Compare the2024 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross

The Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Corolla Cross doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Crosstrek. But it costs extra on the Corolla Cross.

Both the Crosstrek and the Corolla Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek’s reliability 28 points higher than the Corolla Cross.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Crosstrek Sport/Limited/Wilderness’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (182 vs. 169) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 150) than the Corolla Cross’ 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek is faster than the Toyota Corolla Cross:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Corolla Cross doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The Crosstrek has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corolla Cross FWD’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Crosstrek has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corolla Cross AWD’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons).

For better stopping power the Crosstrek’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla Cross:

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Corolla Cross are solid, not vented.

The Crosstrek stops shorter than the Corolla Cross:

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Corolla Cross (225/60R17 vs. 215/65R17).

The Crosstrek’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Corolla Cross L/LE’s standard 65 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Subaru Crosstrek has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Corolla Cross 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Crosstrek has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Crosstrek flat and controlled during cornering. The Corolla Cross 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Corolla Cross (105.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Crosstrek Limited handles at .81 G’s, while the Corolla Cross XLE AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Crosstrek executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Corolla Cross LE (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Corolla Cross’ (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Corolla Cross (8.7 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the Corolla Cross (9.3 vs. 8.1 inches).

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Crosstrek CVT (except Manual) has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Corolla Cross uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Crosstrek uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Corolla Cross doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Crosstrek has 12.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Cross (100.5 vs. 88.4).

The Crosstrek has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2.5 inches more front hip room, 4.1 inches more front shoulder room, 4.5 inches more rear legroom, 11.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla Cross.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Corolla Cross doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Corolla Cross is limited to 1500 pounds. The Crosstrek offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Corolla Cross. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Crosstrek’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Corolla Cross L’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Crosstrek has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Corolla Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the LE/XLE.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla Cross offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Corolla Cross XLE.

The Crosstrek Limited’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Corolla Cross’ available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Toyota Corolla Cross by over two to one during 2023.