I dont know why people keep saying Prius is bigger than the corolla because I parked right next to a prius the other day and my corolla was bigger. Confused...
Traded in an 8 year old 2003 Corolla Matrix for a 2010 Prius that got rear ended 48 hours after delivery and drove a base 2010 Corolla for 10 days as a rental replacement. The base 2010 Corolla made me want my Matrix with 138K miles back. Driving the new base model Corolla didn't compare. Amazing what interior layout can make and a few luxuries like tinted windows and 4speed versus 3speed transmission can make. Fit in our garage was a major consideration. We could load our Matrix without opening our garage door. The 3rd Gen Prius is about an inch longer, but the tail gate opens more up than out so it is just as easy to load for a trip as the Matrix. Realize this thread started in 2005, but the info may still be relevant.
2010 Corolla EPA passenger volume (cu. ft.): 92.0 Luggage capacity (cu. ft.): 12.3 Total (cu. ft.): 104.3 2010 Prius EPA passenger volume (cu. ft.): 93.7 Luggage capacity (cu. ft.): 21.6 Total (cu. ft.): 115.3 EPA Compact Car (cu. ft.): 100 - 109.9 EPA Midsize Car (cu. ft.): 110 - 119.9 Corolla is small in the compact size. Prius is in the bigger end for the Midsize. Believe it or not, Prius has more interior room than Ford Fusion Hybrid (non hybrid has more room tho).
They're referring to the interior space. On the outside, the Prius is shorter than a Corolla but on the inside, it's almost as big as a Camry (esp. in terms of legroom. Shoulderroom is about the same as a Corolla b/c it's about the same width)
