Subaru Crosstrek (2022-2026)

There are several issues with this car that have made me write this review and NOT recommend this car. It's constantly beeping telling me I'm near the boundary line when there's heaps of room and I'm nowhere near the boundary. It often pulls to one side out of the blue. It's happened way too many times for it to be my imagination and it's… Read more

extremely dangerous especially in wet weather like it happened twice this morning, once while a truck passed me coming from the other way then again moments later when no traffic was close by. I also didn't realise that the spare tyre is an emergency one only. This means if you live in the country like I do and everything is over 20km away and your tyre blows on a Friday night then you'll be without a car not only for the weekend but for half a week because that's how long it takes to get a replacement tyre when you live in the country. This is a huge inconvenience. The other annoyance is that every time you use your car you have to press the ok button on the computer then turn off the autostop. Sometimes the computer takes three or four minutes to kick in leaving you waiting for ages before you can actually drive your car. Also the car is constantly trying to connect to auto android. If you stop your car and wait for someone without getting out when you start the car again it makes you wait for ages while it tries to connect to auto android, this means that you can't turn of auto stop or press the ok button until it finished connecting making you wait several minutes before you can actually drive your car. In my opinion to have to press two buttons on the computer system before you can drive the car are both unnecessary functions and simply end up annoying people. I also read somewhere after purchasing the Subaru that Subaru batteries don't recharge when you drive like many other car models. This means you're up for a new battery every couple of years or so. If I had known these things before purchasing this car I would've picked a second hand Hyundai instead. I don't recommend this car, especially if you live in the country.

I’ve been driving my 2024 Subaru Crosstrek for 18 months, and I couldn’t be happier. The ride quality is fantastic. The all-wheel drive gives a lot of confidence in all conditions. The interior is surprisingly spacious and well-designed. The seats are comfortable, the tech is intuitive, and I love the updated infotainment system. Fuel… Read more

efficiency is also impressive for an AWD vehicle. The engine is quite responsive, especially on highway merges and hill climbs. I appreciate Subaru’s commitment to safety, the EyeSight Driver Assist Technology gives great peace of mind.

I highly recommend the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. It’s reliable and fun to drive.

Subaru Australia – Disappointing Customer Service & Lack of Accountability – I expected better from a brand that prides itself on reliability and customer commitment. My experience with Subaru Australia has been nothing short of frustrating. After experiencing a well-documented and common issue with my Subaru XV’s / Crosstrek transmission, I followed every step Subaru outlined, including paying $198 for a mandatory… Read more

diagnostic test, only to have my claim dismissed with a vague response and zero accountability.

Despite escalating my case to Consumer Protection, Subaru has failed to respond, showing a complete lack of regard for customer concerns and Australian Consumer. The lack of transparency and unwillingness to assist with what is clearly a premature transmission failure is deeply disappointing.

If you're considering a Subaru, be aware—when things go wrong, you may be left dealing with poor customer service, ignored complaints, and no real support. A company that refuses to stand by its own products and disregards consumer protection laws is not one I can recommend.

No thanks – Big nope. Aircon on a hot day is constantly blowing hot air, major issues with the paint and it just isn't the car I was promised. I will never again. Tyre blow out times 2 within the first 5000kms. tyre place said they had seen a few of these... Show details

No Support from Subaru due to Faulty Paint – Very Low Quality Paint - Stained from Day 1 and now the Clear Coat is falling off - Pearl Colour not recommended. Bought Car from Brand New and is a manufacturing Fault . Subaru Australia refuse any support on 2 occasions even when Dealer Paint Department agreed it was a manufacturing issue. Car has been well looked after and we have owned a few new cars. Very Disappointed Show details

Disappointing experience with Subaru Australia – Disappointing experience with Subaru Australia A concerning, stressful and disappointing experience with Subaru Essendon and Subaru Australia. Purchased a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek S in February 2024. It failed on two occasions - the first the battery was replaced and it initially appeared to be fixed, the second time (10 days later), it was towed… Read more

to Subaru Essendon where it remains. The initial dealings with Subaru Essendon were entirely unsatisfactory and include: - A suggestion that I left a light on or the car in 'accessory mode' which caused a dead battery. - Proposal that I arrange for my roadside assistance to assess the car on the second occasion it stopped working. - A concerning lack of communication by Subaru Essendon as to the status of my complaint and details of their reporting manager. - I have been provided a replacement car (of a different model) and no one from the dealership has contacted me to provide confirmation of extension of that replacement vehicle or if it needs to be returned.

