If you’re looking to buy a Subaru Crosstrek right now, you can either choose from more power or more fuel economy. The base 152-horsepower two-liter flat-four is a bit underpowered, and if you want to jump up to the 2.5-liter boxer engine, combined fuel economy lands at an okay but not outstanding 29 mpg. However, what if you wanted power and fuel economy? Well, the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid that we first saw in Japan a few months ago is on its way to America to help with that.
While Subaru does have a partnership with Toyota, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s electrification is very Subaru. It starts with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine in Subaru tradition, but this one can use the Atkinson cycle to its advantage, keeping its intake valves open a hair longer for a lower effective compression ratio but a high expansion ratio for efficiency. That’s neat, but it’s not as neat as the electrification side of the hybrid system.
See, if you want a subcompact crossover with hybrid power in America, your options are limited to the front-wheel-drive-only Kia Niro or the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. While the Toyota offers all-wheel-drive, it’s a through-the-road all-wheel-drive system with a small electric motor on the rear axle and no driveshaft from the engine to the rear differential. This is perfectly fine for most scenarios, but in heavy snow or on gnarlier dirt roads, you’d likely prefer the torque transfer capabilities of a mechanical all-wheel-drive system. That’s exactly what the Crosstrek Hybrid offers.
This small hybrid crossover features a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeding a two-motor arrangement, one connected to the combustion engine and acting as a generator and one inside a planetary CVT transaxle to power the wheels. While Toyota also puts a motor inside its planetary CVT transaxles, this Subaru unit is different for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s mounted longitudinally rather than transversely. Secondly, it has a mechanical power transfer unit and a driveshaft coming out of its tailshaft. That driveshaft runs to the rear differential, giving the Crosstrek Hybrid a fairly conventional all-wheel-drive system. Oh, and a combined output of 194 horsepower is pretty nice too.
Inside the Crosstrek Hybrid, there’s some neat tech integration to go with the hybrid system. The available 11.6-inch infotainment screen is perfectly normal by Subaru standards, but a new available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster includes a little panel that appears to show power flow in a nice, simple manner. The default layout seems useful but not distracting, a tricky balancing act to pull off in an age of information overload.
As for distinguishing the electrified Crosstrek from the all-combustion one in the wild, it’ll be tricky, but that’s a good thing. Subaru’s resisted the urge to change much visually, and instead giving the Crosstrek Hybrid a new set of wheels, some hybrid badges, and two new color options: Sand Dune Pearl and Citron Yellow Pearl. Nice and simple.
While demand certainly exists for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, its degree of marketplace success will depend on fuel economy and pricing. While we don’t know EPA figures or a manufacturer’s suggested retail price just yet, expect those figures to be released closer to the autumn, when the Crosstrek Hybrid rolls into showrooms. If it works out to be substantially cheaper than the expensive previous-generation Crosstrek Hybrid and sold nationwide, Subaru’s sure to have a hit on its hands.
(Photo credits: Subaru)
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I loved my Forester, except for those times when I wanted to shoot it with a bazooka. I do hope this 2.5 is considerably better sorted than that 2.5 was. I don’t want more power, I want less stranding.
I definitely want more fuel economy. On its very best day I got about 28mpg, which is piss poor compared even to my geriatric pickup. Usually it was closer to 25-27mpg, which was just mortifying.
The previous Crosstrek hybrid was available as a plug-in. Admittedly an EV range in the teens isn’t what I would hope for but anything was better than nothing. Seeing the absence of a PIH option is not encouraging, because it’ll be a PIH that I spring for next, or else a stripped down “eco” model intended for better highway mileage. Now that I’ve tasted 50+ mpg, I’m not going backwards.
Why no plug-in hybrid?
Well it is about time. Eventually Subaru’s demographic will get tired of getting 25 mpg in their Impreza/Crosstrek.
As others have said, those wheels are horrible.
But if it can do ~45 mpg or so, it’d get a look from me for my next commuter car.
