The traditional floor jack points for most Subaru vehicles are the steel plate just in front of the oil drain plug area, and directly under the rear differential. Those were mentioned in the service manuals for my MY1998 Forester and MY2013 Impreza. I have not yet seen confirmation of those for the MY2018 XV Crosstrek, but expect nothing to have changed there.

 

Combed through my owners manual for center jack points and there is no mention of them. I guess for the rear it is the rear differential as Scooby said. I'll have to crawl around under the front some more.

 

I’m very interested in what you guys find. Please, slap up a pic if you find suitable jack stand placement.

 

For the rear it has to be the center of the differential (Crawled all around back there). The front will need to wait until I roll it up on ramps.

There is a way to jack the car up from the side and get a jack stand in place. I would rather go from the center.

 

Put the car up on ramps again. The only place to put a jack in the rear is under the differential. That's no problem.

The front only has one conceivable spot. A fairly large steel plate covering something just back from the oil drain plug. I don't know what it covers because my dog kept pestering me )-:
However, it is solid and would work. See picture.

 

Put the car up on ramps again. The only place to put a jack in the rear is under the differential.

Yes. I had a look under my MY18 Crosstrek just now and saw the same. The rear diff is the normal, approved jack point (from the Service Manuals) on earlier model years. But the front looks different. Previously, that steel plate area was in front of the oil drain, and now it is behind it. I put my floor jack under it just now and lifted the two front wheels off the deck without any fuss.

Still, it would be good to get hold of the page in the Service Manual that shows whether or not those two lift points still apply to the "new global platform" or not.

EDIT: The location of that front plate looks suspiciously similar to that from mid-2000s model Foresters, which also appear to have it behind the oil drain area: https://www.flickr.com/photos/restrung/10400558745/

 

I use a Large Cross Slotted Frame Rail Protector to protect paint and to distribute pressure better.

Smaller jacks will use a smaller one.

View attachment 246578

 

I use a Large Cross Slotted Frame Rail Protector to protect paint and to distribute pressure better.

Smaller jacks will use a smaller one.

View attachment 246586
View attachment 246578

I just grabbed a spare hockey puck and the hack saw. Done in 5 minutes.

 

Thanks, I’ll have good look when I jack up for winter types. Appreciate the heads up on where to focus.

Your last pic looks like my jack pad, a hockey puck cut for the jack point slot. The pucks only last about 5 years but at less than $1 each, best pad ever.

 

This illustration is from the 2018 Service Manual:

 

This illustration is from the 2018 Service Manual:
View attachment 246810

Thanks. Just to remove all residual doubt, was this from the 2018 Service Manual for the XV Crosstrek (as opposed to a different Subaru vehicle)?

 

This is good information i always figure there was a way but wasn't sure. I always lifted from the side points. Thanks

 

Is there a pad you like to use with jack stands?

I was think about using these:

https://www.harborfreight.com/rubber-pads-for-jack-stand-2-pc-63373.html