The Crosstrek remains unfixed and Subaru is unsure of the issue. I rejected the car and sought remedy given it is not fit for purpose, undrivable and now has significantly reduced value. This was escalated to Subaru Australia and a case manager was assigned four days after I was told it had been escalated. After speaking with the case manager, I was advised that: - as recently as 4pm on the business day prior, an offsite technical team was in contact with the dealership trying to ascertain the issue with the vehicle. - The case manager needs to go through an 'investigative process' which can take anywhere from 48 hours to a few weeks. This process is to investigate and determine what the problem is, which the service centre has been unable to do (in conjunction with the off site technical team) for two weeks. - They are unable to provide guidance as to when they would be in contact with me again. - They refused to provide the name of their Manager due to 'privacy reasons' and said they would email a request for the manager to contact me, but could not guarantee that would occur.

To say I am disappointed, concerned and frustrated is an understatement.

Absolutely not good enough – After being so in love with my 2007 Forester for many years, I decided to treat myself to a new one. But because cars are getting so unnecessarily bulky these days, I decided that the Crosstrek (formerly the XV) would be so much more fun. And it is. But. And unfortunately there are more buts than I should have to deal with, in a… Read more

once-in-a-lifetime brand new vehicle. The paintwork will mark if you as much as look at it, and I am so very careful. Especially on the plastic components of the body (which there are more of than I thought possible), the in my case red paint does not seem to adhere too well. Also, despite there not being a key, and me keeping my fingernails short, after only 5 months I already have hairline marks around the door handles. One paint flaw was already there from new, and I had to get a touch up stick at my expense to cover it up. What's even worse, after the service at Subaru, where they could not care one bit about my experience, it has even more scratches!

Driving it is fun. I just wish it was not so noisy, and what's really horrible is that you can't leave the windows open when driving, especially not the rear ones, without having to put up with some unbearable noise that is created by whichever way the wind flows over the openings. Some of the interior surfaces also mark too easily, whatever material most of the dash is made from feels weirdly tacky and is not easily wiped down from dust.

The eyesight system takes up a ridiculous amount of your windscreen, and therefore severely reduces the view. And because it's mostly an annoying gimmick, I have turned mine off, with the result that my dash lights up like a Christmas tree with warning lights.

The Infotainment system is increasingly glitchy; at the moment mine drops in and out too often, losing the map in the middle of trying to navigate, flicking between screens for no reason, etc.

The heated seats are so hot even on the "Lo" setting, that you can't have them on for more than a couple of minutes or you'd roast your backside. Don't want to even think about what "Hi" would be like.

And really, for $43,000 or so (I have the "middle model", I would have expected much better sound from my radio as standard. (talking about "standard", the rear bumper protector is not. If I had not bought one, that area would now be totally destroyed, the paintwork is so poor.) Driving it also feels bumpy and hard at times.

But yes, it IS fun. And especially on unsealed roads it is REALLY fun. And that's why I bought it. It's the only car in its class that comes with standard AWD.

It is fun until it tries to either kill the cyclist you were just trying to give a good 1.5m by pulling against you as you overtake, or even tries to kill you; like when a kangaroo jumped into my lane from the side of the road early one morning and I had to take evasive action in a split second reaction. My car seemed to think I'd get extra points for hitting the roo, so it tried to pull me back towards it. It's called "lane departure prevention". It's meant to be a "safety feature", but it is nothing but outrageously dangerous. I have no idea who invents this garbage. And yes, you can turn the feature off (leaving countless, irritating, glary orange warning lights on your dash), just like all the other annoying and overly distracting "safety features", but you have to do so every time, and of course I don't always remember.... as my car yet again tries to steer me towards some bollards as a join a freeway in roadworks that has multiple and confusing lane markings, that my car does not know how to deal with.

But it IS fun. I AM enjoying it. But I really, really wish I could just have had it in it's purest form, without all the blinging and blinking and jingling (and therefore probably at a good few thousand $$ less than it is now). No wonder road deaths are on the up, when cars are behaving increasingly erratically. Mine is now so bad it warns me of collisions with non-existent obstacles, while not activating on the rare occasion there might be something to worry about. Just to provide some balance though, nice features include the auto distance (to the car in front) function with your cruise control, the wireless phone charging, Apple Car play, and a few other gimmicks. And the seats are very comfortable and can be adjusted infinitely, for any size person. Except that nobody has still been able to tell me how the seat remembers my preferred position when someone "messes" with it. Too busy. Don't know. Don't care.

