The Forester 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.
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Subaru Forester achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Toyota Corolla Cross has not been tested.
To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Corolla Cross.
The Forester Touring has a standard 360-Degree Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Corolla Cross only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.
Both the Forester and the Corolla Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, available blind spot warning systems, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Forester is safer than the Corolla Cross:
|
Forester |
Corolla Cross |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
103 |
193 |
Neck Tension |
201 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Shoulder Deflection |
.87 in |
.94 in |
Shoulder Force |
201 lbs. |
245 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.02 in |
1.38 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
6 MPH |
6 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
POOR |
Pelvis Force |
892 lbs. |
1539 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis Force |
580 lbs. |
892 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Subaru Forester ((except Wilderness)) achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Corolla Cross is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.