2019 Crosstrek 10,000 Mile Review

[Al]

Bought the vehicle in May. Premium- Lane change warning active backup warning. (No eyesight) $27.5 OTD. CVT 152 HP 2.0 Boxer Engine.
CVT it very nice never feels like it needs to shift. It has steel chain..feels very solid. 100K warranty on the tranny. It has paddle shifters which operates in the sport mode, they are OK but unnecessary for me. One thing is without going to the sport mods you can hit the downshift paddle and it will shift down to slow you down going downhill or coming to a stop. Its a nice feature.

2.0 Engine. Has been described as dogish. I find it fine. I redlined it from the very start. No detectable oil use. When you floor it, it gets up and goes. I never found it wanting. The wife's forester is the 2.0 XT. She asked me if its a turbo. She was impressed. My point its not inadequate (IMH)

The trim is nice. The orange accent is nice. It fits. The infotainment system has Apple Carplay. I don't have auto climate control. It heats up very quickly. Heated seats have heat in the seat and back rest. The visibility is excellent as with all Subarus. Ride as very refined. Zero body lean. It handles extremely well. You sit up high. Ground clearance is 8.7".

I have had it on a solid ice/snow hill at my gun club. I stopped in the middle and without X mode almost no slippage. I can't imagine it getting stuck unless it needed to push snow. The tires are all season and very good.

Mileage in warm weather in short trips is 29 mpg and highway 35+ mpg. Winter 23 mpg on short trips and about 35 highway. I can't say it is as comfortable on trips as my Forester. But short trips I prefer the Crosstrek.

Other than a recall, I have had zero problems with the vehicle. I'd buy it again.

 

[WhyMe]

My cousin bought a limited with everything last year for his daughter for 26400 before taxes which I thought was a great deal . He wanted the safety features Subaru offers.

So far no issues and his kid loves it . I have been looking at used Outbacks with the cvt just scares the heck outa me. Most of the ones I have looked at are over 100k miles . I drove about 5 or 6 and they all felt different. One had a clunk I could feel at my feet .

I had an outback in the past and loved it .

 

[Rand]

wow I didnt realize they were that much $$$$$

my 2019 trailhawk 2.0T cold weather/convenience/towing pkgs was around 28.5k+ TTL

Totally different vehicles for sure..

If Subaru still made anything I wanted to buy.. I wouldnt have a Jeep.

I will say I never really felt the lack of HP in my forester(s)

Still want a turbo(or 200hp+) wagon/cuv with a MT.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I like the Orange on the Outbacks and glad to hear of your good report. I like the way they sit up in the air a little higher and hopefully they are a dependable vehicle. I definitely would consider one when I retire my Civic.

 

[wdn]

Originally Posted by Rand
wow I didnt realize they were that much $$$$$

my 2019 trailhawk 2.0T cold weather/convenience/towing pkgs was around 28.5k+ TTL

Totally different vehicles for sure..


Then add another $450 a year in annual fuel cost because the Cherokee gets 22 MPG compared to the Subaru's 30. Cargo volume with seats down a slight edge to Subaru, which is 7" shorter. And Crosstrek has a 1-1/2 foot tighter turning radius too a huge difference. Jeep kind of seems frozen in time engineering wise.

 

[buster]

Glad you like it Al.

I see your broke it in aggressively. You should have a good piston/ring seal now.

Crosstrek and Mazda CX-30 are at the top of the list for my next car. I planned on keeping the Frontier 3 years. My only complaint is the awful fuel economy. It's worse than I anticipated.

What's the verdict on the CVT in the CrossTrek? Reliable?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Our CVT seems OK. at 60K Its a good trans.

AL, That was big big money for that Crosstrek given you can get a new Impreza wagon for about $17,500 all day up here and the Crosstrek is only about $3000 in options and finish nicer.

IDK, I was miffed the wife paid 23K for her Crosstrek premium.

I though she got rolled like Ms. Puff-N- Fresh

Enjoy the car.. Ours has been relaible, but is currently eating the RF outer CV joint.

Anybody who would buy a new VW over a subaru is nuts.

The Subaru is more Porsche-VW like than VW for sure,

 

[JTK]

You won't touch a new Impreza for $17500 in the Buffalo area, but they are still a decent deal compared to a similar FWD only small car.

I paid $23K +TTL for my 2014 base model XV Crosstrek 5mt. I would have kept that vehicle much longer had it not been for that awful 5spd. The vehicle was just not matched properly to this transmission, although the mechanical AWD you got with it was awesome.

My only other gripe with the car was the seating. The front seat pan padding was too thin and you could feel a cross-bar that obviously made it uncomfortable.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by JTK
You won't touch a new Impreza for $17500 in the Buffalo area, but they are still a decent deal compared to a similar FWD only small car.

