Toyota RAV4 vs Toyota Corolla

What's the difference?

The Toyota RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid 2WD model reaffirms why the RAV4 is so popular in Australia. It offers families space, convenience and features in a well-priced and handsome package. The cabin noise might be an ick for some but for everything else this model offers it could be overlooked.

The final score for this review makes it look as though the Corolla is a middling effort. The scores for each individual section of the review are well considered and fair. The Corolla does lack the practicality of some of its rivals. A lack of an ANCAP rating isn’t great and the powertrain is just okay. But it remains one of the most fun-to-drive hatchbacks on the market today, even seven years into its life, and I would wholeheartedly recommend the Corolla to anyone looking for a small car. If you can forgive some of the quirks, it is a reliable, adorable, fun and efficient small car favourite. 

In anticipation of the next-gen model, there hasn't been any design changes for the RAV4 - it remains a good-looking family SUV despite being a little heavy-handed with its angles.

Some external design highlights include garage friendly dimensions and a host of black accents across the body, including 18-inch alloy wheels that help to create an edgy kerb-side appeal.

Head inside and the RAV4 Cruiser offers a premium cabin-feel with its leather upholstery and large tech screens that headline the dashboard.

As always, there is a sense that design is based on functionality rather than style, which is typical of Toyota, but the simplicity makes the cabin relaxing to be in.

You’re not overwhelmed by touchpads or gadgets as can be the case in other new cars and there is a certain charm about that.

It’s been around for a good seven years, but the current-gen Corolla hatch is still a smart design. It has a squat stance and looks as though it has sporty intentions (it doesn’t), and the head and tail-light treatment doesn’t look like anything else in the segment.

The Corolla has adorable proportions and a pert little behind in a sea of increasingly boring small SUVs.

However, in SX trim and in the ‘Sunstone Orange’ body colour of my test car, the Corolla gives off rental car vibes. Which is hardly surprising given lower grade Corollas are a favourite of rental companies.

Inside that vibe continues. This is where the Corolla is really showing its age.

There are various shades of grey throughout the cabin, with a mix of hard and soft plastics. The cloth seat trim is drab, which is a shame because some other brands have managed to make cloth cool again. Not Toyota.

The touchscreen sticks up out the top of the dash like an old iPad and the dash design is old but functional. 

There is nothing inspiring about this interior design. In saying that, of those aforementioned rivals, only the Mazda3 and the new Kia K4 have modern cabins.

The RAV4 continues to impress with its practicality.

Access and comfort for both rows is excellent. The heat and cool functions for the front seats are perfect for all seasons and the two-position memory function on the driver’s side is handy if you often share driving duties with your partner.  

The rear row seating is well-padded and middle seaters will love the legroom the lower transmission tunnel offers. Head- and legroom is good in both rows, even for taller adults.

Amenities and storage are also great throughout the car.

Front rowers enjoy a decently sized middle console which I can squeeze my small handbag into, a glove box, two cupholders, two drink bottle holders, a phone tray and two shelves in the dashboard. You also get a sunglasses holder!

In the rear you get a single map pocket, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders, which is enough for my little family of three.

In terms of technology, you get a bunch and the usability is great.

The 10.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks really nice and is now the same system that Lexus uses, which is a big plus as it’s much easier to use than the previous Toyota one. The next-gen model should see this upgraded to a 12.3-inch system, which is more in line with its rivals.

You also get built-in satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. CarPlay maintains a strong connection.

There's a multitude of charging options throughout, including a USB-A port, four USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad.

Rounding out the cabin is a boot that offers plenty of space with its 580L capacity and you get a temporary spare tyre, as well as, a retractable cargo cover.

However, the quality of the cargo cover isn't the best and it would be easier to use if it had a handle to grip onto.

The Cruiser model comes with a powered tailgate, which is always handy but the 'warning' alert as it opens or descends is very loud. Truck-reversing-beeping loud. Everyone will know when you open the boot!

The Corolla is a small car and that is evident inside. You might bump elbows with your front passenger, but I have no problem with the front leg or headroom.

Those cloth seats might be drab but boy they are comfy, and the fronts have loads of side bolstering. 

