My '15 XV is the most useful vehicle I've ever owned. It's done 9K miles so far and I absolutely love it. Drove her through 6"+ of snow and she couldn't have cared less. 33 MPG in an AWD car that was $23,500 out the door. Incredible value for what you're actually getting.
I'm on my second Crosstrek now. I put 41K miles on the '14 Crosstrek, and now in my second Crosstrek ('16 Crosstrek Limited with Eyesight and Navigation). The '16 model is a really really nice improvement to the '13 and '14 Crosstrek. The interior is quieter, the leather feels nicer, the center console arm rest is no longer hard plaster - it is a soft leather wrapped arm rest, the new Eyesight is amazing - cruise control will keep its preset distance from the car in front and match their speed, it also tells you when traffic ahead has moved if you start daydreaming at a red light. The steering is improved, and I feel like the handling has as well. Still the ho-hum Yokohama Geolander G95 tires that wear out within 20-25k miles. Infotainment system is also much improved as well. I thought about a '17 Forester XT, but the colors are all monochromatic and bland, and the interior feels like sitting in a huge cathedral. Got myself a fully optioned out '16 Crosstrek in that new Hyper Blue color. Very happy.
Such a great car, just wish I could put my WRX engine in it. Still when the weather gets bad or I find a nice country road this is such a blast to drive.
I have one and I love it. I read reviews that said it doesn't accelerate very fast. It's quicker than my old 4x4 Colorado. You won't find an awd crossover with 33 mpg hwy with any other model and at $24k I thought it was a great value! I love driving and just got to try it out in the snow where it really shines!
It's all about functionality nowadays. With XV consumers are offered a versatile vehicle that can withstand more challenges than we would dare to push in everyday-usage. I don't mind the 'low hp' that you all whine about. It offers fuel economy in return. Who needs to get higher horsepower anyway? You'll be burning more fuel, which means burning more money for the same mileage, and for what? Arriving at destination 1 minute faster? I LOL at that really! Besides, it's not really that sluggish. You all whine about low hp on-paper, but try to drive it before you call it anything less than it should.
I don't know about you. But I find XV to be a perfect car. In this day and age where fuel price keeps getting higher, fuel-economy is of top priority, and a calmer driving style is somewhat compulsory if it is to be our priority. At the end of the day, we will all stop in the same batch of red lights anyway. And we achieve that through calmer (safer & more economical) drive...which will add to the comfort of the journey. I've just owned one and don't find it any less functional than the others, on the other hand, we find the XV to have significant performance edges compared to other cars in its category (Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage). If you've driven any of those cars, you would agree with me that XV is in a class of its own (despite your complaints). If you want less struggle up hills and good low-end torque...get a Forester / Outback instead.
I just owned my XV for exactly 10 days now. I'm loving it. Mine is the A/T Lineartronic version. It drives well and smooth. I always park down the basement of my apartment,and always have to drive it up hill every morning to drive my son to school. I don't find it sluggish. Most of the time, I drive it in busy traffic of Jakarta...I mean REALLY busy traffic, and I get 24 MPG for average fuel consumption, with average speed mostly around 15 MPH with plenty of stop-and-go's. When I drove it up a flyover at 40MPH, it's heavenly. My brother even goes so far as saying "the ride is so smooth that I can hardly feel the tires being 'glued' to the asphalt road." I usually drive at 50MPH on highway, and get the RPM reading at 1500, which gives me great fuel economy, believe it or not, 40MPG. I had it over a 200-mile drive.
Coming out in March, the 2014 Subaru Forester will achieve 24 MPG city, 32 MPG highway, and 27 MPG combined when paired with the 2.5 L H-4 with the CVT, and that is 1 MPG less from the XV Crosstrek's 2.0L engine with the CVT. The brand new XT engine for the 2014 Forester will be a turbo-charged direct injected 2.0L H-4, which accepts 87 octane fuel, but it is paired with a sophisticated CVT with X-Mode. Subaru claims 6.1 seconds for 0-60 acceleration with premium fuel for the XT.
My '14 crosstrek is slow as dirt, but it will climb a tree if I tell it to. It's been on countless offroad adventures, and a few road trips too. Economical on road, and capable off road. If you buy one, put the 2 inch lift on it... it makes all the difference!
Jason -- don't forget the Subaru Forester as well. It's redesigned for '14. It's great for your hopefully growing family. It falls in-between the XV Crosstrek and Outback. Still - test drive all of them, and see what suits your needs.
Sadly we're the unlucky ones :/ Everything and i mean everything is CVT only, we dont even get Legacy anymore, Levorg is closest successor to 4th Gen Legacy wagon and it's cvt only too. We dont get BRZ, WRX or STI anymore :/
The outback has more room but you will get stuck less in an XV. The Crosstrek (XV) is essentially an Outback sport but its more capable offroad so the gave it a different delineation in order to separate the two autos into different classes!
