Toyota Corolla Touring Sports long-term test: report 3

The car Toyota Corolla Touring Sports GR Sport Run by Jonty Renk, Video Production Manager

Why it’s here To prove that you don't have to go German for the perfect estate car 

Needs to Offer impressive fuel economy, reliability and performance while offering all the carrying capacity I need

Mileage 1998 List price £35,120 Target Price £32,295 Price as tested £35,120 Official economy 60.1mpg Test economy 49.9mpg

24 May 2025 – Race to the border

While there are examples of the Toyota Corolla Touring Sport that have been put to work as taxis, police cars and, in the case of mine, a videographer’s trusty workhorse, this month it was pleasure rather than business for my car. I went on holiday in it!

Specifically, it took myself, three friends and all of our luggage from London to Scotland and back. In total, that meant about 880 miles in four days.  

It’s not the first time I’ve done this trip, mind you. Around 18 months ago, I undertook it in my old Peugeot 408 company car. Taking the train looked like a silly option at the time, mainly due to extortionate rail fares. And given the Corolla's hybrid tech, I suspected it might offer even greater savings than the petrol 408.

Sure enough, if we'd taken the train this time, four adult return tickets from Euston to Carlisle would have cost £574 – and we’d still have had some way to go once the train reached that final stop. By contrast, over the course of the trip, the Touring Sports averaged 49.7mpg (13.1mpg more than the 408 managed) meaning the total fuel bill came to just £109.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, the whole trip wasn’t done on one tank. We had to make a couple of fuel stops, in fact, because my Corolla can take a relatively modest 43 litres, and that equated to around 400 miles between fill ups.

In terms of motorway comfort, both my front passenger and I benefitted from electrically adjustable lumbar support. Meanwhile, on windier Scottish roads we were grateful for the sturdy bolstering of the sports seats that come as standard with my car's GR Sport trim.

One of my rear passengers was less happy, though, complaining that the car's low ride height and their lack of visibility made them feel a bit car sick. So, if you have passengers prone to that sort of thing, my advice would be to make sure they shotgun the front passenger seat.

Finally, in my last report, I spoke in detail about the boot and how capacious it is. And I’m glad to report that it continued to impress on this holiday; we managed to fit all of our luggage without the need for any Tetris-like packing arrangements. As you can see above, the boot even managed to impress my cat. Meow! 

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