are both winners in fuel efficiency and standard tech features. But at $24,050 compared to the Prius’ $25,075 starting price, the Corolla Hybrid may hold better value.

When it comes to compact commuters, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and Toyota Prius are fuel-sipping favorites. Born from the same famously reliable Toyota brand, the two vehicles can seem nearly identical in many ways—differing only in size and body style.

But when comparing the specs and features of the Corolla Hybrid and Prius side by side, there are a few key distinctions between the two. Here to walk you through them, is

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Ready to get a clearer idea of whether the Toyota Corolla Hybrid or Toyota Prius is a better fit for you? Let’s take a look.

Pricing

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid is more affordable than the Toyota Prius—and many other fuel-efficient commuter cars, for that matter. At $24,050, its starting price is cheaper than the Toyota Prius’s $25,075 MSRP as well as the Hyundai Elantra Blue Hybrid’s $24,400 MSRP and the Honda Insight’s $25,760 MSRP.

Though the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is only available in the Corolla’s LE trim level, here’s how the Prius’ trim level costs break down further:

Model	MSRP
2022 Toyota Prius L Eco	$25,075
2022 Toyota Prius LE	$26,285
2022 Toyota Prius LE AWD-e	$27,685
2022 Toyota Prius XLE	$29,295
2022 Toyota Prius XLE AWD-e	$30,125
2022 Toyota Prius Nightshade Edition	$29,545
2022 Toyota Prius Nightshade Edition AWD-e	$30,675

At this $24,050 starting price, the 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is missing some amenities—like blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Drivers can add these safety tech features for an extra $500 and also upgrade their interior with a leather-wrapped wheel and imitation leather seating through the Premium Interior package for $1,525 extra. Adding both upgrades costs $2,025, bringing the Corolla Hybrid’s fully-equipped MSRP to $26,075.

MORE:

The top 10 cheapest cars to insure

Ownership costs

You’ll also need to take ownership fees like the

Toyota Corolla Hybrid’s insurance costs

Hybrid's insurance costs into consideration. Let’s take a look at how the projected five-year ownership costs compare for these two models.

According to Edmunds, the 2022 Toyota Prius in its base L Eco trim has a true ownership cost of $29,708 for five years. This includes its maintenance costs, taxes and fees, and fuel—as well as your

Toyota Prius insurance costs

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid, on the other hand, adds up to an estimated $28,078 ownership cost for its first five years. While this may not seem like a significant difference, it further proves that the Corolla Hybrid is a more affordable car than the Toyota Prius—even after calculating its five-year ownership costs and upgrading it with every possible package.

Key Takeaway: At $26,075 fully souped up and with a five-year ownership cost of $28,078, the 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is still more affordable than the Toyota Prius.

MORE: Vehicle trim level, options, and packages explained

Performance

Neither the Toyota Corolla Hybrid nor the Toyota Prius are particularly peppy vehicles.

The Corolla Hybrid features a four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, which only totals a combined 121 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Toyota Prius offers this same standard Toyota powertrain in every trim, matching the Corolla Hybrid’s stamina exactly with a 121-horsepower four-cylinder hybrid engine and 105 lb-ft of torque.

Needless to say, you’re not going to win any races with a Corolla Hybrid or a Prius. However, the Prius does offer an optional all-wheel-drive system, which is more than the Corolla Hybrid can say—only front-wheel-drive is available).

Even so, both vehicles struggle with sluggishness when accelerating on the on-ramp or trying to pass another vehicle. But the Prius might be able to handle rain and snow better when AWD is equipped.

MORE: How to park a Toyota Prius

Fuel efficiency

Here’s another area where the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and Toyota Prius are pretty much neck-in-neck. With a 58/53/56 MPG city/highway/combined EPA-estimated fuel economy, the Toyota Prius comes slightly ahead of the Toyota Corolla Hybrid’s 53/52/52 MPG city/highway/combined.

That said, equipping the Prius with the AWD drivetrain shaves some of that fuel efficiency down—lower than the Corolla Hybrid’s. Here’s a look at how each vehicle and its drivetrain options compare:

Model	Engine	Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)
2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid	1.8L four-cylinder	53/52/52 mpg
2022 Toyota Prius w/ FWD (standard)	1.8L four-cylinder	58/53/56 mpg
2022 Toyota Prius w/ AWD	1.8L four-cylinder	51/47/49 mpg

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Technology

Both the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and the Toyota Prius come with Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0, which consists of the following driver assistance technology:

Forward collision mitigation

Lane departure assist (with steering assist)

Automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection)

Adaptive cruise control

Automatic high beams

Lane tracing assist

Road sign assist

In terms of infotainment, the Toyota Prius comes with a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The Toyota Corolla Hybrid gets these same compatibility features plus an extra inch to its touchscreen.

