Subaru’s Outback SUV was always the carmakers top seller, but most recently, their 2024 Crosstrek is the top sales leader. And there’s many reasons for that. I see a lot of them on the road and many are being driven by young ladies and even retired folks. In fact, husband and wife friends of mine, both in their 80s, recently traded their older Subaru Forester for a Crosstrek Sport as they no longer need the interior space but wanted the AWD capability and improved fuel economy.
Crosstrek is offered in Base, Premium, Sport (that has yellow trim), Limited and Wilderness that we were privileged to test. For 2024, Crosstrek has been redesigned from out to in and comes with a new suspension that makes it fun to drive with just the right amount of sportiness.
With all new sheetmetal, Crosstrek Wilderness is sporty with hints of ruggedness. A new grille plus black cladding covers the wheel arches, bumpers, a flat black glare-free decal adorns the hood along with gold tips that detail the bumper edges and roof rack. Large air ducts on the front bumper serve to cool the brakes.
Wilderness also has a 0.6-inch higher ground clearance for 9.3 inches of clearance (compared to 8.7 on other models) for when going off the beaten trail. It also has an approach angle of 20 degrees and departure angle of 33 degrees.
Subaru designers dialed-up the interior by giving it faux carbon fiber dash trim, softer and more supportive heated weather proof front seats, a large 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen (a 7-inch is standard on lower trims) and gold accents on the steering wheel. And despite the increase in ground clearance, step-in into the cockpit is a low 19 inches. The comfy back seat offers good leg room for two adults or three small youngsters.
The first feature to grab the eyes upon sliding into the comfy front seats is the large vertical touchscreen that serves a multitude of functions such as climate, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, audio, rearview camera, Subaru Starlink, Weather reports and the enhanced X Mode AWD system with selectable modes of Snow/Dirt, Normal, Deep Snow/Mud. Crosstrek also has a hill-descent mode for steep hills. The only gripe we have here is that the climate/HVAC screen doesn’t stay on long enough. It goes off after a minute. It should stay on until another selection is made.
The other gripe is that at night in the dark I had a tendency to push the Trip Reset button when starting the engine instead of the large keyless ignition switch below it.
There’s also Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist that features auto emergency braking and steering, adaptive cruise with lane centering along with automatic high beams. In addition, Crosstrek comes with blind spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert.
Below the huge touchscreen in a wireless phone charger and a burly gear selector for the CVT transmission that included paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
Over on the analog gauge cluster, it has a driver information display for features, functions and alerts.
Back in the spacious cargo and with the second-row seats upright, there’s 20.0 cubic feet of cargo space that measures 31.5 inches deep. Flip them and space increases to 54.9 cubic feet for 60 inches (5 feet) of cargo loading depth. While Crosstrek is considered a compact, it doesn’t have compact cargo space but a deceptive amount that you wouldn’t expect to find in a compact rossover of this size.
While Crosstrek is offered with two engines, the Wilderness came with a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder that generates 182-hp and 178 lb/ft of torque for EPA mileage estimates of 25 city, 29-higway mpg with engine auto start/stop technology. Coupled to the CVT transmission, Wilderness has a 3,500-pound tow capacity that’s sufficient for a utility trailer or small boat.
So powered, the 2.5L had impressive power under full throttle acceleration runs. The engine is relatively quiet for a four cylinder. And Crosstrek handles spritely and it’s easy and a breeze to park. Shod with Yokohama 17-inch tires, the ride is supple and smooth with a touch of sportiness.
Subaru’s Crosstrek Wilderness is the perfect crossover for adventure-oriented folks. Strap on a pair of kayaks atop the raised ladder type roof rails and there’s an outdoor excursion waiting to happen. And as said, it’s a great car for retired folks. In fact, a Wilderness is on my retirement wish list as my next car purchase as I’ve owned an Outback in the past and know Suby’s capabilities and utility.
With all the aforementioned apps, safety features, sunroof and more, Crosstrek Wilderness carried a base price of $31,995 to which was added an options package of $2,270 and delivery of $1,295 that took the bottom line to $35,560.
Keep in mind Crosstrek, like all Subaru’s, retain their value and Crosstrek’s in particular have exceptional value. Try finding a used one on. If you do, it was probably a lease deal where the owner leased another one before the mileage got too high.
Crosstrek comes with a 3 year/36K mile basic warranty and 5/60K mile powertrain warranty. An added buying enticement is that Crosstrek earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) top score of five stars and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named it a Top Safety Pick.
