The 2023 Toyota Corolla is very successful for a number of reasons — and this includes affordability and high-level safety. It’s the cheapest Toyota car in 2023. The new Corolla is also one of the safest in the lineup, as evidenced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) giving it a Top Safety Pick award. 

The cheapest Toyota car in 2023 is the 2023 Toyota Corolla

For those that desire the most affordable Toyota car in 2023, the new 2023 Toyota Corolla is the best pick. It’s the cheapest new model in the lineup. The sedan version of the compact car starts at $21,550 MSRP, while the hatchback model starts at $23,005 MSRP. There’s also a crossover SUV variant with the 2023 Corolla Cross ($23,060 MSRP). After that, the next cheapest Toyota model is the 2023 Camry midsize sedan ($26,220 MSRP).

The Corolla is also inexpensive to own. For one, it has high fuel economy, resulting in savings at the pump. The fully gas-powered model has an estimated gas mileage of up to 31 city/40 highway mpg, while the Corolla Hybrid gets up to 53 city/46 highway mpg. Also, the compact car is very reliable — with low repair costs. Plus, like other 2023 Toyota models, it has a two-year/25,000-mile free maintenance plan.

2023 Corolla is one of the safest Toyota models: IIHS Top Safety Pick award

In addition to being the cheapest Toyota car in 2023, the new 2023 Toyota Corolla is also one of the safest in the lineup. It recently earned an IIHS Safety Pick award — for both the sedan and hatchback models. The only Toyota model that rates higher for safety is the 2023 Camry, which received the top-tier IIHS Top Safety Pick+ honor.

IIHS set a higher bar for crash test ratings for the 2023 safety awards — but the Corolla either met or exceeded them. This includes the best-possible “good” test ratings for small overlap front (driver and passenger), headlights, roof strength, and head restraints and seats.

The compact car also earned a top “superior” rating for front crash prevention. The only test that the Corolla didn’t get the highest rating was for side impact. While it earned a “good” rating for the original side impact test, for the more stringent updated side test, it received an “acceptable” rating.

Safety features in the Toyota Corolla

The 2023 Corolla achieved the IIHS Top Safety Pick award because of its range of safety features. It comes equipped with 10 airbags, as well as whiplash-injury-lessening seats, energy-absorbing crumple zones, and high-strength body panels.

Furthermore, the affordable Toyota car offers many safety-enhancing driving assistance features. Every model comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes proactive driving assist, a pre-collision system, pedestrian detection, steering assist, lane departure alert, road sign assist, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control. There’s also an available rear cross-traffic alert feature and a blind-spot monitoring system. 

The new 2023 Toyota Corolla offers a pleasing blend of affordability and safety. It’s the cheapest Toyota car in 2023 — and also one of the safest with its IIHS Top Safety Pick award.