I'm seriously considering buying a Second Gen Suburu Crosstrek. Not quit a traditional LGG like the Outback. My wife has already inquired if she has to "convert"

Looking at 2019-2020 model years. We want the 6 speed manual transmission and not a CVT.

Drove a 2018 at a Suburu dealer last week and we both really liked it. We want one in either red or sunburst orange which the one we drove was neither.

For those that currently or previously owned one of these, what's the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

We'll use this as our travel vehicle. The AWD, safety emphasis and Suburu reliability are big factors along with the much better gas mileage than our F150's get. We like to do outdoor things, hiking and exploring.

Any input on this platform is appreciated. Thanks!

Sunburst orange requires rainbow tie-dye shirts, bell bottoms, a copy of Frank Zappa tunes, a Dead Head window sticker, Birkenstock's, and pachouli air fresheners in the AC vents

Try to find one w/ the 2.5L, not the 2.0.Lil bit extra helps.
My son will pick up his new 2025 Premium on Memorial Day.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Sunburst orange requires rainbow tie-dye shirts, bell bottoms, a copy of Frank Zappa tunes, a Dead Head window sticker, Birkenstock's, and pachouli air fresheners in the AC vents

And? No Birks, gave up patchouli about 1971

Buffalo plaid hippie by Brad Benzing, on Flickr

Orange & a 6mt sounds like a winner.
I've had a few cvt Impreza for rentals & liked them, even with the less powerful 2.0

The semi-official vehicle of MQT. Just about everybody has a Subaru. Its a snow car.

Bought my daughter a new 2020 Impreza sedan (the car version of the Crosstrek, lots of compatible parts). She's at 63k miles now after 5 years. Other than standard oil changes (6mo/6k, cost $25 ish to do it myself), we have replaced the battery and starter (last month) and I did brakes all around before last winter.

Oh, also on her second set of tires. But even with AWD, I do have a dedicated set of winter tires. Two winters ago during a very bad snowstorm, I was driving her car to work and was able to get a deep snow covered hill while SUVs and pickups were sliding backwards.

she stuck this little sticker on it to be funny


I had a 2015 Subaru Legacy 3.6R from 2014-2018. I put almost 80k miles on it with no issues other than a weak battery in year 3. It did have the cracked windshield issue but that was covered under a recall.

I have a PDF of the 2017 Crosstrek service manual I can send you if you do get one. I think it is second generation which goes to 2023.

Both our Subarus were CVTs. I did test drive a WRX in 2018 and liked the way it shifted but if I was going to have to pay for premium gas, I would just go back to BMW, which I did. But I liked Subaru enough that I got my daughter one. Looking at getting her a new Crosstrek soon and giving the Impreza to her brother who is just learning how to drive.

My wife drives a 2020 Crosstrek that we bought new in 2020. In short, my wife likes her car.

The car has been reliable. We have replaced brakes and tires and followed the maintenance schedule, but no service issues at 50,000 miles.

We have taken the car on some long trips. My observations:
The 2.0 engine and CVT are not going to set land speed records but are adequate. The 2.5 and MT would ideal but weren't available in the Crosstrek when we bought it. I think Subaru is missing an opportunity with the Crosstrek by not offering that engine/transmission combo.
The seats aren't too bad. I am 6' and don't feel cramped but anyone taller than me might feel different.
We live in PA so the AWD comes in handy in the winter but we don't get much snow.
My wife loves the size and the hatch. She is a gardener and it's easy for her to load flats of plants.

A fellow skeet shooter drives ALOT of miles. He recently replaced a 2020 Crosstrek at 100K miles (no problems) with a 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness. He told me the increased power and better seats make it a nicer ride.

At least with this model you can avoid the AWFULL (Affluent White Female Urban Lesbian Liberal)/"Karen"/"Bernie Bro" stereotype associated with the Forester.

I'm kicking around the idea of getting my son an older Subaru as his first car. He get's his permit in a few months. I found this guy on Youtube, MrSubaru1387, he has a lot of good videos about mechanical stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/@MrSubaru1387

quote:

Originally posted by SPWAMike0317:

I think Subaru is missing an opportunity with the Crosstrek by not offering that engine/transmission combo.