First week over with my new '13 Crosstrek. LOVE IT. I have the cvt tranny which took a while to get used to, but now no biggie. Averaging 25.5mpg city/hwy. Lots of complaints about power... none from me. If you want to smoke tires, buy a Vette. If you want an excellent snow/ice/off roader, this is perfect. Only complaint, which is small... Radio isn't all that impressive. And yes. mine is Tangerine Pearl, or as previously posted... Laxative Orange... LOL... but it looks good!
I kinda like these things, they aren't bad looking in person. And have a stance that manages to make it look more like a premium crossover than a gussied up wagon
Every car company is guilty of dumming down the north American versions, especially the side turn signals because out dated lighting regulations don't require it
plenty of backseat room for that. I have two big Pitties, and there is enough room for them and another adult. I also like that the rear doors swing open to an almost 90 degree angle, but, the roofline does cut into the entry/exit headroom a bit... inside is fine...
I'm looking at buying one. Looking at reasonable priced SUV for family car and liking this one. Not worried about the performance I have a 392 Challenger that is my toy car. Will a baby seat fit in the back seats is my only deal breaker.
My 2019 crosstrek is in the shop (weird oil leak that required the engine to be yanked) so the dealer loaned me a 23 Outback that had a turbo. Why Subaru, why won’t you make the turbo an option on all vehicles
The cvt is the better transmission choice for this particular car. Its not limited like the 5 speed manual. I own one and the performance is so much better with the cvt. I know that's blasphemy, but for this car its true. Drive both and see for yourself
Its a cool little off roader. Friend has one and stuck all terrains on. I just would not buy one at the price. If this was at $20k I would be all over it. Friend paid $31k otd. Fully loaded. No thanks.
Needs a boxier front end. Looks like a mommy mobile. Needs to be an inch higher. That interior is so 90s. Price could be $2k lower and it should fly off the dealers lots.
yea that is my debate right now. i just got married and plan on having kids. i like the xv but the outback does have more room. i guess it depends on how much more the outback will be.
The CVT is more responsive than if driving it in D mode - you choose how to rev the engine. More power = more gas consumption --> trade off! Reading more reviews from drivers will allow you and anyone else to see that this vehicle is not perfect, but it does check off all the requirements those drivers had. Here are mine: 1. Cargo space (checked!) 2. Style (checked!) 3. Off Road (checked) 4. Comfort (checked)
ron s True, but I'm actually against the trim level scam the manufacturers are pushing on the public. Every vehicle model should have one trim level so that each manufacturers literally has to compete. Competition is nothing but a word now a days.
A 25,000 Forester would have nothing, while a 25,000 Crosstrek would have leather and navigation. So it really depends on what you're looking for in a car.
My '15 XV is the most useful vehicle I've ever owned. It's done 9K miles so far and I absolutely love it. Drove her through 6"+ of snow and she couldn't have cared less. 33 MPG in an AWD car that was $23,500 out the door. Incredible value for what you're actually getting.
I'm on my second Crosstrek now. I put 41K miles on the '14 Crosstrek, and now in my second Crosstrek ('16 Crosstrek Limited with Eyesight and Navigation). The '16 model is a really really nice improvement to the '13 and '14 Crosstrek. The interior is quieter, the leather feels nicer, the center console arm rest is no longer hard plaster - it is a soft leather wrapped arm rest, the new Eyesight is amazing - cruise control will keep its preset distance from the car in front and match their speed, it also tells you when traffic ahead has moved if you start daydreaming at a red light. The steering is improved, and I feel like the handling has as well. Still the ho-hum Yokohama Geolander G95 tires that wear out within 20-25k miles. Infotainment system is also much improved as well. I thought about a '17 Forester XT, but the colors are all monochromatic and bland, and the interior feels like sitting in a huge cathedral. Got myself a fully optioned out '16 Crosstrek in that new Hyper Blue color. Very happy.
Such a great car, just wish I could put my WRX engine in it. Still when the weather gets bad or I find a nice country road this is such a blast to drive.
+John Smith If you wanted a WRX SUV, you should've got the Forester XT.
I have one and I love it. I read reviews that said it doesn't accelerate very fast. It's quicker than my old 4x4 Colorado. You won't find an awd crossover with 33 mpg hwy with any other model and at $24k I thought it was a great value! I love driving and just got to try it out in the snow where it really shines!
Just bought one....Great Car!
It's all about functionality nowadays. With XV consumers are offered a versatile vehicle that can withstand more challenges than we would dare to push in everyday-usage.
I don't mind the 'low hp' that you all whine about. It offers fuel economy in return. Who needs to get higher horsepower anyway? You'll be burning more fuel, which means burning more money for the same mileage, and for what? Arriving at destination 1 minute faster? I LOL at that really! Besides, it's not really that sluggish. You all whine about low hp on-paper, but try to drive it before you call it anything less than it should.