My mother’s ’24 Impreza gets about the same mileage as my Yaris here in rural New England. I imagine her even-more-relaxed driving style and the CVT versus my antiquated four-speed make the difference, but still, mid-30s isn’t bad at all from a larger car with all-wheel-drive. (Heck, her previous car – a five-speed 1.8 Sonic – did about the same.)
The old Crosstrek Hybrid was rated at 35 MPG, versus 30-31 for the Impreza (her car’s listed at 30) – if the EPA scores the new one at 40+, I’ll be impressed.
Edit: All of this is to say, so far we’re both Imprezed by what the hatchback-sans-stilts can do, and from my perspective, if you don’t need the ground clearance, I’d suggest one of those.
I’d be comparing it to a Prius AWD, RAV4, CR-V hybrid. Those all can get into the 40’s. The Prius is still rated at 50 mpg depending on trim level/wheel size.
I know the Toyota and Honda AWD systems are not as good as Subaru, but I don’t live in rural New England. AWD is a “nice to have”, not a need.
True, if it can’t compete with the slightly larger Toyota and Honda competition economy-wise, I don’t know how large its niche could be. The Escape Hybrid’s in there, too, and I’m kinda surprised Ford don’t offer the Bronco Sport as a hybrid, come to think of it.
My comment was more to say “if it can’t pay itself off fairly quickly versus a similarly-equipped Impreza hatch, your driving’s more highway than city, and you don’t need the ground clearance, what’s the point?”
I DD a 2019 WRX and the average fuel economy is sitting at 8.0 l/100 km or about 29 mpg. It has been pretty decent for me.
I would really doubt 45 but 40 would probably be achievable. I have the aforementioned Toyota and have averaged about 37 over the last 17K miles. 40 would be in reach but some of my driving habits could use improving. I’d expect the Subaru to be a little worse due to more displacement (and perhaps friction losses in that driveshaft/rear diff?).
I agree that Subaru will sell every last one. I haven’t owned a Subaru since my beloved 1993 Legacy Gt wagon . So I’m not a brand loyalist. However I do like the Crosstrek and almost sprung for a last gen with a manual. The hybrid should fill in the torque gap on lower revs and the eCVT (not belt and cone CVT) should be reliable.
So long as it doesn’t raise the cargo floor 6″ like last time. That was such comically bad packaging….
Yeah, that wasn’t great. Fortunately, it looks much better this time around.
I admit to not being the target market for any Subaru product but I still don’t understand the popularity.
The powertrains are old, unrefined, and not particularly efficient (this hybrid addresses that last point, at least). The interiors are full of cheap plastic and the tech feels 10 years behind rivals. And then there’s the exterior styling…
But the most offensive aspect of this particular model is the wheels. My god.
Because if you compare a Subaru model against its competitor (ie. Forester to Rav4/CRV, Impreza to Civic/Corolla/Mazda3, Ascent to Pilot/Highlander/CX-90, Outback to…uh…Volvo V60 Cross Country?) dollars to donuts the Subaru is going to be cheaper once you add in the AWD option to the competitor models, and will have similar features that are meaningful to the target demo.
Plus, Subaru arguably (or maybe not so arguably) has the best AWD platform with the only competition maybe being Audi and is at the top of the list for reliability.
Things like interior materials quality, overall refinement, and styling has ebbed and flowed over the years, but like you said, you’re not the target market and those that are don’t value that kind of thing as much as utility, reliability, and cost.
Anecdata: Coming from 5 Subarus and now owning 2 Audis, hands-down the Subaru AWD system is better. Audi’s quattro is more of “AWD on demand” rather than “AWD all the time” like Subaru’s. Quattro is still good, no doubt, just not as good.
Subaru has also leaned HARD towards outdoorsy people and dog owners. Cheap plastic interiors come across as a plus sometimes
I have a different take. The drivetrains are not “old”, they are evolutionary. Just like other brands have done with their engines (Mercedes-Benz and BMW come to mind). The FB25D engine in my Crosstrek is a direct-injected engine with variable cam timing on intake and exhaust. This is an engine that was first introduced in 2019, and for all intents and purposes, it’s a perfectly modern powerplant. I don’t think I’d call it less refined than the inline-4s in many of its competitors, either. It’s smooth and inoffensive in day to day use. The CVT has gotten quite good in the past handful of years and is actually very pleasant for its intended purpose. I actually really love it for daily commuting. It’s smooth, quiet, and always knows where it’s supposed to be.
