√Toyota Corolla SX wins 2022 Drive Car of the Year Best First Car

The Toyota Corolla SX is our recommendation for the Best First Car for first-time drivers – and anyone looking for economy, reliability, and low running costs.

The Toyota Corolla SX – the next model up from the base Ascent Sport grade – is the winner of the 2022 Drive Car of the Year Best First Car award.

We had to step up to the SX model grade to add the blind-spot warning system, which alerts the driver when it detects it may not be safe to change lanes. Here’s hoping Toyota makes this feature standard across the entire Corolla range in the near future to make the entire line-up an even more compelling proposition.

We’ve selected the regular petrol model of the Toyota Corolla SX hatch and sedan, but the hybrid also ranked highly in our calculations, though its RRP of $30,795 (plus on-road costs) is above our $30K cutoff.

The Corolla SX is priced at $28,795, which comes in under our $30,000 (with auto) threshold. Its combined fuel economy is rated at an impressive 6.0L/100km, and it has class-leading resale value over three years of 73 per cent.

Routine maintenance on Toyota’s capped-price servicing program is the same $205 per visit.

Interestingly, had we included the more expensive Corolla hybrid, its fuel economy advantage (4.2 v 6.0) would have been all but eradicated by its more expensive insurance premium.

In the end, the combination of low running costs, excellent resale value, and more accessible insurance premiums delivered the Toyota Corolla SX the edge in this contest.

The Toyota Corolla SX is stress-free to drive, feels secure on the road, is comfortable in the daily grind, has good visibility all around, and has most mod-cons covered. It’s a safe bet in an overcrowded market of more than 500 cars.

Read about the Best First Car segment

Read about all the other 2022 Drive Car of the Year categories and winners