Join John and Richard Rush as they explore the 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid’s offerings, including its distinguishing nightshade edition. With a deep dive into its market positioning and real-world performance, John’s detailed drive experience coupled with Richard’s technical insights will give you a comprehensive overview of this hybrid vehicle. For fans of SUVs, this episode provides valuable perspectives from seasoned car reviewers.
All right, we are back. And Richard, we always take time each week to do car reviews. Again, I know we’re a little bit behind because of the season and vacations and so on. But what have you driven lately? Let’s start with your first one, which I believe is what, a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid?
SPEAKER 03 :
A Toyota? Yes, a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. It’s kind of a mouthful, Dad, right?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s a great car, and, Dad, I think that’s a 2025, right? It feels like it is.
SPEAKER 02 :
2025, yep, that’s what I show.
SPEAKER 03 :
And a great car, Dad, it’s a little bit bigger of a car, right? It’s not a typical… Sorry, I’m pulling up my notes here. Yeah, it’s a compact crossover SUV. It’s kind of that new class of SUV. It’s not a full-size SUV, folks, that you’re probably used to seeing, but it’s also not a sedan either, right? And it’s not… It’s not super small. It just kind of fits into that mid, I guess I’m going to call it a midsize, I should be saying.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, they’re going to call it a small one, but I’m with you. I think, you know, here’s what’s interesting. Toyota calls it one. You and I would call it something else like the rental cars do, by the way, because when you go to a rental car agency, what I would consider to be a midsize, and I think even the manufacturer would call a midsize, they’re calling that a full size. So I think you and I are on the right track.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. I’m going to go with that. And so, yeah, like I said, that 2025, the Toyota hybrid system, as we always talk about, is really second to none, right? It’s really, really hard to beat that system as a whole and kind of what it does and what it can do and all of the above as far as… that goes let me see what’s new for 2025 no real changes it was introduced in 2022 it’s a little bit quick quicker and more efficient the hybrid model is right dad which is yes to be expected um it’s a it’s not quite as roomy but again i think some folks are going to miss that dad the idea is this is not supposed to be as big as an suv it’s just a little bit bigger of a car it’s kind of and actually i’ve got it here it’s four inches shorter lengthwise than the rav4 okay it’s it’s a little bit similar in size to a RAV4. So maybe, Dad, those four inches do help you if you’re in an urban environment, right? You’re not driving around as much, or you like the looks of the Corolla Cross, right? That can be something, too, for folks. They like the look of that a little bit different. Again, changes to 2025 are purely cosmetic. As far as the interior, Dad, goes, it’s everything you would come to expect of Toyota. And what I mean by that, it’s simple yet elegant. And so it’s not the fanciest thing out there, but it’s really, freight you don’t have a ton of buttons to mess with to where it’s going to mess you up and because as you know dad some of these cars can get into they get a little bit uh well wordy’s not the right way but they get a little bit difficult to operate especially if you’re only in them for a short period of time so it’s gets away from doing that. As far as price, Dad, I don’t have this one on me, but it ranges from $29,845 to the XSE is $33,000. And, Dad, like you and I talked about… Yeah, really quick. The one you drove, $34,705 was the total. 34%, exactly. And that night shade, Dad, let me see if I can pull up the notes for it. It’s obviously what Toyota has done with a lot of these trim levels, Dad, is they sort of kind of give you different accented pieces to it, but the overall vehicle stays the same. And I apologize, I don’t have…
SPEAKER 02 :
that that note exactly in front of me as far as what no and this one we drove you know you had you know of course the jbl sound system had the full moon roof in it to your point had the nightshade edition which just gives you some two-tone paint coloring and some things like that and again that whole car total price sticker price 34 705 not a bad price at all
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. Not a bad price, especially for a hybrid, Dad, where you’re going to be able to go about almost 400 miles on a tank of gas. And that’s not me pulling from any standard number, Dad. It’s just real-world driving that you and I do. That’s something that doesn’t happen all the time. And that’s something that I really, really like. And like you say, kind of that nightshade edition is a little bit different, provides some value. So if you’re interested in this, folks, head to your local Toyota dealership. Again, 2025 Corolla Cross Hybrid Nightshade. Test drive it, and when you do that, let them know that John and Richard Rush from Drive Radio and Rush to Reason sent you.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is John Rush from Rush to Reason and Drive Radio. Thank you so much for listening. Check out more of our podcasts at RushToReason.com or Drive-Radio.com.