I paid $23K +TTL for my 2014 base model XV Crosstrek 5mt. I would have kept that vehicle much longer had it not been for that awful 5spd. The vehicle was just not matched properly to this transmission, although the mechanical AWD you got with it was awesome.

My only other gripe with the car was the seating. The front seat pan padding was too thin and you could feel a cross-bar that obviously made it uncomfortable.


Yes the last gen crosstrek was sort of Asian Tiny but with nice materials.
Subaru seats have never been a strong suit for bigger Guys, - . Nissan has been winning there.

But I think they addressed the front space equation well with the latest gen Impreza.

wonder why buffalo is so pricey? Not enough competition?

update - I just checked up here, lowest i just saw is a base 2020 wagon stick. $18,700

base is pretty optioned up these days with remote entry, pw, air, Tilt,telescope wheel, bluetooth,
and these are mid size now with 105" wheelbase, not the 96" of subcompacts a decade ago)

Still no 6 speed in the base car. Likely spins at 3500 on the interstate if they didn't crank up the final ratio or change 5th.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted by buster
Glad you like it Al.

I see your broke it in aggressively. You should have a good piston/ring seal now.

Crosstrek and Mazda CX-30 are at the top of the list for my next car. I planned on keeping the Frontier 3 years. My only complaint is the awful fuel economy. It's worse than I anticipated.

What's the verdict on the CVT in the CrossTrek? Reliable?

Yea I redlined after around 100 miles. Uses no detectable oil. I just enjoy running it out a few times/week.

Yea the CX-30 looks like a real winner. I'm a subaru fanboy. I like the no compromising flat-4, the symmetrical AWD, and the 8.7" ground clearance. My 18 Forester goes through anything reasonable. Again I'm a fanboy. But the CX-30 looks hard to beat!! Gonna cut into Crosstrek sales with the better performance.

The CVT is supposedly reliable. And it has the 100K mile warranty. For me its no issue. I have the extended warranty that cost me $1400.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted by Al
Originally Posted by buster
Glad you like it Al.

I see your broke it in aggressively. You should have a good piston/ring seal now.

Crosstrek and Mazda CX-30 are at the top of the list for my next car. I planned on keeping the Frontier 3 years. My only complaint is the awful fuel economy. It's worse than I anticipated.

What's the verdict on the CVT in the CrossTrek? Reliable?

Yea I redlined after around 100 miles. Uses no detectable oil. I just enjoy running it out a few times/week.

Yea the CX-30 looks like a real winner. I'm a subaru fanboy. I like the no compromising flat-4, the symmetrical AWD, and the 8.7" ground clearance. My 18 Forester goes through anything reasonable. Again I'm a fanboy. But the CX-30 looks hard to beat!! Gonna cut into Crosstrek sales with the better performance.

The CVT is supposedly reliable. And it has the 100K mile warranty. For me its no issue. I have the extended warranty that cost me $1400.

Can't go wrong with either.

 

[wdn]

Keep in mind a dealer ad for a $18,700 for Impreza hatchback with a stick is a loss leader base model with no options they probably advertised one stock number but oops we just sold that one. That is typical Sunday newspaper tricks. The fine print usually says price includes all rebates to dealer and assumes a rebate you won't qualify for, like military rebate, and excludes dealer fees. "see dealer for details". Doc fee in NH averages $500.

2020 Impreza Premium hatchback with the options package and the typical port installed option like the mud flaps and side molding I just saw it with MSRP of $26,133, invoice $24,840 from a NH dealer. That is the price range for these cars.

My son just bought one yesterday from a Massachusetts dealer. 2020 Premium Premium CVT hatchback with the options package, splash guards, rear bumper appliqué and Subaru license plate brackets. His was $25,799 MSRP plus he had dealer install $606 MSRP of dealer installed Subaru options at cost (auto dimming rear view mirror with compass and HomeLink, and auto dimming side mirrors with approach lights). That totals $26,405 MSRP. It has everything, EyeSight plus all Subaru safety items like lane change assist and cross traffic warning. Moonroof power seats, etc.

Dealer price right at $24,000 out the door due to Navy Federal Credit Union buying service no dealer charges tacked on later either it was all inclusive price. Subaru is also offering 1.9% financing if you buy from dealer stock, that special ends today. First they said he did not qualify because he had no car loan history. He said fine here is a Navy Fed treasurer's check for the full price, I already prequalified at 2.49% APR, here's your money. I will take the car today. That surprised them. Upon finding this out they cut the agreed-upon 24K price another few hundred to sweeten the deal and got him the Subaru 1.9% if he would wait for it, which took them another day. But he got it. Plus he got the veterans rebate which is another $500 off the bottom line.