Both cars come equipped with a six-speaker sound system, automatic climate control, and an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot. Drivers can also enjoy keyless entry and ignition and automatic LED headlights in all trims and builds of each model.

The only difference worth noting between the safety tech in these Toyotas is that the Corolla Hybrid charges extra for blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. (Remember that $500 upgrade we talked about earlier?) And yet it still keeps the Corolla’s costs lower than the Prius’ base trim.

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Sound system coverage

Reliability

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid and the Toyota Prius both carry the esteemed reputation of a Toyota brand vehicle. However, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid comes slightly ahead.

With an 85/100 quality and reliability score from J.D. Power and a 4.5/5.0 reliability rating from RepairPal, the 2022 Corolla Hybrid ranks higher than the 2022 Prius’ 74/100 and 4.0/5.0 reliability ratings. J.D. Power additionally ranks the 2022 Toyota Corolla as the 4th best compact car of 2022, whereas the Prius is ranked 7th (with the Nissan Sentra taking first place).

Both the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and the Toyota Prius are considered more reliable than the average new car by Consumer Reports. That said, the Prius received a recall from the NHTSA in the last year, whereas the Corolla Hybrid did not.

MORE: How to check car recalls by VIN number

Interior

While the Toyota Prius’ interior wins out in overall spaciousness, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid takes the cake in user-friendliness.

Designed with a simplified approach to efficiency, the Corolla Hybrid’s dashboard is clean and uncluttered. From seat adjusters to its infotainment system, controls and functions are easy to find and intuitive to use.

The Toyota Prius doesn’t quite manage this user-friendly feel. Though its infotainment tech is stocked with many of the same features as the Corolla, the touchscreen and many of the Prius’ dashboard instruments are out of the driver’s direct line of sight.

As a hatchback, the Toyota Prius gets much better cargo volume than the Toyota Corolla Hybrid sedan.That said, the Corolla Hybrid still manages a respectable 13.1 cubic feet of cargo storage in its trunk and 60/40 split-folding rear seats. It’s certainly not as roomy as a hatchback, but it’s more than enough to hold a few suitcases or golf clubs.

Here’s a closer comparison of each vehicle’s interior dimensions:

Measurement	Toyota Corolla Hybrid	Toyota Prius
Maximum cargo volume	13.1 cubic feet	50.7 cubic feet
Cargo volume with all seats up	N/A	27.4 cubic feet
Headroom (front seats)	38.3 inches	39.4 inches
Legroom (front seats)	42 inches	42.3 inches
Headroom (rear seats)	37.1 inches	37.4 inches
Legroom (rear seats)	34.8 inches	33.4 inches

As for seating and material quality, both the Corolla Hybrid and the Prius come out around average—nothing to write home about, but comfortable enough to accommodate a lengthy drive without complaints. Your better interior option truly depends on what type of vehicle you want—a roomy Prius hatchback or a user-friendly Corolla sedan.

MORE:

What is a hatchback?

The final word

The Toyota Corolla Hybrid and the Toyota Prius are extremely similar, particularly when it comes to performance and technology. The Prius is slightly more fuel-efficient, but the Corolla Hybrid nearly matches this efficiency at a lesser cost. Factor in the Corolla Hybrid’s better reliability ratings and more ergonomic interior layout, and you may be looking at a clear winner.

The only factors that could put the Prius ahead? It’s a more spacious commuter vehicle and a more comfortable choice for your passengers. It also has more upgrade and trim options than the Corolla Hybrid, along with an AWD upgrade that the Corolla Hybrid lacks.

MORE: The best cars for your commute

How to find cheap car insurance for a Toyota Corolla Hybrid

Whether you favor the Prius’ fuel efficiency or the Corolla Hybrid’s better reliability ratings, you’ll want to make sure you protect your investment with quality car insurance. With

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FAQs

Is a Toyota Corolla Hybrid bigger than a Toyota Prius?

Sort of. The 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid sedan is longer than the Toyota Prius hatchback, at 182.3 inches in length to the Prius’ 180.0 inches. That said, the two vehicles share a 106.3-inch wheelbase and the Prius is slightly taller—57.9 inches compared to the Corolla’s 56.5 inches.

Which has better fuel efficiency: the Toyota Corolla Hybrid or Prius?

It depends. With its standard FWD drivetrain, the Toyota Prius gets better fuel efficiency—an EPA estimated 58/53/56 MPG vs the Corolla Hybrid’s 53/52/52 MPG. However, with the optional AWD drivetrain equipped, the Prius gets a less fuel-efficient 51/47/49 MPG instead.

Is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid more expensive than the Toyota Prius?

No. The Toyota Corolla LE Hybrid’s base MSRP is about $1,000 less than the Toyota Prius’ base L Eco trim’s starting price.

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