Toyota Corolla vs Nissan Versa

The Toyota Corolla needs no introduction. With 12 generations spanning over five decades of production, the Corolla is the bestselling nameplate in automotive history. And it continues to be a popular choice for new car buyers looking for a reliable and sensible compact car, competing against other established names like the Honda Civic, the Hyundai Elantra, the Kia Forte, the Nissan Sentra, the Subaru Impreza, and the Volkswagen Jetta for sales.

The only significant change for 2022 is the addition of two new colours: Ruby Flare Pearl and Wind Chill Pearl. What hasn’t changed is the number of other choices buyers get. Toyota offers sedan and hatchback body styles, manual and automatic transmissions, and multiple powertrain options—including a hybrid. The Corolla Cross SUV also launched for 2022 but, while it shares a basic platform with the Corolla sedan and hatch, it’s effectively a different vehicle.

Finally, you get the expected array of trim levels. The Corolla sedan is available in L, LE, XLE, SE, and XSE grades, plus Apex Edition and Nightshade Edition versions of SE and XSE, with more limited options for the Corolla hatchback and hybrid (both of which will be covered separately). For this review, we tested the Apex Edition sedan, which is based on the SE grade (US model shown). The Apex is the sportiest Corolla variant, at least until the GR Corolla hot hatchback arrives for the 2023 model year.

It’s getting hard to find a basic subcompact sedan, but Nissan is keeping the faith.

The Nissan Versa returned to the Canadian line-up in the 2021 model year after a six-year hiatus, slotting below the Sentra in the lineup. The most recent redesign was just a year earlier, for the 2020 model year. For 2023, the Versa gets a handful of updates, including freshened styling and more available tech features. In addition to the Versa S, the lineup includes SV and SR models; we tested the latter for this review.

Since the Versa has been on sale, the ranks of subcompact cars have thinned considerably. The Chevrolet Sonic, the Ford Fiesta, the Honda Fit, the Hyundai Accent, and the Toyota Yaris are no longer sold in North America. That leaves the Kia Rio and the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback as the Versa’s main competitors, and the Rio is on its way out of Canada for 2024 as well. But, as is always the case in this market segment, shoppers must also consider whether to buy a new car like the Versa or a potentially better-equipped used car for similar money.