The interiors in some Subarus don’t look fancy, but they are actually made of high-quality materials and very well constructed. Spending time in other cars, I often notice how creaky, thin, and cheap their interiors feel upon touch, even if they look nicer visually. Subaru doors have a substantially solid feel to them, unlike many other cars where the doors feel like a tin can.
As for tech, there’s nothing wrong with what Subaru does. Critically, their EyeSight ADAS is among the best in the industry. It works extremely well. For infotainment, it’s not amazing but gets the job done. My Crosstrek has so much tech in it and I only paid $30k. I had a rented Mazda CX-5 the other week with a $38k MSRP and it was missing a bunch of tech features that my Crosstrek has.
When you actually price them out, Subarus often offer much more value dollar-for-dollar than their competitors. And they are significantly above the industry average for reliability. And if you work on cars, you know that the build quality and overall quality of components used in Subarus is higher than most other brands.
Your post only confirms that you haven’t been in a modern Subaru.
I was in a BRZ yesterday but I’m guessing you don’t mean that model
As someone that owns a BRZ and has been in countless other modern Subarus, they are not comparable in the slightest.
I had a Levorg previously and I recognize all you points,although I thought it looked good on the outside. I think what really sells Subarus is that they drive well in all kinds of conditions and the 4wd is really good for anything that’s not a truck. The material quality was shit though.
I thought the biggest shortcoming was not shoving the WRX engine into it…. which is what people have wanted since the first gen came out.
I thought it was the CVT. Turns out there’s so many shortcomings to what should be the perfect car in this CUV-loving market. Who knew?
I’m pretty sure they came in manual, though I admit to not caring enough to be confident in that.
You’re correct about that. I don’t know that it’s relevant to the majority of buyers as the take rate has to be comically low.
I love my manual but for me this is a commuter car and even I would not option it with a stick. Maybe if it did have the engine from the WRX…
But in reading the comments, the CVT and lack of fun engine seems minor to what the real problems are anyway.
They did up to the end of the prior gen. I would have considered one more seriously over the years if you could option it up a little more. Canadian ones you usually could but Canada often would get more better-equipped manuals.
But given it almost immediately doubled sales of its Impreza base in the first year, with no loss to Forester sales, and almost continuous growth until COVID era inventory ups/downs, I can’t say I blame them for not bothering with other powertrain combos, they just haven’t needed to. Especially with their already lackadaisical approach to the actual WRX.
If this were an Impreza I would be interested. I know the difference is a couple inches of lift but still.
I would be surprised if Subaru didn’t bring a hybrid Impreza to market eventually.
Two things:
1) These will sell like hot cakes here in Colorado.
2) The wheels are really over-styled and ugly.
Being that it’s Impreza based, the Impreza/WRX land in “Compact” and not “Subcompact”.
Checking EPA, however, there’s no such thing as “Subcompact SUV”; there is only “Small SUV” and “Small Wagon”.
Sure, it’s smaller than the CRV/Rav4 due to height, but I think the “Subcompact” name is a stretch.
The CRV and RAV4 while growing significantly over the years are still what the industry and buyers consider compact SUVs. Explorers and Highlanders are full size SUVs.
I thought the Crosstrek’s biggest problem was that, between the auto-shutoff optimized battery and the anemic alternator, it can barely keep itself charged enough to start after sitting for a few days.
Totally agree, I owned one for 5 years. Couldn’t even listen to the radio with the engine off!
I really do like my 2022 Crosstrek but I’m taking it to the dealer tomorrow for the 3rd time to address this very issue. However, I’m not convinced that it’s the auto-shutoff or the alternator – i’ve tested it and it provides more than sufficient voltage and I’ve run weeks on end with the auto-shutoff disabled and the problem persists. I suspect that it’s a software issue that’s limiting how much to charge the battery.
