The Subaru Crosstrek needs no introduction. The cool little vehicle is in its third generation and has fans among Subaru loyalists (see what I did there, “loyal”-ists? Hehe, I’m so funny) and enthusiast alike. But the one frequent complaint about the Crosstrek was its relatively low engine power. The 2-liter engine makes 152hp, which is just enough, but also, it’s just not enough.
Note: After fifteen years of writing car reviews, I have decided to venture into video. I am starting off slowly and rather amateurishly, so please bear with me. These videos can only get better (maybe). These are one-take videos. I’ll only discuss the vehicle, and you won’t even have to look at me. Additionally, whatever I miss or get wrong in a video, I will supplement it in writing. This specific video was shot in a Target garage of all places, because the whole time I had this little Subaru the weather has been awful. -KK
Subaru recently solved the power problem by making the 2.5-liter, 182hp engine standard on the Sport, Limited, and Wilderness models. This simple solution added some needed guts without killing the fuel economy. Gas milage dropped from EPA-rated 34/27 MPG (highway/city) to 33/26 MPG – that’s a worthy sacrifice.
The obvious, and now old questions are – will the Crosstrek get a WRX variant? Why can’t we have the turbo engine in it?
The Crosstrek is just an Impreza on stilts but as it is now, in my humble opinion, it would not play well with more power. The minor changes from the WRX to the Crosstrek sum up to a very different feeling vehicle. The biggest difference would be at high-speed stability. The best option would be to give the Crosstrek a full WRX treatment, which would then just create a WRX wagon/hatch. Not a bad idea but are the potential sales numbers justifiable?