BOTH IMPRESS, BUT SUBARU OFFERS MORE FOR LESS
Two CUVs appear to be evenly matched at first, but Crosstrek offers more nice-to-haves, say Clayton Seams and Jil McIntosh.
Clayton Seams: Sometimes, testing vehicles can be like comparing apples to oranges, but the 2020 Mitsubishi RVR and Subaru Crosstrek are two apples. Based on the spec sheets, they’re an extremely close match; both of these compact CUVs are competing in one of Canada’s hottest segments and they could hardly be closer in terms of price.
As tested, these cars are just $103 apart, and they’re only
100 millimetres apart in overall length. Both have CVTs (although a six-speed manual is available in the Subaru), both have eight-inch touch-screen infotainment systems, both have premium audio systems, and both are specced here in the highest available trims: the Crosstrek is a Limited with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of active safety bits, and the RVR is the GT AWC model (AWC is Mitsubishi-speak for all-wheel drive). But if we dig a little deeper, maybe they aren’t so similar after all. Jil McIntosh: Yes, and it’s more than just one is red and the other is orange, so I guess it’s a bit of apples to oranges after all. One’s more powerful than the other, and while they both have all-wheel drive, their systems are different. For many buyers in this segment, it’s about what you get for the money, especially if you’re into the top trims, as we are.
The Mitsubishi has powerfolding mirrors that the Subaru doesn’t, and it has a panoramic sunroof while the Subaru has a single panel. But the Crosstrek has dual-zone automatic climate control compared to the RVR’s single zone, and it has adaptive cruise control and GPS navigation (both of which the RVR lacks), and a larger cargo compartment. Those are big-ticket items and they’re on the vehicle that’s $103 cheaper.
CS: Adding to the pile of advantages for the Mitsu, it has a larger 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine versus the Subaru’s 2.0-L unit, and the larger engine generates more power and torque: 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque for the RVR, compared to 152 hp and 145 lb.-ft. for the Crosstrek. It’s enough to make the Mitsubishi feel slightly faster when you put your foot down, but not enough to make a real difference. While there’s enough passing power in both, neither are road burners.
The other thing you’ll notice on the highway is how much quieter the Subaru’s cabin is. The din of expansion joints and tire roar just don’t seem to penetrate the Crosstrek’s cockpit as much as they do in the RVR.
JM: You’re absolutely right on that. The Subaru feels tight and the cabin seems well insulated, while the RVR is a bit tinny inside. I also think the Subaru’s interior looks closer to the price; I like how the dash is broken up with metallic trim pieces and orange stitching that’s also on the seats, even the centre screen has more colour and interest. The RVR is a sea of black plastic, and while that’s to be expected on a base trim, I’d like to see a little more interesting stuff to break up the monotony on this top-level GT.
As you mentioned, the RVR feels a bit faster. But both of them handle about the same.
And then there’s the all-wheel systems on both. The Subaru drives all its wheels all the time, with a bit more power going to the front. The Mitsubishi runs in front-wheel-drive mode until you activate the AWD system, and even then, it only drives the rear wheels when needed. But even so, I took it through some deep snow and it got me through just fine.
CS: Another thing I noticed is the difference in the quality of the infotainment systems. While both use eight-inch displays, the Mitsubishi’s system looks dated compared to the Subaru. It’s the kind of system we were seeing in cars two or three generations ago. The saving grace of the
RVR’s system is that it has Apple CarPlay, which connects without fuss. This is helpful because even at $33,998 you don’t get satellite navigation. It’s a real miss at this price point.
The Subaru has navigation and Apple CarPlay. I also liked the dual-screen display on the dash, and when using turn-by-turn navigation, the directions would show up in the gauge cluster for easier viewing.
Both of these cars have upgraded premium audio systems. Sound clarity was better in the Subaru but the bass kicked harder in the Mitsubishi. A large reason for this was the RVR’s trunk-mounted subwoofer, which helps fill out the low tones. JM: Yes, the RVR did a much better job of blasting out my beloved opera, but that subwoofer also chewed up some of the cargo compartment. You can carry a tune with it, but not as much stuff.
The Mitsubishi has a long warranty in its favour, up to five years bumper-to-bumper and up to 10 years for powertrain, and we both thought it was a decent driver. But we had to pick one, and combining more features, a quieter cabin, and more cargo space, we gave this one to the Crosstrek. We just can’t argue with getting more for less.
CS: I agree, we’ve found our winner. The two cars were close on the spec sheet, but in the real world, you’re getting more with the Subaru.