Subaru has been a steady-paced automobile model for a few years, giving customers a targeted product that has lengthy caught to its roots for offering dependable all-wheel-drive transportation home equipment for the plenty at comparatively inexpensive costs. Within the compact hatchback phase, the Subaru Crosstrek has been a cult following amongst those that dwell the adventurous way of life or ones who need one thing that has worth in its potential to grapple at snow and off-roading terrain in addition to function a good and protected car for every-day commuting.
The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek is refreshed with a brand new grille and entrance bumper and provides the model’s welcomed 2.5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine. The addition of the brand new engine provides the Crosstrek some much-needed new life, within the type of some additional energy. That energy, 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque does wonders for the Crosstrek to rework it right into a car that I can now suggest. Earlier than, the Crosstrek made do with an underpowered 2.0-liter engine with solely 152 horsepower. Sadly, that very same engine continues to be provided within the Crosstrek for its lower-level trims (base and Premium trims).
With my Crosstrek Sport trim take a look at car having the bigger and extra {powerful} engine, it’s extra interesting despite the fact that the engine nonetheless will get mated to a CVT (Constantly Variable Transmission). The engine and transmission work collectively to get the Crosstrek on top of things and make it really feel zippy sufficient that it doesn’t really feel harmful like the bottom and Premium trim ranges of the Crosstrek which have solely 152 ponies at your beckon. The CVT additionally does effectively to emulate a standard automated transmission with digital shift ratio step-downs, additionally aiding within the acceleration. Nonetheless, the Crosstrek isn’t going to win many races regardless of which engine alternative you’ve gotten – but it surely does have some additional pep in its step with the bigger engine, now.
Out on the street, the Crosstrek is surprisingly compliant and clean with out undesirable physique motions contemplating its greater floor clearance (8-inches) for tackling off-roading terrain. The engine does effectively to rev excessive and the CVT is properly programmed to permit the engine to get into its powerband with out anticipated hesitation. General, the Crosstrek Sport is far improved over the outgoing mannequin years with the less-powerful engine. Gas consumption isn’t all that totally different for the 2 engine decisions, the place my Crosstrek Sport 2.5-liter will get a constant and respectable 27 mpg metropolis and 34 mpg freeway.
The inside of the Crosstrek is minimalistic at finest. There’s an abundance of arduous plastics, however by way of the years, Subaru has improved a number of areas by including soft-touch surfaces, along with having a soft-touch higher dashboard floor with accented-color stitching as a part of the Sport trim to match the opposite yellow-colored Sport-theme. The seating areas are surprisingly spacious, as is the rear cargo space within the hatchback/wagon type of the Crosstrek. Fold the break up seatbacks down at you’ve gotten simply over 55 cubic toes of storage out again.
Within the space of tech, the Crosstrek has loads of it but it surely appears to cover a number of the lively security options, which do wonders to observe the street forward by way of the newest EyeSight driver-assist system that comes with adaptive cruise management, ahead collision warning with automated braking, lane departure warning and mitigation, and blind-spot displays. The infotainment system fed by way of an non-obligatory 8-inch touchscreen is simplistic however doesn’t have the refinement to its interface that you just get from competing manufacturers. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are properly built-in into the system, which might use some higher sound high quality by way of the paltry six-speaker setup. Additionally, the Crosstrek might use an replace to its headlights to depart from its halogen bulbs on all the trim ranges and choose to make the Restricted trim’s Adaptive LED headlights customary – that may go a good distance for nighttime visibility that’s considerably poor with the halogens.
On the backside line, the Subaru Crosstrek is an effective worth beginning at a worth of simply $22,245 and touchdown at $29,145 for my Crosstrek Sport take a look at car. The Restricted trim solely provides about $1,500 and is effectively well worth the improve simply to get the adaptive LED headlights, leather-based seats, and bigger 18-inch wheels over the Crosstrek Sport’s halogens, StarTek water-repellent upholstery, and 17-inch wheels.
