A Week With: 2026 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD

Toyota is once again king of the world when it comes to new vehicle sales, and one of the reasons why it’s the company’s best-selling vehicle of all time: the Corolla. Once simple, affordable transportation, today’s Corolla comes in multiple variations, including a hybrid. We spent a week with the 2026 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE with all-wheel drive (AWD), and we have thoughts.

And the first one is: I think I’ve seen that car somewhere before. Our tester came in a grayish blue color Toyota’s dubbed Celestite, which is  odd because celestite, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a usually white mineral consisting of the sulfate of strontium.” There was no white anywhere, but it does sound cool, so Celestite now means grayish blue. And while I’ve seen plenty of grayish blue cars and SUVs on the road, it wasn’t the color I’d seen before.

It took me a few more minutes of staring at the front of the Corolla and then it dawned on me — it’s a miniature Crown. The Crown is Toyota’s largest sedan, which took the place of the Avalon a couple of years ago. And while the nose of the Crown and the Corolla are attractive, the back end of the Crown is … bad. Fortunately, the Corolla Hybrid SE didn’t get saddled with that design. The new Corolla is appropriately sporty-looking, and it looks and feels bigger than it is.

At least until you get inside.

Checking the cabin

I’m, ahem, not a small man and getting in and out of the Corolla was a pain. However, if you’re tall (I said big, not tall … LOL), it’s going to be a chore for you too. However, I managed to devise a way to slide in and out without too much effort after a couple of tries. Once you’re in on the gray sport fabric seats, you’ll find a larger-than-expected space with sport fabric-covered seats that are comfortable and supportive. A small car isn’t ideal for a long trip, aside from the gas savings, but this one would be fine.

The rest of the cabin offers a reasonable amount of space, including the back seats. Again, it’s a small car, so you get “small” leg room, but for running around town, it’s just fine. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is, well, round, which is almost unexpected these days in sporty-looking vehicles. Lots of show, but not much in the way of go.

Overall, the feel of the cabin is … appropriate. The 10.25-inch touchscreen in the center of the dashboard is not too small or too big, and it’s in the right spot. Not too high or low.

That said, in the simplest of vehicles in its portfolio … you need to push buttons to raise or lower the volume on the sound system. Whether that’s on the bottom of the touchscreen frame or using the steering wheel-mounted controls. It makes absolutely no sense and I found it to be a constant source of irritation.

Conversely, the climate controls couldn’t be better placed or easier to use. They’re right in the middle with easy to decipher icons and buttons. Such an odd combination.

PLENTY OF TECH

Small car buyers are typically younger buyers looking at their first car or at least their first new car. And to that end, technology plays a big role in their choices. Toyota’s catered to those preferences both in terms of conveniences as well as advanced driver aids.

The multimedia setup is very good for a sub-$30K car. The 10.5-inch touchscreen provides access to all of the controls, whether you’re using Toyota’s native system, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto — the last two are wireless.

Also, ensuring whatever operating system you’re using, the personal device it’s tied to can be charged wirelessly is a nice bonus. The Corolla’s wireless charge pad is in an interesting spot — up under the dashboard. I didn’t much care for it at first, but as time went on, I came to like it more and more. It’s out of the way, your phone stays secure, so it charges efficiently, so my tune was changed.

PEPPY PERFORMER

It looks sporty, but is it sporty? Nah. But, the 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder with a continuously variable transmission does put out a more-than-respectable 138 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque. You’re not making the starting grid at the Indy 500, but if you need to get onto the freeway or scoot into a space around town, you can do it without any worry.

Additionally, you’ll be scooting right on by plenty of gas stations as well. It gets 53 mpg in the city, 46 mpg on the highway, for a nice average of 50 mpg combined. It’s nice to be able to drive in EV Mode, which is a rarity in this class of vehicle. Perhaps even more rare is the available all-wheel drive.

With all the winter weather we’ve had in metro Detroit this year, it was calming to know that while I was prowling the rough streets of Rochester, Michigan, I had all-wheel drive moving me around. I never had a moment of concern as the handling was always sure-footed — no matter how hard I tried to get it to slide. In normal travels, it’s a nice little car in terms of handling.

Would I?

I drove one of its siblings, the Corolla FX, last fall, and I was pleasantly surprised. In essentially round two with the Corolla, I came down to the same question over and over: Could I drive it every day and feel good about it? The answer was … yes. It was a perfect second car for older couples. It had all of the tech goodies I like, and I didn’t feel cramped (other than when I was getting in or out, but dropping a few pounds could help with that) or uncomfortable.

The available trunk space was very good, and I reckon I could fit at least three sets of golf clubs in there. It really checks all the boxes: it looks good, it performs well enough, and it’s affordable. Speaking of which, it comes in at $30,135 including the destination fee. At that price, it’s the least expensive hybrid in Toyota’s lineup. If you’re looking for a first car as a younger buyer or a second car for empty nesters, this could fit the bill.