Some thoughts after 18,000 kms of Corolla ZR Hybrid ownership - Overall our family of 4 have very much enjoyed the car. 3 of us drive it, I’m a John Law spec 6’2, my wife is 5’2 and our 18yo is 5’6. Legroom behind either of the others when they are driving is great and headroom for me in our hatchback is just ok. Head doesn’t touch, but its close. We looked at the sedan but it’s roofline is swoopier/lower and I didn’t fit in the back. The front passenger seat isn’t adjustable for height and is set very high. My wife likes that if she’s in it but it leaves me with almost no spare headroom, not great when hitting larger bumps. Fuel use has averaged 4.8l/100km in town and on highway. The larger 330L boot in the ZR has meant weekends away with the 4 of us are doable (the lesser grade cars 217L boot wouldn’t work). I purchased a tyre plug kit that lives under the boot floor. The included tyre goop isn’t super reliable to use and will cost to clean out when getting a tyre properly plugged. All safety systems are tuned very conservatively, we turned off the lane centring as it felt like you were fighting the car all the time. Rear cross traffic alert is handy as is rear AEB although it will stop you dead at about 10cm from object. I thought I’d hit something the first time it triggered. Front AEB kills the throttle for a second or two if car in front is slow to move away at traffic lights leaving you exposed to being run up the back of. Head up display is great unless you wear polarised sunnies, they render it almost invisible. JBL stereo is really good, particularly with high bit rate (in my case Apple lossless files) music. The tweeter housings on the windscreen pillars, the spring loaded grab handles and the front passenger seat back (when nobody sitting in it) all resonate on corse chip/bumpy roads. The standard Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres are great even in the wet. The 3 driving modes make the car significantly different to drive. Ecco feels like a loaf of bread is stuck under the throttle pedal, standard is very standard and PWR is far more responsive. The fuel economy doesn’t seem to change much regardless of mode. It feels like it’s more about how the battery/electric motor is deployed. Going up steep hills on the motorway at 110kph is a bit taxing with the engine singing like a screaming goat at 4-5k rpm, you get used to it though. When on cruise control and the battery is full it can’t harvest any kinetic energy when going down a hill so it spins up the petrol engine as a kind of friction brake to control the car’s speed. The car is nice and quiet apart from that.
@Chasing Cars, FYI The Corolla MY23 new model is due for production starting September22, only ~5 weeks away, yet Toyota Australia STILL hasnt given dealers the Corolla VNB (vehicle notification bulletin) that thoroughly details exactly what all the changes will be. Only the vague summary-ish press release a few months ago is what is known. So customers that have ordered, despite having incoming rumoured +$2500-3500 price rises depending on trim/spec, dont yet even know exactly what they will be getting....!
Ordered my in November 2021 and recieved in 2020 August. Best thing I have owned. Sporty , sleek and resposive and best of all cheap. Any questions about it please ask. I have done 1000 klm around town and put 30 bucks in so a happy person!
I ordered one in Dec 21, still havent received it by July 22 ... so told my dealer I want to wait a few more months + swap to the new model coming Sep 22 onwards.. because having an updated infotainment system/fully digital MID cluster/wireless AA+ACP/ USB-C ports etc are all key upgrades I want to capture. I think everyone knows that if you value rear passenger legroom+comfort, and a spacey boot - you shouldnt be buying a corolla hatchback. This is a singles/couples car who doesnt haul kids, golf clubs or suitcases around. Only the weekly groceries and tidbits for work etc. So its a bit awkward when people use those things as 'ammunition' against it when its clearly not designed to appease people who have those priorities.
I hear your point about rear leg space and boot space, but every other brand except Toyota and Mazda with its 3 can and have bigger rear seat space and boot so a bit of a let down by those two.
You guys should add entry into the backseats when talking about the comfort of the back seats to your reviews. It was nice to hear the comments about the confinements of the doors and sloping roof w/ the baby seat.
