C-HR v Corolla Sport

I have been considering the possibility of changing my 2021 C-HR 1.8 hybrid for a Corolla Sport 1.8 hybrid next year.  Not likely to go new if I can get a good low mileage used one - possibly 2022 or 2023 plate.

What does bother me is that I am getting silly insurance renewal prices - no change of circumstances to cause this, except one year older.  The C-HR is called a SUV, although in reality it is no such thing - just the body style.  The Corolla Sport is basically an estate car - does the “Sport” connotation have any bearing on insurance rating?

With insurers bringing in daft reasons for raising premiums, I think the manufacturers should be more careful how they name their models.  I’m not interested in the “Sport” tag - I simply need more room because I have to carry a walker for my wife, and the possibility of this having to be changed to a folding electric buggy is on the cards.

I don’t yet know if the insurance premium for a Corolla would be greater than for my C-HR - but recent increases indicate that greedy insurers are quite happy to push me towards unsustainable costs and destroy our mobility, even though my driving record has done nothing to warrant this.

First generation C-HR insurance is high due to the CAN invader theft issue - something Toyota is still promising a fix for 🤔

57 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

a Corolla Sport

But there is no such thing as a "Corolla Sport" ... the Corolla comes as a "5-door hatchback" or as a "Touring Sports" estate car - which, granted, is a slightly silly name for an estate car but I guess the marketeers wanted to make it sound a little more exciting. These then come in four grades, one of which is GR SPORT.

I can't really imagine that the estate car would attract a significantly higher premium that the hatchback. The GR SPORT grade though might on the basis that it is 'sold' as a sportier version ...

51 minutes ago, forkingabout said:

First generation C-HR insurance is high due to the CAN invader theft issue - something Toyota is still promising a fix for 🤔

Being new to Toyota, I am not familiar with the “generation” dates of the C-HR.  What generation is a 2021 C-HR, first registered in June 2021?  Is the theft issue only for first generation cars, or is this failing an ongoing issue for later models too?  If so, it doesn’t say much for Toyota’s attitude towards C-HR owners - more of an encouragement to avoid  buying a C-HR, and possibly the whole Toyota range.

13 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

What generation is a 2021 C-HR

A 2021 C-HR is a first generation C-HR (2016-2024). 

1 hour ago, Haliotis said:

What does bother me is that I am getting silly insurance renewal prices - no change of circumstances to cause this, except one year older.  The C-HR is called a SUV, although in reality it is no such thing - just the body style.  The Corolla Sport is basically an estate car - does the “Sport” connotation have any bearing on insurance rating?

The 'sport' in the name is a marketing thing and has nothing to do with the insurance premium. Prices have just gone up across the board for everyone during the last eight to ten months.

Insurance is affected by power, so I'd expect the 1.8 to be cheaper than the 2.0. 

In terms of choosing between C-HR and Corolla, it's a tough one. I can imaging the C-HR might be easier to get in and out of due to it being a bit higher up. On the other hand, the Corolla has much better luggage space and maybe has good enough entry and exit. There was a Trek version of the Touring Sport that I think had a slightly higher ride height. Might be worth considering?

44 minutes ago, APS said:

The 'sport' in the name is a marketing thing and has nothing to do with the insurance premium. Prices have just gone up across the board for everyone during the last eight to ten months.

Insurance is affected by power, so I'd expect the 1.8 to be cheaper than the 2.0. 

 

Insurance is also affected by previous thefts of certain types of vehicles as owners of certain Toyota / Lexus vehicles find out come insurance renewal time especially when they get told " sorry we can no longer offer cover for that vehicle " 

Others get either a massive premium increase OR even the insistence of fitment of a secondary Thatcham Cat 2 or TASSA approved immobiliser. 

First generation C-HR is known to be easy to steal & insurance companies have woken up to this - where as the Corolla doesn't have the same security flaw in its design. 

When I bought My VW Caravelle, I px’d my 09-plate VW Touran for it, which had only done 55,000 miles.  It was a 1.9-litre diesel, bought new to special order so it was a 5-seater with a full sized spare wheel.  I wish now that I had kept it, as it would now be the perfect car for us. Not able to back-track on that as that special build cannot now be ordered, and the Touran is, I believe, only available with petrol ICE, and 7-seater with only the repair kit for a puncture.

Will look at the Trek (how old would you have to go back for one?), but the Corolla Sport might just fill the bill.

