Subaru Crosstrek: Small SUV to beat
Subcompact sets standard for value, safety.
The name is a mouthful, but it has become the small crossover to beat.
Subaru’s 2018 Crosstrek 2.0i Limited subcompact SUV sets the standard for value and safety features in a small SUV. For those who can afford it, parents may consider it the vehicle of choice for kids with new driver’s licenses.
Most teens won’t mind. Unlike conservative clothes, early curfews, getting plenty of rest and eating balanced meals, the Crosstrek isn’t just sensible, it’s cool.
The Crosstrek, which is all-new for
2018 despite looking a lot like last year’s model, also offers good fuel economy in chic SUV wrapping.
Need I mention it works with your iPhone and has a good sound system, or do you want me to shut up before your kids hear us talking about this?
A 152-horsepower, 2-liter 4-cylinder engine and all-wheel-drive are standard on all Crosstreks. Like other Subarus, that engine is unique — horizonally-opposed, to use industry speak, meaning the cylinders are aligned in a different way than in most engines.
I tested a well-equipped Crosstrek
2.0i Limited with the continuously variable transmission. The Crosstrek’s engine is smooth but doesn’t generate a lot of power. Acceleration is adequate but unexceptional.
It was loaded with features, including a raft of safety gear: adaptive cruise control; front-collision alert; front and rear autonomous braking; lane-departure alert and assist; backup camera; blind spot and cross-traffic alerts and automatic high beams.
At 14.6 feet long, the Crosstrek is among the largest vehicles in the grow- ing and popular class of subcompact SUVs. The front seat has plenty of leg and head room and a small but useful storage bin in the center armrest. Rear legroom is as good as anything in the class. At 20.8 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 55.3 cubic feet with the back seat folded flat, cargo space is among the best in the class.
In addition to its many safety features, the Crosstrek comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for easy, hands-free access to smartphone features, including music and navigation.
The steering is responsive, and the ride is smooth. The Crosstrek’s small size makes it exceptionally easy to park in tight spaces.
The adaptive cruise control, in addition to being rare on vehicles in this class, works well, smoothly maintaining space between vehicles in traffic.
Road and wind noise are very noticeable on rough surfaces and at highway speeds. It’s hard to carry on a conversation with the hands-free phone system at highway speeds.
The Crosstrek is an all-new vehicle, based on a modern new vehicle architecture, but it looks so much like the old model that owners will be excused if they walk up to the wrong car in parking lots.
Crosstrek prices start at $21,795 for a six-speed manual transmission and $22,795 for a variable automatic transmission.