LIKES
- Excellent CVT
- Off-road capable, rugged looks
- Standard AWD
- New Sport trim
- Standard safety tech
DISLIKES
- Cramped USB ports
- Limited-release hybrid
- Manual transmission omits more than it adds
- Limited trim not a value
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek flexes safety and traction more than it does power.
What kind of car is the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek? What does it compare to?
The Crosstrek compact SUV seats up to five people. Slotted below the bigger Forester, the hatch-on-stilts rivals vehicles like the Kia Seltos and Jeep Renegade.
Is the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek a good car?
It puts standard all-wheel drive to the fore, but power’s not its game. We give it a TCC Rating of 6.0 out of 10.
What's new for the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek?
It’s mostly unchanged this year, with the same stubby shape it’s worn with mild updates since it was new in 2013. With a few Outback-inspired cues, the Crosstrek looks the part of a rugged all-weather car, one that never met a piece of body cladding it couldn’t put to good use. The interior’s more fancy than the wash-and-wear cockpits of Subaru’s past, with available leather and an 8.0-inch touchscreen on the menu but certainly not required.
Four adults fit easily in the Crosstrek, and the cargo hold’s amply sized. Safety scores have been good, but the newest headlight tests haven’t been performed—and only CVT-equipped Crosstreks get the latest active safety technology such as active lane control and automatic emergency braking. You’ve never had a better excuse to not know how to drive a stick.
How much does the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek cost?
It’s $23,570 for a base Crosstrek with a manual shifter, 17-inch wheels, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Take the $27,920 Crosstrek Sport for more horsepower and an off-road mode and stop there: prices keep rising until you get to the $36,770 plug-in hybrid.
Where is the Subaru Crosstrek made?
Gunma, Japan.
Styling
The Crosstrek has ventured into the Outback’s territory.
Is the Subaru Crosstrek a good-looking car?
Its looks fit for its duty cycle—roughly, somewhere between a water sandal and a hiking boot. We give it a 5 here, with no demerits and no bonus points.
With 8.7 inches of ground clearance and black body cladding, the Crosstrek has ventured into Outback territory, leaning into the slightly rugged imagery that underscores Subaru’s legit off-road abilities. It’s not too different from the shape it launched in 2013, but the Crosstrek hasn’t gone dated on us; the new-ish Sport edition wears even more of the blocky black cladding and gunmetal-gray accents, in case your visual diet didn’t include enough plastic.
Performance
The Crosstrek has legitimate off-road ability.
In base trim with the lower-output flat-4, it’s a 5 for performance—not notably quick or nimble, but fine.
Is the Subaru Crosstrek 4WD?
All-wheel drive comes with every version.
Not very fast, but more at ease with the larger engine now fitted to top models. The base Crosstrek has a 152-hp 2.0-liter flat-4 that twists out 145 lb-ft of torque and sends it to all four wheels. It’s a pokey, plodding setup with the 6-speed manual or CVT; 0-60 mph runs take at least 9.7 seconds. Of the two transmissions, we’d take the CVT if only because none of the active-safety tech can be had with the manual. It also has simulated gear ratios, and steps through all eight of them with a smart flip of the paddle shifters.
Still, you’re better off with the 182-hp 2.5-liter flat-4 found in the Sport and Limited models. With its 176 lb-ft of torque, it can hit 60 mph in a Subaru-promised 8.2 seconds.
There’s a rare plug-in hybrid, too, with a 118-hp motor and a 137-hp flat-4, with an 8.8-kwh battery pack helping allow 17 miles of electric driving range. It’s quicker than the base Crosstrek, but weighs about 500 lb more, and only can be had in a handful of states.
Comfort & Quality
The Crosstrek has good cargo space and room for four.
Good cargo space lifts the Crosstrek to a score of 6 for utility and comfort.
The Crosstrek’s a prosaic place to work, with manual-adjust front seats and durable cloth upholstery on all versions except the top Limited, which gets leather-covered 6-way power-adjustable buckets. Sport Crosstreks wear a synthetic upholstery that’s appealing; Sports and Limiteds get orange or lime stitching.
Head and leg room are fine in front, but while the skimpier rear seat has 36.5 inches of leg room, its shoulder room seems too slim for more than two average-sized passengers. It’s usefully flexible, with a split-folding 60/40 seatback that boosts cargo space from 20.8 to 55.3 cubic feet.
The Crosstrek interior orients itself around utility, so the sturdy look and feel of its materials comes as little surprise. The flat-4 engine gets thrummy when the CVT launches it into the noisy part of its powerband; noise and vibration control never have been a Subaru strength, but it’s acceptably muted here.
Safety
CVT-equipped Crosstreks hit a sweet spot for safety.
How safe is the Subaru Crosstrek?
It’s safe, albeit with a question mark or two more since we last scored it. We give it a 7.
The NHTSA says the Crosstrek merits a five-star overall rating. The IIHS has given it a Top Safety Pick award in the past, but it doesn’t carry over into 2022 since the car’s headlights have not been tested. We can’t give that point as we have in the past until the IIHS updates its rating.
Outward vision remains good in the Crosstrek, but it doesn’t offer much in driver-assist systems.
Features
Take the Sport for the best blend of features and value.
For its standard features and its value, we give the Crosstrek a 7.
The $23,570 Crosstrek with a manual transmission brings with it standard all-wheel drive, cloth upholstery, 17-inch wheels, and a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you’re shiftless, the CVT edition costs $24,920. A $24,720 Crosstrek Premium gains heated front seats and more speakers.
Which Subaru Crosstrek should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded 2021 Subaru Crosstrek?
The $30,420 Crosstrek Limited gets 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen; with options including a sunroof, navigation, and Harmon Kardon sound, it’s $31,815.
Hybrids start at $36,770 and top out just short of $40,000 with a sunroof and navigation.
Fuel Economy
Pick the CVT, and skip the (rare) plug-in hybrid, for now.
Is the Subaru Crosstrek good on gas?
We give it a 5, based on EPA ratings of 28 mpg city, 33 highway, 30 combined for the base 152-hp flat-4. Sport and Limited versions draw EPA scores of 27/34/29 mpg, but the 6-speed manual in base Crosstreks exacts a steep gas-mileage penalty at 23/29/25 mpg. That’s 5 mpg lower on the combined cycle.
The very rare plug-in Crosstrek goes just 17 miles on a charge but offers a superior 36/34/35 mpg the rest of the time. It’s available in a handful of states.
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