Subaru Crosstrek: 2018 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Finalist

We Like: Tidy capability, excellent CVT response; plush ride; strong off-road; overall value

We Don’t Like: Weak engine; manual transmission’s vague clutch and notchy shifter

With base prices of just over $23,000 (Crosstrek Premium) to a few dollars over $27,000 (Limited), the lifted Subaru Impreza wagon carries a burly demeanor and playful color palette.

This all-wheel-drive problem solver will safely and comfortably get you around town with its new EyeSight safety suite, fuel-sipping 2.0-liter direct-injection engine, and newfound infotainment connectivity—but it also has the capability to get you to the ski slopes, trailheads, and fishing holes as well as any full-blown, full-scale SUV would.

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The 2018 Crosstrek impressed the judges with its smooth and sorted ride, its true off-road capability, its 8.7-inch ground clearance, and the prompt and smart responses from its revised continuously variable transmission.

The novelty of the available six-speed manual transmission quickly wore thin, however, because it emphasized the Crosstrek’s biggest liability—a real lack of power. The Subie stumbled on our Highway 58 uphill merge with 18-wheelers looming large. Although it’s more than a second quicker to 60 mph than its predecessor, this only makes it tolerably slow. We’re eagerly waiting for Subaru to add the 2.0-liter turbo to the lineup. The positive trade-off is more than 30 mpg combined in our Real MPG testing.

We were impressed with the Crosstrek’s excellent sight lines, the amount of rear passenger space, and the base infotainment system with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The EyeSight safety suite, reverse cross-traffic automatic braking, navigation, and Harman Kardon audio option is a steal at $3,445. The value here is off the scale. Just a bit more power, please.

	2018 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i (Limited)	2018 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i (Premium)
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT	Front engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV	Front-engine, AWD
ENGINE TYPE	Flat-4, alum block/heads	Flat-4, alum block/heads
VALVETRAIN	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT	121.7 cu in/1,995 cc	121.7 cu in/1,995 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO	12.5:1	12.5:1
POWER (SAE NET)	152 hp @ 6,000 rpm	152 hp @ 6,000 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET)	145 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm	145 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
REDLINE	6,250 rpm	6,300 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER	21.6 lb/hp	20.7 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION	Cont variable auto	6-speed manual
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO	3.90:1/2.17:1/ —	4.44/3.28:1/—
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR	Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar	Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO	13.0:1	13.0:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK	2.6	2.6
BRAKES, F; R	11.6-in vented disc; 10.8-in disc, ABS	11.6-in vented disc; 10.8-in disc, ABS
WHEELS, F;R	7.0 x 17-in cast aluminum	7.0 x 17-in cast aluminum
TIRES, F;R	225/55R18 98H (M+S) Falken Ziex ZE001 A/S	225/60R17 98H (M+S) Yokohama Geolander 691
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE	104.9 in	104.9 in
TRACK, F/R	61.0/61.2 in	61.0/61.2 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	175.8 x 71.0 x 62.6 in	175.8 x 71.0 x 62.6 in
GROUND CLEARANCE	8.7 in	8.7 in
APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE	18.0/29.0 deg	18.0/29.0 deg
TURNING CIRCLE	35.4 ft	35.4 ft
CURB WEIGHT	3,284 lb	3,143 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R	59/41%	58/42%
TOWING CAPACITY	1,500 lb	1,500 lb
SEATING CAPACITY	5	5
HEADROOM, F/M/R	37.6/37.8/— in	39.8/38.0/— in
LEGROOM, F/M/R	43.1/36.5/— in	43.1/36.5/— in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R	56.7/55.6/— in	56.7/55.6/— in
CARGO VOLUME BEH 1st/2nd/3rd	55.3/20.8/— cu ft	55.3/20.8/— cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30	3.4 sec	2.7 sec
0-40	5.0	4.4
0-50	6.8	6.5
0-60	9.0	8.8
0-70	11.7	12.0
0-80	15.2	—
0-90	—	—
0-100	—	—
PASSING, 45-65 MPH	4.4	4.9
QUARTER MILE	16.9 sec @ 80.8 mph	16.7 sec @ 77.4 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	131 ft	125 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.80 g (avg)	0.79 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	28.4 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)	28.2 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH	1,700 rpm	2,450 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE	$27,210	$23,510
PRICE AS TESTED	$30,655	$23,510
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS	7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee	7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee
BASIC WARRANTY	3 yrs/36,000 miles	3 yrs/36,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY	5 yrs/60,000 miles	5 yrs/60,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE	3 yrs/36,000 miles	3 yrs/36,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY	16.6 gal	16.6 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	20.9/33.8/25.2 mpg	25.9/38.9/30.5 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON	27/33/29 mpg	23/29/25 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	125/102 kW-hrs/100 miles	147/116 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.66 lb/mile	0.76 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL	Unleaded regular	Unleaded regular

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