• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

smarter traveling, driving and spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Test Drive

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Test Drive

1 Comment

best hybrid carsFirst Drive: An EPA rating of 53 MPG, well-designed cockpit, and fun to drive.

What else do you want to know about the 2020 Toyota Corolla hybrid?

Oh, yeah – starting price is under $24,000, making this one of the most affordable hybrids on the road.

MSRP is around $1,000 less than the Toyota Prius, the best-selling hybrid on the planet.

And the Corolla has more legroom, more cargo space and better driving dynamics than its legendary hybrid sibling, with which it shares a powertrain.

Maybe that’s why Toyota is discontinuing the larger Prius C sedan, making the Corolla Hybrid its replacement.

Let’s all be happy that the replacement is less expensive than what it’s replacing.

First hybrid in 53 year history of the Corolla

It’s the first hybrid in 53-year history of the Corolla, already one of the most fuel-effiicient models in the entire Toyota line. Its closest competitor in size and price is the Honda Insight .

For price and performance, it’s an ideal choice for singles, young couples starting families, as a second car for commuters, and for those of us who don’t love the quirky looks of the Prius.

With a top safety rating, this sedan also is an ideal choice for new drivers heading for college this fall, since it comes loaded with a full suite of Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0 safety features as standard.

2020 Toyota Corolla2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is packed with safety features

Those include pre-collision warning and braking, daytime bicycle detection, nighttime pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, steering assist, lane centering assist, automatic high beam and adaptive cruise control.

There’s also something brilliant called RSA, or Road Sign Assist, which recognizes speed limit signs, plus Stop, Yield and Do Not Enter signs and displays them on the console to be sure you weren’t distracted and missed one.

And, of course, there’s all kinds of connectivity, including the ability to hook up with Apple Siri and CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and all the music and contacts on your mobile phone.

I was suitably impressed by my test drive along mountainous country roads and hilly interstates in Upstate New York.

I also loved the large navigation screen that sits high in the middle of the dashboard, at the same eye level as the road, minimizing driver distraction.

The large, easy-to-read icons are another great feature to minimize driver distraction.

best hybrid cars

Test drive: performance, power, comfort

The 2020 Corolla Hybrid holds on turns and curves like a sports car.

There’s plenty of acceleration power for highway merges or uphill slogs, whether you are in the basic model with its 1.8-liter four cylinder engine and 121 horsepower, or upgrade to higher trims and the 2.0-liter with 169 horsepower.

All-new nickel-metal hydride batteries use a new technology to boost performance while also being smaller and lighter than the generation of batteries they replace.

They are stacked under the rear seat, rather than taking up trunk space, which also contributes to the vehicle’s lower center of gravity, and therefore it’s agility.

Steering is a bit soft for my taste in Eco and Normal modes, but tightens noticeably and instantly in the “B” gear, so that’s how I spent most of my drive time.

The other drive modes are EV, which allows it to operate for short distances – around 25 miles – as a pure electric, and regenerate battery power in another mode, and a Sport mode, for top power and acceleration.

Braking was equally responsive in all the drive modes except Sport, when it was tighter and faster, just like steering.

The switch between EV and hybrid modes is seamless, and I did not notice any of the “whine” often associated with either one.  So add quiet to Corolla Hybrid’s features.

The cloth seats and headrests have a more expensive leather-like feel, and I loved the huge cockpit displays that are lighted even in daylight for easy reading, even when there is sun glare.

I also loved and the large navigation screen that sits high in the middle of the dashboard, at the same eye level as the road, minimizing driver distraction.

Bottom line: ecoXplorer gives the 2020 Corolla Hybrid a thumbs up.

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Posts:

  • Airfare Sale: Breeze Airways Tickets From $29
  • 24 Best Historic Golf Courses in USA
  • 2023 Toyota Crown Hybrid Sedan
  • 2022 SUVs and Crossovers Under $25,000
  • Best 2015 cars under $20,000: 2015 Toyota Prius c
  • 5 best 2014 green cars

Filed Under: Budget Cars, Family Cars, Hybrid Cars, Test Drives Tagged With: 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you. Cancel reply

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), and is a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • 2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
    2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
    Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
  • 100  Most Romantic Restaurants in USA
    100 Most Romantic Restaurants in USA
  • Allergy-Free Hotel Rooms
    Allergy-Free Hotel Rooms
  • Autonomous Driving in an Acura TLX
    Autonomous Driving in an Acura TLX
  • Scam Alert: Valentine's Day Romance Frauds
    Scam Alert: Valentine's Day Romance Frauds
  • Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
    Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
  • Where to Eat in Times Square & Theater District at Local Restaurants Not National Chains
    Where to Eat in Times Square & Theater District at Local Restaurants Not National Chains

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2022 EcoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All the stories and photos on our site are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...