Overview & Reviews

The Subaru XV Crosstrek might be marketed as crossover, but that usually implies some sort of SUV with carlike attributes. In actuality, the Crosstrek is more like a car with SUV-like attributes. Much like Subaru has done in the past with its Outback model, the smaller XV Crosstrek hatchback features an elevated ride height, a more off-road-ready suspension and rugged looks.

As it's based on the regular Impreza hatchback, the XV comes with a four-cylinder "boxer" engine mated to an available continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). That combo delivers decent acceleration and above-average fuel economy. Add a nicely equipped passenger cabin and ample cargo capacity and you have a go-anywhere vehicle that should appeal to active outdoorsy types who might find Subaru's other offerings too pricey or thirsty.

Current Subaru XV Crosstrek Specs
The Subaru XV Crosstrek is an all-new model for 2013. While Subaru's all-wheel-drive lineup has developed a reputation for being unflappable in the face of some truly nasty driving conditions, this variation of the Impreza takes things to another level in dicey situations both on- and off-road.

The XV Crosstrek is offered in two trim levels, the entry-level Premium and top-of-the-line Limited. The base model comes standard with a number of desirable features including 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rack side rails, heated front seats, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and an iPod interface. The Limited adds automatic climate control, leather upholstery, rearview camera and a premium audio system with an upgraded touchscreen interface. Major options include a sunroof and a touchscreen navigation system.

Under the hood, the Subaru Crosstrek gets a 2.0-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine that produces 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual and a CVT. All-wheel drive is standard.

The interior is pretty minimalist in terms of design, but the overall quality of the materials is high. Front and rear passengers enjoy a good amount of head- and legroom, and the standard heated seats are a nice touch given Subaru's popularity in cold-weather states. Folding down both sides of the 60/40-split rear seatbacks creates a flat load floor and 51.9 cubic feet of cargo space, a number that's on par with compact hatchbacks rather than small SUVs.

On the road, the Crosstrek's 2.0-liter engine delivers decent acceleration both around town and on the highway. When equipped with the CVT, however, the engine suffers from a noisy, droning tone that gets tiresome, especially when climbing hills. The CVT's true benefit shows up at the gas pump in the form of excellent fuel economy.

Despite the Crosstrek's increased ride height compared to the regular Impreza, handling is still fairly respectable on the pavement. And when the going gets tough, that extra amount of ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive makes it possible to handle light-duty trails without issue. Overall, we like the Subaru XV Crosstrek and think it's a solid pick for someone wanting a hatchback that can serve as a daily driver but also make it easy to access outdoor recreational activities.

User Reviews:

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  Frustrated - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Steph - November 16 - 10:19 am

  I have 70,000 on my 2013 cross trek, I have had both front axels replaced due to both failing, Ive never gone off road or done anything but normal everyday driving. It took arguing and having to call Suburu directly but they did cover the cost of both. Now my car will not go out of park, apparently another malfunction this car is known for, being repaired tomorrow. Ive driven a lot of cars over the years and this is by far the worse car Ive ever had, I dont trust it. Shame on Suburu.

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  Subaru Crosstrek Hybred: Total Lemon? - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Frustrated Subaru owner - November 2 - 5:15 pm

  After having a Toyota for over 10 years then a Honda CRV for over 10 years with no issues, my husband and I decided to purchase a a Subaru Crosstrek Hybred 2014 which looks good on the outside (but BIG MISTAKE). By January 2015 a message appeared in the dash board whenever I started the car that said(check hill star assist). At my first service, I told the service people and they told me they did not find anything wrong, nor saw the message. I continued to drive the car with the message appearing on and off when finally in November/December 2015 more messages appeared and check engine light appeared and stayed on all the time. I made an appointment to get the car checked in November, this time they told me they fixed it and the lights went away. Within a few months after they told me they (fixed it) the messages reappeared and I brought the car back in March for them to "fix" again. I waited for about an hour and they called me and told me they fixed the problem and the messages and lights were gone. As soon as I turned on the car and try to drive off all the lights and messages reappeared, I called the service person who took the car and said they were going to check it again. After waiting for over an hour they finally told me they there was a transmission control cover problem and they would have to keep the car until June 2015 because they had to order the part. In the middle of April after not receiving an update from Subaru, I finally called and after a few choice words with the manager they told me the car will be ready at the end of April. On April Friday 29, 2015 I received a call from Subaru and they told me they changed the transmission control cover and the lights went away and every thing was fine. So I picked up the car that same day (Friday April 29, 2015). By Sunday May 1 (2 days after picking up the car) those lights that they claimed went away reappeared. I had to take the car back (May 2) and am still waiting May 17, 2015 for word on what is the problem. At this point I am very ANGRY at the run around. I got the warranty which I am using for now to "fix" the car but what is going to happen when it runs out.

