Still shopping for a car. Pretty much down to either a Mazda 3 hatch or a Subaru crosstrek (I know it's apples and oranges, but they are what is currently made i like). Truck is too much $ for no real benefit to me as I don't tow or haul anything substantial and plan to keep my current s10 for what little I do.

So, what do you think of the crosstrek? Underpowered? Noisy on the highway? Lousy economy? No room in interior? I was thinking of the premium for nicer steering wheel, fogs and the heated seats since we do get winter where I am currently. 2019 most likely. The new global platform. Probably buy the up graded speakers too.

I was in a ‘15 Legacy 3.6R. I put 73k almost trouble free miles in that car. Had issues with weak battery but that was fixed in ‘18. I recently test drove an ‘18 Outback and the ‘19 Outback and Crosstrek since I was looking into a taller vehicle. After having the 3.6R, Subaru’s 4 cyl was underpowered for me. Yes the gas mileage improvement over their 6 cyl was much better. I was averaging 22mpg mixed and almost 30mpg on the freeway with the Legacy. The heated front and rear seats were a bonus. Their Harmon Kardon setup is nothing to write home about. I wasn’t impressed.

One of the firemen who works for the same city I do has had his ‘17 Crosstrek for awhile and loves it.

In the end, Subaru wouldn’t give me what I wanted for my Legacy trade-in so I went back to BMW.

I test drove a Crosstrek a few years ago. If I recall correctly, it had 147 hp at the time. It could definitely use a few more ponies.

Some random thoughts:
Subaru can't seem to make a 4 cylinder engine worth a damn; I'd be concerned about reliability.
The Crosstrek has the most watered down version of Subaru's AWD so no real benefit over competitors.
I keep hearing good things about Mazda although I have no direct experience.

I'd go with Mazda if it's just between those choices.

My wife had a Crosstrek for a couple years. (It was either a 2014 or 2015 model.) She ended up trading it in for a WRX in late 2016.

It was okay overall, but was noticeably underpowered. That was both of our main complaints about it, and the reason she upgraded to the WRX.

I don't recall is being super noisy on the highway, but it's been a couple years, so I don't really remember.

Size-wise, it's not huge inside, but it's a little bit bigger inside than the other Subarus in its family, the Impreza and the WRX. It's basically just a lifted Impreza hatchback, but that means it has a bit extra headroom and slightly deeper footwell than the others.

The Crosstrek was just big enough for me to fit in comfortably, whereas her WRX is just a bit too small. (My head hits the ceiling when she goes over a bump.) It was also not quite as low to the ground as the Impreza/WRX, which was nice when clambering in and out.

I preferred riding in the passenger seat of the Crosstrek to riding in the WRX. But I definitely prefer driving the WRX to the Crosstrek.

I like Subaru, but wouldn't buy another Crosstrek. IMO, the Crosstrek isn't really great at anything. There are better options for that style of car, even among the various Subarus.

(Although some of this might have changed recently, with the 2018+s built on the different chassis. I haven't driven one of the newest generation ones, and haven't really paid attention to the specs on them either.)

Subaru engines are garbage. Mazda makes a much nicer, better vehicle overall. Their AWD system is more advanced than Subaru's, if you want AWD get the CX-3 or CX-5.

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
Subaru engines are garbage.

Respectfully, you're full of shit to point where your eyes are brown.

I'd buy a new Crosstrek in a heartbeat. Love the improvements over the old version. Only negative I've heard is the 2.0 can be a little underpowered, but just last week I was cruising 75mph (actual) up a mountain and a new Crosstrek passed me so they can't be TOO under powered.
My sister just traded her 2016 Mazda 3 hatchback for a 2019 Crosstrek and loves it.

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
Subaru engines are garbage.

Respectfully, you're full of shit to point where your eyes are brown.

Head gaskets.

I looked a both about two years ago and went with the Mazda 3 hatchback 2.5 touring.

Every time I saw a Crosstreck I still kinda yearned for one, but that Mazda was sweet.

But I really wanted a Jeep Wrangler. So my wife told me to quit whining and get one lol

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
Subaru engines are garbage.

Respectfully, you're full of shit to point where your eyes are brown.

Head gaskets.

Can you give me models and years where this a modern concern? Solved and addressed by SOA years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
Subaru engines are garbage.

Respectfully, you're full of shit to point where your eyes are brown.

Head gaskets.

Head gaskets was many years ago. But they never did step up and take care of the owners.

Current class action lawsuit on the EJ forced Subaru’s hand for warranties, replacements, and refunds on them for spun bearings. They never did sort out the ringland problem on that motor either.

And they had another class action lawsuit regarding oil burning.

The FA DIT seems pretty solid providing you don’t tune it too high. Subaru is hit and miss on their engines.

Our daughter has one. She has had an issue with high oil consumption.

quote:

Subaru is hit and miss on their engines

Yep.

The head gasket issues included Subaru engines up to the 2010 model year. It has been corrected. The best explanation I have found was the Subaru “boxer” engine is a flat plane engine. When not running, the engine coolant never drained from the cylinder heads. Over time, the coolant became corrosive, and deteriorated the head gaskets. Subaru has addressed the issue with upgraded head gaskets, a coolant stabilizer, and it is extrememy rare for it to happen again after new head gaskets were installed. 60,000 miles seemed to be the start of the problem if it occurs on older engines. I personally have not heard of it happen on a 2011 and up. But I’m not a mechanic either.

