The Subaru Crosstrek enters a new generation for 2024. Changes include an all-new infotainment system, styling tweeks, the addition of a Wilderness trim, and a lot of small upgrades that we are confident Subaru fans will love.

We tested two trims of the 2024 Crosstrek in three New England states, at the shore, up two mountains, over endless miles of smooth twisty back roads, and on a few dirt roads and trails. We also slogged through some wicked Boston traffic and covered a long stretch of highway using the Crosstrek’s latest driver-assist technology. In every situation, the Crosstrek Sport met or exceeded this 4-time Subaru owner’s expectations.

The Crosstrek’s neatest trick is feeling larger than it is from the driver’s seat. Right knee room for tall drivers is even better than past Foresters we’ve driven. The roofline is taller than in most coupes and sedans, and the overall feel is that the Crosstrek is right-sized for those who love to drive.

Subaru’s crossovers are not known for their straight-line acceleration. The new Crosstrek doesn’t change the game here. However, in normal daily driving, it is always enjoyable. The constantly variable transmission is one of the best on the market, and the Sport trim has S-mode, Manual mode, and paddle shifters to allow the driver to wring the most torque possible from the 2.5-liter gas engine. In our testing, we found them all useful in the real world.

The new-for-2024 Subaru Crosstrek offers a combination of off-pavement abilities and on-road driver enjoyment that no other brand does. Having given the vehicle a thorough workout, we are confident that Subaru fans and owners will find just what they are looking for in the newly-updated 2024 Crosstrek.

With over four decades of doling out trusted automotive advice and extensive vehicle knowledge, both behind the wheel and under the hood, Car Talk's founder and original Tappet Brother Ray Magliozzi shares his first-hand experience test driving the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek.

Among the best small crossovers for those seeking an all-around great daily driver or family vehicle are the Honda HR-V and Toyota Corolla Cross. Both are excellent choices. Both are also slow as molasses - just like the Crosstrek is. All of these vehicles would be smoked in a stoplight race against a 2024 Prius. The Honda and Toyota offer more useful cargo capacity, and the Crosstrek is the clear winner if the pavement ends or it happens to be snowing.

Jeep and Subaru are among the best brands at building crossovers that can handle rough terrain and blizzard conditions. Both offer a special trim with all the gadgets and upgrades adventure seekers are looking for. The Compass has an engine with much more torque. It also offers a low range in its powertrain for serious off-roading. The Crosstrek offers its secret formula of symmetrical all-wheel drive, added ground clearance over the already generous ground clearance all Crosstreks offer, and a higher tow rating of 3,500 lbs vs. the Compass Trailhawk’s 2,000 lb rating.

Why automakers insist on calling one of their trims Sport without adding power, handling, or anything else sporting is beyond our understanding. The Crosstrek is many things, and all of them good, but when we drove it on twisty roads and in situations where we needed full power, it never felt “sporty.” Capable maybe. Competent for sure. Adequate may be the right term.

By contrast, the turbocharged Mazda CX-30 crossover and Mazda3 hatchback are almost identical in size to the Crosstrek, and they are actually sporty. They are so fun to drive, you will take them on drives to nowhere just because it is fun to do so. The Mazda twins, equipped with their optional turbocharged engines, offer nearly twice the torque that the Crosstrek does delivered through paddle-shifted geared transmissions. There really is no comparison. If you truly want a sporty car, Subaru offers two. The WRX and the BRZ. Both are fantastic at what they do, but they are not crossovers.

Before we begin, note that the Base and Premium have the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. All other trims, Sport, Limited, and Wilderness, have the 2.5-liter engine. We had a chance to fully test both over a period of many weeks. Based on our real-world driving experiences, the base engine feels more peppy around town than the up-trim 2.5-liter engine. We know it sounds so wrong to hear that a less powerful engine feels more peppy, but we back-to-backed them and this was our experience. We suspect that the CVT may have different drive ratios between the two powertrains. It’s the only thing that could account for the less powerful engine feeling livelier. We even drove a second 2.5-liter engine-equipped Crosstrek just to be sure our first one wasn't somehow underperforming.

Unlike nearly every other competitor, Subaru actually builds tons of its base trims across its crossover lineup. We know. We park next to them all over New England. We can spot them by their (often rusty) steel rims and un-tinted rear glass. Owners are fanatical about these base cars. They LOVE them. They loved them more back when a stick shift was optional.

The Base Crosstrek offers one advantage - Price. It starts at $26,290 before dealer-added accessories, dealer doc fees, and any other dealer-added market price adjustments. If you knit sweaters from your own hair clippings, you are going to love the Base Crosstrek. All kidding aside, the Crosstrek has a lot of content in its base trim, once optional for many brands. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are the most important. You get X-Mode, Hill Descent Control, alloy wheels, EyeSight Active Driver Assist Technology, and steering-responsive LED headlights even at the lowest price point. Not long ago, these were all either unavailable or only offered on top trim Subarus.

