I have had the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek for 17 days (1200+ miles on odometer!) now and thought I would write a review since the ones I read prior to buying were all over the place. Yes, the Crosstrek is a variation on the proven Impreza platform. Which is part of the reason I bought it. You usually want to avoid a new car model the first year it is out so they can work out the bugs. Being that it is technically not a new model I overlooked this.

The main concern I had prior to test driving the Crosstrek was the numerous reviews complaining about the lack of power and complaints on the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). I find the power to be suitable for the type of vehicle it is. You are not going to win any races in it but that is not the purpose of it. The CVT takes some getting use to since the usual act of punching the accelerator to the floor is not as effective as a 20% throttle then ease to the floor approach. With this method I can pass anyone on the highway and overtake with ease. For the record I drive 35 miles each way to work from north of downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica every day. So I know about traffic and the need to pass people on occasion. The joy of the Crosstrek to me is that it fills all my needs with equal doses of each. I wanted a car to fit this tall order:

Drive daily to work with good MPGs

Take on weekend road trips around SoCal and enjoy the twisty roads in route

Be able to drive off-road to get to points of interest

Seat 4 normal sized adults and carry gear/groceries/etc.

Look cool doing it

So for those basic needs the Crosstrek has filled them. The main issue with most reviews I have read is the reviewer is always focused on each car as if it should perform like a Porsche or other sports car even if it is not built to be such a thing. This is tantamount to comparing a .22 caliber rifle to a Howitzer. You just can’t compare the two. Also let me note that for the last 6 years I have driven as a daily drive a Porsche 996 (manual). So I could easily compare but would not be fair to the Subaru. Any complaint I have is very minor in terms of my HTC Evo LTE connecting to the Bluetooth (more an HTC issue than Subaru) or my wish that the driver’s seat would tilt up at the front of the seat since I am 6’4″ tall and need more support under my thighs on long drives. Other than that I love my new Crosstrek and think it does exactly what it is intended to do…BE a Crossover!

Off-road the Crosstrek has proven very well on rough rutted roads on the Mojave Desert and the ride quality both off and on tarmac are great (at least compared to my 996). Handling is better than expected with the AWD (All Wheel Drive) working very well. Turn in is very good for the height of the car with very little body roll. The car tends to understeer when pushed hard into a corner but a bit of throttle with correct it and slowly becomes mild oversteer which can make it quite fun to throw around on mountain roads. Overall it handles very flat (shockingly even) and requires horrible driving technique to break the rear-end loose. You have to make an asserted effort to break it loose since it is so well planted.

So far MPGs are as advertised with some improvement as the engine is broken in. Of all the reviews I combed over prior to buying the car the most I agree with is the tried and true Motorweek review:

Overall I am very happy with my purchase and understand that in order to get more power into the Crosstrek it would have to sacrifice the best in class MPG rating which I would not trade. Will keep everyone updated with future posts.

My Flickr Feed of Crosstrek Pics: