2016 Subaru Crosstrek review – Roadshow

The Good With 8.7 inches of ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive, the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek shows reasonable off-road capability, its comfortable ride making it a good all-round driver. Subaru’s EyeSight system gives it excellent adaptive cruise control and collision prevention.

The Bad The Crosstrek’s continuously variable transmission gives it bandy acceleration. In our testing, EPA fuel economy was not attainable.

The Bottom Line The 2016 Subaru Crosstrek may measure on the smaller side for an SUV, but it exhibits all the driving capability of its bigger siblings, both on and off-road. Cabin electronics may not be the latest and greatest, but active safety technologies count for a lot.

At the wheel of the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek on a Northern California backroad, I saw many, many cars bearing the Pleiades-laden Subaru badge on their grilles. It felt a bit like being in a club, not very exclusive but distinct nonetheless.

The typical Subaru driver ostensibly enjoys the beauty of nature, making time for hiking, mountain biking and kayaking. The stereotype suggests coexisting with the environment, not dominating it.

The Crosstrek, a more recent entrant to the Subaru lineup, maintains this ethos, bolstering the ground occupied by the Outback and Forester. Although sporting SUV style, the Crosstrek’s size makes it feel more like a wagon. Dropping 7 inches in overall length and 4 inches in height compared to Subaru’s next model up, the Forester, the Crosstrek shows off an approachable, urban footprint and a sporty look.

The doors open wide, allowing easy cabin accessibility, but I wasn’t crazy about the leather, or leather-like, material covering the seats in the Limited trim version I drove. At 22.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up, the Crosstrek’s cargo area comes in at about 10 cubic feet less than that of the Forester.

The Crosstrek combines a sporty look with high ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive.

Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow

Earlier this year, I drove the Crosstrek on a short off-road course, a dirt track with intentional mud puddles and ruts. Although the Subaru representative in the passenger seat advised me to steer around the worst of it, I was impressed with what the little Crosstrek could handle.

Thank its 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the same as its bigger SUV siblings, for letting me sink a tire into a mud pit and then escape. The Crosstrek’s standard all-wheel drive helped the wheels find the grip they needed to keep me going. And although I had to make a couple of tries getting up a slick hill, I eventually got to the top.

Compact Subaru Crosstrek a back country-capable…
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That Crosstrek, and the one I drove for this review, came with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) mated to the 2-liter engine. With the CVT, Subaru uses a different all-wheel drive system compared to Crosstreks equipped with the available five-speed manual transmission. CVT models get an electronically managed system, which actively moves torque between front and rear axles based on traction and throttle input. Manual versions use a mechanical system that only responds to wheel slip.

With either all-wheel drive system, Subaru doesn’t let you lock the differential for a 50:50 torque split, although setting the Vehicle Dynamics Control switch in its off position helps equalize torque distribution.

The Crosstrek uses Subaru’s horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, a “flat four”, which presents a lower center of gravity than an inline four. In this application, it makes 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque, and turns in EPA-estimated fuel economy of 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway.

Although the power numbers don’t look terribly impressive, the CVT and throttle tuning made the Crosstrek eager to take off from a start.

Although the power numbers don’t look terribly impressive, the CVT and throttle tuning made the Crosstrek eager to take off from a start. In city driving, its acceleration is more than ample. The CVT exhibits some of the qualities that give this type of transmission a bad name. The engine note doesn’t always coincide with acceleration, and power delivery feels bandy at times.

In my driving, the EPA numbers seemed overly optimistic, as I barely made the city number on the highway, while actual city driving put my average in the low 20s. Your mileage may vary, but I didn’t feel like I was being aggressive on the throttle.

The steering isn’t particularly sharp, but then again, it shouldn’t be for this type of vehicle. The slightly slow response from the wheel perfectly suits a comfortable highway cruise. That comfortable theme runs through to the ride quality as well, with the suspension nicely damping out bumps and rough pavement. I could see taking the Crosstrek for an extended road trip.

Another boon for road trippers comes with the EyeSight advanced safety system, which Subaru now makes available on Crosstreks in Premium or Limited trim. Two forward-facing cameras watch the road ahead, warning me if I’m about to plow into stopped traffic or drift over a lane line. EyeSight also enables adaptive cruise control, which automatically slows the Crosstrek below its set speed when approaching traffic ahead. Having used EyeSight’s cruise control extensively, I’m impressed with this system.