Compare repair costs, reliability, and owner reviews
Toyota Corolla
$362
Average Annual
Repair Cost
Toyota Prius
$408
Average Annual
Repair Cost
Overall Reliability Rating
4
1
2
Excellent
The Toyota Corolla Reliability Rating is 4.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 1st out of 36 for compact cars. The average annual repair cost is $362 which means it has excellent ownership costs. The severity of repairs is low while frequency of those issues is average, so major issues are uncommon for the Corolla.
4
Excellent
The Toyota Prius Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 10th out of 24 for midsize cars. The average annual repair cost is $408 which means it has excellent ownership costs. While repairs are more frequent than average for the Prius, these issues are often minor, so you can expect to make slightly more trips to the shop than normal.
“Best car I ever had! Extremely reliable. First repair (other than scheduled maintenance) was at 150,000 miles when the rear wheel bearings were replaced. The car now has 180,000 miles and still...”
“Best car I ever had! Extremely reliable. First repair (other than scheduled maintenance) was at...”
The Toyota Prius and the Toyota Corolla are two very different compact sedans made by Toyota.
While the Corolla is a conventional front-wheel drive, gas-powered four-door sedan, the Prius is a gasoline-electric hybrid, five-door hatchback. Both share the same wheelbase, and are similar in most of their other dimensions.
The Prius offers much more cargo space, due to its hatchback configuration. But its biggest selling point is fuel economy. Averaging 51 miles per gallon in the city, the Prius has the edge over Corolla in cost of operation. The Prius also has a tighter turning radius.
The Corolla has more pep than the Prius. It is nearly two seconds faster going from zero to 60 MPH. The base price of the Corolla is also nearly $5,000 less than the Prius. But you should be able to make that money back in fuel savings over time — the right choice depends on whether you want to save now or later.