And the cargo area with seats down, despite the disappointingly low litre volume, provides surprising storage when it comes to length. I can easily fit my road or triathlon bike into the back, plus some other clutter alongside it. I love the way the car tells my phone where I parked it; I am rather useless at finding it, not being blessed with a natural sense of direction. And it looks hot! And the ground clearance compared to similar type vehicles is just spectacular.

I still do like mine. Sometimes. Any time it doesn't think it knows better than I do. But when it does, it puts me into a right foul mood and then I wish I'd have my chance over, to buy that one, once-in-a-lifetime new car and perhaps choose differently. Maybe an Outback, or better still a different brand. But now I'll never get that chance again, so this will have to do.

(Ps; I had initially put this into mediation, but nobody from Subaru ever contacted me.... really disappointing that they don't seem to care, especially regarding the "dodgy" safety features.

STUPID cosmetic flaw--otherwise very nice w/ room for improvement – STUPID cosmetic flaw--otherwise very nice w/ room for improvement We purchased a 2024 Crosstrek, after driving a 2006 Forester for 17 years. We plan to travel locally, plus some distance across Australia, on paved roads. The bad stuff: 1. Hand sanitizer will PERMANENTLY MAR the shiny surface of the area around the (automatic, cvt)… Read more ·  1

stick-shift--our warranty claim was REFUSED (never mind the ongoing PANDEMIC). 2. The speedometer is no longer central--now on right, with current speed displayed in large numbers in the centre, and the speed limit displayed just up and left of current speed--the speed limit is just a bit too small. There is no audible indication when you are X kms over the speed limit--it would be nice if a slow beep started when over the limit, and a faster beep began at 5 km and then 10 km over the limit. In other words: it's harder to maintain proper speed in the 2024 car than in the 2006 car. (There are a number of features to control speed but I think they are just not there yet. I have not tried them all but there are inevitable trade-offs I don't like.) Subaru should allow this (suggested) feature to be turned on and the volume to be user-controlled (and stay that way in between trips). 3. Auto Start/Stop cannot be disabled permanently--has to be done on each startup. This feature turns the car off at red lights and then turns it back on upon acceleration. I suspect it will wear out the starter and/or battery sooner. My guess is the inability to disable this feature permanently is because it adds to the purported fuel economy. Stupid. 4. No included GPS navigation mapping (in Australian cars)--you need to connect your phone for this (I have not yet tried). 5. The manual(s) is/are bigger than War & Peace and would greatly benefit by having a few-page Integrated Summary of Features (re the manual set: it's a good thing I'm an old mainframe assembly-language programmer ...). 6. The spare tyre is not full-sized. Like all new cars. Part of the ongoing decline of civilization. 7. The pull-across trunk cover is made of aluminum and will not need much of a hit to dent. The flap (what's visible when completely wound up) is too big and intrudes into the trunk space. Too hard for my little-lady wife to take off when needed. 8. The car is just slightly too big for us (average driver age: 70), but well-compensated by the sensor technology. The older versions of this car (called "XV") appear to be slightly smaller. 9. The initial display at startup has an obnoxious, "You agree to be a good driver" message, expecting a response. It disappears after 5 seconds (when I disable Auto Start/Stop). It's the function of the local authorities (in granting a license)--not Subaru (who are probably complying with national government requests in this area). I look forward to future admonishments to use the toilet before driving anywhere ... 10. The CVT shifting is new to me and always seems to "clunk" at the top of my driveway (only). Hopefully this will not be a problem in 17 years ...

The good stuff: 1. The sensor technology is EXCELLENT. The biggest help is in parking: you can get a look-down-from-above view to see the car's current position in the spot. There is one message which makes a unique noise and disappears from the screen Too Quickly--I Don't Know What It Is!). A summary of all sensor noises, and a website at Subaru providing video examples of each noise, would be helpful. 2. This car has enough power for us. (In fact, it can gradually get away from us--hence, the need for an audible speed alert.) 3. The ground clearance is very good. We considered a Mazda CX-3 and this was one of the problems with that vehicle. 4. The steering-wheel control features help keep eyes on the road (especially for the radio). 5. The center display is nice and large (and can distract the driver). 6. I was concerned my spouse's very bad back would not "ride-well" in a new car, but this has proven to not be the case. (We did add an extra cushion for when she is driving.)

On the whole: the car is a pleasure, and fits well between the Outback and the Forester. I would buy it again.

Subaru needs to make the changes I have detailed above.