I have a question for you:
Do you leave a phone cable plugged in to the USB port? I swear I’ve had cars that just having the cable plugged drew power to that port and I’ve tested it by plugging a phone into it after the car has been shut off for a long time. Granted, that should only affect it if the car sits for a week or so but could be a factor.
That’s an interesting question. I do leave a USB cable plugged in 100% of the time but since the car is driven regularly I find it tough to believe that a very small amount of parasitic draw could repeatedly drain the battery. With that said, I absolutely think it’s worth exploring so thank you! In my mind, asking a customer to unplug a USB cable each time they park is a non-solution.
I agree! I’ve even considered getting a battery tender because that seems easier than unplugging the very-hard-to-get-to USB cable in the bottom of the center console (dear god why did they put it there?!?).
Dear God, why did they put that there indeed. The struggle is real.
Starlink?
Holy Shit, mega thanks for that tip. Both times I’ve been to the dealer, they kind of shrugged and gave me a new battery which almost immediately began exhibiting issues. Tomorrow I’m gonna make them dig deep and solve the issue. In my mind, disabling a feature (even one that I don’t use) isn’t sufficient on their end.
You’re welcome and good luck! Hopefully not one of those things where they try to claim “well it was just the older ones, not newer ones.” What was the trial, 3 years? Depending when you bought your ’22 that would track timewise for it to be up and start bugging on you.
So this is why I heard the PNW collectively orgasm.
PNW resident here. They are awesome cars!
As a PNW resident, they aren’t for me. All I wish is that they weren’t so ridiculously ugly because I can currently see four from my (limited field of view) living room window.
Hopefully the extra power makes it more bearable at elevation. The non-turbo dogs that Subaru puts out are bad enough at flatlander level.
I can’t wait to see the Wilderness version of this hybrid so people can lift it even higher than stock to fit oversized off road tires on Method wheels. Then proceed to only drive to the trendy parts of town.
The first-gen Crosstrek Hybrid was known for having exactly 1mpg better city and 1mpg worse highway EPA estimates compared to the non-hybrid, non-lifted Impreza.
Former 1st gen Crosstrek Hybrid owner chiming in to conform its mediocre gas mileage. Once the LRR’s were swapped out for normal tires, it was a minor miracle to hit 25mpg in mixed driving.
First and foremost, they will sell every single one of these before they even hit lots…so if this is the sort of thing you might be into get in touch with your Subaru dealership ASAP. I can’t imagine there’s a single member of Subaru’s main demographic that would pass on a hybrid option…and the fact that they haven’t taken hybrids seriously until now has always been deeply strange to me, especially with their Toyota partnership. If Toyota will just hand their (admittedly last gen) hybrid system over to Mazda I’m sure they’d do the same for Subaru, who they own a stake in.
Anyway, it seems a little sus that they’re not releasing fuel economy numbers. I feel like they’re usually one of the first things you hear about when hybrids are announced for obvious reasons…and Atkinson cycle or not a boxer engine is never going to be the most efficient choice…add in the mechanical all wheel drive system and I doubt the numbers are going to be all that impressive. I’m sure it’ll still manage mid 30s combined but I doubt it’s going to be all that spectacular.
Anyway, I think this is a throw over home plate for Subaru. I’m not necessarily the target demographic for this product so I can’t say that I’m interested personally but this is definitely going to be the right car for A LOT of people.
Spot on — The Crosstrek is a pretty compelling little swiss army knife of a vehicle, and I imagine they’ll sell a ton of the hybrid version too. For me, with the regular model getting mileage as good as it does, I would probably opt for the cheaper and simpler 2.5 model over a hybrid if it only gets an additional 5ish mpg.
Honestly though, with the Hybrid AWD Maverick rated at 40 city, if I were in this demographic I’d probably take the hybrid Maverick over either Crosstrek.
FWIW, assuming 30mpg mixed for a 2.5, an extra 5mpg is a 17% improvement. (I have a 2.5 and actually avg about 24 mixed city and hwy driving. For the average driver, that might be ~64 gallon difference per year for around $220 in savings in addition to likely further range between fill-ups. I suspect if the system is any good at all, the savings might be even more significant than that.
They need to ditch the horizontal engines. Such a waste of resources for a small company to be developing their own engines and transmissions.
