2022 Toyota Corolla Cross

Everyone knows the Toyota Corolla and what to expect from it: a life of hassle-free, efficient and safe motoring at a wallet-friendly price. Other cars may be sexier or faster, but reputation matters and the Corolla has 55 solid years of it. The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross extends this familiar name to a new format, a compact crossover. The ‘Cross offers the familiar Corolla value proposition: lots of safety features, good gas mileage and simplicity, but it also comes up short in many areas.

Small crossovers are a hotter segment than compact sedans these days, so it makes sense that Toyota would use some of that Corolla brand magic on one. Like the 1990s-era RAV4, the Corolla Cross draws on the sedan’s mechanical bits but adds optional all-wheel drive (AWD) and a capacious crossover body. Power comes from the same 169-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) offered in the higher-trim Corolla sedans and borrows heavily from their interiors and features list, but the ‘Cross is also bigger, heavier and slower.

The Corolla Cross slots neatly between the Scion-like, front-drive-only C-HR and the larger, best-selling RAV4. At 175.6 inches long, it’s about 5 inches shorter overall than the RAV4 and roughly equal insize to the Volkswagen Taos, but many of its chief competitors are C-HR-sized, namely the Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos and Chevrolet Trailblazer. The Corolla Cross may be bigger on the outside but that’s not necessarily true within, and many of these affordable rivals offer better performance in a variety of categories.

It delivers good gas mileage for its class, but behind the wheel, the Corolla Cross is unrefined and slow. With about 300 more pounds to lug around than the sedan, 60 mph can take nearly 10 raucous seconds to reach. Some drivers won’t care, but many will be flooring it at every stoplight. Handling is fairly nimble and the ride smooth, but the soft suspension makes for plenty of roll. The AWD system and good ground clearance don’t really add up to any real off-road talent, either.

Inside, the ‘Cross offers just 32 inches of rear legroom, making for the most confining back seat in its class apart from the even-worse C-HR (31.7). Cargo volume is decent, but there’s less overall than in the Taos or Seltos. The interior is much like that of the Corolla sedan but is nowhere near as nice as those of the CX-30 or Seltos. Happily, the ‘Cross gets top marks from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a healthier slate of standard active-safety gear than most rivals.

Corolla fans are fiercely loyal and like the sedan’s familiar recipe. Since the Corolla Cross offers the same basic flavor and its proven mechanical pieces suggest a similar ownership experience, many won’t mind its shortcomings. It does lots of things well and a (likely quieter and more powerful) hybrid version is in the works for 2023. Until then, and as always, it pays to cross-shop the alternatives.

Performance: 6/15

There’s only one powertrain offered on the Corolla Cross, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 169 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). It is not a sizzling combination. It takes almost 10 seconds to hit 60 mph and generates a cacophony of noise along the way. Some drivers genuinely don’t care about performance, but even some lower-powered rivals, like the 147-horsepower Kia Soul, are faster, quieter and more satisfying to drive. 

The ride is smooth and the handling reasonably nimble, but there’s appreciably more body roll than in the Hyundai Kona or Mazda CX-30, and twisty roads can make the ‘Cross feel boat-like and bigger than it actually is. It can tow up to 1,500 pounds, but at even more cost to performance.

Despite 8.1 inches of ground clearance, available AWD and butch visuals, the Corolla Cross is not much of an off-roader. It’ll do fine on small hills or dirt roads, but there aren’t any off-road modes or hill descent control, and even mild moguls or heavy snow might be a problem. If you need actual off-road talent at this price, the Subaru Crosstrek is a much more capable vehicle.

Fuel Economy: 14/15

What it lacks in punch the Corolla Cross attempts to make up for in frugality, and it genuinely does get good gas mileage. It drinks 87 octane and in front-drive form earns EPA ratings of 31 mpg city, 33 highway and 32 mpg combined. Those numbers drop to 29 city, 32 highway and 30 mpg when AWD is added, but in our test of an AWD XLE, we only observed about 27 mpg. Even so, these numbers are better than many other small crossovers. Only the front-drive versions of the Kona, the Nissan Rogue and that automaker’s front-drive only Kicks are better, at least on paper.

A hybrid Corolla Cross is due in 2023, but until then some other affordable hybrid models, like the entry-level versions of the Kia Niro, might be better alternatives for folks who want maximum mpg in a small crossover. We anticipate that the Corolla Cross hybrid will be a big step up in power, mpg and refinement.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 13/15

If the Corolla Cross truly shines in any one area, it’s safety. Although it hasn’t yet been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the crossover a Top Safety Pick+ rating. There are no qualifications to that rating either. The base model’s headlights earn only an “acceptable” rating from IIHS, but it gets good marks everywhere else and the Safety Pick rating applies to all trims. There are also nine airbags, to some competitors’ six.