The steering wheel has typically clear controls and looks and feels nice. 

As a more, shall we say seasoned model in the segment, the Corolla still has buttons on the dash for things like air con, but not too many. That bulbous centre stack and the centre console, however, could be better designed for the space.

As it is, the wireless charging pad is hidden under it at the far end of the console. It’s a bit fiddly to get your phone in and out. This is also where one of the USB-C ports lives.

The other one is in the central storage bin which is quite small, but also houses a 12-volt outlet. There are no other places to store things because of the rounded shape of the console, which also features a couple of narrow cupholders.

OurCarsGuide bottle had to be squeezed into the door storage cavity - only narrow, short vessels will fit properly.

That 8.0-inch multimedia screen is very easy to navigate, with logical menus and icons. However, it’s almost too basic, which is not helped by the all-white background. It could be a more engaging set-up but it’s also very hard to fault the functionality. Our Apple CarPlay maintained its connection the whole time with the car, too.

Space is quite tight in the rear, although I have enough headroom for my 184cm frame. Legroom is just okay behind my driving position. There’s more space in the back of a Hyundai i30. It’s also dark because of smallish rear windows and thick C-pillars. 

The rear seat backrest is quite upright, but, like the front seats, well cushioned.

Amenities are just average back there - there’s a weird cupholder high on the door, only a passenger side map pocket, no rear air vents and no USB ports, although you could easily use the one housed in the front central bin. There’s a rear fold-down armrest with two cupholders.

The rear seats split and fold 60/40 and they fold flat making for a better loading space.

The good news is the SX (and the base Ascent Sport) come standard with a temporary spare wheel, which is great news for a hybrid model. The bad news is, that reduces boot space to a paltry 217 litres. 

That’s off the pace of all of its key hatchback rivals, including the Mazda3 which has its own cargo concerns at 295L, and the Hyundai i30 with 395L.

The Corolla ZR hatch has more space at 333L but you only get a tyre repair kit instead of a temporary spare. 

If you’re dead set on a Corolla but need more cargo space, consider the smart looking sedan that has 470 litres.

Toyota dropped all exclusively internal combustion engine versions of passenger car models and car-based SUVs last year so the Corolla is now hybrid-only.

The grade we tested is the SX five-door hatchback which is priced from $35,260, before on-road costs. Interestingly, the sedan version, which has a much bigger boot, is $340 cheaper.

The SX sits in the middle of the Corolla range with the Ascent Sport the most affordable (from $32,110) and the ZR the priciest before you get to the fire-breathing GR Corolla hot hatch.

Direct rivals at this approximate price point include the Hyundai i30 N Line ($36,000 BOC), Mazda3 G20 Touring ($37,110), Subaru Impreza 2.0R ($35,490) and the Kia K4 Sport ($35,190), although that is sedan only for now.

You get 16-inch alloy wheels, cloth bucket seats, a synthetic leather steering wheel, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, USB-C ports, a wireless device charging pad, six-speaker audio, an 8.0-inch colour multimedia display with sat-nav, digital radio, Bluetooth, voice assistant and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The standard features list could be described as adequate without being overly generous for the price. A head-up display (standard in the ZR) would be nice.

All RAV4 models have a continuously variable automatic transmission and the same hybrid combination of a 2.5L four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor which combine to produce up to 160kW of power and 221Nm of torque for front-wheel-drive models. 

The combo delivers decent power for an SUV of this size.

Since Toyota dropped the petrol engine from the Corolla range, it’s a hybrid-only affair.

The powerplant is a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system that incorporates a lithium-ion battery, which is lighter yet more powerful since the 2022 update.

The Corolla drives the front wheels exclusively via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

It’s not the punchiest engine and could do with more poke, but Toyota does do hybrids well. 

The Toyota hybrid powertrain produces the lowest official combined fuel cycle figure compared to its rivals at just 4.7L/100km and the best theoretical driving range of up to 1170km courtesy of its 55L fuel tank.

After covering a mix of open-road and urban driving this week, the on-test figure is 5.5L/100km, which proves Toyota does hybrids well.