You aren't the first to say this however it's not possible because many of the traction control and stability systems are automatic and tied into the CVT and computer systems.

I had a 2018 6MT for about 5 years. Now my son owns it.

Excellent in the snow. With true snow tires nothing has bested it, though the Audi Quattro equals it.

Super easy to drive. Nice gearbox. The 2.0l engine is adequate, and gets excellent fuel economy. I recommend 5W-30 engine oil. It quiets the engine above 3000 rpm, and eliminates oil consumption. Under engine braking the US recommended 0W-20 gets sucked past the piston rings and burns. We have some long steep hills here and it was an issue.

The body metal is known to be easily dented. If you hate door dings, you'll be parking at the far end of shopping center lots. The paint is easily chipped, and then it rusts easily. So you have to repair the chips.

The factory service intervals for the differentials is bad. It calls for inspecting the lubricant at something like 30,000 miles, but doesn't spec replacing it. The rear diff is super easy to service. The front diff and transmission share the oil, and it is pretty eady diy to drain and fill. However, carefully select the oil because it needs to be syncro safe for the trans while good for the diff.

The windshield glass is a bit thin, so there is some wind and road noise. It is not the premium sound absorbing glass (at least not from the factory).

I believe the reputation for longevity and reliability is well earned. Just stay away from the cvt.

All great info.

Living in rural but very southern Michigan, we don't get tons of snow. But we travel to northern Michigan frequently and love WV and in winter they get plenty of snow in the mountains.

Damn near impossible to find one with a manual transmission around here. If I could, I would consider buying it.

We have leased two and purchased our current one.
Both of us really like the car! It fits our needs perfectly. Perfect size for us, our range box fits in the back perfectly for our range outings.

Won't be the last Crosstrek.

Our second one was Sunburst Orange, LOVED the color - VERY EASY to spot in the parking lot. I even bought a watch and watch band to match it.

The Crosstrek didn’t offer a 2.5 engine until the 2021 model year. First available in the Sport & Limited models. Beginning in ‘17 & ‘18 they started using thicker windshield glass to make them quieter.

I have 2. A 2017 that I gave to my son and my DD, a 2021.

Neither has had any mechanical issues or any issues for that matter. The 17 has the 2.0 and the 21 has the 2.5. Totally worth it to get the bigger motor. It’s 30 hp but that’s 20% more. You will appreciate the difference. For comparison that is the motor that is in the larger Forester. Get the 2.5.

I have no issues with std transmissions but I will be the outlier on Subarus CVT. I lived in snowy, hilly country for years and flat ass Florida for years. The CVT not only has given me zero issues I briefly owned a traditional Toyota automatic non CVT transmission and I would take the subie CVT every day of the week.

A Crosstrek with a turbo and manual would be intriguing. It would also wildly cut into WRX sales which I suspect is their biggest reason for not adding hp to the lineup.

I would/will buy another Subaru. Next one I’m probably going up to the 260hp Outback. That thing moves pretty good for a station wagon. Lol

quote:

Originally posted by Appliance Brad:

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Sunburst orange requires rainbow tie-dye shirts, bell bottoms, a copy of Frank Zappa tunes, a Dead Head window sticker, Birkenstock's, and pachouli air fresheners in the AC vents

And? No Birks, gave up patchouli about 1971

[url =https://flic.kr/p/2pjYuXJ][IMG]https://live.staticflickr. com/65535/53379618832_89b7231c44_z.jpg[/IMG] [/url]Buffalo plaid hippie by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/ 186579280@N04/]Brad Benzing[/url], on Flickr

Perfect, but you still need a dead head sticker!

I had a ‘20 Crosstrek Limited, and I put about 36k trouble free miles on it before trading it in on a ‘23 Forester Wilderness.

I only sold it because I wanted something a little bigger since my newly retired wife and I wanted to travel more. Also, I really wanted the Wilderness version for more more off-road capability.

My daughter and SIL have an Impreza, and they haven’t reported any problems- knowing I care about those things.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Damn near impossible to find one with a manual transmission around here. If I could, I would consider buying it.

You won't find one in the future. Subaru is pushing their Eyesight system and it cannot work on manual transmissions.