2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Yearlong Review: Do We Wish We Had the Hybrid?

Starting with the car in which we've logged the most distance, the 2022 Corolla Cross LE's honest charm hasn't worn off after nearly 7,500 miles of driving. A recent trip from Los Angeles to Mammoth Mountain for some skiing and back again has revealed even more about our long-term loan.

The spacious trunk has been super convenient for stashing gear, while the cargo cover adds peace of mind when we have to leave the car unattended at a gas station during a rest stop. On the winding mountain roads, we continue to appreciate the direct, accurate steering of the Corolla Cross. Suspension tuning allows for predictable body control, even if the ride can feel flinty over imperfections. Fortunately, our long-termer's cloth seats remain comfortable during long stints behind the wheel. The door pockets are big enough to accommodate water bottles and snacks and even backseat passengers have four cup holders at their disposal. In terms of its sheer practicality, the Corolla Cross is a true SUV version of the utilitarian Corolla sedan. Of course, many of these traits also carry over to the hybrid version.

We've come to trust and rely on the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist after our most recent road trip through the Eastern Sierra region of California. Once the following distance has been locked in using the buttons on the steering wheel, the Corolla Cross modulates its speed naturally, braking and accelerating smoothly. We also appreciate that the 2.0-liter I-4 locks in at an optimal rpm for cruising, which makes the ride as quiet as it possibly can be. When using lane centering, the Corolla Cross minds its position accurately, and a graphic on the gauge cluster display indicates if the driver needs to intervene when the Corolla Cross can no longer detect the lane lines. Otherwise, Toyota's SUV plods along without needing much input from the driver unless the road gets too twisty for the set speed.

Fuel efficiency has been another strong suit. We've maintained a lifetime average of 27.3 mpg since our loan began, even with the Corolla Cross' roof rails in place. Its frugality, even without an electric motors' assistance, has delivered respectable fuel savings. We've spent just under $0.18 per mile, mostly paying for expensive gas in Southern California.

Most quibbles we have with our mid-level LE model are a product of its low $26,000 starting price and position as an entry-level model. The hard plastic door panels are uncomfortable for resting an elbow on the windowsill. We also don't like how the dashboard piece to the left of the steering wheel is molded from plastic when the passenger side of the dash is a softer, squishier material that feels more upscale. Sound deadening is virtually nonexistent; so much noise gets into the cabin that passengers hoping to hear music out of our car's timid four-speaker stereo are at the mercy of the road surface to keep things quiet.

Although it suffers from many of the detractions commonly associated with the subcompact SUV segment, the Corolla Cross LE is a respectable choice for those that plan on spending most of their time driving around town but take the occasional road trip to the mountains or the desert. Toyota outfits its smallest SUV with just enough clever packaging tricks and adaptive driver equipment to make the Corolla Cross a practical solution for escaping city life.

Three electric motors provide a big power boost for the Corolla Cross Hybrid, which we took on a road trip from Los Angeles to San Jose and back. Our gasoline model makes 169 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter I-4, propelling the SUV from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds. The power plant isn't exactly refined or quiet, and the standard CVT's launch gear causes the car to kick as it accelerates off the line.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid fixes a lot of these issues by using its electric motors to get off the line smoothly. Two front and one rear electric motor combine add sufficient verve to the 150-hp, 139-lb-ft 2.0-liter I-4 to yield a total of 196 hp combined. Although Toyota doesn't provide a figure for the total system torque, the electric motors' 152 lb-ft output alone provides more twist than our long-termer's gasoline engine on its own.

This layout not only improves refinement and responsiveness, but acceleration too; the Corolla Cross Hybrid's gets to 60 mph from a standstill in an as-tested time of 7.4 seconds. By relying less on gasoline power, the Hybrid is a lot quieter too, unless the driver really lays into the throttle for a high-speed pass on the highway. Toyota estimates that the Corolla Cross Hybrid's fuel economy will be rated at 45/38/42 mpg city/highway/combined, a huge leap over the gasoline model's 29-31/32-33/30-32 mpg depending on whether FWD or AWD is equipped.

Aside from having more pep than the gasoline-only Corolla Cross, Toyota's smallest hybrid SUV has other merits that shine on a road trip. We've mentioned before that our long-term 'ute gets torsion-beam-type suspension in the rear, a setup that connects the rear wheels with a beam that acts as a spring that twists. All Corolla Cross Hybrid models receive fully independent suspension with a rear multi-link setup, which allows each wheel to move on its own, damped individually. On the open road, this allows for a much more settled ride when the pavement gets rough.

Toyota also seems to have set up the hybrid to be softer overall. Most of the time, this is a welcome change; our long-term Corolla Cross chatters over coarse road surfaces and generally rides pretty hard. However, the Corolla Cross Hybrid wallows quite a bit in the corners. A variable ratio steering setup, which differs from the gasoline car's fixed-ratio tiller, contributes to vague on-center feel and considerable slop in the corners. We don't like the Corolla Cross Hybrid's handling as much as that of the gasoline model, but it's a worthwhile tradeoff when the overall ride comfort is so much better.

The cabin benefits from hybrid-specific seats that provide excellent bolstering, although their faux-leather surface doesn't breathe as well as our long-termer's cloth chairs. Choosing AWD in gas or hybrid reduces the Corolla Cross' cargo volume, from 24.0 to 21.5 cubic feet. We found this space to be ample for a total of four passengers to stow luggage for a three-day trip, so the hybrid remains just as practical as its gasoline-only sibling. It also has some clever cubbies in the back for securing loose items.

The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross is the most affordable SUV in the automaker's lineup. The base L trim starts at $24,945 with front-wheel drive and adding all-wheel drive raises the price to $26,245. The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid S comes standard with all-wheel drive and starts at $29,305. Pricing for the top-shelf 2023 Corolla Cross XLE starts at $29,050 with FWD and $30,350 with AWD. The equivalent 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE begins at $32,400.

For day-to-day driving, we think the Corolla Cross Hybrid's added refinement and improved acceleration makes for an overall better ownership experience. Its added frugality, even on the long haul, should help offset the hybrid model's modest $2-3,000 price premium after a few years. With that said, our 2022 Corolla Cross LE has proven itself to be a capable road trip companion, and the improvements Toyota added for 2023 onward will only make it more competitive in the subcompact crossover segment.

So which version should you buy? It's a close call, as the gasoline model represents a strong value proposition at any trim level and the hybrid offers incredible fuel economy for the small SUV class. However, we think electrification adds refinement and quickness that we'd like to have in our 2022 Corolla Cross long-term loan. We'll continue enjoying our time with our pint-sized SUV, but forgive us for the occasional wishful thinking about upgrading to a Corolla Cross Hybrid.