2022 Toyota Corolla Cross vs 2023 Buick Encore GX

Toyota Corolla is the most popular automotive nameplate in history, but the compact cars it’s attached to are slowly being usurped by crossover SUVs. So, Toyota is trying to achieve the best of both worlds by launching a new Corolla model that’s also a crossover.

The 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross seeks to expand the Corolla lineup in much the same way that the Corolla Matrix hatchback did two decades ago, adding all-wheel drive (AWD) and more upright bodywork but keeping the Corolla name for familiarity. The Corolla Cross shares the TNGA-C platform, as well as a powertrain, with the Corolla sedan and hatchback, but the exterior styling is all SUV.

The Corolla Cross launches into a crowded market segment. At its media preview, Toyota said it’s counted 20 competitors, including the Chevrolet Trax, Mazda CX-30, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, and Subaru Crosstrek. The Subaru is likely the Corolla Cross’s closest rival, as it’s also a small SUV derivative of an existing compact hatchback.

Built at a new factory in Huntsville, Alabama, the Corolla Cross is scheduled to reach dealerships in October. It will be available in L, LE, and XLE trim levels, with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD). We got a chance to sample all three during a day of driving.

General Motors has big plans for Buick. The near-luxury division positioned between Chevrolet and Cadillac is slated to go all-electric by the end of the decade, with a fresh lineup of EVs highlighted by a new design language. But those new models aren’t scheduled to arrive for a few more years, so for now Buick carries on with a lineup of conventional gasoline crossover SUVs, of which the 2023 Buick Encore GX is the entry-level option.

The Encore GX was launched for the 2020 model year as a larger sibling to the Buick Encore, but the standard Encore is being discontinued, leaving only the GX for 2023. It slots below the Envision and Enclave in Buick’s three-model crossover lineup.

While Buick is generally considered a step up from mainstream brands, the Encore GX’s size and pricing are more in line with subcompact SUVs from mainstream brands, such as the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30, or the lifted-hatchback Subaru Crosstrek. In fact, the Encore GX shares powertrains and a basic platform with one of these vehicles—the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The only change for 2023 is a new extra-cost Moonstone Gray Metallic paint option. That means the lineup still consists of base Preferred, mid-level Select, and top Essence trim levels. We tested out an Encore GX Essence for this review.