2 hours ago, forkingabout said:

First generation C-HR insurance is high due to the CAN invader theft issue - something Toyota is still promising a fix for 🤔

I take it that the Mk2 C-HR doesn’t have the CAN theft issue?

8 minutes ago, ninanina said:

I take it that the Mk2 C-HR doesn’t have the CAN theft issue?

Toyota say no its not affected.

36 minutes ago, forkingabout said:

Insurance is also affected by previous thefts of certain types of vehicles as owners of certain Toyota / Lexus vehicles find out come insurance renewal time especially when they get told " sorry we can no longer offer cover for that vehicle " 

Oh, absolutely. I just use power as one example since I said the name didn't affect it. Of course, insurance companies are simply in the betting game and thus need to look at probability/risk of a claim.

9 minutes ago, ninanina said:

I take it that the Mk2 C-HR doesn’t have the CAN theft issue?

Specifically, "an enhanced security hardware system was introduced in October 2022" that eliminates the specific CANbus issue in cars produced after that date. So later Mk1 C-HRs are perfectly fine too.

1 minute ago, forkingabout said:

Toyota say no its not affected.

 

Thanks for confirming that 

40 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

Will look at the Trek (how old would you have to go back for one?), but the Corolla Sport might just fill the bill.

I believe between 2019 and 2022. Not very old.

Just now, philip42h said:

Specifically, "an enhanced security hardware system was introduced in October 2022" that eliminates the specific CANbus issue in cars produced after that date. So later Mk1 C-HRs are perfectly fine too.

Thank you Philip

I seem to recall the Trek had unique and, in my opinion, quite tasteful interiors, combined with that 20 mm increased ride height.

https://mag.toyota.co.uk/toyota-corolla-trek/

17 minutes ago, philip42h said:

Specifically, "an enhanced security hardware system was introduced in October 2022" that eliminates the specific CANbus issue in cars produced after that date. So later Mk1 C-HRs are perfectly fine too.

I've seen one insurance comparison website has obviously noticed this fact to as they have started grouping the MK1 C-HR in to separate date ranges with these enhanced security vehicles being in there own individual date range. 

1 hour ago, APS said:

I seem to recall the Trek had unique and, in my opinion, quite tasteful interiors, combined with that 20 mm increased ride height.

https://mag.toyota.co.uk/toyota-corolla-trek/

 

I liked the idea of the Trek - A ruggedized Corolla estate that was still a car and not an SUV. I sometimes think I could do with a Yaris Trek when I drive on London roads!!   

5 hours ago, Haliotis said:

 The C-HR is called a SUV, although in reality it is no such thing - just the body style.

Parkers definition of an SUV:

'SUV stands for Sport Utility Vehicle.

Beyond that, we should really define what an SUV actually is – which isn’t that simple. In current terms, an SUV is a vehicle that combines a raised suspension and seating position with the practicality of an estate car or MPV, but in a more lifestyle-oriented package. Gone are the days it had to be an off-roader.

In other words, an SUV tends to look and feel like a traditional off-roader, and may feature styling that includes plastic cladding and roof rails – but may not have been designed to go off-road at all. It’s a very wide-ranging term these days, and includes everything from slightly elevated hatchbacks and estates to gung-ho old-school off-roaders.'

Hi.

If you need any help with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

The Corolla Trek sounds like a possible replacement, and a 2022 one would be acceptable if low mileage and good FSH.  But I have been on line looking at the various used car sales sites, and the Trek marque isn’t even mentioned in the ‘search’ columns.    Depending on. How many were made, I could be looking for something rarer than hens’ teeth.  I hadn’t heard of the Trek until I have just read of it on this forum, and have probably never even seen one “in the flesh” - as far as I am aware, anyhow.

18 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

Depending on how many were made

There were 705 registered between 2020 and 2023. As at 4th Q 2023 there were 636 taxed and in use on UK roads.

The Trek is a bicycle. The Corolla Trek was a 'special' grade produced for a short while and provided as support vehicles for a particular bike race ...

There are currently 10 listed on Autotrader and you can search by Trek...so yes rare but available.

3 hours ago, MC1216 said:

There are currently 10 listed on Autotrader and you can search by Trek...so yes rare but available.

Finally found the Trek cars on Autotrader.  That number is now down to 8 - best sounding one was a 2021 in Honiton, Devon.  Reckon I’ll just look at the standard Corolla cars - may be that loss of the extra 200mm height will not be a problem.  Will get a bigger choice of car this way.