There's a few things missed for this particular model - A warning: you don't want to run your dashcam in parking mode as it will drain the car battery (Yuasa). This is also the case for leaving the interior lights on for an extended period without the car engine turned on. The car battery relies on the engine to charge it which doesn't run almost all the time on a hybrid. - There's EV, ECO and POWER mode which changes the amount of power output from the hybrid battery. - The ZR headlights are different from the other trims.
Good review but with petrol prices and cost of ownership…. I wish we didn’t compare atmo engines vs European turbos requiring premium fuel at about 20% more per litre. Because 4.2 vs 4.7 means nothing if they don’t run on the same low quality fuel (cheap fuel).
I drive a Euro Turbo, but monitor fuel prices via an app and fill up when cheap(er)... so roughly my fuel cost is the same per litre yet use less litres than most (5.3L/100km) combined metro/highway driving.
@@chasingcars isnt the biggest problem with the corolla cross.. the fact that it takes everything sexy, striking and refreshing about the corolla hatchback latest model design, removes it, and reverts you back to a 'practical, boring corolla' again? Its like going back in time to before Toyota said 'no more boring cars' .... and buying a boring Toyota car again.
Great review thanks. I’d be interested in your thoughts or a review on the corolla sedan….perhaps not as sporty as the hatch but more room. The sedan never seems to get many reviews.
This is a good point, especially when you consider that the G25 Evolve SP got around 8.4L/100KM on their test. Over 15,000km you'll save around $1100 in fuel costs at $1.90 a litre, or $930 at $1.60 a litre, and that's before the lower servicing costs associated with the Toyota. I love the Mazda 3, wanted an Astina but it's incredibly hard to justify given the $8,000 price premium, on top of the higher fuel usage
Would love a Corolla ZR Hybrid but not prepared to order one and wait 10-12 months so will wait and see what happens with delivery times and also check out competitors options.
Good review. However, the prices stated are not accurate. The actual RRP plus on road costs are much higher than the prices stated in this video. I’ve been shopping around with a lot of Toyota dealerships in Melbourne and none of them are offering the prices stated in this video. Toyota has also informed me that the new arrivals (built from June/July 2022) will have enhanced specs including new improved infotainment system.
I love it how in The thumbnail. It’s a green Corolla. But in the video it is a silver Corolla. And I didn’t even think you can get a green Toyota Corolla
@@b.p.r. they've done the clickbait RU-vidr thing where they change a cars paint in Photoshop by making it a bright color compared to what it actually is.
I really like the ZR but I am a bit older. I am 1730 tall. They don't have a ZR on the floor of the local dealership. Question. Is it too low? When you sit in the drivers seat and go to get out of the car, are your thighs level? If so, it should be about the height of a kitchen chair. If so, no problem. I currently have a Mazda 3 and its fine. My daughter is an Occ therapist and she says the problem with older people is more getting up into a higher car than getting out of a lower one. BTW I really LOVE the red accent seating option. :-)
The big trouble from Toyota cars is info display completely dated , this specific ZR it’s so nice but , Toyota needs to learn how to do info displays with German cars.
I need an advise for this car in Canada. I have 2 options Mazda 3 Sedan GS with Luxury package vs Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE Upgrade Sedan version. Which are will last me longer and drive better and safer on Wet or snowy roads? Both have same price of CAD 34,000 All inclusive of taxes and all other fees. I need a family commute car drive about 60 to 80 KM daily. Family of 3 (husband, wife, a 3-year-old child) ..
I agree with you mate, it is still a good looking design. Especially in that bubble gum blue. It is pricey but the Corolla has solid reputation, speaking as a Kia Man
Eclectic Blue (the blue ur referring to) is being discontinued with the new model refresh release (starting production September). Bit of a surprise, because its a striking colour thats literally the face of the promotional materials on the website etc....
Is it the first time in this generation Corolla that Toyota are providing rear air vents? Hoping it would carry over to the sedan as well. Also wasn’t a 98kw hybrid supposed to make an entrance this year ?
