep up.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? The Corolla's interior isn't fancy but it's thoughtfully designed. The main controls are clearly labeled and easy to find without taking your eyes off the road. We also like the driving position. The sight lines are clear to the instruments as well as to the front, rear and sides.

While the front seats have plenty of space, the rear is more restricted, especially with regard to headroom. Taller adults will have to duck while getting in and out, and they'll find their heads close to the roof when seated.

Technology

7/10

How’s the tech? The main infotainment display is adequate but lacks navigation and arbitrarily locks out certain features when you're moving, which is a source of constant frustration. Apple CarPlay is supported and works as expected, and Android Auto connectivity comes standard too. Toyota's Entune app is a poor substitute when it comes to features and functionality. The integrated voice controls are effective in understanding most commands, though you still need to navigate through prompts to accomplish tasks. You're better off with your phone.

Standard safety features, such as adaptive cruise control, are impressive for the price. Alas, this system isn't smooth at low speeds, so you won't want to use it in stop-and-go traffic.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? Storage options are average overall, and you can find more accommodating cars for the money. The rear seats fold easily but not flat. Instead, they create a shelf of sorts that partitions the trunk from the cabin. This feature could be helpful for securing items that fit, but it could be annoying if you want a flat loading surface. The center console compartments can handle a phone and wallet or small purse but not much else.

Fitting child safety seats in the rear is easy thanks to visible and easily accessible lower car seat anchors underneath plastic flaps. The upper tethers are easy to find too.

Fuel Economy

9/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA rates the Corolla Hybrid at a combined 52 mpg, which matches the fuel economy of the main versions of the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. During our 117-mile evaluation route, which covers highway, country roads and city streets, our test car returned 58 mpg.

Value

8/10

Is the Corolla Hybrid a good value? The Corolla Hybrid delivers a lot of value because of its low pricing and respectable number of standard features. Most of the interior looks and feels appropriate for the price, but the overall design appears a bit higher-class. On top of that, you get two years of free maintenance and roadside assistance without a mileage restriction.

If you're content with the base car's offerings, you'll be happy. But there are no additional trim levels or options, so those seeking quality-of-life upgrades — such as premium sound, leather or superior phone connectivity — will need to look elsewhere because the Corolla Hybrid is only offered in the LE grade.

Wildcard

7.5/10

Handsome exterior styling helps the new Corolla break away from the boring look and feel of previous versions. Still, you can't help but feel like you're driving an appliance. The Corolla Hybrid dutifully tackles the daily grind without complaint. Alas, the characteristic hybrid drone of the engine at high speeds, the light steering feel, and the ho-hum acceleration ensure there's simply nothing to enjoy about the experience of driving.

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid trim level differences

Every 2021 Corolla Hybrid that rolls off the factory floor is functionally the same. Toyota combines a small gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor for increased efficiency. A continuously variable automatic transmission connects to the front-wheel-drive system. The sole trim is the LE. It comes with the following:

Which Corolla Hybrid trim does Edmunds recommend?

You only have one choice in the 2021 Corolla Hybrid, and it's the LE trim. This is a pretty basic package, and we would add the optional blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert for additional protection. Aside from that, pick your paint color and interior color and you're on your way.

Compare 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$69/mo

$157/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Reliability

The 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and no recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Recalls

There are no recalls for the 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid

Warranty

3 years / 36,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Hybrid component Warranty: 8 years / 100,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / unlimited miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 2 years / unlimited miles
Free maintenance Warranty: 2 years / 25,000 miles

Toyota Corolla Hybrid Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.6

58 reviews

5(79%)

4(9%)

3(7%)

2(0%)

1(5%)

See all 58 reviews of the Toyota Corolla Hybrid

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

New 2021 Corolla Hybrid (8 month update)

