2024 Subaru Crosstrek Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, truthfully, looks an awful lot like the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. However, this is a new car complete with new sheet metal, a new chassis, and even a few new colours. Sun Blaze, Offshore Blue, and Sapphire Blue join the Crosstrek’s paint palette.

The wheelbase and overall length remain nearly the same, and the 2024 Crosstrek’s approach and break-over angles are identical to the outgoing model’s. However, the new Crosstrek sports a steeper departure angle, and cargo space gets trimmed slightly. Ultimately, shoppers familiar with the second-generation Crosstrek are unlikely to notice any dimensional differences when they test drive a 2024 model.

In its base trim, the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek arrives with 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-season tires. 22 centimetres of ground clearance also make this little crossover a safe choice when your drive heads off the smooth pavement and onto dusty dirt roads or snow-covered driveways. And in Canada, roof rails are standard. Unlike the Subaru Outback, these rails don’t double as crossbars–you’ll need to purchase those separately. All told, though, the new-design rails maintain Subaru’s decidedly outdoorsy look and feel, and they’re partially a requirement for anyone whose idea of a good time includes a pair of skis, a tent, or a kayak.

For 2024, the Crosstrek’s LED headlights look like they run right up against the new wing bar that splits the car’s frameless grille. It’s a clever visual trick and because the wing bar has a bit of a curve to it, the Crosstrek’s front fascia has a bit of a Cheshire cat look, almost as if it’s smiling.

Being a Subaru, none of us were surprised to see the ample amount of black plastic cladding protecting each wheel arch. What was a bit more surprising was the air inlets and outlets built into that cladding. This aerodynamic design helps smooth out air that flows around the turning wheels, improving fuel efficiency and lowering road-noise volume.

At the rear, the second-generation Crosstrek’s split taillight design carries over to the third generation, albeit with some tweaks. Compared with the single-piece taillights found on the first-generation XV Crosstrek, the split design allows for wider trunk access. It’s a simple, smart change that we appreciated in the second-gen car, and it’s indicative of Subaru’s “Kaizen” philosophy around product development.

Subaru has also added some Wilderness-trim-specific interior and exterior design elements. On the outside, the Crosstrek Wilderness gets a unique, hexagonal front grille, bigger cladding pieces around the wheels, and new bumpers. The fog lights also adopt the hexagonal LED design and copper accents that are found on the Forester and Outback Wilderness models. Ground clearance increases from 22 to 23.5 centimetres with the Wilderness trim, and a ladder-style roof rack sits atop this Crosstrek. That rack is rated to hold 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of dynamic load and 317 kilograms (700 pounds) of static load.

Inside, the Crosstrek Wilderness is upholstered with StarTex synthetic leather--easy to clean and largely waterproof--and more copper accents add some visual flair. All-weather floormats come standard on the Wilderness trim, and the rear tailgate gets an LED light on the inside to help with visibility in the cargo area after dark.

As the exterior dimensions have hardly changed for the 2024 model year, interior dimensions are largely the same on the new Crosstrek, too. As we mentioned, cargo volume comes in a touch smaller than before, but not so much that you'd likely notice. Pleasantly, the liftgate has a slightly shorter grip height, and a helper strap option is available–great news for shorter drivers.

A new 11.6-inch touchscreen display is the most noticeable difference between this new Crosstrek interior and the outgoing one. We’ll cover the new infotainment system’s operation in our technology section, but from a design standpoint, it adds cohesiveness between the larger (and more expensive) Subaru Outback and the smaller, entry-level Crosstrek.

The 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that's been available on the Onyx and Limited trim returns, delivering 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. That same engine is now standard on the Wilderness trim, too.

However, for this review, we tested the U.S. equivalent of a Touring trim, equipped with the smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Although the larger powertrain’s 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque are more appealing in the Crosstrek, we were overall pleased with the performance of the less-expensive engine option.

152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque from the 2.0-litre are managed solely by a continuously variable transmission (CVT). There’s no getting around the 2.0-litre engine’s poky behavior. The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek is just not a very quick car.

Additionally, there is no longer a manual transmission available; regardless of your engine choice, you’ll be living with a CVT. Pleasantly, Subaru has come close to perfecting this particular transmission. Power grows as it runs up the rev range, and the simulated shift points feel deliberate. There’s little droning and the Crosstrek doesn’t suffer from any rubber banding like other CVT-equipped crossovers. Buy a Touring, Onyx, or Limited trim, and you also get paddle shifters. The Crosstrek Wilderness has different gearing, allowing it to tackle more aggressive, uphill terrain. Towing capacity also jumps up to 1,587 kilograms (3,500 pounds) on Wilderness trims, more than double the approved towing capacity for non-Wilderness Crosstreks.

Even better, the updated 2.0-litre powertrain generates less vibration during start-up and operation than the previous one. Because the Crosstrek’s engine cylinders are horizontally opposed, rather than arranged in-line, they tend to shudder a bit more than is comfortable. Decreasing that shuddering with tuning and improved engine mounts makes features like automatic start/stop much more pleasant.

Although the steering feel remains light and vague, relative to the vehicle’s size, it’s not sloppy or indirect–credit to a new dual-pinion steering rack for that. Additionally, with a stiffer structure, the Crosstrek doesn’t lean quite so much through corners as the outgoing model.

