Opinions on Crosstreks
Model Years 2018 to 2023
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pros:
1) cheaper
2) 17" wheels
3) cloth seats (i prefer them)
cons:
1) 2.0L engine
2) halogen headlights
i owned a 2016 premium for five years and 110 miles and i now own a 21 sport with a little over 30k miles
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53 Posts
Pros:
- Still has manual dials for climate control and a relatively simple infotainment
- Winter features: heated seats, mirrors, etc...
- Manual Transmission
- No eyesight "safety" garbage or auto start/stop (6MT incompatible)
- Lots of aftermarket support (true of all trims)
- 2.0L engine is adequate, at best
- Lack of LED lighting vs. higher trims; halogens are adequate, but not impressive
- No upgrade packages available - I would have added leather and a sunroof, but was not willing to sacrifice the Manual to get them.
- Manual does not play with X-Mode, utterly ridiculous.
If the OP gets the CVT, it would have Eyesight (which isn't garbage, btw).
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53 Posts
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
I have no beef with anyone who wants these things, but they should be optional, not mandatory, regardless of vehicle configuration. The option to chose a manual, which also removes these "features" that some of us do not want, is something prospective buyers should be aware of.
I'll agree with you that it would be nice for those who don't want Eyesight to be able to buy a CVT without it but I'm sure Subaru has done their market research and that's probably not a popular combo. Also, it's possible to turn off some features if you don't like them, perhaps Eyesight entirely.
Btw, I'm not anti-manual, my latest car is manual.
when it was clear that physical buttons on cell phone keyboards were going away it made a lot of people really upset. everyone is fine now, and you can turn eyesight off
@gatordoc hit the points I was going to make in the pro column. Adding a accent to the in my mind unnecessary "safety aunties". It should be an option regardless of trim type/transmission. The 2.0 engine to me is more than adequate. It boils down to how you intend to use it. Arguments have been made that the 2.0 is anemic. It gets to speed just fine and coupled with the 6MT does a reasonable job-again, it is how you want to use the vehicle. Halogen headlamps in this day and age seems almost ludicrous; however options are out there for upgrades. For me simplicity was the mantra. I didn't need a computer to control the cabin temp, nor did I need one to keep me in my lane or even change gears for me and I still like holding a paper map to plot my route...
Yes... and no.
Work provides me a fancy iPhone. It is an absolutely terrible phone. It is a great pocket computer/ game machine/ professional tool etc etc, but quite frankly sucks for making phone calls. Unless you use Siri (and like the heffer, I don't), count up how many presses and how long it takes to make a phone call. You can use earbuds (I, like many others, hate them in my ears), or you can hold the large, flat metal lump awkwardly against your face.
LOL, making phone calls has become a minor feature of our phones...
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43 Posts
We bought a 2019 Premium new. Been a great car. Only issue is the Bluetooth is still buggy even after several firmware upgrades at the dealer. I probably should of pushed harder at the dealer when it was still in Warranty. We'll have this vehicle until it dies on us. I think the Eyesight suite is well worth it.
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53 Posts
This to me is the crux of the issue with all-touch based vehicle HMI systems; there is no tactile feedback, so you don't know for sure you are touching the control you think you are unless you take your eyes off the road to look at the screen for a moment. The people who engineer these systems make it worse by putting frequently accessed controls in menus, folders, or screens that have to be selected or switched to. HVAC, heated seats, basic audio (volume/pause/skip), etc... My 2023 model doesn't bother me, because everything I want to have physical controls, does.
I use voice commands when possible.
I do too, but the other drivers rarely listen to me.
LMAO!
I purchased a used 6MT Premium model 1 1/2 years ago and have added 28,000 miles to its 32,000 when purchased. In my case, I did not want a sun/moon roof and I wanted a manual and either 4wd or awd. I am coming from a 2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ, which I still own and a BMW e46 Touring awd, which I sold. I've made a couple of minor improvements and a 2" trailer hitch. Considering the 2.0 engine, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it towed 1000#s even at Interstate speeds. More power would be nice, but I haven't had a moment yet were I needed more power for any driving situation that I've encountered. It meets my standard for handling and has successfully navigated hilly snow-covered roads in the New York Catskills. With the exception of changing the spark plugs, which I just did at 60,000, it has proven to be an easy car to maintain. My car does not burn oil and on Falken Wildpeaks, gets 27-29 mpg local and 30-31 mpg highway. The CVT, I understand, does get better mileage and my tire choice costs me about 2 mpg. The interior seems to be as ample as my Cherokee and the backseat leg room is comfortable for most. Although, I'm not necessarily a luddite, I do like the simplicity of the Premium cockpit. Sorry for the lengthy post, but you did ask.
Doug
Doug
My concern with the 2.0L and towing would be if you go to higher elevations. Ours struggles up in the Sierras on hot days when the density altitude can be 13K.
My post will be long too lol.
I chose a Premium simply because I wanted a manual car with the most amount of features possible (barring a sunroof)
and the Premium fit the bill because it has the heated seats, fog lights and accent stitching/seat design that the base was missing (mine even has puddle lights, auto-dimming Homelink mirror, LED interior lighting, etc.) If you want an automatic car, I would just honestly go with a Limited if you can afford it. If not, the Premium should be just fine for you. And as a bonus the Premium has cloth seats which honestly is its own selling point.
As far as the 2.0L vs 2.5L between the Premium and Sport/Limited the small engine hasn't proven an issue to me really, but each persons situation is different and I'm sure the extra power would be nice anyway.
I chose a Premium simply because I wanted a manual car with the most amount of features possible (barring a sunroof)
and the Premium fit the bill because it has the heated seats, fog lights and accent stitching/seat design that the base was missing (mine even has puddle lights, auto-dimming Homelink mirror, LED interior lighting, etc.) If you want an automatic car, I would just honestly go with a Limited if you can afford it. If not, the Premium should be just fine for you. And as a bonus the Premium has cloth seats which honestly is its own selling point.
As far as the 2.0L vs 2.5L between the Premium and Sport/Limited the small engine hasn't proven an issue to me really, but each persons situation is different and I'm sure the extra power would be nice anyway.
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