mike, 09/28/2020

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

i just purchased a new corolla hybrid 2021 sedan (Sept 2020) and am very happy with my purchase after doing extensive research. i test drove both the corolla le (non hybrid) and the corolla le (hybrid). for me reliability, price, gas consumption and road noise were my big factors in assessing the car. i found that the basic non hybrid corolla had more road noise at lower speeds (10-40 … mph) compared with the hybrid. On the highway both cars seemed relatively the same as far as road noise (mild to semi high). most reviews state the fact that road noise is an issue with the corolla. however, i found that the hybrid was more quiet (from road noise coming into the car - not engine noise) on basic service type roads. it also just seemed to ride much better than the basic corolla. i really wanted to go with the basic corolla since it is a very reliable car and a better value (at around $19000 w/o taxes, ~$3K less than a hybrid). it was a tough decision to make but the hybrid won over due to a better ride and better on gas. I've owned it for one week now and am getting 65-67 mpg combined. (note - this is very non aggressive driving going ~55-60 on the highway and with very slow accelerating from a stop.) Some concerns: this car does not have a spare tire donut but only a tire inflation kit. these are not good because if your tire blows out you are in trouble. i intend to purchase a spare for the car. i will update this review in the future. the Edmund's fair market price tool is a very good guide to get a good deal. Try for a good deal because i don't think these cars are flying off the lot. (MAY 2021 UPDATE, 8K miles) After driving the car for 8 months in various conditions - here are some of my findings: GAS MPG: ~60-63 MPG mixed driving (20-50 MPH - conservative, slow starts, driving in town, short trips, country roads, some highway, hills and flat, some traffic) / ~50 MPG highway driving (55-70 MPH, gas MPG goes down quite a bit when driving over 65 mph) BAD: fair amount of road noise on rough roads (smooth paved roads are quiet), wind noise at speed of >55 MPH, on roads with holes and bumps the ride can get a bit irritating. GOOD - Seat comfort (fine after 5 hr straight highway drive), leg/head room (i'm 6 ft), play songs direct from USB stick, steering feel, fit/finish, automatic features (auto headlight brights dimmer, cruise, cruise with auto traffic slowdown, lane assist, etc). CONCLUSION - This car is the best if you live in an area of nice roads like CA. But where i live in PA , the roads are bad and bumpy and this car can get you a bit agitated after a long drive. Can't beat the gas mileage at 50-63 MPG. Love the fact that the engine automatically shuts off at a traffic signal and restarts with the electric motor.

Lotta bang for the buck

T Lovenbrock, 11/07/2020

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Essentially gave up car shopping and bought a corolla hybrid. While initially there was a ton of regret it’s grown on me to the point I actually like this little car. You get a LOT of features found in way more expensive cars for your money. The interior is pretty nice looking and supremely quiet around town and even on freeways with good roads. Like reviews say hard acceleration into …

Lives up to billing

Rick Evans, 07/14/2021

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

I acquired my ride at the end of December giving me a chance to experience Northeast winter, spring and summer driving. If I have one pet peeve about the Corolla Hybrid it's Toyota's misguided belief that Corolla Hybrids don't need a spare tire. There's room for full side spare and flat fix kit if you remove the molded foam flat fix kit holder. This is my option. That goop kit is useless … for a large tread puncture or any sidewall puncture. That out of the way I'm very happy with the car. I track my fuel efficiency on Fuelly.com and have averaged 53 mpg with a high of 66 mpg. With periodic MA to MD road trips through hilly NJ and PA with luggage, astronomical telescope and bike on a trunk mounted carrier I've never seen less than 46 mpg in cold temps . One of those trips was into 40 mph west winds. My most recent trip delivered 55. I keep the hybrid system in ECO mode and make regular use of dynamic radar cruise control. And, no I don't hyper-mile. This is regular 65+ highway driving on interstates. With the supplied Yokohama tires the handling is excellent and nicely grippy when going around curves. Hybrid recharging often obviates the need for braking when taking exits. Drive your hybrid sensibly and you can go 100,000 miles or more between brake jobs. Engine groan is noticeable when accelerating but greatly quiets when engine RPM drops to normal cruise. My prior ride was an '07 Corolla CE manual. Highway RPM was typically 3000 at 65 mph compared with under 2000 for this ride at the same speed. Road noise generally surface dependent but not bad for this size sedan. Some pro-reviewers have complained of wind noise at highway speeds, an annoyance I have not experienced. Toyota could have put more thought into storage space design. The door storage is more stylish than functional. Otherwise the front armrest storage is fine as is the glovebox. The audio system is straight forward though I would recommend familiarizing yourself with it while parked. The sound system is okay but expect road noise to intrude. I have only dabbled so far with Android Auto. However, using Bluetooth connectivity I listen to podcasts on the phone or opt for audio from a thumb drive plugged into the dashboard usb port. With Bluetooth you can also talk hands free on your phone as if chatting with a passenger. Seat comfort could be better; especially lumbar support. I find myself making regular seat adjustments. Other pluses are optional blind spot monitoring and cross traffic detection when backing out of busy parking lot spaces. For those of us who can parallel park the back-up camera with its wide view and guide lines will help you protect those expensive wheel covers from road rash.