I don’t think anyone buying Subarus these days cares at all about the piston configuration of their crossover’s engine. Since they’re all tall boxes these days, the lower overall height of the engine doesn’t really have a performance available. The lower COG of the engine probably doesn’t come close to compensating for a roof-sized pane of glass at the absolute highest point of the vehicle.
Respectfully, your comment is deeply misguided. When Subaru builds an engine, they put it in nearly every vehicle model they make except the BRZ. That is a very cost effective way to do business. Subarus are built around the horizontally opposed, longitudinally mounted architecture. Their symmetrical AWD system is extremely compact, simple, and amazingly capable. It would not make any sense for them to abandon what makes them great.
AWD is part of what makes them Subaru. Flat engine, not so much.
Putting the same engine in everything is no different than any other automaker. If they bolted a 2.5 inline 4 to their awd transmission it would accomplish the same thing – and it would likely make more power and propel the machine more efficiently down the road without altering the character of the vehicle.
It would bring the added benefit of exhaust manifolds without flex sections doomed to fail.
Putting an inline-4 would dramatically alter the packaging. It would force the hoodline to be higher, which would then impact other things downstream. Also, my 2023 Crosstrek Limited 2.5L does not have any exhaust flex sections anywhere. Perhaps some older models did previously, but not these days. Also, criticizing for exhaust flex tubes is odd, since I’d bet that a majority of automakers use them. I don’t like them either, but they are commonplace. But as I say, my Crosstrek doesn’t use them.
Photo of exhaust: https://i.imgur.com/LWHR3le.jpg
I suspect that the lower hoodline contributes to a valuable subaru trait that so many struggle to put their finger on: a familiarly airy cabin. Beltlines have risen dramatically over the years and made cars feel more like rolling bunkers. Good visibility reduces stress behind the wheel, and non-enthusiasts looking for a good appliance car often value that over novelty. My brother just bought a ‘24 crosstrek after considering other compelling options (Maverick, Trax), and the deciding factor seemed to be that he felt more at home in the subie.
Yes, I suspect you are correct. Keeping a low hoodline helps keep the overall beltline of the cabin low as well, which of course contributes to better visibility as a driver. Subarus in general tend to have better outward visibility than most of their competitors. My Crosstrek has outstanding outward visibility.
You don’t hear that much these days.
Bring back stellar outward visibility.
The 2023 Crosstrek does indeed have flex sections, but they are not visible unless you remove the heat shields from the exhaust manifold system. The flex pieces are on the passenger side of the manifold – the bulge in the heat shield on the cylinder #1 pipe (visible in your photo) is the location of one flex part. That said, these flex sections do not seem to be prone to failure generally on Subarus.
BTW – If you were to remove the exhaust manifold heat shields (don’t actually do that), you would see that the manifold design is a 4-2-1 header. This is generally better for power production at midrange RPM.
I have had multiple flex section failures on my ’09 Outback and also have had a failure on the enclosed version on my ’17 Forester.
I suspect the length of the engine is actually more important than the low CG. An I4 would hang out roughly twice as far in front of the front axle as the flat 4 does since they use the longitudinal configuration to achieve the their symmetrical AWD setup. They could switch to a v4 but probably not an I4.
The pistons are staggered on the H4, so an inline would be about 1 cylinder longer than the horizontal engine.
But yes, the length is an issue because the whole engine has to sit in front of the front axle because the front driveshafts go into the transmission behind the engine.
Before the Outback became the most commonly seen car in W. WA it was the Prius that held the title. So yeah I think there are a lot of current Subaru owners that were Prius owners who would be highly interested in a Hybrid Subaru.
Mechanical AWD in a Hybrid does not have to be a big drag on fuel economy. For example the Escape Hybrid uses a mechanical AWD system and the EPA ratings for the 2025’s are the same for FWD and AWD, 42 city 36hwy 39 combined. The RAV-4 Hybrid with electric rear drive is 41/38/39. Meanwhile the ICE AWD RAV-4 is rated at 27/33/29 in base form and 25/32/28 in TRD trim which compares to the Crosstrek at 27/34/29 with the 2.0, 26/33/29 with the 2.5 and in 25/29/27 in Wilderness trim with the 2.5. No reason to think that the Crosstrek shouldn’t see a similar improvement utilizing Toyota’s knowledge.
