Are you considering buying a 2025 Toyota Corolla Hatchback? This fun-to-drive compact hatchback combines the practical features of the Corolla, like a low price point and fuel efficiency, with some thrilling perks like paddle shifters and special drive modes. It comes in just three trims for the 2025 model year, with the XSE as the top trim. However, it’s only $3,300 more than the starting trim and $2,300 more than the middle trim. Meanwhile, what you get for that extra cost is well worth it. So, what sets the XSE apart from the other trims? Let’s take a look.
Standard Blind Spot Monitor
Your blind spots are hard enough to monitor when you’re tackling some regular everyday driving around town. When you’re testing out the 2025 Toyota Corolla Hatchback’s many features, keeping an eye on those pesky blind spots becomes even more challenging. That’s why you’ll like how the XSE trim comes with a standard Blind Spot Monitor. You’ll benefit from indicators on the side mirrors, which will notify you when someone is in your blind spot when you go to merge or change lanes. The other two trims have this as an available option, but only the XSE gets it standard.
Having a Blind Spot Monitor is helpful in countless everyday driving situations. Especially since it includes Rear Cross-Traffic Alert to detect oncoming cars when you are in reverse. You’ve seen how folks in the grocery store parking lot or on a suburban street fail to look for cars pulling out. This feature can help you avoid costly accidents, so it basically pays for itself.
Integrated LED Fog Lights
Want to cruise around no matter the weather? When fog is interfering with visibility, the LED fog lights that are exclusive to the Corolla Hatchback XSE trim will cut through the haze so that you can see that upcoming corner or lane merge. They also make for a pretty cool photo op if you want to turn them on, park the car, and hop out to take a photo through some fog. Just saying.
Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
You like it at 69 degrees, but your co-pilot likes it at 71 degrees. You could pull rank (and you should, since it’s your vehicle). Or you can skip the conflict entirely and utilize the XSE’s dual-zone climate control, another feature not found on the lower trims. It lets you and your front-seat passenger choose your preferred climates and fan speeds. So, there will be no more arguing about the temperature in the cabin.
Qi-Compatible Wireless Smartphone Charging
There are tons of reasons you need a fully charged phone on the go. You need to use your navigation app to find your destination, your music app to stream tunes, your weather app to know if you need an umbrella, and the regular calling function to tell your friend you’re running late (because you’re taking a detour to enjoy the Sport Mode of the car). So, when your phone dies, it’s a major nuisance. And if you have a tendency to forget your USB cord at home, you have an even bigger problem on your hands…in the other trims of the Corolla Hatchback. Not the XSE. Because it has standard Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging. So you’ll never find yourself with a dead phone on the road again (if you planned on using that as an excuse to screen calls, we can’t help you there).
Superior Seats, in More Ways Than One
If you spring for the XSE (which, again, is still quite affordable), then you’ll get the best seats in the 2025 Corolla Hatchback lineup. You’ll enjoy SofTex trimmed seats, which mimic the look and feel of leather while being easier to clean and more affordable. You’ll also enjoy heated front seats for nice, full-body warmth on cold days. Plus, the driver seat boasts eight-way power adjustability. For context, the other trims have cloth seats and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat.
The XSE seats also feature sport bolstering, which provides support to pivotal points on your body during spirited driving. All in all, the seats in the XSE are superior in terms of appearance, comfort, and function. So whether you’re appreciating a twisty back road or running errands, you’ll enjoy being in this trim the most.
Seven-Inch Fully-Digital Gauge Cluster
If you’re getting the Corolla Hatchback, then you probably love to drive. You probably love all things cars, really. That’s why you’ll like the digital gauge cluster in the XSE trim, which lets you monitor all sorts of vehicle stats and provides other important information. It has a central digital speedometer and analog-style tachometer, so you can easily check your speed and RPMs at a glance.
It also has an outside temperature gauge, so you know if you need to grab a jacket before getting out—or if your tires could use a pressure re-check in extreme temperatures. Fuel economy information can show you how your driving behaviors are impacting fuel efficiency, and the distance to empty indicator lets you know how long you have to go until you need to fuel up. An average speed indicator lets you know how fast you tend to go (we won’t say slow because we know the typical Corolla Hatchback driver).
You’ll also get scheduled maintenance reminders, so you can be sure to take your vehicle in for service before issues arise. And given how hard performance enthusiasts tend to be on their cars, it’s good to get regular service right on time. But, if a problem does come up, the warning messages will notify you right away. You’ll love all of the information right at your fingertips when you have this insightful gauge cluster.
Eight-Speaker JBL Premium Audio System
Nothing enhances a thrilling ride like the right playlist. You can listen to yours on the excellent eight-speaker JBL Premium Audio System that comes standard on the XSE trim. Every passenger will enjoy a studio-quality listening experience. You’re going to need that when you’re revving the engine and pushing this model to the limits. You’ll want a powerful speaker system to overpower the road noises you’re going to generate. Oh, and it has an amplifier, which should help you hear your tunes over your own spirited driving.
Stunning 18-inch Graphite-Colored Alloy Wheels
Turn heads on the large graphite-colored alloy wheels of the XSE. The base SE trim rolls on 16-inch alloy wheels, and the Nightshade gets some pretty neat 18-inch bronze-finish wheels, but only the XSE gets these cool-looking wheels. If your vehicle makes a regular appearance on your social media platforms, you’ll like having these slick wheels.
The XSE Delivers a Ton of Upgrades
Usually, getting the top trim of a vehicle means paying a price tag that’s much higher than the other options. But with the 2025 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, you can enjoy tons of perks for much less than you’d expect. The XSE combines comfort, convenience, and style upgrades for not much more than the base-level SE. So, if you’ve been considering this vehicle and wondering if you should go all in on the XSE, go for it. You won’t notice the difference in your bank account, but you will notice the difference in your enjoyment behind the wheel.