In addition to standard AWD, the Crosstrek also comes equipped with Subaru’s X-Mode traction management system in all trim levels. Essentially, X-Mode can sense when a wheel loses traction, apply the brakes to that wheel, and divert the excess power to the wheels that do have traction.

Convenience and Touring trim levels receive a more rudimentary version of X-Mode with dirt/snow driving features. Buy an Onyx or Limited trim, and the dual-function X-Mode system comes with a bit more beef, upgrading dirt and snow to mud and deep snow. Additionally, hill-descent control is included with both grades of X-Mode.

Fuel economy looks unimpressive compared with increasingly common hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) competitors, but they’re still pretty good for a subcompact crossover with AWD. Natural Resources Canada estimates 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 7.1 on the highway for the 2.0-litre Crosstrek. (Combined figures were not yet published as of this writing.) Upgrade to 2.5 litres, and you can expect 8.9 city, 7.2 highway. Fuel economy figures haven't been released for the Crosstrek Wilderness, but we expect them to fall short of the other models. Folks who plan on taking their Crosstrek on long highway journeys will be happy with the big, 63-litre fuel tank.

Although it boasts impressive ground clearance and somewhat rugged styling, the Crosstrek is still built atop the Subaru Impreza’s platform. Don’t confuse this with a Subaru Forester–the Crosstrek is small.

Compared with other small, subcompact SUVs, however, the Crosstrek delivers competitive cargo space and impressive utility.

Rear-seat legroom and headroom are good, although very tall passengers may want to call dibs on the front seat. 564 litres of trunk space falls short of what you’d find in a Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-30, or Toyota Corolla Cross. However, the available 1,549 litres of total cargo space (when you fold the second-row seats down) is significantly closer to par.

Better yet, Subaru clearly considered its typical customer when designing the Crosstrek’s interior. Materials feel low-rent but robust and easy to clean. A protective cargo tray is standard on the Onyx and Limited trim levels. A heated steering wheel is standard on all trims but the Convenience. Cupholders abound. Even the centre console bin was designed to fit two 32-ounce Nalgene water bottles. Ask any avid hiker, and you’ll learn that Nalgene bottles just don’t fit well in most vehicles. In the Subaru Crosstrek, they do.

Climb inside a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, and you’d be hard-pressed to ignore the massive, vertically oriented touchscreen. Previously found on the three-row Subaru Ascent and the flagship Subaru Outback, this 11.6-inch display is a showstopper. Icons and graphics are crisp and bright, and Subaru has done a good job retaining physical controls for temperature, defrosters, tuning, and volume. Additional, often-used features like the automatic stop-start toggle can be programmed to sit in a static and ever-present position on the screen.

The big infotainment system is standard on all but the Convenience trim. It includes wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto connectivity, and a wireless charger is standard on the Onyx and Limited trims. Upgrade to the Limited trim and you’ll also receive a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. All trims have access to SiriusXM satellite radio with a three-month trial subscription.

The Subaru Starlink technology offering is impressive but not perfect. For one, it does suffer from significant glare when positioned in bright sunlight. For another, some of its features can be difficult to locate, requiring the user to dig through a few too many menus.

The Subaru Crosstrek has been in production since 2013, and it has been awarded a Top Safety Pick designation by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) since 2013. The IIHS has yet to review the 2024 model, but we don’t expect much to change.

Similarly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek five stars overall, and while it has not yet crash-tested the new 2024 model, we expect it to pass with flying colours.

Part of that expectation stems from the inclusion of Subaru’s acclaimed EyeSight driver assist technology. Included as standard equipment, EyeSight is a camera-based advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that boasts automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. New for 2024, EyeSight employs a wider-angle lens to give it a larger view of the road and surroundings ahead, and it also includes automatic emergency steering on cars equipped with blind-spot monitoring. Automatic emergency steering can identify vehicles partially impeding your lane and autonomously direct the Crosstrek around them, keeping it within its lane the entire time.

The Subaru Crosstrek has been with us since 2013, and it’s been a popular option ever since then. In fact, the Crosstrek is now Subaru’s best-selling car in Canada.

Part of the Crosstrek’s appeal certainly comes from its rugged, can-do ethos; with AWD, impressive ground clearance, and a utilitarian design, it appeals to active shoppers who want a car capable of taking skiing, hiking, boating, fishing, camping–or anywhere else the paved road ends.

Another part of its popularity comes from its attractive price tag. The Crosstrek has a higher starting price than some competitors like the Honda HR-V or Toyota Corolla Cross–but only if you buy front-wheel-drive (FWD) versions of those cars. Buy one with AWD, and the Crosstrek becomes the better value.

Subaru Canada has set pricing starting at $31,572 for the Convenience trim level, including a $2,195 destination fee. Moving up the ladder, a Touring trim costs $34,772, an Onyx costs $36,572, and a Limited trim costs $39,572. Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness pricing for Canada has not been announced as of this writing, and while most 2024 Crosstreks are already available, the Wilderness will arrive in autumn 2023.

Subaru has done an admirable job of packaging appealing features into every trim level. Add in the Crosstrek’s on- and off-road capability and the brand’s reputation for strong resale values, and the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek looks like an excellent choice for active, adventurous shoppers.

Note: Images show a US model.