Whats the vibe?
To avoid any bias, I’ll call myself out upfront: I was the product planner for the Corolla Cross during my time at Toyota. So instead of turning this review into a string of pats on the back for the Toyota team (which, at the time, included me), I asked a group of family and friends to check the car out and give me their honest thoughts. No one is more brutally honest–or unnecessarily harsh–than the people closest to you.
Thankfully, they’ve got decent taste, because the feedback was pretty solid across the board. This one’s a spacious small hybrid SUV, with room for plenty of people and a really good mix of usable tech.
It’s also worth noting that we got into the Corolla Cross right after testing the Yaris Cross, and the Corolla Cross feels noticeably more premium and refined in a lot of ways. Yes, it's based on the larger Corolla as opposed to the Yaris, but the side difference, and hence comfort, was quite significant.
The 2025 version, described by Toyota as “new-look”, gets a slightly tweaked face and front grill and a few extra tech bits, depending on the grade. It’s a nice little refresh, but nothing that’s significantly different. The new GR Sport version looks GOOD in some colours too.
Really fuel efficient (yay, savings!)
Can be fun to drive
Practical and comfortable
Kind of expensive, overlaps with RAV4
Notorious engine roar when accelerating
Not the most modern cabin design
The 2025 Corolla Cross might not be the most exciting SUV on paper, but in real life, it’s one of those cars that really works well. It’s smooth, comfortable, easy to drive, and packed with genuinely useful features – especially in the higher trims – where you get a 10.5-inch touchscreen, digital dash, and all the safety gear you could want (that also isn't annoying!).
The ride is impressively cushy (especially in the AWD versions), the hybrid system makes it feel calm and efficient around town, and the whole thing has that low-stress, built-to-last Toyota vibe. Sure, the cabin leans more functional than fancy, and the price feels quite high when you stack it up against similarly sized competitors, but it earns points back in refinement, reliability, and just how easy it is to live with.
It’s not going to thrill you, but if you want a compact SUV that feels mature, polished, and completely drama-free, the Corolla Cross makes a seriously strong case for itself.
Overall, we would recommend this car if:
Practicality is high on your list
You want a vehicle that could slot into many lifestyles
You're after someting reliable and efficient
