After A Year Long Review Motor Trend Says The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Is Tough To Beat

The Subaru Crosstrek is a vehicle made for people who need a reliable automotive companion to get in and do what they need to do. The Crosstrek isn’t meant to complicate your life. It’s simply there to keep you safe and comfortable while still being affordable. That makes it pretty much the perfect vehicle, then, doesn’t it?  

Perfection By Another Name 

At least, that’s how MotorTrend feels about the subcompact Subaru SUV. They said it’s neither flashy nor boring, essentially, and that’s what makes it so brilliant: “As a daily driver, the Crosstrek simply does what it’s supposed to do with no fuss … The optional 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo sounds good … There’s plenty of space for you to put your everyday stuff. The list of competent interior qualities is long …” 

Pricing, Engines, and Fuel Economy 

The 2025 Crosstrek has a starting price of $27,230 for the Base trim level, which gives you a 2.0-liter Subaru Boxer 4-cylinder that puts out 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque that will deliver 27 mpg city and 34 mpg on the highway. Stepping up to the Premium, Sport, Limited, and Wilderness trim levels adds a 2.5-liter Boxer 4-cylinder that makes 182 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque and will achieve just one less mpg on both cycles. The off-road-ready Wilderness, however, will get 25 city and 29 highway, which is still very good when you consider that it is made to live off the beaten path.  

The Ground Clearance of a Truck Without Being a Truck 

The standard Base trim offers 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which is one of the highest of any crossover on the market. However, when you choose a Premium, Sport, Limited, or Wilderness trim level, you will get 9.3 inches of ground clearance. What’s funny is that’s what trucks offer. For instance, the Ford F-150 provides between 8.3 and 9.4 inches of ground clearance… and it’s a pickup truck meant to do heavy-duty tasks. The Crosstrek is a subcompact crossover SUV that gets excellent fuel economy and costs under $35,000.  

A Brilliant Crossover That Doesn’t Have to Be This Good 

According to MotorTrend, the Crosstrek isn’t an appliance like most other SUVs on the market that are just there to look big and pretty but buckle under off-road pressure. No, with the help of Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and X-Mode drive settings, the Crosstrek is great when the terrain gets rough: “It also offers moments of brilliance. If you’re shopping for subcompact crossovers, something like off-road competence probably shouldn’t be the top priority for the vast majority of consumers, because for the vast majority of us, that simply isn’t a thing we’re going to do very often. Yet when presented with challenging terrain, this little Subaru can absolutely hold its own and then some. For many, just a veneer of off-road cred is probably sufficient …” 

Safety Is the Main Goal 

Not only has the Subaru Crosstrek been an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick since its debut in 2013, but the crossover also features an advanced array of safety features via the award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology. This technology includes Pre-Collision Braking, Automatic Emergency Steering, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Lane Departure and Sway Warning, Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Advanced Headlights (LED headlights that move with the steering wheel), DriverFocus, Reverse Automatic Braking, and Blind Spot Detection.   

In The End, There’s Nothing Better 

In their wrap-up of their year-long review, MotorTrend mentioned that most automakers attempt to use emotion to sell their vehicles. However, Subaru, while appealing to buyers’ emotions through safety, reliability, and affordability, ultimately makes one thing: cars and SUVs that work. At the end of their intro paragraph, the magazine summed up their entire review over the past year by saying, “This is a phenomenal little SUV.” That’s all there is to it.  

Why Choose Subaru of Rochester 

At Subaru of Rochester, we are happy to offer our customers more than a hundred new and used vehicles. Our fantastic sales team and finance department will work hard to find the best car that fits your needs. And our dedicated service department will always ensure that your vehicle is taken care of in the best way possible.