The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid came out of the gates rocking. While the Crosstrek has flown under the radar for a few years, the last two years have been pretty good for the little hatchback. Sales of the Crosstrek have skyrocketed, as they should, considering the 2023 Crosstrek Hybrid is the best subcompact SUV, according to Consumer Reports.
Is the Crosstrek Hybrid a good car?
Consumer Reports I found a lot to love about the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. However, it only scored one point better than the conventional Crosstrek and comes at a $7,350 premium. Let’s take a closer look at that.
The Crosstrek Hybrid passed the road test. While the hybrid gets better gas mileage than the conventional, it’s only four mpg better. This is not a dig; it just goes to show how good the conventional Crosstrek is. Consumer Reports recorded 33 mpg in its test of the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. If the hybrid only produces slightly better fuel economy than the regular Crosstrek, why bother spending the extra $7k?
What engine does the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid have?
The hybrid model comes with a 148-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder plug-in hybrid engine. While this motor is quite efficient and can travel 17 miles on battery power alone, it is quite slow. The conventional 2023 Crosstrek, meanwhile, comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 182 hp and, again, only gets four mpg less than the Hybrid.
Consumer Reports notes that while you can drive up to 17 miles on battery power alone in the hybrid, it’s hard to keep the gas engine from igniting. If you’re heavy-footed, the Subaru will opt to use the gas. It also takes around 2 hours to charge the PHEV with a 240 volt charger and over five hours with a regular 110 volt charger.
Are Subaru interiors nice?
Subaru isn’t exactly known for its luxurious interiors. The brand is proud to support a rugged and adventurous lifestyle for families. Those marketing words don’t usually correspond with fancy quotes. That being said, the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid only comes in Limited trim, which ranks pretty high on the trim list.
CR says the interior has a mix of soft-touch interior parts along with hard plastics. Some of the dashboard controls can look a bit cheap and tacky. The Limited version gets leather upholstery, Bluetooth, navigation, heated seats, and an optional sunroof.
How safe is the Subaru Crosstrek?
The Crosstrek Hybrid, with its standard frontal restraint systems, received an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus. Subaru’s suite of safety and convenience features, EyeSight, is standard on Hybrid and all Crosstrek models with an automatic transmission. EyeSight includes Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
Subaru is one of the safest car manufacturers on the road today. This is one of the most important factors that has led to the explosion of the brand in recent years.