What do you get when you mix the best of the Corolla and the RAV4? Well the answer is clearly the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross that I got to review. You’re probably wondering why Toyota built the Cross so let me explain. With the RAV4 moving on to a more premium model, and you’re needing something bigger than the Corolla, Toyota was needing to fill the space of an entry level economy CUV. Don’t worry though, the Cross has a lot to offer for its price.

Starting on the outside, the rewards of the Mazda collaboration can be seen in the form of the beautiful Soul Red Crystal color. The bubbly front end design reminded me of a Capybara with round snout and long eyes. I liked that the front and rear fenders had some unique lines and shape to liven up the design compared to other competitor’s bland offerings in the CUV segments.

Inside, you’ll find a really nice yet functional interior. The heated seats were comfortable for long road trips or just quick runs to the store. I was able to wirelessly connect to the 10.5-inch infotainment screen and blast my music through the 9-speaker premium JBL system that this was equipped with. The space in the rear was also fair for this CUV but impressive in the cargo area for all the things you may need to take with you.

Under the hood, the 2.0L inline 4-cylinder engine is connected to a CVT and this loaner had the AWD option. If you decide to go hybrid, that goes up to 169 combined horsepower. You won’t be winning any races with that amount of power but the CVT does help make the most of the power during highway passing. If you plan on doing a lot of city driving, I would recommend the hybrid as the MPGs go from 29 of the gas power, to 46! The hybrid does come with an additional cost of almost $3,500 so you’d have to rack some miles on your vehicle to make financial sense.

Overall, the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross felt like such a great vehicle for those empty nesters wanting to downsize or as a first vehicle for the new driver in your family. The Cross perfectly fills the gap that the RAV4 was creating as an entry level CUV, and gets the simple, yet functional things of the Corolla.