As compact SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 grow in size and price, there’s a place for more affordable and smaller utility vehicles like the current crop of subcompact SUVs, which includes the new-for-2022 Toyota Corolla Cross. As a judge on our Affordable Small SUV Challenge linked below, I wanted to revisit our results and see where the Corolla Cross stands out against the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Subaru Crosstrek, Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30 subcompact SUVs.
Passenger and Cargo Room
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
Calling these SUVs “sub”-compacts is somewhat misleading because most aren’t as micro as the name suggests. Compact SUVs are quite large, so a class-smaller vehicle is still sizable. The Corolla Cross compares well to its competition in front-seat comfort thanks to generous legroom and headroom. Unlike some slightly raised small hatchbacks that are called SUVs (such as the CX-30), the Corolla Cross has a high seating position, so you feel like you’re driving an SUV larger than its class designation suggests.
The Corolla Cross’ cargo room behind the backseat is also on the spacious side for the subcompact class; per our own measurements, it’s the second largest we’ve tested:
1. Kia Seltos: 16.3 cubic feet 2. Toyota Corolla Cross: 14.2 3. Mazda CX-30: 13.7 4. Chevrolet Trailblazer: 13.5
5. Subaru Crosstrek: 13.0
The backseat, however, is small even for this class. According to manufacturer specifications, the Corolla Cross has 32.0 inches of backseat legroom versus 39.4 inches for the Trailblazer, 38.0 inches for the Seltos, 36.5 inches for the Crosstrek and 36.3 inches for the CX-30. Comparing specifications between different automakers isn’t always meaningful due to varying methodologies, but a RAV4 has 37.8 inches of backseat legroom and the tiny C-HR has 31.7 inches, so even within the Toyota family, things are tight in the Corolla Cross.
I found its rear legroom confining when sitting behind the driver’s seat in my preferred seating position, though it was otherwise comfortable with good cushioning support and headroom. We think the Seltos has the most comfortable and feature-rich space for rear passengers. A bonus for the Corolla Cross is that it has rear-console-mounted air vents for backseat passengers, like the Seltos, which is rare for the class.
The Corolla Cross’ backseat limitations also impacted child-safety seat fitment. In our testing, car seats don’t fit well without seriously degrading front-seat comfort; we gave it D grades (on an A-F scale) when fitting both an infant seat and a rear-facing convertible because the front seats had to be moved so far forward, it left little room for front occupants. The Trailblazer, Seltos, Crosstrek and CX-30 all scored higher in our Car Seat Checks.
Handling and Ride Quality
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
The Corolla Cross doesn’t have any inkling of sporting driving characteristics, unlike the properly sporty CX-30. That’s good because this class doesn’t necessarily need more than one performance-minded option and the associated ride firmness. The Corolla Cross’ ride is sometimes a touch busy, but it’s tuned toward the softer side, so highway driving is pleasant and never jarring because it doesn’t crash over large bumps. The benchmark here is the Crosstrek, and I don’t think the Corolla Cross would have been far behind Subaru’s notable ride quality scores.
Interior Quality
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
The Corolla Cross’ interior quality is as expected for this class and price range, starting around $23,000. It’s mid-pack between the luxurious CX-30 on the high end and affordable Trailblazer and Seltos on the low end. The padding on the Corolla Cross’ upper front doors is one area that’s quite plush, though that richness goes away in the backseat, where the door panels are hard plastic throughout. Again, this isn’t the greatest SUV for rear passenger accommodations.
Acceleration
A 169-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a continuously variable automatic transmission is the sole powertrain. Unfortunately, despite competitive specs, we’ve noted the Corolla Cross’ stingy real-world acceleration since our first drive. Our all-wheel-drive Corolla Cross XLE test vehicle accelerated from 0-60 mph in 9.83 seconds, which would have put it just ahead of the slowest from the comparison, the Trailblazer (9.91 seconds). Note, however, that the faster Crosstrek and Seltos were equipped with more powerful optional engines, the latter of which was quickest (8.03 seconds). The Corolla Cross might compare more favorably to the Crosstrek and Seltos’ standard engines, but it doesn’t have an engine upgrade like they do.
This isn’t a class where outright speed is a priority, but the Corolla Cross’ labored acceleration stands out in everyday driving. And there isn’t a huge payoff in fuel economy: At an EPA-rated 30 mpg combined with AWD, it leads the Crosstrek’s optional 2.5-liter engine by only 1 mpg combined, the Trailblazer’s turbocharged 1.3-liter by 2 mpg, and the Seltos’ turbocharged 1.6-liter and CX-30’s standard 2.5-liter each by 3 mpg. We expect the Corolla Cross to gain hybrid power at some point in the future, so a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain might be the solution for the sluggish standard powertrain.
Multimedia and Controls
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
Our loaded Corolla Cross XLE included the optional 8-inch touchscreen, part of an easy-to-use user interface for the multimedia and control system that also includes physical controls for volume and tuning — and no touch-sensitive buttons (hooray) or an overabundance of buttons like the Crosstrek. Some cars offer too many buttons, some too few, but the Corolla Cross is right there in the perfect zone with a normalized touchscreen layout as opposed to something like the CX-30, which has a center-console-mounted controller and no touchscreen.
The Corolla Cross is slightly disappointing because of the low resolution of its touchscreen and backup camera image, and its lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; only wired versions of each are included. The Seltos’ user interface leads the field, but the Corolla Cross mounts a decent challenge by not doing anything crazy.
Value
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
A subcompact SUV doesn’t mean small, but it also doesn’t mean inexpensive. The top-of-the-line Corolla Cross we tested, an XLE trim level with AWD, was $33,550 with destination charge and an optional 8-inch touchscreen, JBL sound system, power moonroof, auto-leveling headlights, and a couple of odds and ends. That would’ve put it on the expensive side in our comparison of top trim levels that spanned roughly $29,000 to $32,000. However, the median price of new Corolla Crosses listed in Cars.com’s national inventory as of February 2022 was $25,722, so what’s on sale is more affordable and compares favorably to its competitors.
Cars.com Subcompact SUV Median Listing Price and Inventory (New Inventory, February 2022)
- Toyota Corolla Cross: $25,772 (2,086 listings)
- Chevrolet Trailblazer: $25,920 (2,039)
- Kia Seltos: $26,085 (3,419)
- Subaru Crosstrek: $26,818 (9,491)
- Mazda CX-30: $28,462 (3,755)
Where the Corolla Cross would have done really well is in the safety features and driver-assist tech scoring categories. The Corolla Cross comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, the features of which include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane centering and road sign recognition. Our XLE also included blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and braking assist, as well as front and rear parking sensors with rear automatic braking. It’s rare among subcompacts to have front parking assist sensors, and the Corolla Cross would have been the only contestant to do so.
Like any of our multivehicle tests, when comparing specs or results, you have to figure out what’s most important to you and focus on those areas. If it’s acceleration or backseat comfort, perhaps the Corolla Cross isn’t the best pick; otherwise, though, the Corolla Cross is an even-keeled, small affordable SUV, and while it wouldn’t have been a clear winner of our previous comparison, we don’t think a podium finish would have been off the table.
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Keyword: How Would the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Have Fared in Our Affordable SUV Comparison?