I don't know about you. But I find XV to be a perfect car. In this day and age where fuel price keeps getting higher, fuel-economy is of top priority, and a calmer driving style is somewhat compulsory if it is to be our priority.
At the end of the day, we will all stop in the same batch of red lights anyway. And we achieve that through calmer (safer & more economical) drive...which will add to the comfort of the journey.
I've just owned one and don't find it any less functional than the others, on the other hand, we find the XV to have significant performance edges compared to other cars in its category (Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage). If you've driven any of those cars, you would agree with me that XV is in a class of its own (despite your complaints).
If you want less struggle up hills and good low-end torque...get a Forester / Outback instead.
I just owned my XV for exactly 10 days now. I'm loving it. Mine is the A/T Lineartronic version. It drives well and smooth. I always park down the basement of my apartment,and always have to drive it up hill every morning to drive my son to school. I don't find it sluggish. Most of the time, I drive it in busy traffic of Jakarta...I mean REALLY busy traffic, and I get 24 MPG for average fuel consumption, with average speed mostly around 15 MPH with plenty of stop-and-go's.
When I drove it up a flyover at 40MPH, it's heavenly. My brother even goes so far as saying "the ride is so smooth that I can hardly feel the tires being 'glued' to the asphalt road."
I usually drive at 50MPH on highway, and get the RPM reading at 1500, which gives me great fuel economy, believe it or not, 40MPG. I had it over a 200-mile drive.
Halim Tsiang Exactly, this car is perfect
Thanks for the feedback. Will be a rear facing car seat for a newborn. Will go by the local dealer and see it.
Coming out in March, the 2014 Subaru Forester will achieve 24 MPG city, 32 MPG highway, and 27 MPG combined when paired with the 2.5 L H-4 with the CVT, and that is 1 MPG less from the XV Crosstrek's 2.0L engine with the CVT. The brand new XT engine for the 2014 Forester will be a turbo-charged direct injected 2.0L H-4, which accepts 87 octane fuel, but it is paired with a sophisticated CVT with X-Mode. Subaru claims 6.1 seconds for 0-60 acceleration with premium fuel for the XT.
My '14 crosstrek is slow as dirt, but it will climb a tree if I tell it to. It's been on countless offroad adventures, and a few road trips too. Economical on road, and capable off road.
If you buy one, put the 2 inch lift on it... it makes all the difference!
Jason -- don't forget the Subaru Forester as well. It's redesigned for '14. It's great for your hopefully growing family. It falls in-between the XV Crosstrek and Outback. Still - test drive all of them, and see what suits your needs.
Definitely became pretty damned popular. I love my Crosstrek.
Sadly we're the unlucky ones :/ Everything and i mean everything is CVT only, we dont even get Legacy anymore, Levorg is closest successor to 4th Gen Legacy wagon and it's cvt only too. We dont get BRZ, WRX or STI anymore :/
Thank you so much for uploading, Motorweek!
The outback has more room but you will get stuck less in an XV. The Crosstrek (XV) is essentially an Outback sport but its more capable offroad so the gave it a different delineation in order to separate the two autos into different classes!
I'm sure saabkyle has watched john davis' reviews. But I agree they both are good I have been watching motorweek for over 20 years
First week over with my new '13 Crosstrek. LOVE IT. I have the cvt tranny which took a while to get used to, but now no biggie. Averaging 25.5mpg city/hwy. Lots of complaints about power... none from me. If you want to smoke tires, buy a Vette. If you want an excellent snow/ice/off roader, this is perfect. Only complaint, which is small... Radio isn't all that impressive. And yes. mine is Tangerine Pearl, or as previously posted... Laxative Orange... LOL... but it looks good!
I kinda like these things, they aren't bad looking in person. And have a stance that manages to make it look more like a premium crossover than a gussied up wagon
The 2.0i Premium comes in manual standard (automatic is a $1000 option) if they could only bring the Diesel in the states.
Every car company is guilty of dumming down the north American versions, especially the side turn signals because out dated lighting regulations don't require it
plenty of backseat room for that. I have two big Pitties, and there is enough room for them and another adult. I also like that the rear doors swing open to an almost 90 degree angle, but, the roofline does cut into the entry/exit headroom a bit... inside is fine...
I'm looking at buying one. Looking at reasonable priced SUV for family car and liking this one. Not worried about the performance I have a 392 Challenger that is my toy car. Will a baby seat fit in the back seats is my only deal breaker.
Nice premise but it would need a turbo and a 6 speed to really present a compelling case for purchase...
