Toyota Corolla vs Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

The Toyota Corolla needs no introduction. With 12 generations spanning over five decades of production, the Corolla is the bestselling nameplate in automotive history. And it continues to be a popular choice for new car buyers looking for a reliable and sensible compact car, competing against other established names like the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, and Volkswagen Jetta for sales.

The only significant change for 2022 is the addition of two new colors: Ruby Flare and Windchill Pearl. What hasn’t changed are the number of other choices buyers get. Toyota offers sedan and hatchback body styles, manual and automatic transmissions, and multiple powertrain options—including a hybrid. The Corolla Cross SUV also launched for 2022 but, while it shares a basic platform with the Corolla sedan and hatch, it’s effectively a different vehicle.

Finally, you get the expected array of trim levels. The Corolla sedan is available in L, LE, XLE, SE, and XSE grades, plus Apex Edition and Nightshade Edition versions of SE and XSE, with more limited options for the Corolla hatchback and hybrid (both of which will be covered separately). For this review, we tested the Apex Edition sedan in its lower SE grade. The Apex is the sportiest Corolla variant, at least until the GR Corolla hot hatchback arrives for the 2023 model year.

Most entrants in the compact SUV segment seem to have their own personalities. The Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V are upscale. The Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester are designed for active lifestyles. The Hyundai Tucson is all about value (but it's trending upscale). The Kia Sportage offers value and is sporty, too. But what of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross? The bold styling indicates some level of performance. But as we will come to learn, it can barely back that up. Modern styling would indicate perhaps some of the latest technology. You won’t find that in here either. The Eclipse Cross has a low starting price, but for what you get, other more expensive rivals are actually a better value.

There are no cliffhangers or teasers here. The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross just can't keep up with the competition. But it does a few things right. Read on to learn what they are (ok maybe one cliffhanger).