2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Costs Less, Forfeits MPG for Power
The 2023 Toyota Corolla has a revised hybrid powertrain that now makes 134 hp (up 13) and 156 pound-feet of torque (up 51).The hybrid Corolla’s newfound power hurts its fuel economy, with combined EPA ratings that are between 5 and 7 mpg lower.While the hybrid now starts at $1250 cheaper than before, the rest of the 2023 Corolla lineup’s base prices rise by as much as $2315.
It appears the 2023 Toyota Corolla hybrid has been hitting the gym. Its fuel-efficient hybrid drivetrain that uses an Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine has been revised to pump out a combined 134 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Those figures are still relatively puny, but they represent an extra 13 horses and a whopping 51 pound-feet more than 2022 hybrid models. Unfortunately for hypermilers, the penalty for the hybrid Coralla’s newfound power might be felt at the fuel pump.
Toyota earlier this year announced a bunch of updates to the 2023 Corolla family, including subtle visual tweaks and the debut of an optional all-wheel-drive system on hybrid models. However, the company has now revealed the hybrid Corolla’s EPA-rated fuel-economy estimates along with its official engine output, which is the same for front- and all-wheel-drive variants. What’s not the same are their mpg ratings. Let’s discuss.
Powered Up but Hit at the Pump
Previously, the front-drive-only Corolla hybrid earned 53 mpg in the city and 52 mpg on the highway, netting an impressive combined EPA rating of 52 mpg. For 2023, the front-drive model now sees its combined EPA rating drop by 5 mpg to 47 mpg; its city and highway estimates also drop to 50 and 43, respectively. The new all-wheel-drive hybrid has even lower fuel-economy figures of 47 mpg city, 41 highway, and 44 combined. This means that the hybrid Corolla is expected to get between 5–7 mpg less in combined driving, per the EPA.
While it’s a pity that the ’23 Corolla hybrid apparently isn’t as good at being a hybrid, at least it’s quicker, relatively speaking. We tested a hybrid 2023 Corolla SE with all-wheel drive that hit 60 mph in 9.0 seconds. That’s still slow, but it’s a notable 1.7 seconds ahead of a front-drive 2020 Corolla LE hybrid that took a comparatively glacial 10.7 ticks to get to 60. The all-wheel-drive hybrid also returned 40 mpg on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, just 1 mpg shy of its EPA estimate. Then again, the ’20 LE hybrid we put through the same test beat its highway rating by 4 with a result of 56 mpg highway.
A Hybrid Discount But Mostly Higher Prices
Along with lower EPA ratings, the hybrid (offered only as a sedan) has a lower starting price for 2023. Toyota discounts the entry-level LE model by $1250, putting its base price at $23,895. That’s also $1250 less than the opening price of the 2023 Hyundai Elantra hybrid. The newly introduced Corolla SE hybrid starts at $26,295, and the XLE hybrid at $27,695. All-wheel drive is also available on the LE and SE models for another $1400. The other news for the hybrid variant is the debut of a special appearance package called the Infrared Edition. It adds dark-colored 18-inch wheels and racy red accents inside and out.
New hybrid Corolla SE Infrared Edition.
Toyota
We also now have pricing details on the rest of the nonhybrid 2023 Corolla lineup, which loses the base L sedan and drops the previous 1.8-liter base engine. The more powerful 169-hp 2.0-liter inline-four is now standard across the board. As a result, the least expensive Corolla becomes the LE sedan that starts at $22,645—an $1125 increase over the L. The SE sedan now starts at $25,045 (up $1075); the hatchback version is up $1800 to $24,060. The XSE sedan now starts at $27,795 (up $375); the hatchback version is up $2315 to $27,525. The latter price gap is especially large since Toyota no longer offers a six-speed manual transmission on any Corolla. Well, except for the crazy Gazoo Racing version.
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