Subaru sets the bar for AWD. A simple YouTube search will show you almost every vehicle manufacturer who makes an AWD system tries to compare it to Subaru’s system. That being said, Subaru recommends front and rear differential fluid replacement every 30,000 miles. Probably cost $300-$400. The Subaru AWD system will not operate properly once differential fluid loses viscosity. I know this for a fact.

You are comparing apples to oranges. Mazda at the same price point, would probably have more features. If you want it for the AWD, I have a hard time believing the Subaru is not the better choice. The one thing I like about both, is they can both be found with a manual transmission. If you plan on keeping a car for 20 years, and 300,000 miles, go with the Subaru. If you don’t specifically need the AWD, go with the Mazda.

I think a lot of the other engine issues being reported deal with turbo engines, just from what I have seen. I still see a lot of 15yr old WRX’s rolling around. I can’t even recall the last time I saw a Mazda 3Speed, and they’ve only been out of production a few years. Turbos get beat, regardless who makes them. That’s the fun factor of owning one, until you have to pay to fix it.

I've owned the 2015 Special Edition.

Yellow, AWD, black cloth interior, heated seats, sunroof, touchscreen, etc.

Bought over 'the internet'. Bargained and harangued for the price. held it's value when i sold it.

Ticked all my boxes. Bought for the mileage. 34mpg on the 140 mile daily commute.

The paddle shifters were great; I learned to like Subaru's CVT. Not a lot of hp but that's not why I bought it. Plenty of room inside.

Handled well and was more than reasonable on the freeways for stability, steering, comfort, vision, ergos... could always find it in a carpark.

Never had one thing go wrong, no oil leaks form the 2.0 liter engine.

Subaru were great for service, never an issue.

I looked at CX-5 and the then new CX-3, CR-V, Hyundai/Kia/Toyota RAV4... kept going back to the yellow Subie.

Happy memories.



--chris

I've had my 2014 Crosstrek for 5 years this October. I love it in the city/town and rural driving. On the interstate, it will go fast, and it is solid and comfortable at speed, but it doesn't get there quickly. It's acceptable for that purpose too, but it's worth mentioning. It's actually pretty quick off the line with the torquey i4 and the AWD.

The interior is excellent. Plenty of room. The ground clearance is excellent. I went with the model that has the CVT and heated seats but no sunroof because the upgraded audio seemed like a shittier interface than a simple knob setup that I prefer.

Update: I suppose I should mention I have 42k miles and am on the original brakes. All I've done is a spare steel wheelset with Blizzaks and oil changes. Only repair was a rear view camera which stopped working sometimes when it was WAY below zero. Which it was a few years after I bought it. Like neg 18 without windchill factored in. Then the other day I got some weird idiot light combo. It went away after I restarted the car, but if it comes back, it looks like there's a $22 sensor that I can change out in a minute under the dash. Youtube link for your reference. Again, 5 years old. I've ZERO regrets with this one. I'm amazed people are still talking about the head gaskets issues as though the current production lineup is having issues. That's ancient history.

https://youtu.be/wCjhrVglaHA

We just bought the Mrs. a new Crosstrek. She loves it. My Outback is coming up on five years old and it’s been a great car.

I agree, the Subaru 4-cyl engines are underpowered. But I can still go 80 on the interstate if I need to. They are solid, safe cars that hold their value.

We are on our second Crosstrek. We lease and swap every 3 years. I really like it, the motor could have a little more power, but I'm o.k. with it.

We have had 4 Foresters in the past. Needed the larger back space for our Boxer dogs. No longer have them, we down-sized to a Boston Terrier

Had a '15 that was totalled out from under me by a Cadillac SRX. I survived with minor bruising to my chest from the belt cranking tight. I had a '16 6 weeks later. Love it. From what I understand the 18/19s are even more better. Under powered? Compared to...? I was willing to trade 0-60 in 4 seconds for 32 mpg in an all wheel drive vehicle that has proven survivability. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a better full-time AWD system for that price point.All IMHO, of course. (And we got my wife a '18 Outback for only 2mpg less!)

quote:

Originally posted by M-11:
Under powered? Compared to...?

Compared to every other Subaru I've ever owned or driven, and most other cars I've owned/driven.

quote:

(And we got my wife a '18 Outback for only 2mpg less!)

Exactly. Other Subarus are better options. The Crosstrek tries to hit all the marks, and misses them all in the process.

If you absolutely have to have the best fuel efficiency, get a regular Impreza for a few more MPG than the Crosstrek. If you're okay with a small car but want something that's not underpowered, get a WRX. If you want something a bit bigger than a WRX with more cargo space, and are willing to sacrifice a bit of power compared to the WRX while still having more power than the Crosstrek with similar MPG, get a Forester or Outback. (And the Turbo Forester and 3.6 Outback have even more zoom at the cost of lower fuel efficiency.)

My wife has a WRX and is happy, because she wanted power over interior/cargo space. I have a Forester and am happy, because I wanted space over power (to a point). Neither of us were happy with a Crosstrek, which didn't have enough space OR enough power. Too much of a compromise on everything.