I have experience with both cars, they drive just the same, and I'm pretty sure same fuel economy.
A 1.5 Yaris I currently own is basically a Corolla Axio in disguise. Despite that, after 10 minutes of driving, my upper back starts to hurt even properly setting the seat with proper tire pressure.
The second issue is with its bright interior, where the rear window gets blinded due to the beige surface below, the silver painted parts next to the multimedia get reflected on my eyes, and the gauges get covered by sunlight which I never experienced on any vehicle before, it's annoying and almost dangerous to drive during daylight. I applied interior cleaner that gives a matt finish which at least does the job.
The third issue is the lack of cruise control. Unless you're getting a manual version or driving in manual mode, it's going to be very difficult driving at cruising speeds, especially on highways, since it has a CVT. It's possible to install cruise control, but this is something I would not do since it isn't plug-and-play. Overall, it's a good car but somewhat comfortable and with a gimmicky interior. The strange thing is that I feel more comfortable on my old manual Swift despite it having a stiff drive.
As for Corolla Grande, it has more interior space obviously, but I didn't feel tired driving it. It has cruise control, a sunroof, and even a rear foldable seat which is very useful for carrying large stuff, even the new Civic doesn't have one which is absolutely insane. The only thing I don't like is its "OEM" multimedia, which felt rubbish and ruins the interior doesn't matter how many features are getting slapped into it.
If you're mainly going to do short drives, especially around tight areas I would suggest a 1.5 Yaris, otherwise get a Corolla Grande.
