2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review

　　

2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Review

byTravis LangnessReviews Editor

　　Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.

　　The 2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback offers a lot of virtues in a small package. For a nameplate that doesn't normally evoke a whole lot of passion, the latest Corolla Hatchback is surprisingly fun to drive. It's nimble and engaging around turns and is decently powerful when you need it to be. On top of that, it's comfortable on long drives and comes with plenty of the latest technology and safety features.

　　Oddly, the main quality you'd expect the Corolla Hatchback to do well in — utility — is a bit of a letdown. It simply doesn't offer a lot of cargo space behind the rear seats compared to rival models such as the Honda Civic and the Kia Forte GT. Rear legroom is also lacking. Kids will be fine back there, but taller adults will definitely feel cramped.

　　This year's Corolla Hatchback thankfully receives Android Auto smartphone integration. It joins the existing Apple CarPlay integration, so Toyota has finally caught up in this regard. Overall, the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback isn't the most utilitarian choice in the class, but it has enough positives that we think it's worth a closer look.

　　Notably, the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a featured vehicle in our Cheapest New Cars article and we picked the 2020 Toyota Prius as one of zzdcar' Cheapest New Cars for 2020.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.5

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the Corolla Hatchback drive? It has a relatively small engine, but the Corolla Hatchback's power is adequate. Our manual-equipped test car covered 0-60 mph in 7.8 seconds, which is an average time for this type of car. The brakes are also adequately powerful for emergency stops and are easy to modulate for smooth stops in typical driving.

　　The steering doesn't give you much of a feel for the road, but it's quick to respond. Along with the car's balanced handling, the Corolla Hatchback makes a sporty initial impression. On a twisty road, this little hatchback is surprisingly fun and engaging.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Corolla Hatchback? The Corolla Hatchback strikes a great balance between comfort and composure. It might be a bit soft over freeway undulations, but the body stays well under control. Go with the SE trim and its smaller 16-inch wheels for maximum comfort. The XSE rides a bit rougher because of its bigger wheels and skinnier sidewall tires.

　　On the open road, you'll appreciate the fairly quiet interior. The front seats will also appeal to a wide variety of drivers and are relatively comfortable even over long journeys. Airflow from the climate control system is effective at both heating and cooling.

　　

Interior

7.5/10

　　How’s the interior? The Corolla's climate control buttons are a bit crowded and the infotainment buttons are a bit small, but you can figure things out relatively quickly. There's ample access to the front seats thanks to a large door opening, and the seat height makes getting in and out a breeze.

　　Adjustments can be made quickly, and drivers of varying sizes will be able to get comfortable behind the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. The rear should be OK for most passengers, but taller passengers will desire more legroom. As you'd expect from a compact hatchback, there's great visibility in every direction. A low hoodline aids forward visibility, while plenty of side glass makes lane changes stress-free.

　　

Technology

7.5/10

　　How’s the tech? The Corolla hatch comes standard with automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, auto high-beam control, and lane keeping assist — an impressive array for a car in this price range. The high-mounted 8-inch touchscreen is visually appealing, but various speed-related lockouts and a lack of a native navigation system make for a frustrating experience. The decent audio system helps, but other cars have much better.

　　The native voice recognition system is reasonably accurate as long as you follow the tutorial and set up the system to recognize your voice. Thankfully, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now included and are effective voice command work-arounds.

　　

Storage

6.0/10

　　How’s the storage? A small, practical hatchback can be a surprisingly versatile car, but a high floor spoils the Corolla's cargo space. Behind the rear seats you get 17.8 cubic feet. Competitors such as the Kia Forte and the Hyundai Elantra GT offer more.

　　The door pockets and decent cupholders mean there's some room for small items. In front of the shift lever, there's a shelf that looks to be for a phone, but it's not really big enough to hold one. The center console bin is also a bit small and awkward to reach into. For family duty, the Corolla has a decent amount of space for rear-facing child safety seats. The car seat anchors are easily accessible.

　　

Fuel Economy

8.0/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The Corolla Hatchback gets an EPA-estimated 31 mpg combined with the six-speed manual transmission or up to a rather impressive 35 mpg with the automatic. Our manual-equipped test car returned 30 mpg on our 115-mile evaluation route. Our total test fuel economy with random driving mixed in was a more lackluster 25.9 mpg, but we believe the EPA estimate should be achievable for most drivers.

　　

Value

7.5/10

　　Is the Corolla Hatchback a good value? The Corolla Hatchback is well-built, offers good fuel economy, and comes with a lot of standard safety features. Overall warranty coverage is average, though you do get free scheduled maintenance for services such as oil changes and tire rotations for the first two years/25,000 miles.

　　

Wildcard

8.5/10

　　"Surprising" might be the best word to describe the Corolla Hatchback. Its styling and upscale interior push the Corolla name a little more upmarket. And its compliant ride, fun handling and willing engine make it genuinely fun. All that and an available manual transmission give it real potential as a fun-to-drive hatchback, even if it doesn't quite make it into hot-hatch territory.

　　

Which Corolla Hatchback does zzdcar recommend?

Our favorite combination on the Corolla Hatchback is the XSE trim level with the CVT automatic. It's the most expensive version of the Corolla Hatchback, but it comes with quite a bit of standard equipment, including dual-zone automatic climate control, blind-spot monitoring, and all the lower-level equipment such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. If you're looking to pinch a few pennies, though, the standard SE trim level is pretty feature-loaded as well.

　　

2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback models

The 2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a four-door hatchback with seating for five. It's available in three trims: SE, Nightshade and XSE. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (168 horsepower, 151 lb-ft of torque). A six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive are standard, and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is optional.

　　Standard equipment for the SE includes LED headlights, automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 60/40-split folding rear bench seat, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, an 8-inch touchscreen, and a six-speaker audio system with two USB ports and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Safety features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning (with pedestrian and cyclist detection plus automatic emergency braking), and lane keeping assist.

　　Nightshade models (and SE models with the CVT automatic) add steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles, lane centering assist, and a version of the adaptive cruise control system that can bring the Corolla to a stop. For the SE with the automatic, the optional SE Preferred package adds a blind-spot monitor and satellite radio. The Nightshade also gets black exterior treatments on the grille and spoiler, a black rear diffuser and black alloy wheels.

　　Compared to the SE, the XSE adds LED foglights, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, leather upholstery with cloth inserts, and HD and satellite radio. XSE models equipped with the CVT automatic also get the blind-spot monitor. The optional XSE Preferred package, offered only on XSEs with the CVT, further adds a wireless charging pad, a navigation system, and an eight-speaker JBL premium audio system.

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2020 Corolla Hatchback Highlights

Trim: SENightshade EditionXSESE

　　

Base MSRP	$20,290
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	31 MPG
Cost to Drive	$119/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	17.8 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles