My wife Diana has expressed a strong interest — emphasis on strong — in getting a new vehicle, a request that has me quaking with trepidation. Over our 40-odd years together, during which I have tested approximately 2,000 cars, SUVs, pickups and minivans, she has blissfully maintained zero interest in 99.9 per cent of them. When co-workers would ask her what I was driving any given week, her answer would be along the lines of “It’s something blue, I think.”
That’s a mere trifle, though. The real issue comes down to two factors. The first is that Diana — and I’m treading carefully here — is “un-tall,” as in she needs two pair of thick wool socks to reach five feet. Manufacturers cater their products to as broad a percentage of customers as engineering and design allows; drivers 4-foot-11-1/2 are generally outside the parameters. But a thick seat cushion, which Di uses in her Subaru Impreza hatchback, mitigates that issue.
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
The second factor, the true crux of the matter, is that Diana has disabilities that must be accommodated. She cannot hear out of her right ear, nor does she have sight in her right eye. (Despite these “issues,” she has been a safe, cautious driver for 45 years.) But it does complicate the buying process. Her desire for new wheels has nothing to do with any dissatisfaction with her eight-year-old Subie — she loves the car — but with wanting something with all the latest safety devices; the cameras, sensors, buzzers, and warnings her hatchback lacks. Oh, and though she doesn’t want anything with a footprint much larger than her car, she would like something that rides a little higher, which has us looking at subcompact crossovers.
Rather than overwhelming my wife with an increasingly long list of potential candidates, I initially chose three newer/redesigned models that have caught my attention over the past year or so. Naturally, Subaru’s Crosstrek was on the list, the company’s best-selling product essentially a higher riding version of her Impreza. I also selected Hyundai’s top-selling Kona and its fraternal twin, the Kia Seltos. But then Toyota announced the Corolla Cross, a crossover based on the Corolla sedan — as its name clearly describes. And since Di has fond memories of her 2006 Corolla, it became a last-minute addition, albeit, due to its immediate availability, the first to be scrutinized.
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
Switching positions in any car is a process for us as I am 6-foot-1. With Di behind the wheel, the Corolla Cross’s seat went to full forward and as far up as possible. Steering wheel height and distance were reset, as were all the mirrors. Immediately, there was an issue, with the high seat back, the headrest interfering with her rear view. “Can the headrest be removed?” she asked. Yes, it could, and was. Better. And the seatback was still high enough that she has neck support. Anyone much taller, however, not so much. But now the rear-seat headrests had to be removed as well to give her as unobstructed a rear view as possible.
Off we went, and despite Di’s initial impression that the Corolla Cross was “so much bigger” than her Impreza — it’s actually more than 100 mm shorter overall, though it is taller and slightly wider — she quickly got comfortable with the way it drove. “It drives beautifully, very smooth.” (From my standpoint, both the Corolla Cross and her Impreza are “mild-mannered” in that neither display what I would characterize as scintillating acceleration. And as both have continuously variable transmissions, the Toyota’s leisurely turn of speed would, to her, feel and sound similar.)
After a couple of minutes, though, she was frowning. “I can’t see over the hood,” she complained. Perturbed, she stopped the Toyota, got out and took off her winter coat, which she then folded up and put on her seat. Better, albeit a temporary measure, and we ended up meandering through side streets back to our home, where she removed her seat cushion from the Impreza and put it in the Corolla Cross. Satisfied with the improved forward visibility, the problem then became that the raised height left her neck unprotected without putting the headrest back into place. (Through no fault of her own, Diana has been hit from behind three times over the past 12 years, twice requiring rehab as a result). Accepting this reality, we continued with our orientation.
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE Photo by Brian Harper
Parking in lots is a major bugaboo with Di as she finds it hard to judge the distance between her car and any vehicle on her passenger side because she has no depth perception. Fortunately, the Corolla Cross being tested was the topline XLE (MSRP $33,990), which, in addition to Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0 suite of safety features, comes with standard “intuitive parking assist with auto braking” (cameras and ultrasonic sensors to take the guesswork out of parallel parking and tight parking spots), blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, and a back-up camera that displays an image on the touchscreen, complete with guidance lines.
Still, as this was her first experience with all these enhanced features, she found them overwhelming at first, and wanted to continue with shoulder checks and slowly backing into spots. “It’s counter-intuitive to be looking forward at the camera screen while backing up,” she complained. “But I love the parking sensors.” She tried several parking attempts as I explained how to use the backup camera and the guidance lines to her best advantage, as well as pointing out the display in the instrument panel that provides visual cues. It was a process, but Di slowly gained confidence.
Being the first crossover driven in what will be multiple tests of various subcompact models over the next several months, gaining a sense of which vehicle will best serve her needs will take time.
Diana Harper (with cushion) testing the 2022 Corolla Cross Photo by Brian Harper
A few notes on the Corolla Cross, however. On the plus side, Di liked the cabin layout, particularly the simple and logical placement of the various dash controls. She liked the way it drove and loved that the XLE model came with a heated steering wheel.
Things that concerned her. First and foremost, “When I stand beside it, it feels big and boxy compared to my Subaru.” (While we were doing parking lot practice, someone in a Hyundai Kona — another one of our considerations — pulled into the next parking space. The Toyota is considerably taller.) Another matter is the size of the rear hatch window. “The big thing is that the rear window appears small. It’s easier to do shoulder checks in my Subaru, but the Corolla Cross’s backup camera makes up for that.”
Diana’s final thoughts as to whether the Corolla Cross stays on the shopping list: “There’s enough I like about it. I had really hoped that I wouldn’t have to use a cushion. But with the cushion and all the sensors, it’s definitely a contender.”
Next up is the Kia Seltos. Stay tuned.
Keyword: SUV Review: 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE