2025 Subaru Crosstrek

Once considered a sidekick to the Outback, the smaller Crosstrek is now a top seller in the Subaru lineup. Traditionally, it has been an affordable vehicle for active owners targeting adventures off-road but not too far off-road. Being a bit rough around the edges has been part of its charm; however, Subaru took advantage of its 2024 redesign to somewhat soften the ride, while increasing the quiet. In fact, in its mission to be more civilized, the Crosstrek even jettisoned its manual transmission. Plucky, straightforward, and easy to live with, the Crosstrek is one of the reasons Subaru owners are so rabidly loyal to the brand.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating the current collection of subcompact SUVs, including the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Premium seen here in Sapphire Blue Pearl with a sticker price of $29,685.

Although the transition was evolutionary, Subaru completely redesigned the 2024 Crosstrek, introducing the range-topping, adventure-centric Wilderness grade in the process. Consequently, we anticipate few changes for 2025. One notable upgrade is the 2.5-liter engine is now standard in the Premium trim.

For reference, the 2024 model started at about $26,500. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard, which explains why the Crosstrek’s opening price is on the higher end of the subcompact SUV range. Topping the Crosstrek grades is the Wilderness trim at close to $33,915. If you need it, you can get more elbow and cargo room by moving up to the Subaru Forester.

For the little bit extra the Premium grade costs over the Base, we’d opt for the step up. Among the additional standard goodies are proximity keyless entry with push-button start, integrated turn signals in the outboard mirrors, illuminated USB ports in the second-row area, upgraded cloth upholstery, a better audio system, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen.

Among the Crosstrek’s subcompact rivals are the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, and the Toyota Corolla Cross, all of which post lower starting prices. However, the CX-30 with its standard all-wheel drive is close, as are the HR-V and Corolla Cross when you add all-wheel drive as an option.

Before buying a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay.

Superb Resale Value

The Subaru Crosstrek is a resale value superstar, and could return $6,000 more to your pocket when you sell compared to subcompact SUVs at the bottom of the resale value charts. Recouping more money when you sell a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on your next one.

We are fans of the current Crosstrek suspension. We like the way it handles rougher pavement and even unpaved surfaces. The Crosstrek’s steering remains sharp and responsive.

The base engine found only in the Base trim develops 152 horsepower. We can point you to several competitors (Honda HR-V, Kia Seltos, and Chevy Trailblazer) with similar or even less output. We find this engine capable for sufficiently motivating the Crosstrek; however, venturing into higher elevations, especially with a load, saps performance.

Picking the Crosstrek Premium or higher trim gains a higher-output engine with 30 additional horsepower. This isn’t transformational, but the extra power and torque go a long way in making the Crosstrek more satisfying to drive. We put the 2.5-liter engine through its paces on-road and off, coming away satisfied with the extra grunt compared to the base powertrain.

With decades of experience with all-wheel drive — Subaru was once considered quirky for its standard all-wheel drive — the Subaru Symmetrical AWD system is transparent, constantly adjusting the amount of torque to the wheels. Switching to X-Mode provides some extra all-wheel-drive response. It still doesn’t allow this SUV to tackle the most severe terrain, but it improves typical off-road experiences. We were impressed with its seamless reaction and relentless forward motion when driving it on dirt paths in hilly terrain. The Crosstrek’s hill-descent control — sort of slow-speed cruise control — is another bright spot. We found it tremendously effective, freeing our focus to steering.

In testing the new Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness model last year in Utah, we were surprised and delighted at how scrappy this most off-road-centric trim is. Its extra ground clearance, improved approach and departure angles, and enhanced off-road hardware and software enabled this model to eat up miles and miles of single-track dirt roads with ease and ascend and descend technical dirt trails that might leave competitors in pieces. It also boasts a sophisticated dual-mode X-Mode feature with settings for dirt, deep snow, and mud. The Crosstrek Wilderness can tow up to 3,500 pounds — 2,000 more than the other trims.

Fuel Economy

Keeping it simple, both the base 4-cylinder engine in the Base trim, as well as the slightly more powerful 2.5L 4-cylinder in the upper trims deliver an estimated 29 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. Despite the Crosstrek’s standard all-wheel drive, this number is about average for the segment populated primarily with entry-level front-wheel-drive rivals.

We are in awe of just how quiet the cabin of the current Crosstrek is because previous generations wore their coarseness like a badge of honor. Those familiar with Crosstrek over the years should be equally surprised by the hush and pliant ride of today’s model. Enhancing the cabin’s upgraded experience are the comfy front seats with loads of padding to absorb the abuse of going off pavement. There is still plenty of plastic haunting this roomy space, but, on the other hand, it does make it easier to wipe down. At 54.7 cubic feet and 36.5 inches, respectively, total cargo room and rear seat legroom are about average for the segment.

In a parking lot, at an intersection, or pounding down a dirt trail, there is no mistaking the Crosstrek for anything else, even at a distance. Although the details have evolved, the Crosstrek’s basic shape and design theme remain warmly familiar. Standing out from the rest of the Crostrek lineup, the Wilderness grade proffers a more distinct, rugged appearance. Additional ground clearance, aggressive cladding with “SUBARU” lettering on the back, yellow accents, and 17-inch black wheels spotlight the styling enhancements.

Standard all-wheel drive
Subaru’s standard symmetrical all-wheel-drive system is among the most sophisticated and capable in the segment. We find it is more than eager to tackle dirt and gravel trails.

8.7 inches of ground clearance
We argue that a key contributor to the Crosstrek’s off-road superiority is its class-leading ground clearance.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Smartphone integration is even better when the connection happens automatically. In our experience, seamless connecting and no cables cluttering the center console are reason enough to insist on wireless smartphone interfacing. Wireless phone charging is also available.

Large touchscreen
All but the base Crosstrek feature an interior-dominating, vertically oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen and robust infotainment offering. We think it’s worth skipping the base model and its dual 7-inch screen setup. Sometimes bigger is better, and we find the bigger touchscreen is much easier to see and operate.

EyeSight driver assists
Every Crosstrek features the latest version of Subaru’s EyeSight collection of driver assist and safety technologies. It includes some of our must-have tech like automatic emergency braking and steering, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, and automatic high beams.

Steering Responsive LED Headlights
The Crosstrek’s headlights turn in relation to the wheels, helping you see further into a corner. We’ve found this feature surprisingly helpful when navigating dark roads or turning into dark driveways.

Subaru powers the Crosstrek with two tried and true 4-cylinder engines. Keeping it simple, the “flat” engine is a Subaru trait, referring to the cylinders being horizontally opposed rather than arranged vertically in a line or opposed in a V shape. The advantage is a lower center of gravity, which enhances stability.

The less powerful base engine generates 152 horsepower. This is slightly above average for the base engines among segment competitors. The larger 4-cylinder providing thrust for the upper trims delivers 182 horsepower. Every Crosstrek comes with a CVT, which is an automatic transmission using belts and pulleys rather than gears. It does help stretch fuel. Subaru has evolved its CVT to soften the artificial shift points. You can even pretend to switch the gears in models with the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

3-year/36,000-mile Warranty

Subaru covers its vehicles with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain protection. This is on-par coverage among non-luxury automakers.

Safety

In safety and crash testing, the Crosstrek earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s highest overall score of 5 Stars. It also shined in the battery of tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to the degree it’s listed as one of its Top Safety Pick (TSP) models.