My 2019 crosstrek is in the shop (weird oil leak that required the engine to be yanked) so the dealer loaned me a 23 Outback that had a turbo. Why Subaru, why won’t you make the turbo an option on all vehicles
nice value
The cvt is the better transmission choice for this particular car. Its not limited like the 5 speed manual. I own one and the performance is so much better with the cvt. I know that's blasphemy, but for this car its true. Drive both and see for yourself
Courtney Bayer I have a 6 speed and did some modifications to the intake system. Now it goes 210kph
I really liked this car. It just wished it offered more powerful engine option, or even a turbo diesel.
Its a cool little off roader. Friend has one and stuck all terrains on. I just would not buy one at the price. If this was at $20k I would be all over it. Friend paid $31k otd. Fully loaded. No thanks.
Looks like you are getting one then! Plenty of rear space, I am looking to buy one myself.
Needs a boxier front end. Looks like a mommy mobile. Needs to be an inch higher. That interior is so 90s. Price could be $2k lower and it should fly off the dealers lots.
This might be my wife's new car.
We ended up buying the Outback for more room. The Crosstrek was nice but not as roomy as the Outback.
I think it looks a lot better in person.
Those wheels look awesome!!!
yea that is my debate right now. i just got married and plan on having kids. i like the xv but the outback does have more room. i guess it depends on how much more the outback will be.
looks not "lloks" change that please
The CVT is more responsive than if driving it in D mode - you choose how to rev the engine. More power = more gas consumption --> trade off!
Reading more reviews from drivers will allow you and anyone else to see that this vehicle is not perfect, but it does check off all the requirements those drivers had.
Here are mine:
1. Cargo space (checked!)
2. Style (checked!)
3. Off Road (checked)
4. Comfort (checked)
I was wondering; couldn't you just use custom suspension mods to raise the ride height of the regular impreza?
The only big problem with my XV is the Radio display.
If I didn't get my Prius C this would of been my second choice.
Don't think there is enough differentiation between the XV and regular Impreza to justify the added cost.
Indeed. They should really bring over the diesels
Kiitos
That is highly debatable and subjective.
I love mine!
Wow they could have put a turbo boxer motor that thing is a turtle.
If they had brought the diesel and the 6 speed trans over I would have bought one. Guess I`ll have to stay with the Forrester.
That will change with the next generation Forester.
Wished they offered a bigger engine.
thx!!
Sure wish Subaru would have tuned this with a little more horsepower, or shoehorned a turbo into it.
Diesel 6-Speed manual please!!!
I like the interior...simple, useful, nice materials...unlike the new ford escape--which looks like megatron puked all over the dash....
Funny thing, it already is flying off the lots. I'm a man, and this car couldn't be much more appealing to me.
5-speed auto or CVT...tsk tsk tsk. 6 speed auto or 6-speed manual should be the options and it needs another 50 HP. Put the WRX engine/trans in this.
Their interiors need some ne design, quality upgrades.
Mazda here I come diesel coming in the CX-5.
the 2.0l engine need more hp or option to rwd only
but the 5 speed is a better division of the available power, the 6th gear in the euro xv is kinda totally lame...:L
Those are what you call "proper all terrains?"
drop the BRZ motor with 200 HP in it and you would have the perfect rig!
Precisely
Aside from being a bit more attractive, it's less vehicle for more money than a Forester. Just doesn't make any sense.
should left the old 2.5L engine in it. 148HP these days is just lacking.
It’s pretty bad that my CR-V would smoke this thing in a straight line. 9.8 seconds is just sad
Why are you racing a CRV?
why even test performance specs? this car isn't even about that
I WANT...but in a Diesel.
The engine in this doesn't fit right. Way low on power. They could have atleast paired it with a 5-speed auto or something but they had to go CVT -_-
Of course, the US gets the worst options...5 speed, CVT, no diesel.
I like the case; it's just those horrible looking rims... Why, subaru?
Most people I have talked to like the wheels. Matter of taste I suppose.
+SxyGrl44 People either really like the rims or hate them. Personally, I like them
I like them too. The 2016 rims are nice as well...just a subtle modification of the previous ones.
Offer more power, and one will be sitting in my driveway.
2.0D alternative is much faster
Seagal Fan It is, but not by far. An Outback with the 2.0D watchs my tail lights in my 6 speed 2.0i XV
I'm sorry but damn those wheels have to go...
Diesel
Kinda stup*d for Subaru to stick to 5-speed manual when everybody else is moving to 6-speed.
I think this car is a waste. Might as well buy a Forester for the money.
depends on which price point you're looking for.
ron s True, but I'm actually against the trim level scam the manufacturers are pushing on the public. Every vehicle model should have one trim level so that each manufacturers literally has to compete. Competition is nothing but a word now a days.
A 25,000 Forester would have nothing, while a 25,000 Crosstrek would have leather and navigation. So it really depends on what you're looking for in a car.
CVT? Seriously?? Well, crossing that one off my list. Too bad really...
Yuck
Kiitos