2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD Review

Every month, we get letters chastising us for adoring impractical, expensive, ridiculously overpowered, and inefficient vehicles. You ask, where are the real cars? The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD costs $27,695, gets an EPA-estimated 44 mpg combined, and will most likely still be running when the sun is but a cold gray orb in deepest space. It's also slow, reaching 60 mph in 9.0 seconds—except when the hybrid battery runs out, in which case it takes 10.2 seconds. The pleasures of the Corolla Hybrid are cerebral rather than visceral. Please continue reading because it is the polar opposite of a Ram TRX.

While this review focuses on the new all-wheel-drive Corolla Hybrid, we should also mention that the front-drive Corolla Hybrid is back and positioned to appeal to those who find an all-wheel-drive Corolla too indulgent. In LE trim, the 2023 front-drive hybrid costs $1250 less than the 2022 model and achieves an EPA combined rating of 50 miles per gallon. In comparison, the all-wheel-drive LE costs $25,295 and has an EPA combined rating of 48 mpg. Despite the additional motor on the rear axle, the all-wheel-drive hybrid has the same power as the front-drive car. Both have 134 net horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. This is an increase from last year's 121 horsepower and 105 lb-ft, but it is not a RAV4 Prime. Nonetheless, the previous Corolla Hybrid we tested was significantly slower, taking 10.7 seconds to reach 60 mph.

Our SE all-wheel-drive test vehicle has the lowest EPA-rated combined fuel economy of any Corolla Hybrid, at 44 mpg. The Corolla returned 40 mpg on our 75-mph fuel-economy loop, which was very close to the EPA highway figure of 41 mpg. However, in practice, we tended to be more aggressive with the throttle, as it's difficult to practice restraint when a trip from 50 to 70 mph requires 6.4 seconds of Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder fury. The 2ZR-FXE 1.8-liter four does its best to remain in the background, but accelerating at any rate faster than tepid necessitates rpm colliding with CVT in an unholy battle with no winners. The Corolla Hybrid manages the quarter-mile in 16.9 seconds at 80 mph.

Much better, then, to take it easy and let the Corolla lean as much as possible on its electric side. The lithium-ion battery under the rear seat is new, having replaced the previous nickel-metal hydride unit, but it still doesn't provide much EV range. However, if the battery is fully charged, the three electric motors (93 horsepower and one with unspecified output in front, 40 horsepower rear) are powerful enough to keep the Corolla Hybrid moving at highway speeds. Climbing the long grade up to the Natchez Trace Parkway outside Nashville, Tennessee, required all hands on deck from both sides of the powertrain, but the descent was quiet and serene as regenerative braking recharged the depleted battery. We hope that a Corolla Hybrid driver will find satisfaction in saving energy on the way down the hill rather than just warming up the brake rotors (everyone has a different definition of thrills).

Aside from the improved powertrain, Toyota made a few other changes to the 2023 Corolla. The front end has been revised to resemble an evil jack-o'-lantern rather than a Volkswagen GTI, and all grades get an 8.0-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The stereo's interface, like that of other recent Toyotas, includes a volume knob but no tuning knob. If the touchscreen stymies your efforts, you can always yell "Hey, Toyota! " and command the voice-activated assistant to carry out your instructions. The SE model, the cool kid of the Corolla Hybrid lineup, offers a $600 option to crank up the volume with a nine-speaker, 800-watt JBL system with a 10-inch subwoofer.

The SE also has 18-inch wheels and 225/40R-18 Dunlop SP Sport 5000 tires, which explains why its fuel-economy rating is lower than the LE, which has 16-inch wheels and tires. The SE's low-profile rubber looks sporty, but it doesn't justify the sport seats' prominent bolsters—we measured 0.80 g on the skidpad. A non-hybrid 2020 Corolla XSE sedan returned 0.82 g, so if you want more, you'll need a Corolla GR.

In that regard, the Corolla lineup has become truly befuddling, with a sedan and a hatchback, hybrid and conventional powertrains, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and LE, SE, XLE, and XSE trim levels. Then there's the GR, the SE Hybrid Infrared Edition, and possibly some regional niche models that have yet to be announced (Ray Bourque Is a National Treasure Boston Edition, D.B. Cooper Northwest Value Pack). So, if you want an all-wheel-drive Corolla Hybrid, we recommend going with the base LE rather than our $29,940 SE.

The tarted-up SE is attractive, but the LE is straightforward: 16-inch steel wheels with just enough frills to satisfy. Winter hasn't arrived yet, but we can already imagine the Corolla Hybrid with slush caked wheel wells cruising past a gas station because it doesn't need to stop. Every time you turn the metal key in the non-push-button ignition, you'll be reminded of the gloriously low cost per mile. If you're going to be pragmatic, go all the way.

2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD

  • Vehicle Type: front-engine, front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE

  • Base/As Tested: $27,610/$28,615
  • Options: JBL audio, $600; Ruby Flare Pearl paint, $425

POWERTRAIN

  • DOHC 16-valve 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 134 hp, 156 lb-ft + 3 AC motors, 93, 40, and unspecified hp (combined output: 134 hp; lithium-ion battery pack)
  • Transmission: continuously variable automatic

CHASSIS

  • Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
  • Brakes, F/R: 10.8-in vented disc/10.2-in disc
  • Tires: Dunlop SP Sport 5000
  • 225/40R-18 88V M+S

DIMENSIONS

  • Wheelbase: 106.3 in
  • Length: 182.3 in
  • Width: 70.1 in
  • Height: 56.5 in
  • Passenger Volume: 89 ft3
  • Trunk Volume: 13 ft3
  • Curb Weight: 3218 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

  • 60 mph: 9.0 sec
  • 1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 80 mph
  • 100 mph: 38.7 sec
  • Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
  • Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.7 sec
  • Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.3 sec
  • Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.4 sec
  • Top Speed (gov ltd): 107 mph
  • Braking, 70–0 mph: 181 ft
  • Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY

  • 75-mph Highway Driving: 40 mpg
  • 75-mph Highway Range: 450 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

  • Combined/City/Highway: 44/47/41 mpg

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