2021 Toyota Prius vs 2022 Toyota Corolla

The 2021 Toyota Prius retained its iconic boomerang-shaped hood and roofline, a design that had been part of its identity for over 15 years. Despite advancements in aerodynamic vehicle design, the Prius continued to sport this look, which many found unappealing, even in the trendy 2020 Edition with blacked-out trim. Inside, the Prius featured a unique layout with a strip of displays in the center of the dashboard, a toggle lever for transmission controls, and a narrow center console. The gloss-black trim was a magnet for dust and fingerprints, adding to the unconventional interior design.

In contrast, the 2022 Toyota Corolla aimed to shed Toyota's reputation for boring designs with its extroverted exterior styling, including scowling LED headlights and a wide grille. The SE and XSE models had an aggressive front fascia, while the Nightshade Editions added blacked-out trim, and the Apex Editions featured a subtle body kit with bronze accents. The Corolla's interior was simpler and less imaginative than its exterior, with a fit and finish up to Toyota's usual standards. However, the piano black plastic trim attracted dust and smudges, and the light gray upholstery in the SE Apex Edition seemed prone to stains.

The 2021 Toyota Prius focused on fuel efficiency, with the L Eco version achieving an impressive 56 mpg in combined driving according to the EPA. Other front-drive models earned 52 mpg, while AWD-e versions managed 49 mpg. The Prius 2020 Edition, however, averaged 47.5 mpg on the testing loop, falling short of EPA estimates. The Prius paired a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 53-kilowatt electric motor, producing a total system output of 121 horsepower. Despite its modest power, the Prius felt lively off the line due to the electric motor's near-instantaneous 120 pound-feet of torque. The car offered various driving modes, including EV Mode for electric-only driving at speeds under 25 mph, and regenerative braking to capture energy during deceleration. The TNGA platform provided a lower center of gravity, giving the Prius a more athletic feel and predictable handling, though it wasn't particularly fun to drive.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla sedan offered two engine options: a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 139 horsepower and 126 pound-feet of torque for the L, LE, and XLE models, and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 169 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque for the SE and XSE models. The Apex Edition versions of the SE and XSE featured a sport exhaust system. The Corolla's 2.0-liter engine could be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox on SE and SE Apex Edition models, enhancing its sporty appeal. The Apex Edition also had a model-specific suspension, making it more nimble and eager to turn into corners, though it sacrificed ride quality. Despite its sporty aspirations, the Apex Edition didn't receive any tire, brake, or engine upgrades, and the standard Corolla remained a comfortable but unexciting commuter car.

The 2021 Toyota Prius offered more interior space than expected, accommodating up to five people with comfortable seats, though the SofTex synthetic leather upholstery could be sticky. The test vehicle featured an eight-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. However, the low seating position made entry and exit challenging. The rear seats provided adequate foot room, legroom, and headroom, but lacked air-conditioning vents. Cargo space varied by trim level, ranging from 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet behind the back seat, and 47.9 to 50.7 cubic feet with the seat folded down.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla felt decently roomy, aided by a low beltline for better outward visibility, though the steeply raked windshield and deep dashboard hindered forward visibility. Toyota lowered the driver’s hip point and moved the seat rearward for optimal positioning, but long-legged drivers might still find knee space lacking. The front and rear seat cushions were squishy rather than supportive. The Corolla sedan's 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space lagged behind competitors, though it included a 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat as standard. The sleek interior design limited storage space for smaller items, with a thin center console and shallow cupholders.

The 2021 Toyota Prius featured a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with stereo-volume and tuning knobs, and shortcut buttons to main-function menus. Standard equipment included Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, Safety Connect, and WiFi Connect. However, the stereo speaker sound quality was poor, and road noise overwhelmed it on the highway. The Limited trim offered a 10-speaker JBL premium sound system, navigation, and a natural voice recognition system, paired with an 11.6-inch portrait-style touchscreen that lacked Android Auto.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla's infotainment system was starting to show its age. A 7-inch touchscreen was standard on the base model, while other trims got an 8-inch touchscreen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, WiFi connectivity, Amazon Alexa integration, and SiriusXM satellite radio, along with a six-speaker audio system. A nine-speaker, 800-watt JBL audio system was available on higher trims. The interface was user-friendly, but some tasks were more cumbersome compared to other systems, and the graphics looked dated. The Corolla also lacked wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and didn't offer novel features like Hyundai's Digital Key.

For 2021, the Toyota Prius came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0), which included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and road-sign recognition. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Safety Connect services were also standard, offering automatic collision notification, emergency assistance, roadside assistance, and a stolen vehicle locator. The IIHS gave the Prius favorable marks, though it didn't earn a Top Safety Pick due to headlight and front-passenger protection issues. The NHTSA had not rated the 2021 Prius for crashworthiness.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla received an IIHS “Top Safety Pick+” award, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests, though its headlights received lower ratings. The NHTSA gave the Corolla a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. The Corolla came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, Lane Tracing Assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic-sign recognition. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was available but not standard on all trims.