Toyota bundles in lots of active-safety features. Included in its Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 system are forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warnings, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. All these systems work quite well, too. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts is included on LE models, while XLEs also get rear automatic emergency braking.

We expect the Corolla Cross’ overall rating to rise after NHTSA completes its testing.

Comfort & Room: 7/15

While there’s plenty of room for front passengers, the Corolla Cross’ back seat is cramped even compared to physically smaller vehicles. Head and hip room are fine, but with only 32 inches of rear legroom, it’s hard for anyone but kids to get comfy in back. That figure is actually 2.3 inches shy of the Hyundai Venue, the smallest SUV for sale in the U.S., and almost 2 inches less than a 1990s RAV4. Some competing crossovers, like the Seltos, Taos and Trailblazer offer much more room in back, with the Chevy having 39.4 inches of rear legroom.

Like the Subaru Forester and Crosstrek, the Corolla Cross’ seats are fairly firm fore and aft, but supportive and not uncomfortable. The decently sized wheelbase and soft springs, responsible for all that body roll, make for a smooth and compliant ride.

Infotainment: 10/15

The base-model Corolla Cross L gets a 7-inch touchscreen, while LE and XLE models use 8-inch units and an optional 9-speaker JBL audio system. Corolla sedan drivers will find the systems familiar because they’re the same ones used in that car. The screens are bright and crisp, but the interface is fairly basic and a bit dated-looking. Navigation is not available.

The upside is that there’s almost no learning curve and many physical controls are retained. If the interface isn’t to your liking, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. L and LE models get a 4.2-inch digital display flanked by regular gauges, but XLE buyers get a 7.0-inch full digital display. The controls for the safety systems are accessed through this display rather than the center stack, via steering wheel controls.

Cargo Space & Storage: 12/15

Toyota only lists an official cargo volume stat for the area behind the rear seats, with 25.5 cubic-feet in front-drive Corolla Crosses and 24.3 in AWD ones. That beats many of the Cross’ small-fry competitors like the Kona, the CX-30, and the boxy Kia Soul, but it’s not as much as the Kia Seltos (26.6) and is just ahead of the Chevy Trailblazer (25.3). The Toyota is, surprisingly, the biggest of all these vehicles on the outside. 

Overall with the seats folded, the cargo hold feels smaller than the ones in the 65.9 cubic-foot cavern of the VW Taos or those of the Trailblazer (54.4) and Seltos (62.8), but it’s evenly matched with the smaller guys.

Style & Design: 6/10

The Corolla Cross isn’t meant to be a high-style machine, and it has a pleasing overall look, with those slim headlights and taillights, chunky fender flares and sporty stance. It bears some resemblance to Infiniti’s new QX60, of all things, but the shape isn’t particularly memorable. Hyundai and Mazda have more characterful entries in this class. 

The interior is modern, but bland and sober. The materials look and feel built down to a price. This is a value-oriented machine, true, but so are the Honda Civic and Ford Maverick, and they both feel richer inside in lots of ways.

Is the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Worth It? Which Corolla Cross is the Best Value? 

On safety and fuel economy the Corolla Cross scores well. All that standard active-safety gear is reassuring and so is Toyota’s reputation for reliability and low cost of ownership, but there are many tradeoffs here. The back seat is cramped, performance anemic and the interior feels built to a (low) price. Also, despite a sterling rep, Toyota’s warranties are considerably shorter than those of the Korean brands.

The Corolla name inspires a great deal of loyalty, though, and there are ways to maximize this already value-oriented model. There are three trim levels starting with the L ($23,410 including a $1,215 destination fee), which is basic indeed, the LE ($25,760) and the top-level XLE ($27,540). AWD is a $1,300 addition on all trims.

We’d skip the AWD option unless absolutely necessary as it doesn’t really add much, and go for the XLE. The additional equipment on this model, like 18-inch alloy wheels, rear automatic emergency braking, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and a power driver’s seat, are really worth the additional outlay. 

A $1,250 convenience package adds a moonroof and a power liftgate but raises the ask to $28,700. That’s perilously close to the sweet spots in the Taos and Kona lineups, not to mention the RAV4 XLE.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross?

The Corolla Cross costs more to insure than the Corolla sedan or hatchback, but about the same as its crossover counterparts. According to our data, the average 30-year-old female driver with a good record can expect an average annual premium of $2,000. That compares to $1,818 for the Hyundai Kona, $1,892 for the Buick Encore GX, $1,792 for the Kia Soul and $1,707 for the Mazda CX-30 and $1,988. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, see our car insurance calculator.