The previous generation Crosstrek plug-in Hybrid was the Toyota hybrid system, with the design reconfigured for a longitudinal layout and an output to a drive clutch feeding the propshaft to the rear wheels.
I think this is going to be a massive success for Subaru. The Crosstrek is already their best selling model, and it’s the subcompact CUV segment leader. Given that this two parallel series hybrid system is a massive improvement from the previous two iterations of the hybrid Crosstrek, I think these are going to fly of dealer lots. The timing is great for it to be a success.
They should’ve used the 2.0 for better mpg
Also, they need to offer a Forester hybrid
Forester hybrid is coming.
And this 2.5L engine is not the same engine that currently comes in the 2.5L Sport, Limited, and Wilderness trims. The 2.5L engine in the upcoming hybrid was specifically designed and optimized for this hybrid application.
Strangely enough, Subaru of America has already opened the orders for the Forester Hybrid. They emailed me a few weeks back, but had absolutely nothing for details. I assume it’ll use this same exact setup, though an HP bump would be a welcomed differentiator
I saw either yesterday or the day before was the anniversary of the announcement of the original Forester for the US, I had wondered if they would announce it then.
I would think the redesigned Outback will debut at New York, so maybe the hybrid Forester will be officially unveiled in Chicago next month? Also wondering if they’re trying to debut a hybrid Wilderness, and that’s partly why the current one is a carryover.
If they made a wilderness/hybrid variant I think my wife would be first in line. The holdover wilderness was such an odd move for them, but i guess they figured it’s easy money and the more off-road-y buyer would want the older/more proven machine.
Rumor is the Forester hybrid is getting a Toyota powertrain
Subaru isn’t going to put a Toyota inline-4 in the Forester.
Probably would be a wash. The 2.5 is rated only 1mpg worse on the highway than the 2.0 Crosstrek, and only 1mpg worse overall in the Impreza. I imagine the 2.5 hybrid combo is more plug and play to the larger models too.
The mpg hit is worth it. The 2.0 is a dog.
Subaru offered a PHEV Crosstrek for a couple recent model years, I had no idea it existed until I saw one on the road. I looked it up and it was only available in a handful of states, mine (Maine) included. The EV range isn’t much, but for my high schooler it would be a fantastic car.
PHEV might be perfect car for a teenage driver in the family who forever returns the car on empty. At least you know you can plug in to have enough range to refuel.
I don’t know very much about Subaru’s global engine options, is this hybrid system totally new? The article indicates it’s an in-house thing rather than a Toyota system which is interesting. Also interested in more info about the transmission – I assume this is of the “eCVT” (still a terrible name) variety?
it’s definitely an eCVT. The planetary gearset with an electric motor is a dead giveaway
I with they’d rename those damn things already. CVT is a dirty word to a lot of people (myself included) and an eCVT really doesn’t have anything in common with a traditional CVT mechanically.
Yeah I have to constantly remind my dad that the hybrids normally have an eCVT not a crap CVT since he is looking into a new vehicle and might get a hybrid. They really should just call it a Planetary Transmission or something of the sort
totally agree with both assessments.
The thing is all the existing non-BOF Toyota Hybrids use a transverse layout, while Subaru utilizes a longitudinal layout, so no way to use an existing transaxle. A two motor planetary set up indicates it operates on the same principles as the Toyota system. So you can bet Toyota’s expertise was used in creating a longitudinal version. I suspect everything else is designed and manufactured by Toyota using the same basic components they use in their own applications, if not direct from an existing application.
I expected proper announcement of the Forester hybrid first, supposedly the order banks have been open for it. That will probably overshadow this though, so probably the right order to announce it in.
Per the spec sheet it looks like it loses just over a cubic foot of cargo volume so not bad. Although it probably loses a spare in the process too.
This will be the first electric motor to require a new head gasket after 3 years.
