Get the 2.5L - don't hesitate here. My 2018 2.0 is baarrreeelly adequate and is one of my major life regrets of the last 5 years. I'm not kidding. With the CVT, this thing wheezes like an 80 year old uncle.
Choice between 2.0L and 2.5L - Feedback needed.
Model Year 2018 and Newer
81 - 100 of 109 Posts
I have a 2014 2.0l Crosstrek I bought used in 2018 after my 2.5l 97 Legacy finally died. I miss the power my old Subaru had until the end. I live at high altitude and have hills to accelerate up every day. My 2014 is fine once I get up to speed, but the power is lacking. I'd also like to feel confident towing a trailered raft. I haven't done that yet, not sure I will with this Crosstrek. My next one will have a more powerful engine for sure. With that said I plan to drive my 2014 as long as possible.
Yep, I've seen that, and I think it might end up being true for the Impreza, but I think it's super-unlikely for the North America-market Crosstrek. Making the 2.5-liter engine available in the 2021 has seen such an overwhelmingly positive response, that there's no realistic way Subaru can go backwards now. At most, the 1.5 would only be in a base-level model to allow them to advertise a low entry price point. The focus will be on more adequately powered trims.
The subcompact crossover market has really been exploding lately, to the point where its breaking up into smaller market sub-segments. The Crosstrek is definitely in the upper end of that range, competing more with vehicles like the Mazda CX-30, where even the base model has 186 HP, and there will soon be a 250-HP turbo available. Anyone who thinks the Crosstrek is in the same econo segment as the HR-V, say, really needs to go try driving an HR-V sometime.
At the risk of getting shut down for political statements... 
The U.S. has always wanted bigger engines. It's noteworthy that there was a 1.6 offering in Europe, by Subaru. Now there's a 2.5 in the U.S.
What do U.S. consumers want (because that's what really drives the market)?
The U.S. has always wanted bigger engines. It's noteworthy that there was a 1.6 offering in Europe, by Subaru. Now there's a 2.5 in the U.S.
What do U.S. consumers want (because that's what really drives the market)?
Ha! Given what's happened in America the last couple of days, you'd have to go a little farther than that.At the risk of getting shut down for political statements...
But yeah, that would be an interesting subject for a longer discussion in another thread. Americans have long had a fondness for unnecessarily large vehicles, and some of it seems like overcompensation to me ... but many of us also have pretty different driving patterns and needs than most Europeans do, so some of that difference is definitely also justified.
I would love to be proven wrong. However, think about it this way: 150hp, despite screams from journalists and north american afficionados, has proven to be perfectly adequate for the Crosstrek and the Impreza. Sales figures over the past years corroborate it. Keeping that horsepower (for base trims) while improving fuel economy will be a major sales argument for both cars while feeding CAFE requirements; moreover if the new platform is , say, 100 kg lighter, performance will improve. The disappearance of a MT (which IMHO will happpen) will drop productions cost, improve fuel economy and make Eyesight standart across all trims. More ammo for a succesful marketing strategy.
Now, I agree that after giving us a larger engine, they will not take a higher powered option back. However the engine can change - It'll remain to be seen if it will be the FB25, or the CB18 found in the Levorg/JDM Forester Sport - and on which trims it will be present. If Subaru wants to phase out FB engines, focusing on a smaller turborcharged line-up (again.. less engines, lower costs, better fuel economy ), the CB18 will be a blessing.
Longer term, and a tongue-in-cheek comment: if the Crosstrek ends up with two FI powerplants, this forum will turn into a crossover NASIOC. Newbies wanting to raise boost without even knowing what it means, endless questions on where to put the pssssssssssht BOV, whining about blown rings, "Stage 4" Crosstreks, and a dying grumpy breed of N/A manual transmission owners.
Our Crosstrek forum overrun by the NASIOC crowd? Man, that's a scary thought.
If we've got a year and a half or so until the next-gen Crosstrek arrives, it means that Subaru has already decided on the engines that are going in the thing, but I'm sure they're also carefully watching sales figures and satisfaction scores for the current models. I don't know of any publicly available data on that, but it seems a reasonable bet that the trim levels using the 2.5 are definitely the hot products of the year, and it will be hard for them to ignore that as they refine their marketing plan. The CB18 would be a reasonable bet for at least the upper-trim Crosstreks, and it would definitely give us a nice boost in torque. I'd love that for my off-highway trips.
Longer term? It's a pretty good bet that the next-gen Crosstreks will be the last ones that aren't plug-in. (For one thing, that's the only way Subaru can meaningfully up its MPG scores.) Whatever ICE they choose this time might have a short tenure ...
