Why the New Corolla over the the Prius.

[oldcodger]

Hi,

With the 1.8 Hybrid prices being quiet close between the new Corolla and the Prius, wonder why the Corolla is more popular, just the techie stuff  ?

As they seem  quiet similar and the Corolla being the new development, will the Prius  continue ?

[bewA]

Well i chose mine based on looks :D  But if you want economy then the prius is still going to win over the corolla!

In the end the prius paved the way for the other hybrid models so it has a lot going for it still.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Corolla hatchback is in the lower market sector to the Prius, has a shorter wheelbase, so is physically smaller. The Corolla saloon and Touring Sport has the same size wheelbase as the Prius, and these two models, together with the Prius and the Camry, are jointly Toyota's way of filling the gap left by the Avensis. 

Prius sales globally have been falling for some time now, partly due to the availability of other models which offer hybrid versions (Corolla, etc)

[Parts-King]

Corolla is tiny in comparison to a Prius, different target audience altogether, however i am sure some people will take advantage of the lower price point 

[PeteB]

There's a number of considerations, apart from economy: the Prius has an astonishing drag factor (CD) for a car with an exhaust system and water cooling system especially on 15" wheels, which is one reason it's more economical than the much smaller and lighter Yaris Hybrid.

Some people (like me) prefer (even love) the digital instrument layout of the Prius, and all the information it can give you.  I've greatly missed the instruments, info and especially Head Up Display since very reluctantly switching the the RAV4 Hybrid.

The Prius is less favoured by taxi firms now, partly because with the Gen 4, despite it being a major improvement in very many ways, lost some features that made it particularly suitable for taxi work: namely, good rear headroom, false boot floor and loads of interior stowage space.  The last 2 were appealing because it meant all the bits and prices a taxi driver needed to have handy were out of sight, leaving an uncluttered interior and boot that appeared empty for passenger's luggage.  The Gen 4 kept the excellent rear leg room, which previous made the Gen 2 & 3 Prius a better choice than other Toyota Hybrids.

When booking a taxi, I asked them not to send the latest Prius (despite owning one myself until recently) if I was likely to go in the back, because it's uncomfortable being unable to sit upright.  Apparently, it was by no means an uncommon request.

It's a shame, because in almost all other respects, save one, it was the best car I've ever had, and in most ways I would much rather have kept it than switch to the RAV4.  Many other Gen 4 Prius owners say the same, and like me a lot of them had previously run earlier generations of Prius (all versions in my case).

The one thing that effectively forced me to get rid of the Prius was its very low ride height (part of the method of achieving that super drag factor) which caused me to start have very serious problems with my hips, which started affecting my knees and back as the method I adopted to enter and exit the car to minimise the pain (and shouting!) put great strain on my joints.  The problem has completing disappeared in the almost 4 months I've had the RAV. 

I even started investigating having an aftermarket air suspension system to be added to the Prius so that I could raise it for getting in and out, but it proved too complex, and meant losing lots of boot space and the spare wheel.

[Catlover]

Love my Gen4 Prius. Extremely comfy, excellent mpg - during this summer many journeys I have taken returned mid-high 80's mpg, very common high 70's mpg. This is with the 15" wheel option which I wanted for a) better fuel consumption 2) comfier ride (the extra rubber on the 15" wheel gives extra "suspension" = smoother ride.  I can understand Pets reason fro ditching the Prius for a Rav4 due to his hip problem. I bought a Hyundai i20 a few years ago and had to part with it after 6 months due to my hip pain. I dont have that problem in either the Gen3 nor Gen4 Prius I have owned (nor any other car I owned).  I dont have a problem sitting in the rear of the car either. and I am 6' tall, and have head clearance. Rear leg room is very good.  I dont sit in the back normally - cant reach the steering wheels nor pedals 😉, nor do I carry a lot in the boot except when the 2 of us go on holiday, so thats not a problem for us.  As PeteB says the dash in the Prius is amazing and IMO far better to look at then the new Corolla.  The Corolla estate car and the saloon are longer wheelbase then the hatchback, so should get the benefits of the Prius inside (may be the same wheelbase as the Prius).

[Chattacks]

For me it was my hate of the interior of the Prius. Nothing personal for those of you who do have one but its bizzare and unnerving for me....I would have bought the Rav 4 too had it not been for the much longer waiting times and lack of good long term 0% deal.

[TonyHSD]

I think Corolla saloon is the real competitor to Prius, it’s almost the same size inside out, may well have a larger boot space not sure yet and looks absolutely like a normal car. I actually start seeing them around the capital as PH cars and they look alright, they just kind of like Dubai taxi especially the white ones 😊, still the estates are the most popular for a boot space obviously. Corolla saloon may have better rear head room and still maintain a good aerodynamics, for me would be a tough choice between these two. And btw Toyota doesn’t want people from UK to buy those saloons for some reason, interested members can check out Irish site to build a Corolla saloon and see how much nicer options are available, exterior and interior colours, equipment etc. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota Ireland never stopped selling the Corolla saloon - presumably buyers there don't have the strong preference for hatchbacks as in the UK. Previously the saloon didn't sell in sufficient numbers in the UK to keep it in the range.