USB Mode usage:
- Connect a USB cable to a portable audio player.
- From the Home screen, select ENTERTAINMENT. After returning to the most recent audio source (FM radio by default), the screen will show the Entertainment menu at the bottom.
- the AUDIO SOURCE option.
- Choose USB.
Does the Toyota Corolla have a USB port?
There is enough room in the Corolla Cross to transport both people and groceries. Although I definitely wouldn’t sit three grown adults across for hours at a time in the back seat, my 6-foot-tall Gumby body has no problems in either the front or the back. About 26 cubic feet of cargo space are available in the trunk, which is somewhat less than a Ford Bronco Sport but roughly on level with a Chevy Trailblazer and ahead of a Hyundai Kona. There is plenty of storage in the cabin, including door pockets that are deep enough, a cubby under the armrest, and additional space in front of the shifter that, on some models, is taken up by a Qi wireless charger.
This takes us to the Toyota Corolla Cross’ charging predicament, which is arguably the oddest feature of the vehicle. Two USB ports are located in the front of the base L model, one in the center armrest and one under the climate controls. The center armrest USB port is gone in favor of a Qi device up front and two USB ports for the rear passengers when upgrading to the LE and XLE models. I wish Toyota had left that second USB port alone, especially given the speed (or lack thereof) of the current in-car wireless chargers. The Corolla Cross only supports wired smartphone mirroring, so pairing wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with a Qi pad hardly yields a positive charge rate. However, this is not a concern in this case.
The rest of the Corolla Cross’s technological configuration is standard for Toyota. The L and LE trims come standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, while the XLE increases that to 8 inches. Both screens are controlled by Toyota’s tried-and-true Entune infotainment system, which provides most of what its users will need, from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to SiriusXM satellite radio and Amazon Alexa compatibility, despite not having the most flashy appearance on the block. It comes with a decent nine-speaker JBL sound system that is an option.
The Corolla Cross is similar to the Corolla in that it has a ton of tech standard when it comes to safety features. Every trim level includes full-speed adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure warning, and front collision warning. The XLE goes one step further with parking sensors and rear automated braking, while the midrange LE adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. It’s a reliable technical addition that, like every other Toyota, functions confidently and effortlessly.
The Toyota Corolla Cross behaves on the road in a smooth manner. This crossover does a good job of absorbing road imperfections and transmitting little of them to the interior, even on the 19-inch alloy wheels that are available on the XLE, which are the largest in the lineup. But hey, you can’t win ’em all, and for the price, I’m more than happy with how this crossover feels. It does get a touch stiff on rocky ground. While choosing a lesser specification with smaller wheels and more sidewall chonk should have the opposite effect, burdening the axles with a full family and trunk will likely stiffen it a bit more.
However, that extra weight will only exacerbate the Corolla Cross’s fundamental flaw: its lack of power. In comparison to the Corolla S sedan from which its powertrain is derived, the Cross weighs a few hundred pounds more. The Corolla Cross provides adequate acceleration on a flat plane thanks to its 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-4’s 169 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. But when hills are present, the situation becomes dangerous. The continuously variable transmission cranks up the rpm in response to steep inclines in order to maintain or, if you’re feeling hopeful, add speed. As a result, the speedometer responds like a sundial. A fully loaded XLE AWD with two adults and photography gear in the trunk makes for a pretty slow ride, but giving up all-wheel drive may help and save you $1,300 in the process.
Keep the hills at a distance, and the Corolla Cross should deliver respectable fuel efficiency. All-wheel-drive models aren’t too far behind at 29 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, while front-wheel-drive variations will deliver an EPA-estimated 31 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.
The Toyota Corolla has long been a mainstay of affordability, and the arrival of a crossover does not change that. The base 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross L will cost you $23,410, plus $1,215 for destination, while the LE and XLE trim levels will set you back $25,760 and $27,540, respectively. By the way, those costs are for front-wheel drive; regardless of trim, add $1,300 if you want all-wheel drive.
The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross is here, and while I’m surprised it took Toyota this long to combine the market’s enthusiasm for high-riders with a nameplate that has remained constant for half a century, it’s obvious that Toyota has a winner on its hands. It’s a small crossover that exudes value and has all the amenities that families and adults require in a daily vehicle. These things will soon be commonplace everywhere, with the possible exception of hill country.