Hi Scotty.
Big fan here. I'm expecting a corolla cross l trim awd soon. Not sure if it's the right choice yet. I see almost all reviews says it's weak and slow , they are talking to not being able to merge on the highway!! I have a heavy foot I feel like I. In rush all the time. I had a pruis 2012 with blown head gasket and I blame it on my heavy foot. I hated how slow it was.I had the power mode on all the time.
You drove the corolla cross is it awfully slow? Would that wear the engine due to high reving for merging on high way or passing. They make it sound like it's to small and weak for the car!
What would be agood plan b option in my case with the same budget, ground clearance and interior space? New/used
Test drive. That’s the only way you’ll know if acceleration is to your liking.
I see almost all reviews says it's weak and slow ,
Test drive it and formulate your own opinion.
If you buy a car with a small engine that doesn't have much power and constantly push it to its limit it will wear out fast. Consider something with a V6. Yes a V6 on paper gets worse MPG, but you cant have the cake and eat it too.
The original in that segment is the Crosstrek, which is roomy, functional, reliable... and slow. From what I know, the similar cars from Mitsubishi and Mazda are similarly slow. I wouldn’t expect the Corolla Cross to be any quicker.
Its a question of trade offs. AWD and increased ground clearance add functionality but increase weight. To keep the price down, the engines are small.
Subaru does put a bigger engine in the Crosstrek in the Sport and Limited trims; it’s faster but only a little.
If you want real performance, you could look at the RAV4 Prime, but that’s definitely more $. You could also look into the “hot hatch” segment, but you will lose ground clearance.
If you’re willing to go used, maybe find a V6 Highlander or maybe first gen Venza.
If you don’t want to replace CVTs left, right and center - consider readjusting your driving style.
The Corolla Cross ain’t slow.
Hybrid (available soon) goes 0-60 in 7.5 seconds while the petrol 2.0L base does it in 9.2 seconds- which ain’t fast, but also not slow.
It performs about as well as a compact crossover should - better than it’s completion.
If you want a fast Toyota, the new Prius will have almost 200 horsepower and the AWD Prius will go 0-60 in 7.2 seconds.
So consider either a Corolla Cross hybrid or a Prius hybrid - both also have eCVTs that are more robust than conventional CVTs.
I have driven a 2021 Corolla service loaner with the 2ZR-FAE and it feels peppier than my 2015 Prius. The M20A-FKS in the Corolla Cross is definitely more powerful. You made a solid choice for sure. Mazda CX-30 is another solid option if you end up hating the Cross.