If we've got a year and a half or so until the next-gen Crosstrek arrives, it means that Subaru has already decided on the engines that are going in the thing, but I'm sure they're also carefully watching sales figures and satisfaction scores for the current models. I don't know of any publicly available data on that, but it seems a reasonable bet that the trim levels using the 2.5 are definitely the hot products of the year, and it will be hard for them to ignore that as they refine their marketing plan. The CB18 would be a reasonable bet for at least the upper-trim Crosstreks, and it would definitely give us a nice boost in torque. I'd love that for my off-highway trips.
Longer term? It's a pretty good bet that the next-gen Crosstreks will be the last ones that aren't plug-in. (For one thing, that's the only way Subaru can meaningfully up its MPG scores.) Whatever ICE they choose this time might have a short tenure ...
Joined
·
6 Posts
I have a 2020 2.0L automatic. The car is reasonably peppy in the city, and sport mode helps. Highway driving is fine, could use a couple more ponies when trying to pass at higher speeds. Overall it is a reasonable engine for the car size, and know you are not a race car.
Joined
·
244 Posts
Owned a 2017 2.0. Now own a 2021 sport 2.5. Difference is not “felt”, it’s “calculated”. Better 0-60. Better hill climb. Better low end torque out of an apex. Again, these are things you don’t “feel”, but the numbers are there.
Joined
·
87 Posts
Dunno man about not feeling the extra oomph.
My wife had a 2.0 CrossTrek and I have the 2.5 Limited and I have driven both extensively (yeah, over 11K on my 2021 already)
There's no question you can feel the extra HP and it's not butt dyno - it's real.
Joined
·
293 Posts
One could always use a couple more ponies. But overalll, 99.9% of the time, all them ponies aren't doing much anyways. I have a X-Gauge set up for hp monitoring on my ScanGauge II. At idle, I see 3 to 8 hp depending on what's on, like the air conditioning. Now on a flat straight, from dead stop, if I jam the gas pedal all the way to the floor and let the Crosstrek "manually" shift though all "7" gears, at redline, I've observed 155 to 160 ponies being reported peak.
And yeah sure, more ponies are good. But more ponies will eventually get you into Trouble. Which is why I don't STi, tempting it is. Very tempting.
My take: I've never failed to want more power. Never. From the 77 Chevy truck with the tired slant 6 to the 69 Camaro with the built 8, at some point you're going to wish you had more "go". I had an '03 Outback Sport (2000's version of the Crosstrek) with the 2.5 and 5 speed. Would I LOVE a 2.5 and 6 speed? Yep. Would it be faster? Yep.
And I'd drive it differently. And while I could pull a pass I maybe couldn't now, there will still be all of the passes the 2.5 couldn't do. And I'd want more power.
So, I'll keep my commuter, and plan for its acceleration. Put, let's be honest, only because i can't have that 2.5 with a 6 speed.
And I'd drive it differently. And while I could pull a pass I maybe couldn't now, there will still be all of the passes the 2.5 couldn't do. And I'd want more power.
So, I'll keep my commuter, and plan for its acceleration. Put, let's be honest, only because i can't have that 2.5 with a 6 speed.
Joined
·
329 Posts
I am more than happy with the 2L engine. It’s plenty of power for the size of the car. If I had to get a new one I be happy with a limited with that motor. My 2 cents worth.
Until they offer a 2.5 with a 6MT I'll stick with the 2.0. Honestly my 2018 has plenty of pep once over about 3K rpms, anything else would likely just get me in trouble.
I realize I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to transmission choice, but I've resolved to only drive stick shifts until I eventually change to an EV.
I realize I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to transmission choice, but I've resolved to only drive stick shifts until I eventually change to an EV.
In the past I like to drive with stick, but when everywhere the road is getting congested, now I prefer automatic. The good benefit of stick is simple maintenance and durability, but the rest auto can provide better, better mpg, better torque in upslope, less noise due to lower rpm driving, engine wear is less due to less shock introduced by clutch while using 0w20 oil, anytime upshift/downshift without clutching or move the drive mode to manual, better support for auto driving safety, less stress for car and driver on stop and go traffic.
They won't. The FB25 wasn't mated with an MT in the Forester, it won't be here. Neither will be the next engine - sadly - IMHO. This is why I might take a shot at the last year of the current generation, so as to have the last 6MT.
...and add to that the MT doesn't and won't support Eyesight, autobraking, and adaptive cruise control. Another reason they'll abandon it in mainstream cars. Sigh.
81 - 100 of 109 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!