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  So Far, A Great Car - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By salacious - October 8 - 7:57 am

  The Crosstrek is no Ferrari, but it IS very quick off the mark (i.e., zero to 30-40mph). That said, it also loses its *rate* of acceleration in the mid-speed range prior to reaching 60-70 mph. If you need to keep up a decent (but not great) rate of acceleration, you will need to push down quite a bit further on the gas pedal. Nonetheless, acceleration is easily adequate to merge into freeway traffic. Ignore the reviewers who say otherwise. For the vast majority of gas-mileage-conscious customers looking for a smallish SUV-style of vehicle with a great AWD system, this car is very hard to beat. If you don’t care about gas mileage or AWD or want a boat-like SUV, look elsewhere.

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  Nice ride at expense of tire wear and Oil use - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Shelly Marshall - August 17 - 10:44 am

  I updated this review because Ive learned more about the Crosstrek that applied to me since I traded it in. (I feel sorry for the ones who bought it after me) My update will appear at the end of my original review which is here: I like the feel of driving this. Good points is the MPG (unless the wind blows against you then it drops by 10 MPG--that is not a joke! ANYTHING but during downhill and you lose the great mileage) I have a cage in back for little dogs--and I like the way that works. The storage is wonderful. easy to see out windows and easy to drive in traffic. Down side. Cloth seats stain when you sneeze! Horrible how bad the seats look in just a few years. I wish I had gotten leather. Very noisy on the road--good thing noise doesnt bother me too much but it drives others crazy. The worst thing about the vehicle is the tire wear. The vehicle is not worth it because it eats tires like crazy and the dealers and Customer Service for Subaru both handle this fact as if it is your fault. This is what dealers in Arizona, California, Utah, Montana, and Alaska have actually said to me: a) its your driving b) its out of alignment (fixed THREE times but never corrected tire wear) c) its because you carry an ice chest and food in the back when you travel d) its the 300 lb motorcycle trailer you pull e) its all the potholes you hit f) it must be heavy passengers that you carry in back g) its your toy Pomeranians that you carry in a cage in back h) its the tires you buy Its not any of those things. At 70,000 miles, I was on my 5th set of tires! The first set went out at 19,000! What is up with that? The last set of tires I bought were rated hard tires (602) with a 60,000-mile warranty and after only 25,000 miles Subaru in Fairbanks refused to rotate the tires because they say I need new ones, AGAIN! It was Anchorage Subaru who told me if I bought the hard tires and they wore out that fast, that the tire company would honor the warranty. I figured it was a good solution to badly wearing tires--problem was, when the tire company saw the tires, they blamed the Crosstrek and refused to honor the warranty. Incredible. I own a 2013 CrossTrek. Something is very wrong with the tire wear. Soft tires get 15,000 and hard rubber gets 25,000--that is not right. Buyers beware. (You will find more reviews like this about the tires on the Internet). There is either something wrong with the Subaru I bought or with he crosstalk in general. My second major complaint is the customer care department. The problem showed up at 19,000 when I almost killed myself on bald tires. That is when the excuses began. Even though I had a 60,000 mile or 3-year warranty, they strung me along until the warranty ran out--paid for one alignment and then kept telling me, "this time it will be different" . Once the warranty was out, I was out of luck even though there was something definitely wrong with the vehicle and I began the process at 19,000 miles. The only thing Subaru did for me besides string me along until the warranty ran out was align my vehicle, buy one set of tires and assure me they wanted to take care of the problem--which never happened. Hollow words, really. I will never buy another Subaru. Not because of the tire wear and something being wrong with my vehicle, things go wrong! I own a business and nothing is ever 100%. so I cut slack for businesses. The trouble is the warranty was not honored--not the one that came with the original purchase or their extended warranty. I expected better from Subaru because they have been good in the past-but this was ridiculous--to blame me (who has driven for 40 years) and make sure that they did not correct the problem and let both my warranties run out. I wasted a lot of time and money on this problem--and as far as Im concerned, Subaru owes me the money back from my extended warranty because they did not honor it. I have kept all my records and pictures and even a few tires--if someone does a class action, Im in. UPDATE 9.21.16 There is a class action--but not on the tire wear--on oil!!!! And that was one of the problems I had. The car went through LOTs of oil. I kept running out and I mentioned it several times. Once It was only 500 miles after an oil change. I called the dealer who changed my oil and they said they probably forgot one quart! I was so far away from that dealer that I didnt bother to take it back to them (they are in Ogden and I was in Arizona). The oil light came on a lot and I asked several Subaru dealers what was going on and they claimed there was nothing going on--acted as if I didnt understand cars. Now there is a class action suit about the oil--I probably put in an extra 5 quarts when I owned the vehicle so it isnt worth my time trying to find receipts to join the suit but I can take the time to warn others about the way Subaru strung me along on TWO issues and their warranty was worthless! I really believe they should refund me the money paid

