Inflation can be unforgiving, and anyone who has priced a new Toyota Corolla in Japan recently has likely felt the impact firsthand. Depending on the model you compare, the nameplate’s entry price in its home market has risen somewhere between almost 40% and nearly 60% over the past decade, edging some budget-conscious buyers out of the showroom.
According to a report from Nikkei Asia, citing data from the Statistics Bureau, the Corolla’s starting price climbed from ¥1.45 million (equal to $9,300 at current rates) in 2015 to ¥2.28 million ($14,500) in 2025. That works out to a 57.2% increase, which is enough to make even a famously sensible sedan look pricey.
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