Snark aside, I always felt like they missed so many opportunities to put the 2.4t in this thing and make a Hot Hatch version. I can’t imagine it would cannibalize much, and it would throw a bone to the people who miss the WRX hatch.
Yup, the WRX motor would make this a cool little car.
I agreed and even more so once the WRX wagon went away.
Eh, head gaskets haven’t been an issue on Subarus since the EJ engines sent away in 2010. I do agree that a 2.4T Crosstrek would be the jam, though. It would be costly, but a fun baja style ripper would be a hoot. Subaru seems to be stepping back from the performance market at the moment, though.
I’m not trying to be difficult, but Subie engine and tranny problems are absolutely not a thing of the past.
My daughter-in-law’s ’16 Crosstrek has been a lot of trouble (just had to replace the steering rack), but the engine and transmission have been solid.
My wife’s ’17 has had no problems whatsoever.
Define “engine problems”. The FB20 and FB25 engines have been pretty reliable after they sorted out the oil consumption issues due to bad piston rings that were used about 10+ years ago. Head gaskets haven’t been an issue in 15+ years. Some have experienced oil leaks at the cam carrier, but it’s not super widespread. The FA24 in the BRZ had some instances of oil starvation that got a bit of notice on the internet, but on the whole they are reliable. CVTs are now good and plenty reliable compared to the industry average. I’m a longtime Subaru owner, but not a brand loyalist. On the whole, Subarus are well above the industry average for reliability, and in 2024 they were ranked the most reliable car brand by Consumer Reports (take that with a grain of salt).
I can tell you what I know, and full disclosure: after my daughter’s Crosstrek engine died, and the Subie dealer quickly offered $1k but nothing else and left her to eat the rest even though corporate suggested a whole new engine after the oil consumption test results, we’re permanently done with them:
A very good freind went from being the service manager at a Subaru dealer to being a Toyota service guy (by the way, he’s telling me Toyota truck horror stories right now…) and explained how his dealership, and all others get truckloads of new engines and trannies each week. He left after the dealer(s) started tightening their belts and everyone was no longer willing to make customers whole for goodwill…and were making people eat costs. The Subie marketing campaign’s power is not to be denied…but it can’t overcome shoddy engineering.
The current irony of Toyota truck reliability compared to what he left has not escaped him, by the way
What model year was your daughter’s Crosstrek?
I’m pretty sure a ’19 or ’20.
As someone who drives a GTI and is really sad that I’ll have to give it up soon (b/c my family doesn’t quite fit in it), I soooo wish there were more options for wagons or CUVs that were fun to drive. Something that straddles the fun/practical line and that I can afford. A Macan for the people, if you will.
Hyundai tried with my beloved Kona N but no one wanted them because every single review was like THE RIDE IS SOUL CRUSHINGLY BAD WHAT A STUPID CAR and they didn’t offer all wheel drive. To be fair if your GTI is getting too small I don’t think a Kona N is the answer because it’s basically the same size inside. The ride also isn’t great but if you leave the dampers in their softest setting it’s tolerable/not as bad as journalists made it out to be.
Honestly I think car journalists (not the good folks here of course) obsess over how a sporty car rides way too much. Like if you’re expecting a hot hatch or other semi affordable fun car to have damping that’s on Porsche’s level of fucking course you’re going to be disappointed. If you want a luxury car ride then get a luxury car. I’m willing to put up with a rougher ride as the compromise for better handling and body control.
Anyway please join me in begging Toyota to bring the Crown Sport over because that seems like the perfect answer to this question.
I raised a brow b/c those 2-tone Crowns are an abomination, but the Crown sport does seem fun! Brown leather interior!
It’s a tall, fast PHEV hot hatch with a nice interior! What more could you ask for? GIVE IT TO US TOYOTA
Also what you might be looking for is an Integra Type S. Those things check a lot of boxes, but boy do you pay for it.
Acura RDX?
As much as I do not love Subarus, I would have bought two of those by now if they were available. I absolutely would have bought one instead of my Forester and would have picked up another one instead of my Ioniq 5.
I wouldn’t have even complained too much about changing wheel bearings every third oil change.