- Price: NIS 160,000
- Competitors: Hyundai Elantra, Škoda Octavia, Chery Arrizo 8
- Pros: Price, fuel consumption, comfort, build quality, safety, reputation for reliability and resale value
- Cons: Noise insulation, equipment, interior space, road behavior
- Rating: 8/10
The Corolla Limited Edition maneuvers for a photo next to the impressive building of the new National Library in Jerusalem. We’re not sure about the library yet, but we are sure about the Corolla. Over 320,000 Corollas have been sold in Israel since imports began in 1992, about 200,000 of which are still on the road, making it the most common car in the country.
In the last decade, the Corolla finally managed to become, for the first time, the best-selling car in Israel—a status it held worldwide since it overtook the Golf, until it was surpassed by the Tesla Model Y and mainly the RAV4. A hit in the used car market, with a devoted fanbase praising its reliability and value retention—politicians here would have loved to have that. It’s a safe, conservative purchase, risk-free and trouble-free, and the transition to hybrid only increased demand. Now it doesn’t just beat Levi Yitzhak; it also beats gas stations.
Then Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came and stopped the celebration in April 2024 with the export ban to Israel from the European sedan plant. Ironically, Toyota, once bowed to the Arab boycott of Israel, now cautiously—but reliably—keeps the local market supplied. While Israelis mostly switched to the cheaper Yaris Cross or the more expensive Corolla Cross, the company began supplying Corollas from Japan, intended for the Canadian market. American-standard specifications with a speedometer in km/h.
Abandoning European regulations has some drawbacks, which we’ll touch on later, but it allowed a price reduction of NIS 10,000 compared to before: NIS 160,000, cheaper than the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and Mazda 3 2.5L gasoline, Chery Arrizo Plug-In, equivalent to a base Škoda Octavia, and more expensive only than the old Nissan Sentra. What does it have to offer in 2025, just before the next-generation launch hinted at in the Corolla Concept two months ago?
Design: It’s the familiar Corolla, yet slightly different. The front and rear are updated, the wheels have dropped to 15 inches from 16, and nickel window trims are gone. Simpler, yet surprisingly younger.
Driver and passenger environment: Here too, the simplification is noticeable in almost every aspect, reflecting North American market conditions, where a low price for a new car is not only due to low taxation but also to a more basic specification. The list is long: The central multimedia screen is just 8 inches instead of 9 or 10.5 inches like in the Turkish sedan or the British station wagon. The digital dashboard is only partially digital, with a 7-inch screen and graphics reminiscent of 1980s video games. No wireless phone charging, and the USB port is hidden in the center console.
Other changes relate to North American standards: Side mirrors are not electrically folding and are smaller, and the radio doesn’t pick up odd-numbered frequencies.
The interior materials are simpler, plastics grayer, and even the steering wheel is leather-free.
What improves the situation is excellent ergonomics, with plenty of physical control buttons replacing the dangerous screen navigation common in other new cars, mostly Chinese. Even where a screen is required, such as switching to Android Auto or operating vehicle functions, it’s immediately clear what to do, where to press, and where to find the desired function.
Seating is comfortable, though the American seats provide less lateral support, and visibility is adequate.
Rear passengers lost the air conditioning vent as part of “Green Card acceptance,” making the Corolla one of the last family sedans without a rear AC vent. The floor is flat, and legroom and headroom are good, but the seat width makes fitting three toddlers with restraints difficult.
The trunk volume is 371 liters, identical to the Turkish Corolla’s 471 liters due to a different measurement method. On the other hand, there’s no spare wheel like in the previous Corolla sold here. The loading opening is not large.
Safety: The Corolla sedan scored 5/5 stars in the European crash test. Unlike other specifications, the North American Corolla offers an upgrade here: 10 airbags instead of 7, including side airbags for rear passengers and a front center airbag. Additionally, the American Corolla comes standard with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, not offered in all Turkish Corolla trims.
Engine and performance: Differences begin with the trunk measurements. Although it uses the same hybrid unit based on a 1,798 cc gasoline engine, the American model has 138 hp instead of 140 hp. The CVT automatic is identical. Official acceleration is 10 seconds instead of 9.3, but in practice performance is identical. The Corolla isn’t as quick as turbo gasoline or electric family cars but can overtake when needed, with excessive engine noise when the CVT pushes the engine to a high RPM it doesn’t like.
Fuel consumption: Officially, it’s lower at 21.3 km/l instead of 22.7 km/l. In practice, fuel consumption was excellent. Our test days averaged 20.5 km/l, including intercity cruising, city driving, and spirited segments. No gasoline family car comes close, and even the Chery Arrizo 8 Plug-In achieves less under typical Israeli usage, without plug-in charging. Only the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid can challenge the Corolla here. Likely, smaller tires improved fuel efficiency.
Comfort and handling: The American Corolla is noisier, due to reduced sound insulation. However, it’s softer and more comfortable in the city. This also means more body roll at higher speeds in curves, less common among its typical buyers.
Bottom line: The more competitive price isn’t accidental. The American Corolla is a simpler, less luxurious product than the European Turkish model. But it’s also safer, and hasn’t lost anything essential in the production changeover, except for the rear AC vent. Comfort is better, the safety features are improved, and it remains one of the most economical family sedans on the market.
There’s currently no reason to fear it won’t excel in two other parameters road tests can’t measure: Reliability and resale value. The only reason it won’t be a hit anymore is the market shift and the overwhelming preference of customers for crossovers, which offer higher seating and easier entry and exit.
Next year, the Corolla sedan will have a successor, but its real heirs are the Yaris Cross and Corolla Cross. The sedan will remain the domain of classic customers who replace Corolla with Corolla and fleet buyers who still insist on sedans.
Toyota Corolla Limited Edition: Technical Specs
Engine: 1,800 cc gasoline + electric motor, combined output 138 hp
Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive
Dimensions:
- Length (m): 4.63
- Width (m): 1.78
- Height (m): 1.435
- Wheelbase (m): 2.70
- Trunk volume (liters): 37
- Weight (kg): 1,385
Performance (manufacturer):
- 0-100 km/h (s): 10
- Top speed (km/h): 180
- Fuel consumption combined (manufacturer, km/l): 21.3
- Fuel consumption combined (test, km/l): 20.5
Safety:
- European crash test rating: 5/5 stars
- Active safety: Autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beam, and more
Warranty:
- 3 years or 100,000 km for the car, 5 years for the hybrid system, 8 years or 160,000 km for the battery