 

[gofast182]

Honda and Subaru have the best CVTs in the industry. I think we've reached the point where you could buy one with high confidence in transmission reliability.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by wdn
Keep in mind a dealer ad for a $18,700 for Impreza hatchback with a stick is a loss leader base model with no options they probably advertised one stock number but oops we just sold that one. That is typical Sunday newspaper tricks. The fine print usually says price includes all rebates to dealer and assumes a rebate you won't qualify for, like military rebate, and excludes dealer fees. "see dealer for details". Doc fee in NH averages $500.

2020 Impreza Premium hatchback with the options package and the typical port installed option like the mud flaps and side molding I just saw it with MSRP of $26,133, invoice $24,840 from a NH dealer. That is the price range for these cars.

My son just bought one yesterday from a Massachusetts dealer. 2020 Premium Premium CVT hatchback with the options package, splash guards, rear bumper appliqué and Subaru license plate brackets. His was $25,799 MSRP ....

Dealer price right at $24,000 out the door due to Navy Federal Credit Union buying service.

Enjoy. The forester used top be the value proposition at about 22K out the door for a base model.

Tons of options on the base car as I had listed. No problem finding and buying one.
Personally, Only thing I like is a sunroof. - but I thought side impact standards made these a dinosaur.

I'm just cheap. I still thing mid 20's for a Impreza is a ton of cash. Id go base Legacy instead - mucho nicer.

Then again, maybe Id rather have a Nissan Rogue Sport, Maybe. I'd have to drive them back to back. Ive never found subaru comfortable for a long drive. And we've owned over 10 of them in the past 30 years. from Justy to the SVX.
My old Rogue Select was one of the most likeable cars i've owned out of well over 70 cars in my lifetime.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Jeepers Redline is not good for engine wear in.

these 2.0 are not oil eaters though.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Jeepers Redline is not good for engine wear in.

these 2.0 are not oil eaters though.


That's highly debatable ARCO. I think long extended high RPM is what they are reffering to. The best break-in, from everything I read, is a decent amount of load in a high gear no higher than 4k rpm.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Jeepers Redline is not good for engine wear in.
these 2.0 are not oil eaters though.

I was "restrained" on how I did it. I did not slam it to the floor just put it all the way down in like 2 seconds, let it redline in to gears and then got off the accelerator for at least 15 seconds. Made sure there was no one in back of me. If it can't handle that...too bad.

At this point I let it redline in 3 gears..lol Obviously it shifts on its own about 100 rpm below RL. Its very smooth.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by buster
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Jeepers Redline is not good for engine wear in.

these 2.0 are not oil eaters though.


That's highly debatable ARCO. I think long extended high RPM is what they are reffering to. The best break-in, from everything I read, is a decent amount of load in a high gear no higher than 4k rpm.


Buster I wiould argue 4k is not redline.

Ive broken in over 70 cars in my time and tiried all kinds of break in.

Advice to the average Joes is You just drive the car "normal" not to slow not to fast.

No long trips out of the box; They seem to like to cool off after 20 mins.

In the past I've done 3/4 throttle from 2500 - 3500 a few times a commute, then a week later: 3/4 throttle from 3000- 4000

Then after 1200 miles WOT from 3500- 5000. here and there couple times per commute.

this resulted in a Nissan Versa - blown engine. Dead in 3 weeks. But Just a Junk motor ( and oil filter) I suppose.

My new Yugo in 1986, I got on the highway and floored it brought it up to 90 MPH all the way home 30 miles at ~ 6K rpm.

Never and issue over 4 years.

But it still seems to be more up to that particular engine how she will do ... more than anything else.

AL's car, I'm sure it will be fine.

My wife drives like a madman on her commute and no problem with the engine.

But the 2.0 mpi aggressive throttle -tip in programming ( actually criminally aggressive programming**)

I bet was a major factor that ate the CV axle at 3 year 62K miles,.680 bucks dealer. No aftermarket parts found yet.

** if you just got in this car out of anything else, you might crash it in a parking lot. the thing jumps forward or reverse like you "punched it" with even the slightest application of the E- throttle off idle.

Insane!

Enjoy the X trek AL. Id like my wife to get a Impreza 5 door or a Italian Jeep Rebel, but I bet she's back in a

"mother-lady" Forester.

ps: Al I have a lot of Polish relatives from my Dad's side in the Scranton, PA area

 

[Al]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite

Enjoy the X trek AL. Id like my wife to get a Impreza 5 door or a Italian Jeep Rebel, but I bet she's back in a

"mother-lady" Forester.

ps: Al I have a lot of Polish relatives from my Dad's side in the Scranton, PA area

Yea that is an area for that ethnic group. You are lucky they don't make the Subaru Forester XT anymore..she would love it!! Forester is a great vehicle. The Global platform introduced in '19 has it all over the previous generation. Gas mileage is great and the CVT is warranted for 100K miles. My '18 Forester is a great trip car the '19 from my understanding is better.