Sell me on a Crosstrek

[AnitaH]

Hi!
Doing research here....trying to decide if I want a Subaru (and if so, which one ). I would be driving mostly solo, combination in town / rural, in a climate that tends to have a LOT of snow/ice in winter (MN). The Crosstrek seems a little small for our needs, but it's the only one that I can consider buying new (price point), otherwise I'll be looking at used. We MIGHT consider using the car for long distance road trips as well (husband & I plus tall 20 year old ). Fuel economy means a lot to me, but also power and smooth ride as well as handling in bad road conditions.

How do you like the CVT? We've had only one vehicle with that transmission, and I only drove it a handful of times...so I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.

What are some real "perks" of your Subaru, and what are some "downsides" that maybe you hadn't anticipated when you bought?

Any specific mechanical problems I should be aware of?

Thanks for any help you can share.

 

[jcolman]

I purchased my first Subie a little over two months ago. I'm in love with my 2019 Crosstrek limited. Handling is firm, the ride is smooth, and the interior is quite comfortable. I haven't driven it in snow yet as we don't get much snow here in NC, but I have no doubts that the Crosstrek will do well. What I really like about my car is the layout of the dash, with the 8" display plus the smaller display on top of the dash. All the information I need is quickly and easily available with the touch of a button or two. If I had one complaint, it would be that the car could use a bit more power. My last car was a bigger SUV with a 276 hp V-6. However, I have no problem with my 4 cyl. 152hp Crosstrek accelerating up an on ramp, I just have to give it a bit more gas than I'm use to.

 

[JD10367]

I just bought a ‘21 Sport with the bigger 2.5L Forester engine. If you can spend the extra two grand, do it. After test driving the regular 2.0L, once I test drove the 2.5L I was hooked.

 

[Shorely]

I just bought the 2021 Limited a couple of days ago. Traded in my Mercedes GLA250. The ride is quiet and smooth. The 2.5 liter engine provides plenty of get up and go. No power passenger seat or power lift gate but those seem small concessions. Still learning all the bells and whistles. Seems to have a lot of customization ability if you take the time to learn how. Seats are super comfortable and styling is nice! I got the white with gray leather interior. Like that all the maintenance filters seem easily accessible, battery too. It doesn’t have a lot of interior storage but looking into some aftermarket items to help with that. The sunglasses holder goes away with the sunroof option. Loving it so far.

 

[JD10367]

I like that the bells and whistles can be negated (probably necessary for off-roading). Lane wander warning and RTCA can be shut off at the sunroof as can front crash avoidance. Auto stop start is down left with traction control. Lane nudge is on the wheel.

I like the driving flexibility. My wife’s Honda HR-V has Sport mode but it’s an S on the center shifter, so you have to leave D and go back. The S-I buttons on the wheel are much easier to go back and forth. And I love paddle shifters (I got used to them on my Smart Passion). I use S for city and I for highway and paddle shift for oomph or to slow braking.

Reading the manual is also useful. You can switch to regular cruise control by pressing and holding the increase or decrease distance buttons. You can program an access code for the trunk lock button that allows you to get in the car without the fob.

And I like the menu flexibility. I keep average MPG on the center dash display with the clock, and I keep eco-MPG on the main dash. I plan on never resetting B odometer so I can keep the overall car history of MPG and stop/start savings/time. I also like the trip mileage/timer that starts every time you turn it on.