Subaru Crosstrek Review 2026: The Rugged Ride You’ll Love

from the experts at Invoice Pricing

2026

Subaru

Crosstrek

Enhanced | Station Wagon | Subaru | SUV

In this 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Review, you will find everything you need to know about the popular Subaru Model.

The subcompact SUV is somewhat of an antihero in the automotive world, prioritizing comfort over performance and omitting key features such as standard all-wheel drive, excellent gas mileage, and a simple yet comfortable interior. Power comes from a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, 180-hp gas engine. A basic but useful continuously variable automatic gearbox (CVT) sends power to all four wheels. Its handling isn’t always quick or smooth, but that’s not its main goal.

The Crosstrek, on the other hand, has up to 9.3 inches of ground clearance, which is enough to back up its big claims; we drove it off-road and were pleased with it. It might not look as good as the Volkswagen Taos or Mazda CX-30 right now, but it has a lovely attitude that is hard to ignore.

According to expert predictions, Subaru is expected to introduce the Crosstrek Hybrid in 2026. It looks the same on the outside as the regular Crosstrek, but it’s supposed to get better city fuel economy.

What's New?

The base model now features a 180-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, replacing the previously standard 152-hp 2.0-liter engine. The Crosstrek Limited and Wilderness grades come with a heated steering wheel.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Infotainment: Infotainment includes a standard 7-inch touchscreen, with an optional upgrade to an 11.6-inch display.
Connectivity: You can join via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, or a basic version of Android Auto. You can choose between Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Audio System: A Harman Kardon system with four speakers (standard), six speakers (optional), or ten speakers (optional).

The base model features a 7-inch screen, supports CarPlay and Android Auto, includes a four-speaker radio, a USB-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The small price increase for the Premium model seems like a good deal, given that it comes with wireless connectivity, six speakers, four USB ports (two front and two rear), and a larger screen.

Engine and Performance

Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 180 horsepower.
Transmission: CVT, which stands for Continuously Variable Transmission.
Drivetrain: All-wheel drive powers the car.

Each model comes equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower, and the sole transmission available is a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Most Subaru cars come with all-wheel drive as standard.

While it’s not the high-performance Subaru WRX sports car, the Crosstrek does share its underlying chassis. People who saw it on the road said it was “relaxed.” There isn’t much fun to be had driving this SUV compared to the Mazda CX-30 or the Volkswagen Taos. It also corners very poorly, which is probably not something its intended buyer will ever need to do.

However, the Crosstrek should be better off-road than other SUVs because it has at least 8.7 inches of ground clearance and features such as hill-descent control and hill-start assist. The Wilderness model offers 9.3 inches of ground clearance and comes equipped with more capable all-terrain tires. In Joshua Tree National Park, which is just outside of Palm Springs, California, we put the Crosstrek through its paces on a few small off-road roads and rough two-tracks during our first test drive. It handles that type of terrain with impressive performance.

The Crosstrek Wilderness accelerated to 60 miles per hour in 8.6 seconds, while the Limited trim achieved the same in 8.1 seconds. On the other hand, the Wilderness model’s slower pace is due to its tough construction and all-terrain tires. Still, the same Mazda CX-30, equipped with the base engine without a turbocharger, took 8.1 seconds to hit 60 mph. The powerful CX-30 completed the task in just 5.8 seconds.

Fuel Economy

35 miles per gallon on the highway at 75 miles per hour.
According to the EPA, city fuel economy ranges from 25 to 27 miles per gallon.
EPA highway fuel economy is 29 to 33 mpg.

The EPA hasn’t announced the fuel economy of the 2026 Crosstrek yet, but the 2025 model, equipped with the now-standard 2.5-liter engine, achieved 27 mpg in the city, 33 MPG on the highway, and a combined 29 MPG.

Safety Features

All Subaru Crosstrek models come with the latest EyeSight driving assistance technology package. Along with back cross-traffic alert and blind-spot recognition, there is emergency steering. The following are important safety features:

Automatic brakes, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning with lane-keeping assist are all standard safety features.
Automatic emergency steering, blind spot recognition, and back cross-traffic alert are all safety features that can be added as options.

Cargo and Towing Capacity

Towing and How Much You Can Pay. A maximum of 1500 pounds can be pulled behind any model, but 3500 pounds can be pulled behind the Wilderness trim.

Price and How to Choose

There are many models and options that can affect how much the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek costs. It’s best to get the Premium trim. For a small additional fee, you can opt for the larger 11.6-inch tablet, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and roof rail crossbars.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Standard All Wheel Drive on every trim
Strong ground clearance and real light off-road capability, especially in the wilderness
Comfortable, relaxed ride for daily commuting
Expected good fuel economy with the 2.5-liter engine
EyeSight safety suite standard with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist
Premium trim is a good value with a larger 11.6-inch screen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Cons

Single 2.5-liter engine with CVT feels slow and unexciting
Handling is less engaging than rivals like the Mazda CX 30
Less interior space than the previous Crosstrek
Exterior design is starting to look dated next to newer competitors
Base 7-inch screen and audio system feel basic unless you step up to higher trims