2025 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

We know where we stand with a Corolla. This name has stood for reliable, enduring, affordable personal transport for years. This hatchback variant retains those qualities for which Toyota is renowned, and adds more cargo flexibility. We realize that the Corolla Hatchback is not the roomiest in its class, but we think it’s a good overall package with plenty of equipment and a decent engine. It’s a generally pleasant way to get around, while being relatively affordable to buy and run, holds its value well, and has that extra practicality over a sedan.

The Corolla and Corolla Hybrid sedans are reviewed separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of hatchbacks, including the Toyota Corolla Hatchback.

There are no major changes this year. Having launched for 2019, a new generation of Corolla is anticipated for 2026.

The revised-for-2025 Honda Civic Hatchback and Mazda3 hatchback start a little higher than the Corolla hatch. The Subaru Impreza’s pricing is close to that of the Corolla, although it comes with all-wheel drive as standard. For reference, the Toyota Corolla sedan is priced at around $23K.

Before buying a new Corolla Hatchback, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should pay. Resale values are above average, while the Civic and Impreza fare better. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one. Toyota is a multiple Best Brand winner of our resale value awards.

The regular Corolla Hatchback has 169 horsepower, steering a good middle ground between the base Civic Hatchback’s 158 hp and the Mazda3’s 191 horses. We’ve found that it’s zippy enough around town and can still cruise comfortably on the highway. It’s a big improvement over the weaker base engine in previous model years. If the driver wants to be more involved, paddle shifters are standard. Overall, the Corolla Hatchback’s ride is compliant, the seats are comfortable, and we’re absolutely fine with how it drives.

The enthusiast-focused GR Corolla features a turbocharged 3-cylinder engine producing 300 hp sent through a 6-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive. This model is a formidable hot hatchback with real track-ready performance comparable to the Honda Civic Type R.

Fuel Economy

The SE version of the 2025 Corolla Hatchback achieves an impressive 35 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That beats the competition, with the Civic coming closest at 33 mpg combined. The XSE runs to 33 mpg combined. The hot GR Corolla gets 24 mpg combined.

We like the design and quality of the Corolla Hatchback’s interior. The standard front sport seats have enough bolstering to provide a snug feel without sacrificing comfort. The 8-inch infotainment screen is a bit small these days. Still, we appreciate that the system has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, along with a good old traditional volume knob.

A hatchback cabin is all about practicality and versatility, taking passengers and cargo in various permutations. The Toyota Corolla does this fairly well, although some rivals do it better. Rear legroom, for example, measures 29.9 inches. That’s tight, especially when the Honda Civic Hatchback provides 37.4 inches. The Corolla sedan is also more accommodating. If you plan on hosting more than one other human on a regular basis, you might want to think twice before buying a Corolla Hatchback.

We hear you say that maybe that’s the trade-off for excellent cargo space. Behind the Corolla Hatchback’s rear seats, the luggage area is 17.8 cubic feet, while the equivalent Civic has 24.5. Toyota does offer an option where cargo space expands to 23 cubic feet by replacing the spare wheel with a tire repair kit.

The Corolla Hatchback has a noticeably sportier look than its sedan stablemate, especially in XSE trim. LED headlights and alloy wheels are standard, making every Corolla Hatchback look stylish. The Nightshade version comes with sporty bronze-finished 18-inch alloys. At 14.3 feet, the Corolla Hatchback is 7 inches shorter than the Honda Civic Hatchback, which is why the latter can offer better rear legroom and cargo space. The former will fit into smaller parking spaces, however.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0
Toyota deserves a lot of credit for making so many safety features standard in its vehicles, even relatively affordable cars like the Corolla Hatchback. The company’s Safety Sense 3.0 array includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high beams.

Toyota Audio Multimedia
This feature-rich infotainment system comes loaded with connectivity features like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, making it easy to connect a smartphone.

Energetic and efficient engine
We think the Corolla Hatchback’s standard 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine strikes the right balance of performance and efficiency. A lot of our owner reviews say the same thing.

Contrasting roof
The Corolla Hatchback is available with a Midnight Black Metallic roof, in contrast to one of the bold paint options, such as Finish Line Red or Blue Crush.

Standard automatic climate control
This simple feature goes a long way to enhancing comfort in the Corolla Hatchback, and we appreciate its inclusion in such an affordable car.

XSE trim
Springing for the XSE trim brings many upgrades while keeping the price reasonable. These include LED fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, good-quality simulated leather seating surfaces, and an 8-speaker/800-watt JBL audio system.

The regular 2025 Corolla Hatchback employs a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, making a perfectly respectable 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. This goes solely to the front wheels through an automatic transmission. The much sportier GR Corolla packs a turbocharged 1.6-liter 3-cylinder engine generating a remarkable 300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain is completed by a 6-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Toyota’s new-vehicle warranty lasts three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This is typical for the class. Toyota also includes two years or 25,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance, plus two years of roadside assistance with unlimited mileage.

Safety Ratings

The Corolla Hatchback has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the agency’s second-highest accolade. It also earned a maximum 5-Star overall score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).