I have a 2010 base MT that still runs great. Love it. My first ever new car. I abuse the living hell out of it. I plan to keep the car until that is no longer the best option. That could be later this year or a few years from now I don't know. The last time I visited this topic, some of you felt that the new HR-V was the official replacement and it's not a bad car.

However, looking at all options, the Toyota Corolla Hatchback seems like a better 1:1 replacement. My wife had an '06 Corolla that we bought new and it ran awesome until we sold it in '18. She now has a new '18 Camry and Toyota has shown itself to be a quality maker of cars. Not to take away from Honda. I love my Fit. Best car "I" ever owned. Guys at work are sporting other Honda's that have lasted a very long time. I like me a Honda too.

So bias aside, what do you guys think about a Corolla Hatchback as my next new car? My use would be local driving. Utility hauling of minor building supplies on a DIY basis.

 

I haven't stuck my head in a new Corolla hatchback, but from what I've read the interior cargo volume is no match for the Fit. Same thing with something like a Mazda 3 hatchback, which is a great driving car but not really that roomy inside. Something like a Subaru Crosstrek might also cross your mind, but I don't think they're all that roomy inside either, plus the AWD, clunky tires, and higher ground clearance hurt the fuel efficiency.

If you're primarily looking for a sporty utility vehicle (hey! SUV), I don't think you're going to replace the utility of a Fit with any new small, reasonably affordable car except maybe the HRV (I've never seen one up close, but have read that their basically a "crossover-ified" Fit).

If you're more concerned with the driving engagement and fuel efficiency side of the equation, I've enjoyed driving the Mazda 3 hatchback and several small Hyundai/Kia models as rentals over the past few years. All have gotten excellent (40-45 mpg) efficiency. For comparison I get high-30s to 40 mpg in my 2010 Fit Sport A/T. Every rental Corolla I've driven has been pretty dull in comparison, but as I mentioned at the start I haven't been in the current version.

Your best bet is to do some test drives. Before I settled down and got married, the first thing I did when looking at a (used) car was see if I could lay down comfortably in the back as I was known to sleep in my car on long trips or during bad weather camping trips when I didn't feel like soaking my tent and gear. Hard to figure something like that out without finding out for yourself.

 

Yes, the Corolla hatchback is poor for cargo volume. When I researched the hatchback offerings at the end of 2020, Toyota actually offered an "expanded cargo volume" option, consisting of removing the spare tire and supplying a patch kit instead. The Corolla hatchback was above average though in both power (169 HP) and fuel economy (in the AT which is a CVT that mimics fixed gear ratios). The Subaru Impreza hatchback is the flip-side of the Corolla - good cargo space but relatively poor power and so-so fuel economy. I ended up getting a Hyundai Elantra GT (what they called the hatchback before dropping it that year) but that was mostly because I tow a small trailer on 800 mile trips and preferred the conventional automatic transmission in the GT. But I pay for that conventional AT with poorer fuel economy.

Actually, the winner overall for a cheap hatchback with maximum cargo volume is the Kia Soul, but I just wouldn't like the styling.

 

I thought the Corolla hatchback’s trunk was fine when I’ve used one. We bought a VW alltrack to replace my partner’s Hyundai Elantra GT because we were sick of it sitting around in the garage bc using it led to stressful paranoia over its high likelihood of theft.

Its fuel economy does not come close to my GE8, (we average just over 30 MPG) but she loves it and I like it plenty. It is also a ridiculous tank in the snow with a set of Blizzak WS90 on it.

 

Yes, Hyundai's lack of an immobilizer is pretty inexcusable. And their response, they'll sell you a security system for $180 and charge you $600 to install it, is even worse.

 

Thank you guys. The Chicago Auto show is coming this weekend. I already have my tickets to go and see all of the marketing pros do their work. Never have I bought a car based on the auto show but I always have fun while there.
I'll check out all of the hatchbacks I can find and report back an anything that stands out. Of course, I'll only be able to look not drive so that will leave a lot to desire. Be it as it may, I'll be checking for reviews and such before I set a plan to test drive. If reviews of a car are bad, I won't bother.

 

Toyota/Lexus, Ford and Audi are the only car makers I know of either using ported or a combination of ported and direct injection, which means the intake valves on these vehicles don't get gunked up like they do with direct injection cars.

 

Honda still uses port injection on the K20C2 as well as the hybrid variant. Granted they don't use it on anything in the same class as the Fit.

 

I went to the Chicago Auto show on Saturday. I looked at a few cars with interest and have found them to be lacking. The Toyota Corolla hatch is NOT a good comparison to the Fit. It could have been. Whether for aerodynamics or esthetics, the chopped off the back and rounded down too soon. Also, the back sits too low for a trailer hitch. I'd like to pull minor construction material or my lawn tractor as needed. The HR-V may be a better fit for me but I'm not there yet. I looked at many cars and didn't find one that I like.

I'm not in the market just yet. My car is 13 years old and will need to be replaced. I'm just trying to get ready for that day.

 

If you think you want to install a trailer hitch and are getting a new car with a warrantee, I recommend pulling up each cars owners manual on the manufacturer website and see how restrictive they are as far as towing. US manufacturers will say most or all hatchbacks and small SUVs are "not intended for towing" but some will be more restrictive than others. When I was shopping in 2020, Subaru said not to install a trailer hitch on the car for any reason, not even for a bike rack. Honda and Toyota said something like "warrantee is void for any malfunction related to towing". And Hyundai/Kia said "we do not recommend towing with this vehicle. But Hyundai/Kia also had a maintenance schedule for severe service conditions which included towing as one of those conditions, i.e., they essentially accepted towing if you followed the correct maintenance schedule.

 

The only replacement for a Fit is another Fit.

 

Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Looks interesting. I like the chain drive (rather than belt drive) on the cams. But no manual tranny?

169 hp and 151 ft/lb is nice, but 3060 lbs? A Porsche 718 is 3031 lbs-ish.

I did a "build" on the site, and it came out to $24,000. Ouch. Did I do it right? Is that correct?

I don't know what the replacement for the Fit is. I'm still looking.

 

They used to offer a 6MT on the corolla hatchback a couple of years ago. It was a very nice car.

$24k doesn’t go very far with new cars today.

 

I'm looking at the Civic Hatch. Like the body shape much more, and the headrests on Corollas always kill me. Too far forward.

..but the Corolla engine and trans, they are going to be way more reliable over the long run. Not guaranteed. But likely.

 

The Toyota Corolla hatch should be considered a 4 door coupe. There is no room in the rear seats nor the hatch.

 

I’ve ridden comfortably in the back of one and I’m 6’ tall. Didn’t find the truck outlandishly small either? It isn’t a fit, but to call it a four door coupe seems off.

 

agree. Cars have gotten bigger over time for safety and ppl seem to forget that. Person who thinks its impossible to fit in a Corolla should go refamiliarize themselves with a 90s Civic or Geo Metro lol. Even smaller!

though I confess I am a bit larger than I was in 1990.

 

We are all a bit larger than we were in 1990.

 

Sorry, no!

 

I wish I was bigger in other ways. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