To the Base trim, Premium adds keyless entry, roof rails, foldable side mirrors, a better infotainment screen, upgraded cloth seat coverings, a USB-C port, a rear center armrest, and fancier wheels. You also have the ability to add a moonroof, windshield and side mirror de-icing, power driver’s seat, and heated seats by opting into packages. We drove this trim and found it to be a peppy around-town vehicle ideal for suburban and urban driving.

The Sport trim starts to pile on many small things to what the Premium gives you. Unique cloth seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, standard heated front seats, a standard all-weather package, and bigger wheels (18 inches). Sport is also the first trim level with the 2.5-liter engine. To our surprise, the larger, more powerful engine did not feel peppier in daily use.

The Crosstrek Limited is the only trim with leather seating, and you can’t have it without leather, (so don’t ask!). This trim can be summarized by saying it is a Sport with every option package plus leather. This is the only trim in which you can add the optional premium audio system.

Subaru’s Wilderness trims are different in many ways from other trims. We’ve tested the Forester and Outback Wilderness, and they don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk. They are actually capable of going into the wilderness. The tires alone make a huge difference. Subaru ships the Wilderness trims with all-terrain tires. Added ground clearance, now up to 9.3-inches, a standard front skid plate, a lower final-drive ratio that is unique to the model for improved low-speed climbing, enhanced X-Mode, and a tow rating of 3,500 pounds (up from 2,000) make this trim hard to ignore if you really want a mini SUV that can go anywhere. We suggest you try it before you buy. For most Subaru owners, the Sport or Premium with some tire upgrades will get them nearly everywhere the Wilderness can take them.

Sadly, Subaru does not offer any green, electrified, or up-powered versions of its Crosstrek for 2024. At least it has not announced any yet. Our local dealer told us the past generation Crosstrek PHEV is hugely sought after and that dealers have a mile-long waiting list for any that become available. Subaru built just a token amount of them and only sold them in a handful of states. It is a crying shame the Crosstrek does not offer any sort of electrified option. Even a hybrid trim would work wonders by adding some much-needed torque.

The Base Crosstrek starts at $26,290. The Sport we tested had a sticker price of $32,605. The Premium we tested had a price of $29,685. Opt for a Limited with a moonroof and the premium audio system, and the price totals $34,635. Interestingly, the Wilderness is not the most expensive trim. Pricing was not available at the time of publication, but if the Crosstrek follows the Forester and Outback’s price model, the Wilderness will cost about as much as a Sport. All of our prices include Subaru’s $1,295 Destination and Delivery Fee but do not include dealer costs or markups.

While we are calling the Crosstrek “all-new” for 2024, the biggest difference is the infotainment package. For the new model year, Subaru adopted the big rectangular tablet found on the new generation models already on sale. It is really good. Not perfect, but darn close.

The 2.5-liter engine with a CVT carries on, with updates, we are sure, but none of them make the Crosstrek feel faster (or just plain fast). EyeSight seems to have grown. It now takes up a meaningful portion of the center of the windshield.

If we could summarize the new 2024 Crosstrek changes, we would say all of what you liked remains, and the changes are all improvements.

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek will be loved by Subaru owners most for the way it delivers a positive, enjoyable driving experience. If you like to go on adventures that combine a mix of scenarios, like escaping the city, passing through the suburbs, enjoying the back roads, and then heading off pavement, no other vehicle is better.

Smooth highway cruising is not what Subies are known for, but we quite enjoyed our highway time. Long-time Car Talk contributor Craig Fitzgerald was among the first of our colleagues to experience the new Crosstrek. He says that “At 80 mph, it’s quiet and stable, and the interior quality fights well above its class.” One difference between the trims we found was that on the highway, the Sport was more stable than the Premium which seemed to need a lot of small steering corrections as we drove along.

On lonely mountain roads, we had a chance to push the Crosstrek to the edge of its comfort zone. It’s the type of vehicle that you will enjoy being in when the twisting roads allow for some fun. We also climbed two state park mountain roads, ascending and descending Vermont’s Mt. Ascutney and the paved hill climb up Pack Monadnock in New Hampshire’s Miller State Park. We were first in line on both runs, and we had a blast climbing the switchbacks. Although we mention the Crosstrek isn’t fast, it is fun at low speeds when you let the paddles keep the revs up. Heading down, we used manual mode to lock in the CVT’s “first gear,” and engine-braked on the slopes to save the brakes from overheating.

