Toyota Corollas have been around for many years, a popular sub-compact front wheel drive at an economical price. The smaller vehicle blends well with traffic and parking spaces. A good commuter vehicle with four doors and stick, or automatic transmissions.
Now comes on board the new Toyota Corolla Cross that has a base price of $27,970 with straight six-cylinder engine that produces 169 horsepower and achieves up to 43 mpg. The 222V lithium-ion batteries do not require charging and work in harmony with the gasoline engine.
The Corolla has a versatile transmission and three drive modes; sport, normal and eco. A noticeable burst of power when going from normal to sport modes. Eco is great to use on flat highways and coming down from the mountains. The sports mode is powerful, and the Corolla has plenty of pep, performance, and agility.
While lacking some of the convenient options, like power seats, with only manual seat controls, and a latch-opening trunk, cloth seats, the car has the basic structure and powertrain of a more expensive SUV. Safety features are included, along with lane departure and many of the Toyota Sense features.
The Corolla is somewhat replica of the larger Toyota RAV4, but smaller, far less expressive, yet still has many of the RAV4 features. The hybrid system provides great fuel economy and efficient self-charging. J.D. Powers gives the Corolla Hybrid Cross a “Great” rating – their second highest score.
The power plant is a 1.8L engine that in tandem with the hybrid system provides a spirited performance and excellent fuel mileage.
Seating is comfortable, audio works well along with standard safety features. The basic frame, suspension, and engineering comes from the more expensive, larger, Toyota SUVs, which is a real plus.
The best feature of the Corolla Cross Hybrid is a competitive price for a very long-lasting, proven performance subcompact. The vehicle is attractive, performs well, a comfortable ride on 18-inch alloy eight-spoke attractive wheels. Easy to drive, easy to park, a strong choice for the purse, or billfold, along with a gas station win.