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  A great hatchback SUV - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Kelvin Leung - August 10 - 2:39 pm

  Had a Accura MDX for 10 years. Decided to switch to a car with better handling and better gas mileage. This is a great one. The Tangerine color is so eye catching! Everything is wondering from space, gas mileage, interior comfort. The only lack is the power train. But youll get used to it. I have for a year and its still running a champ!

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  Always wanted a Subaru and will never get anything else - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By emg2211 - August 9 - 12:14 am

  Love my crosstrek!! First Subaru ever and I should have got one years ago. Had a mazda3 loved it but horrible in the snow (nurses cant call out for snow storms) and horrible MPGs. So after 5 yrs of almost dying every snow storm in MA I made the choice to get my Subaru and I havent looked back. I love it. Its safe, great MPGs, awesome in the snow and enough room for friends and my giant dog. If you are looking for a crossover SUV look into it. I will say downsizing engines took a few wks to get used to, pick up isnt as good but it still gets around great. I have about 6500+miles on it.

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  Fun and reliable - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Renee - July 27 - 4:47 pm

  Owned my car 2 years now. Its a fun car to drive, great handling, superior in bad weather and snow! Comfy interior, smooth drive, have not had any problems. Cargo space is great for a compact SUV. Only drawbacks is that the paint seems to scratch and chip easily, a few bad blind spots because of the slope of the car, and the car is a little loud once you get over 80 miles an hour. These are slight things in my opinion, but might annoy others.

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  Better than expected - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By subiedriver6 - July 7 - 11:16 pm

  I have been sold on Subaru for many years, but this is a change from my usual purchase of a Forester. The engine is just average in regard to performance, but exceptional in gas mileage, averaging 29 in rural back road driving. The seats are very comfortable and the cabin seems much more roomy compared to the Foresters I have had in the past. The doors are large and provide easy in/out access. The exterior styling is aggressive and has received a lot of compliments, while the interior is more just utilitarian and the radio readout is disappointing. Overall, the more I drive it, the better I like it.

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  Suprising - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By bronco23bravo - July 6 - 10:03 am

  "Professional" reviews of the Crosstrek hint at the vehicles sluggish acceleration and mediocre drive quality. In my humble opinion, they are absolutly wrong. I just purchased a 2015 Crosstrek premium. I live in Northern ND and wanted a fun to drive AWD vehicle that gets decent MPG. My new Subie is exactly that. My prior vechicle was a 05 Nissan Maxima, this car hauled some serious butt. The crosstrek is of course slower but I was pleased at how fast the little car actully is. Very fun to drive, handles the snow drifts with ease and turns heads as I drive by. Love it so far. Will update with MPG and reliability.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By meandrew228 - June 12 - 7:37 am

  this is my third Subaru, I have been driving mostly German cars over the years but my last 3 cars which I usually keep no more than 18 months haveall been subies. love the german cars but quality over the years has gone down hill. not sure what it is but I love the control of the All wheel Drive it just sucks the road. I drove a 2011 outback for a little while with the cvt and was under powered. I choose the 5 speed crosstrek because of the lack of power on the cvt . I think if you stick with the 5 speed it really brings out the true car. it would be even better is there was a turbo version. the build quality is better than the outback probably because its made in japan.