2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Yearlong Review: *Almost* Free to Maintain
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Yearlong Review: *Almost* Free to Maintain
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:05 This is the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross,
00:08 a small SUV that wears the name of one
00:10 of the most famously reliable cars in the known universe.
00:14 Is it worthy of the Corolla name?
00:16 We're going to find out.
00:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:21 So the Corolla Cross is Toyota's new subcompact SUV,
00:25 and it fits in their lineup between the CH-R
00:28 and the ever-expanding RAV4.
00:30 Now, why would they call it the Corolla Cross and not
00:32 the Highlandette or the RAV3 1/2?
00:36 And the answer is because around the world,
00:38 the name Corolla is synonymous with simple, practical,
00:41 efficient motoring.
00:42 And they want to kind of piggyback on that reliability.
00:45 Now, this is a car that's competing against vehicles
00:47 like the Nissan Kicks, the Honda HR-V, the Subaru Crosstrek,
00:52 and the Nissan Rogue Sport.
00:55 You probably noticed this looks nothing like a Corolla.
00:58 Actually, it does if you're an engineer
01:00 and have x-ray glasses and can see through the skin.
01:03 To me, it looks kind of like a baby Toyota Highlander.
01:06 It's kind of generic Toyota styling.
01:08 You've got this nice big grill up front,
01:10 plastic cladding on the fenders.
01:12 I do kind of like this chrome trim over the top.
01:15 Reminds me of the old Toyota Matrix.
01:17 It's not a bad-looking SUV.
01:19 It just doesn't stand out and make a statement
01:21 like the Nissan Kicks or the Hyundai Venue.
01:24 It's made to be kind of middle of the road,
01:25 fade into the background, workaday kind of an SUV.
01:28 And that's what Toyota does.
01:31 If you've been in a regular Corolla,
01:33 you've pretty much seen this interior.
01:35 And that's a good thing.
01:36 Look at these nice, soft-touch materials.
01:38 And by the way, you get those even in the base model.
01:40 And what I really like is this very simple control layout.
01:44 A stereo that has knobs for volume and tuning,
01:47 air conditioning controlled by knobs.
01:48 Nice and simple, lets you keep your concentration
01:51 on the road.
01:52 Great driving position.
01:54 You're able to see all around you.
01:55 Nice big mirrors.
01:56 You even have a hood that has these creases that kind of help
01:58 you aim your way down the road.
02:00 Now, this XLE has a nine-speaker premium stereo,
02:03 slightly bigger screen than the base model,
02:05 and this semi-digital dashboard with a big screen
02:08 in the middle and gauges at the outer edges.
02:10 But even the regular analog gauges in the L and LE models,
02:13 those are just fine.
02:15 Now, one of the funny things is that the Corolla Cross actually
02:17 doesn't have a whole lot more interior space
02:20 than the smaller CH-R.
02:22 However, you can get all-wheel drive, and that's important.
02:25 And speaking of all-wheel drive, let's
02:27 talk about cargo capacity.
02:28 26.5 cubic feet in the front drive version of the Corolla
02:32 Cross, but the all-wheel drive bottle actually
02:34 loses a bit, 1.3 cubic feet.
02:36 I like this nice, simple to use, comfortable interior.
02:39 But what's more important is that all versions of the Corolla
02:42 Cross, not just the top of the line model,
02:44 make you feel like you spent a little bit more money
02:47 than you did.
02:49 Now, under the skin, the Corolla Cross really is a Corolla.
02:52 It basically uses all the Corolla mechanical bits,
02:55 including the engine, which is a 2-liter four-cylinder that
02:58 puts out 169 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque.
03:03 And it delivers that power through a rather innovative,
03:05 continuously variable transmission.
03:07 Not innovative because it's a CVT,
03:09 but innovative because Toyota has incorporated basically
03:12 a first gear.
03:14 So when you take off from a stop,
03:15 you get a more positive initial move off.
03:18 It's a really nice feel.
03:19 And then it shifts over to the CVT
03:21 and starts doing its continuously variable thing.
03:24 And the advantage of the CVT is you
03:25 get a nice blend of performance and fuel economy.
03:29 And generally, small SUVs like this aren't set up for towing,
03:32 but the Corolla Cross can tow a small trailer up to 1,500
03:36 pounds.
03:36 Now, performance is OK.
03:38 Not the quickest thing in its segment, not the slowest thing
03:41 in its segment.
03:42 The engine's a bit noisy when you get on it,
03:44 but fortunately, there's plenty of road and wind noise
03:46 to kind of drown out the engine.
03:48 But the fuel economy is actually pretty good.
03:51 The EPA says you can expect about 32 miles per gallon
03:54 with the front wheel drive version and 30
03:56 with the all wheel drive version.
03:59 Safety is one of the high points because a lot of automakers
04:03 in this segment, they'll put the active safety
04:05 features on the options list in order to keep the price down.
04:09 But Toyota doesn't do that.
04:10 All versions of the Corolla Cross
04:12 get forward collision detection with warning
04:14 and automatic braking, adaptive cruise control,
04:18 road sign recognition-- comes up on a little screen
04:20 in front of the driver--
04:21 and automatic high beams.
04:23 If you go for the LE model, you get a blind spot warning
04:26 system.
04:26 And if you go for the top of the line XLE right here,
04:29 you get rear auto braking as well.
04:32 Now, this vehicle has not yet been crash tested and rated
04:35 by either NHTSA or the IIHS.
04:38 However, other Toyotas have done pretty well,
04:40 and we expect the Corolla Cross to follow suit.
04:45 Pricing for the Corolla Cross starts just under $23,500
04:49 for the front wheel drive L model.
04:51 And the all wheel drive XLE, before which we all stand,
04:55 starts just over $27,500.
04:57 And again, a good deal compared to comparable versions
05:00 of the Honda HR-V and the Subaru Crosstrek.
05:03 Now, the vehicle right here is fully optioned, $32,170.
05:08 $30,000 might seem a lot for a small SUV,
05:11 but consider the fact that this is a Toyota.
05:14 It is a long term investment.
05:15 It will probably outlive you and your children,
05:18 and that makes it a good value.
05:22 If there's one thing to know about the Corolla Cross,
05:24 it's that it is totally worthy of the Corolla name.
05:27 It combines the practicality we expect from a Toyota SUV
05:31 with the reliability and the simplicity of a Corolla,
05:34 and that's a great combination.
05:37 To see vehicle rankings and our complete buyer's guide,
05:39 go to motortrend.com/cars.
05:40 [MUSIC PLAYING]