Cross after one week
I bought the non-hybrid Corolla Cross XLE (I know - redundant) with the convenience package last week. My wife and I have logged just under a 1,000 miles on it in that time. We’ve driven in towns, cities, highways and freeways.
The best experience I had to get to know the Cross was on route 81 in Virginia. This is a high speed freeway. I reached speeds of just over 80 MPH on the drive to my destination. The tachometer was around 2,000 RPMs at this speed creating very little engine noise. However, even slight acceleration at high speeds caused the engine to rapidly jump to over 3,000 RPMs and the engine noise was very noticeable. Accelerating at this speed caused the engine to sound just a bit shy of laboring in my opinion. I noticed the power band for the engine starts around 3,000 RPMs. The Cross is sluggish under 3,000 RPMs and could use more torque to power it at lower RPMs. It was windy driving to my destination and the cabin noise was noticeable. On the trip home there was no wind and, again, the cabin was pleasantly quiet. This particular drive was just over two hours and my butt was a bit sore which surprised me because on shorter trips I find the Cross very comfortable.
The center console is small, as is the glovebox, so there is very little storage room. I’ve always liked to rest my elbow on the center console and hold the steering wheel at 5 o’clock. The center console is so small that my elbow to hand is just long enough to do this comfortably.
Pulling out into traffic onto a highway from a complete stop requires aggressive acceleration, like almost flooring it. The goal is to reach 3,000 RPMs as quickly as possible as, again, the vehicle is sluggish until moving into its power band.
Today I was driving from West Virginia back to Virginia and got caught in a torrential downpour with high winds. The Cross was pushed around by the high winds, but I imagine this would be the same experience with any SUV or crossover.
The technology in the car is, for the most part, very good, but with a bit of a learning curve. I have the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control set to medium and find the system a bit aggressive in keeping the Cross in the center of the lane and taking turns, so I drive in regular cruise control mode. I should try setting the DRCC at low and see if it makes a noticeable difference. I think DRCC would be great if I’m driving and feeling sleepy (I know, bad idea).
Just a few miscellaneous observations. The Cross feels pleasantly tight going over speed bumps and railroad tracks. It just feels well built. The turning radius is very good. The back seat is a little cramped. We offered to give three people a lift and they looked in the back and said they’d drive their own car. I don’t blame them. I think they would’ve gone for it if it was just two of them. The controls on the steering wheel are convenient and well thought out to effortlessly make adjustments.
Overall, driving the Cross has been a great experience. Sure, I wish it had a little more horsepower and torque, but I must remember this is a crossover on a Corolla base. I knew that when I bought it. It’s going to have a few shortcomings. Most of my complaints could easily have been solved if I had bought a RAV4. However, I like smaller vehicles and was willing to give up a little extra room and horsepower for the smaller sized Cross. If I were buying a Cross today, having the experiences of the last week, I probably would spend a little extra money for the hybrid, but the dealer didn’t have one in stock, so it doesn’t matter.
I plan to keep this little guy for many years and many miles. I believe it’s going to take care of me very well.