The Crosstrek loves to cruise with all of its glass open at around 50 MPH. When you drop the glass and open the moonroof, you are not beaten up by wind. You get a gentle breeze and an open and airy feeling.

On the bottom right of the steering wheel, you will find a little switch called “SI Modes.” It stands for “Isn’t it a shame S mode was not standard.” S mode stands for “Slightly better than normal mode.” S changes the CVT mapping so you get a bit more verve from the engine. We used it for over 70% of the miles we covered.

Including a 2-hour slog in Boston traffic and over 500 miles of rural roads, we averaged 30.2 MPG in the Sport trim, and the Premium trim seemed to have the same mileage results. Darn good mileage, and of course, using regular unleaded gas.

It is unusual for us to have a chance to spend as much time with a model as we did with the Crosstrek. (Thank you Subaru). Two of the Crosstreks we drove had over 10,000 miles on the odometer, and we can report that both were absolutely squeak and rattle-free well beyond the break in stage of their lives. The new 2024 Crosstrek offers that solid Subaru feel that says, “Keep me forever.”

Subaru has moved all of its new generation vehicles to a single large tablet in the center dash. It offers a huge Google Maps / Apple Maps / Waze view and still offers panes where you can adjust your music, podcast, and audiobook settings. At the bottom are your HVAC controls, and they never go away. If you want more detailed HVAC controls, you can tap to open up a bigger menu, and then go back to the main screen. We loved that the heated seat controls are still physical toggles. The system is intuitive to use, and you should not need a manual to understand how it works after your dealer-provided tutorial.

Both Android Auto and AppleCarplay are wireless. You pair using either BlueTooth or a cable the first time, and then it automatically pairs when you return to the vehicle. In our use with an Android phone that works seamlessly in most test vehicles, we experienced just a few dropped pairings and a few minor glitches. Otherwise, we found the system to be really great to use.

EyeSight is a big deal for Subaru. It was one of the auto industry’s first optical collision prevention and lane-keeping systems. It’s a bit touchy and offers some false positives, but for 2024 it is much better than the first-generation system. Subaru’s active cruise control system does not offer hands-free highway driving, something we are seeing in more and more models from other brands.

Safety is a core goal for Subaru. The new Crosstrek has so many active driver assist systems they are too numerous to list. Note that rear cross-traffic alert comes on higher trims only. During our testing, we experienced only a handful of false positive alerts to brake, many fewer than past Subarus we have owned and tested.

Since the Crosstrek we are reviewing is “all-new” for 2024, we can only offer past results for reliability. J.D. Power and Associates ranks Subaru in the bottom quarter of brands for durability in its latest ranking. By contrast, Consumer Reports places Subaru sixth on its list of Most Reliable Brands and predicts the 2024 Crosstrek will earn a ⅘ rating for reliability, and every model year since 2018 has earned either a 5/5 or ⅘. Both groups use owner polls to draw their conclusions.

We have some strong opinions about which options a Subaru shopper may wish to add to their personal Crosstrek. If you live in the snow belt, be certain the Crosstrek you buy has the “Winter package,” which gets you the windshield wiper de-icer and side mirror defrosters. Anyone buying a Subaru knows heated seats are a must. We also would add the moonroof. It brightens up the cabin nicely and can tilt to let in cooling air when you park at the beach. You can get all of these things in either the Premium or Sport.

If you live in the snow belt, be certain the Crosstrek you buy has the “Winter package,” which gets you the windshield wiper de-icer and side mirror defrosters. Anyone buying a Subaru knows heated seats are a must. We also would add the moonroof. It brightens up the cabin nicely and can tilt to let in cooling air when you park at the beach.

Our choice would be the Crosstrek Premium packages. Its powertrain seemed a bit more alive to us. The Premium also avoids the leather seating of the Limited and still gets most of the goodies. To this, we would budget for winter tires or mount all-terrain tires with the three-peak mountain snowflake, such as Falken WildPeak A/T Trail tires. The all-season Falken ZIEX tires the Sport comes with are great for three-season on-pavement use. Smooth, quiet, and grippy in the rain, based on our testing. However, we blame the Yokohama Geolander tires for the highway wandering we felt in the Premium. Those who want to go far beyond the end of the trailhead should opt for the Wilderness, which comes with more rugged tires standard.

Subaru offers one of the shortest warranties in America. Our understanding is that included maintenance is offered by region. Which is weird, even for Subaru.

• Basic: 3 years / 36k miles
• Powertrain: 5 years / 50k miles

The prior generation Crosstrek was a great vehicle, and we would not hesitate to recommend it as a used car purchase. Try to buy one that is a model year 2018 or newer. However, beyond that, the original generation XV Crosstrek was not nearly as good, nor did it have the same reliability ratings.

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