Good commuter, adequate for other driving duties

Bruce F., 12/29/2019

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

The good: 1) quiet and smooth 2) great handling for a car of this type and certainly better than previous generations of Corollas 3) Outstanding fuel economy 4) No actual CVT to go bad! Even though Edmunds states it has a CVT, this is simply untrue. Rather, it uses a constant mesh power split unit to channel power flow to/from the ICE and the two motor/generators (MG1 and MG2). It's … mechanically simpler than typical automatic transmissions and CVTs and reliability should be good as the longevity of the Prius, which shares the same drive train, has proven. 5) A mostly conventional look and feel, from the shift selector to the analog-like instrument cluster, which makes it very easy to move into compared to other hybrids, e.g., Honda Insight, Prius. 6) The 15" wheels provide a comfortable ride, tires are less expensive compared to trendy, larger wheels, and significantly reduces rotating and unsprung weight. Moreover, you are less likely to damage the wheels and tires in potholes or other obstacles. These are all very positive things from something so simple as bucking the trend! The annoying stuff that can be mitigated: 1) Touch screen display can be distracting as can the multi-information display within the instrument cluster. The can be turned off and the car remembers this through each key-off cycle. 2) No good, easy way to select songs from an attached USB device. You can choose different ways to sort your music files but then the unit simply plays all of them in order. It's not even as good as a cassette player as at least those you could chuck it in and forget about it. You wold have to work our precisely what you want to hear ahead of time on the attached device, rename the files such that they sort in the order you want them play, then and only then can you get what you want. Seems to defeat the purpose. I just do without. 3) Entune apps and maps reliability is abysmal. The phone keeps disconnecting and it's not worth the trouble. Fortunately, these are not must-have features for me. 4) Annoying and, ironically, distracting safety gadgetry. Most of these can be turned off in the MID settings on the center console and it remembers your settings in perpetuity. Problem solved. The annoying stuff you simply have to live with: 1) The pre-collision warning system can be turned off for a drive cycle but it comes back on upon the next drive cycle. 2) Poor tactile control of a number of controls including the driver side power window switches, door lock buttons, and steering wheel controls. Hard to feel for the button you need, which can require you to briefly take your eyes off the road. They are also difficult to use with gloves, which many drivers will find necessary in cold climates. 3) Poor rear visibility. To be fair it's actually somewhat better compared to sedans of other makes made in the past few years. It's partially mitigated by the backup camera. 4) It's no hot rod. However, if you buy this car expecting it to break land speed records, I submit that you are incredibly stupid and should not be driving. For driving on American roads in typical metro traffic, it can more than hold its own. The bad: 1) The front bumper cover is simply too low. It's extremely easy to damage it on curbs, wheel stops, and road debris. That wouldn't be too bad if the bumper cover were cheap but it's far from that as anybody who has ever purchased a modern car body part knows. Final notes: This was written after having owned the car for about 4 months. It's coming upon its first 5,000 mile service and I'm going to insist on following the severe usage program even though I'm not particularly hard on the car. The climate here is cold and is very hard on vehicles. Besides keeping the salt hosed off as best as you can, this is the only sensible means by which you can expect a car to last. I'll also be coming to the dealer with what I hope is a minor and easily diagnosed warranty issue; the passenger side door unlock proximity sensor ceased to function. Not a huge deal to me even if they don't fix it but I'm slightly annoyed as you may imagine. Overall it's been solid and works almost perfectly for its indented purpose, that is a daily driver in mixed traffic in a large metropolitan area. I don't feel the need to constantly haul around copious amounts of stuff as so many people do these days but the seats fold down for extra room on those occasions I need to. If your requirements differ, then you may wish to consider a different vehicle. Overall I can recommend it with certain qualifications.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Corolla Hybrid since its last redesign.

2021 Corolla Hybrid Highlights

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$23,600
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	52 MPG
Cost to Drive	$69/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	13.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Corolla Hybrid models:

Pre-Collision System: Warns if a front collision is imminent and applies the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time.
Lane Departure Alert w/Steering Assist: Warns if you are drifting out of your lane and corrects the steering if you don't respond in time.
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: Maintains a set distance from traffic ahead and can slow the vehicle down to a stop if necessary.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover10.5%

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2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Review

Price & Payment

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale near Ashburn, VA

2021 Toyota Corolla HybridLE Sedan

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2021 Toyota Corolla HybridLE Sedan

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid trim level differences

Which Corolla Hybrid trim does Edmunds recommend?

Cost to Drive

Reliability

Recalls

Warranty

Toyota Corolla Hybrid Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

New 2021 Corolla Hybrid (8 month update)

Lotta bang for the buck

Lives up to billing

Good commuter, adequate for other driving duties

2021 Corolla Hybrid Highlights

Safety

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2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
LE Sedan

2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
LE Sedan