2018 Subaru Crosstrek Long-Term Verdict: Still a Solid CUV After One Year?
We spend one year with Subaru’s smallest crossover
Driving back from a day of off-roading at Hungry Valley, I detoured through some canyon roads near Malibu. Still feeling the adrenaline from the 4x4 practice area of the park, I pushed the little Subie harder than ever. Tires were squealing, and my heart was racing. This might sound crazy, but the lifted hatchback can be flogged through corners harder than most small-crossover competitors before the all-season tires raise the white flag. Back on the highway, I couldn't help but think how multitalented the Crosstrek is.
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After a year in a 2018 Crosstrek, we can confirm that theMotorTrendfavorite doesn't just cover the basics better than most. It's also great at extracurricular activities. Around town, the Crosstrek rides very well, soaking up bumps, dips, and imperfections like a premium vehicle and with almost zero rattling. On a horribly rough freeway on-ramp near our office, many other vehicles bounce around, emitting jingles and jangles while the steering wheel shakes side to side. Not in the Crosstrek, which irons out the ramp without any steering wheel drama. Much of this has to do with its very solid chassis. I intentionally hit bumps and dips when I test cars, and the Crosstrek barely noticed. With its 8.7 inches of ground clearance, I never worried about bottoming out on dips.
The comfortable ride continues off the asphalt. Bumps, ruts, and rocks are nicely absorbed by the Stablex dampers. At one point in Hungry Valley, I found myself driving down a dirt road at 40 mph as if I was in some kind of Baja desert race. A quick twist of the steering wheel induced a fun and controlled slide. As I discovered in my off-roading adventure, mud, sand, rocks, and ruts didn't stop the Crosstrek. And although most owners will keep it on asphalt, it should be nice to know that this little thing off-roads better than most expect.
I wasn't able to off-road in the snow, but the Crosstrek's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system with X-Mode should make easy work of it. Driving in the rain was actually lots of fun thanks to the loads of traction. For kicks, I would pull away from a stoplight very quickly without any wheel spin, leaving all others far behind me. In the event of having to make a quick turn on a busy street with speeding cars, have no fear, as breaking traction even in the rain is difficult.
Considering the Crosstrek's competitive set, the spacious cabin is styled well and has many quality parts that sometimes make you forget you're in Subaru's cheapest crossover. The orange stitching on the seats and steering wheel pop, there are plenty of textured and soft-touch surfaces, the blinker and wiper stalks don't feel flimsy, and most buttons and switches feel good. The rearview camera has sharp resolution, but I wish the 6.5-inch touchscreen was a little larger. (An 8.0-inch screen is available on Limited and hybrid models; our tester was a midlevel Premium.) My favorite interior component is something you constantly touch, the steering wheel. The grips are large, the leather feels good, the paddle shifters are easily flickable, and it looks good. But the best part is actually the feel. When I review other cars, it's rare for one to have better steering feel. The Crosstrek's is almost perfectly weighted and very precise, with a decent amount of feedback (rare for the segment), and its quick ratio is fun when pushing it. This is something the Crosstrek doesn't need, but it's refreshing to see in a crossover. It's also one of the reasons why the Subie handles so well.
Plenty of staffers used the Subaru for long trips, and for good reason. Besides the comfort level, the Crosstrek has a large 16.6-gallon tank and delivers 33 mpg on the highway with the CVT. The rear seats are roomy, and the cargo area should be large enough for most. Apple CarPlay (or Android Auto) keeps passengers entertained, and if there is an emergency, simply hit the SOS call button near the map lights. Additionally, even though visibility is good, the added assistance of the large yellow warning light of the blind-spot monitoring system will help keep things safe. If your trip is in the mountains, engine braking is surprisingly strong, and the paddle shifters are responsive.
But like any vehicle, there are plenty of ways to improve the little Subaru. In my third update I complained about its nonlinear acceleration, lack of a proximity key with push-start ignition for the price (the feature becomes standard on the higher Limited trim), and door locks that don't automatically lock or unlock (even when you drive away). Another thing about those door locks: When locked, pulling the handle won't open the door like in many vehicles; you have to press the unlock button or manually unlock it. Getting out of a modern-day car shouldn't require an extra step, and it could slow you down in case of an emergency.
I addressed the Crosstrek's just-adequate acceleration in my track-day update. Speaking of acceleration, when driving the Crosstrek hard, the CVT engages what feels like a temporary Sport mode (an official Sport mode doesn't exist) by becoming extra responsive. This is fine when having fun, but it can be annoying when you aren't. For example, if you apply a lot of throttle to beat traffic, be careful when you press the gas again; even a light application will result in a jerk because the transmission still thinks you want to go fast.
As much as I like the interior for the price point, I see room for improvement. The instrument cluster and small display screen look cheap and old, and so does the small upper center display screen. But those can be upgraded with the Limited or hybrid trims. The steering wheel column cover looks like a piece of construction paper, the heated seat switches and X-Mode buttons aren't up to par, and the center stack looks plain. I'm a big fan of quality-feeling shifters, like the Limited and hybrid models have. Our Premium trim tester's sounds and feels clunky. Additionally, I wish the USB ports were front facing, rear HVAC vents should be available, and more interior color is needed—the cabin is too dark. Lastly, the infotainment system is easy to use, and Apple CarPlay connects quickly, though it needs to react quicker to your inputs. There's a significant delay between your finger touching the screen and the system responding.
The Crosstrek proved to be reliable during our 13 months and 20,939 miles in it. We took it into the dealership three times for scheduled maintenance (7,500-mile intervals) and replaced a tire due to a slow leak from a gash in the sidewall. During one of the dealership visits, a recall for the stereo head unit was completed free of charge, but I never noticed any connectivity issues. The maintenance visits totaled $281.85, and the new tires cost $248.91. We averaged 25.9 mpg, a bit below the 2018 Crosstrek's 27/33 mpg city/highway EPA ratings but within the 24.5/35.1 mpg results from our EQUA Real MPG testing. Our former long-term Jeep Renegade cost us $67.35 in scheduled maintenance, but that was with half the miles; had the Renegade been driven a comparable 20,000 miles, its maintenance visits still would have been $100 or more below the Crosstrek. Our long-term Honda HR-V ($149.29 for two service visits over 20,348 miles) was also cheaper to maintain. A 2016 Mazda CX-3 tester ($534.34 over 35,386 miles and four service visits) was also cheaper to maintain per mile.
With a bit more power and some interior upgrades, the Subaru Crosstrek would be damn near perfect for a crossover. Despite its shortcomings, we're sorry to see the Crosstrek leave our long-term fleet.
Read more about our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek:
- Arrival
- Update 1: The Subaru Comfortable
- Update 2: Crosstrek Track Day
- Update 3: It's Time to Grumble
- Update 4: Hitting the Mountain
- Update 5: Off-Road Cred Confirmed
- Update 6: EyeSight or Not?