The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross XSE Hybrid SUV

What is a Corolla Cross? The Corolla Cross is a Corolla sedan redesigned as a compact crossover SUV, built in the Huntsville, Alabama assembly plant, and sold by Toyota. The Cross is a hybrid with a battery pack that lets you drive on electric power for about 42 miles on a full charge, with the option to switch to the gas powered engine when needed.

The 0.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack stores energy recaptured from the ICE internal combustion engine overrun, and regenerative braking, giving the car the ability to travel more than 400 miles between fill ups. Plus the Corolla Cross brings many safety and comfort features for the price, with more charm and style, than most of the competition.

Good looking from the ground up with its 18″ alloy wheels and stylish shape, this dynamic crossover looks stunning in action, cruising, or just parked. Corolla Cross’s size is designed for dashing around the city streets, then going off road and driving down to the lake, with lots of space to take all of your friends and everybody’s gear with you.

The Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid has higher ground clearance and more head room to provide a better view of what’s around you for a more confident drive. And with the 8 way power adjustable driver’s seat, you’ll always find your sweet spot of comfort. If stellar fuel economy, strong brand reliability, and advanced safety features are high on your checklist, then the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid SUV is the right choice for you.

To prove that point, this week Toyota sent me a 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross XSE Hybrid SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this XSE edition is $31,065. The options on the SUV are: the convenience package for $1,250, the JBL premium audio system for $800, the adaptive headlights for $615, the two tone exterior paint for $500, a set of roof rack cross bars for $330, the rear bumper protector for $89, the carpeted floor and cargo mats for $289, the door sill protectors for $179, a set of wheel locks for $67 and the frameless Homelink rear view mirror for $175. The MSRP manufactures suggested retail price, including the $1,335 delivery charge, is $36,694.

After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your garage total purchase price came to: $41,281. At just over $41 Grand, this loaded crossover SUV has more power, style and design than other compact SUV’s that cost thousands of dollars more and this one comes with Toyota’s quality reputation.

The heart of this crossover is the 2.0L liter 4 cylinder gas hybrid engine with 196 HP and 139 ft/lb of torque, bolted to an electronic CVT constant velocity transmission with sport drive mode, mated to a sport suspension system with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0.

Safety and convenience include: a pre collision system with pedestrian detection, full speed range dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, 4G connected services, automatic high beams, road sign assist, lane tracing assist, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking assist with automatic braking, smart key entry with push button start, and an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Interior features start with an 8″ center stack display, a JBL premium audio system with 9 speakers and a subwoofer and amplifier, 4 USB ports, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless smart phone charging pad, a 7″ digital dash gauge cluster, ambient lighting, dual zone automatic climate control system, SofTex trimmed and heated front seats, a power driver’s seat with lumbar support, a leather trimmed steering wheel, a rear folding arm rest with cup holders and a rear cargo cover.

The XSE Edition adds: black logo badges, smoked body emblems, a sport grill, LED headlights with automatic on and off feature, LED taillights, LED fog lamps, LED daytime driving lamps, and a full body LED front light strip for excellent visibility.

The icing on the cake for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross is that this SUV gets 45 MPG in city driving, 38 MPG on the highway, and 42 MPG in combined driving. Plus it has a greenhouse gas rating of 8, a smog rating of 7; both out of 10. Great gas mileage, low emissions, a comfortable interior and lots of compact cargo space. So what’s not to like?

Call, click or visit your local Toyota dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review on the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross XSE Hybrid SUV. And remember that the base price for a new Corolla Cross starts at only $23,610. Toyota – Let’s Go Places.

Be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, You Are What You Drive, and maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should Drive one, Buy one, Today. Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks bright – Tony the Car Guy.

This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. Tony the Car Guy is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net