According to Toyota the official fuel-use figure for the Corolla hybrid hatch is 4.0-litres per 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions sit at 90g/km.

While the trip computer said 4.8L/100km at the end of our week, my own fuel consumption calculation came to 5.8L.

You will only need 91 RON 'standard' petrol to fill up the Corolla.

The RAV4 Hybrid Cruiser 2WD is stupidly easy to drive which is one of its best qualities.

The driver is front and centre for design, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to twiddle with climate controls or changing your music. That makes the driving feel… well, cruisy.

Power delivery is mostly smooth and offers decent punch when you need to put your foot down. However, it can be laggy off the mark from a cold-start, so take care when crossing traffic.

Suspension feels well-tuned for our Aussie roads, even the regional ones, but never feels floaty. This is well-grounded but you do get some roll in corners.

A drawback is the cabin is annoyingly loud once you hit the open-road and there is a wind-whistle near the driver that drove me nuts.

There are also a lot of squeaky/rubbing noises when you hit bumpy roads. However, it is a refined experience around town, when engine noise is all but nil. The urban environment is where it shines. 

The steering is direct with a tight 11.4m turning circle, which makes the RAV4 easy to park. It also helps that the 360-degree view camera set-up is top-notch, which is not always the case for Toyota, and you get front and rear parking sensors too. 

Most generations of Corollas have been solid, dependable and occasionally, even fun to drive. 

My first car was a Holden Nova GS hatchback, which was a rebadged version of the seventh-generation Corolla. I loved that car. It was zippy, fun and super economical.

The same principles generally apply to the current-gen Corolla. Thankfully, Toyota’s former CEO, Akio Toyoda, insisted all models from the Camry to the Kluger needed to be injected with more fun. And he succeeded with the Corolla. So much so that they've spun off a wild GR performance hot hatch version.

The Corolla sits low to the ground and it just feels much more connected to the road than a small SUV can. Even in mid-range SX guise, the Corolla can hug a corner and there is ample grip to ensure a fun drive on your favourite winding road.

Sure, the hybrid powertrain might not set your heart racing, but it is quick enough from a standing start and it lacks the lag of some of its turbocharged contemporaries. There’s also plenty of poke on tap for a small car when overtaking.

Even though it has a sporting edge to how it handles, the Corolla SX has been tuned for comfort first and foremost and this is another area it excels. The damper set-up ensures the Corolla soaks up speed bumps, nasty potholes and whatever else our shoddy roads can throw at it. At no point in my seven days with the Corolla did I complain about a harsh bump or thud.

Steering has a mechanical feel but it is still sharp, adding to the ‘chuckable’ vibe of this hatchback.

The powertrain can be noisy when pushed and combined with a CVT auto it’s the nicest sounding engine out there. Also, the transition from electric to petrol power isn’t particularly smooth. Other carmaker’s hybrid offerings - like Honda for example - are close to seamless. 

Some road noise gets into the cabin but it’s no deal breaker.

The Corolla is currently unrated by crash safety watchdog ANCAP. It did achieve a maximum five-star rating back in 2018 but that expired at the end of last year.

Safety features are largely standard across all grades and the SX comes with auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, speed sign recognition, 'Lane Trace Assist', adaptive cruise control, a blind spot monitor with safe exit assist, a rear cross-traffic alert, reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors and a rear occupant alert.

It doesn’t have a driver attention alert, and it’s all the better for it.

The lane keeping aid is well calibrated and subtle in its interventions, but the adaptive cruise let the speed creep several kilometres over the set speed on several occasions. 

The RAV4 is offered with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, but you add two more years if you service exclusively with Toyota and on schedule.

There is a five-year capped-priced servicing program and it costs just $260 per service, which is very competitive for the class.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12-months or 15,000km whichever occurs first.

The Corolla is covered by Toyota’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which, given Kia, MG, GWM, Jaecoo and more have longer terms (not to mention Nissan and Mitsubishi’s conditional 10-year terms) is now officially trailing its competitors.

However, the capped-price servicing plan of up to five years costs just $250 for each service, which is incredibly competitive. The service schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.