I'm a little confused why you are reviewing this 2022 Hybrid when you surely know the new model is coming out in just a few weeks / September? Its getting the new generation Infotainment system etc. Ive seen other reviews on youtube of ppl reviewing the prototype MY23 refresh model already. Seems strange to review the outgoing model in the last 5 weeks of its life when much of what you say will soon be made redundant with the refresh.
That’ll be the 2023 model review. One to look forward to! Also, the vast, vast majority of these comments will actually not be redundant at that point.
@@chasingcars yes thats true. be sure to bookmark the 'rear legroom is cozy' and 'boot space could be bigger' lines because you'l be using them in future.
@@shaun1900 Tyre replacements depends how you count them, but 5 times. You obviously only drive in bitumen in the city. It's not the number of times one has to change a tyre, it's do I have a spare to change with. I have been caught out side of RAC range. Road side assist does not extend to all places in the outback. I am currently in Thailand, do not speak Thai, and there is no RAC or roadside assist. I cannot buy a puncture repair kit, no tyre dealer sells them. My car has a full spare, I would never be without one. 1. Cut a tyre on a steel edge to a drain on a gutter in Queensland. 2. Picked up a screw on the road 3. A piece of metal or wire 4. When I bought the car had a steering vibration which I diagnosed as a flat spot. It had been left parked for a long time with a flat tyre. I switched it from the front to the back and the steering vibration stopped. So I replaced the tyre, and the worn spare and put both on the front. Problem solved. 5. The Nissan Dealer recommended that I replace my full set of tyres. Heat had caused them to rot, they were a craze of cracks. The car was just 3 years old. The tread passed roadworthy and was good. A set of new 5 Michelins meant my car no longer skidded on the tiled entrance to my garage in the wet. 6. I cut out two rear tyres towing a caravan to Darwin from the Gold Coast. It could have been fatal. I have driven around my paddocks, towed a car trailer, towed a caravan. I currently also ride a motorbike, without a spare or a repair kit. It is a worry. May I add, when my car was 4 years old Nissan in Thailand recommended I replace my battery. With no RAC and no Thai language ensuring my car will always start and get me home is essential. I recommend the policy of a new battery every 4 years even though it is still OK. I remember going to the launch of the new Corolla in about 1983. The most economical car was now being promoted as the most reliable car. Fathers bought their daughters new Corollas, so they could go out and come home safely in the world's most reliable car. It had a full spare.
Why no body do reviews like compared to older model or compare to previous year and recconment wichone is the best bugget or which one is the steal price or review like oh! Just minor change for 2022, so I might be waiting for new model. Or oh just little change that is not worth money to pay I will buy 2018 that more cheaper and still good and competitive 🤔🤔 all I've been watching the review care in Aus so much much same and common seem like I can watch just one chanal and get same results
Don't you guys get offended by Toyota's attitude to sell you the most boring car on planet without being bothered to make any effort to make it slightly modern? Everything is old. "Sporty corolla" is pathetic
Not in this case, because the latest Corolla got the Akio magic of the "no boring cars" edict - the steering and ride and handling is genuinely right up there in the small car class. Good car to drive. And then you get to the efficiency.
Have you actually driven one of these? It nails its brief perfectly. I was a skeptic until I drove one and it is boring, but handles well and rides well too without being the boaty Toyota's of old.
Reliable & good looking car, but the middle console infortainment system is not just ugly, but super ugly. Come on Toyota, it looks like a block of wood!
SOMEWHAT UNDERHAND TO FEATURE A GREEN CAR FRONT AND CENTRE AND THEN REVEAL A SILVER CAR FOR THE REVIEW. YES IT MATTERS, ALL TO DO WITH HONESTY ABOUT THE CONTENT. PLEASE DON'T JUST SAY, IT'S ALL WE HAD, ETC. THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR REPUTATION FOR TRUST IN WHAT YOU OFFER UP TO US AND OF COURSE YOUR REPUTATION.
Still waiting for 2022 model ordered in July... and still no ETA. Also I was advised there is front and rear dash cam recording as a standard feature in the 2022 model... Thanks so much for all your reviews.
