2024 Subaru Crosstrek

2024 is the first US model year of the third-generation (GU) Crosstrek, and in this year the volume Premium trim still carried the 2.0-liter FB20D at 152 hp — the 2.5-liter FB25D did not become standard on Premium until 2025. Near the floor of the SUV horsepower band.

Peak torque of the FB20D 2.0-liter boxer fitted to the 2024 volume Premium trim. The 33 lb-ft deficit to the 2.5L is the practical reason the 2.0L cars feel strained when loaded.

Multiple instrumented tests of the 2024 2.0L Crosstrek cluster around ten seconds flat, which is at or beyond the slow end of the SUV band — the long-standing 'underpowered' criticism of the nameplate is at its sharpest on the 2.0L volume trim this model year.

The naturally aspirated boxer is clean and immediate at light throttle with no turbo lag to manage, but the 152-hp 2.0L in the volume Premium has to be worked hard for merging and grades, where it becomes audibly coarse and buzzy. Rated a notch below the 2.5L cars of the same generation because the shortfall is a routine part of driving it, not an occasional one.

Lineartronic CVT with eight simulated ratios is the only transmission for the third generation — the manual was discontinued. It is unobtrusive around town and steps through simulated ratios rather than pinning revs under hard acceleration, but paired with the low-output 2.0L it spends more time at high revs, and drone under load is the recurring complaint.

The item measures the maximum rating in any configuration, and 2024 is the first year the Crosstrek Wilderness was offered: its retuned CVT and added CVT cooler lift it to 3,500 lbs against the 1,500 lbs the volume Premium is rated for.

Symmetrical full-time AWD is standard on every 2024 US trim rather than an option or a top-trim upsell — the strongest possible showing on availability. Held below the 2025 car because in 2024 the volume Premium still carried only single-function X-MODE, with the dual-function Snow/Dirt plus Deep Snow/Mud system reserved for Sport, Limited and Wilderness; there is also no low range and no true torque-vectoring rear unit.

8.7 inches of ground clearance on standard trims beats most subcompact crossovers outright, and 2024 introduced the Wilderness as a genuine dedicated off-road variant at 9.3 inches with a 4.11 final drive, protective cladding and all-terrain tires. Short of the top band because there are no locking differentials, no low range and no crawl-control equivalent — light-duty trail hardware, not rock-crawling hardware.

The 2024 US Crosstrek offered two naturally aspirated gas boxers only — 2.0L on Base/Premium, 2.5L on Sport/Limited/Wilderness — with no turbo, no hybrid and no PHEV. The second-generation Crosstrek Hybrid PHEV had already been discontinued and the third-generation hybrid was not revealed until January 2025, so no electrified Crosstrek was buyable in the 2024 model year.

EPA rates the 2024 volume Premium's 2.0L AWD configuration at 29 MPG combined — identical to the 2.5L, since the larger engine's extra output is offset by less time at wide-open throttle. Strong for a subcompact SUV carrying full-time symmetrical AWD as standard, though front-drive-based rivals such as the Corolla Cross and Taos still rate higher.

EPA city rating of 27 MPG for the 2.0L volume trim, helped by the auto start-stop system standard on the GU-generation Crosstrek. Well above the SUV city band midpoint despite standard AWD, and one MPG ahead of the 2.5L cars.

The 2.0L volume trim posts 34 MPG highway — the best figure in the 2024 Crosstrek range and the one item where the smaller engine's lower output pays a clear dividend. The Wilderness gives up five MPG to its 4.11 final drive and all-terrain tires.

The 16.6-gallon tank is shared across every 2024 Crosstrek trim and engine, so at the EPA combined 29 MPG the volume 2.0L Premium covers roughly 481 miles per fill and about 564 on the highway cycle. Respectable, but capped by the small tank a subcompact carries rather than by the engine's efficiency.

EPA's published annual fuel cost for the 2024 Crosstrek AWD 2.0L is $2,100 at standard assumptions, with a $500 five-year saving versus the average new vehicle. Low absolute running cost, driven by 29 MPG combined on the cheapest fuel grade.

Every 2024 Crosstrek powertrain — the 2.0L FB20D and the naturally aspirated 2.5L FB25D alike — runs on 87-octane regular unleaded, with no premium recommendation, no turbocharger to feed and no special fuel handling. There is no ongoing grade penalty relative to any rival in the class.

NHTSA rated the 2024 Crosstrek AWD wagon 5 stars overall, with five stars in every barrier test — frontal driver and passenger, side barrier and side pole — and four stars for rollover resistance, typical of a crossover with 8.7 in of ground clearance.

The redesigned 2024 Crosstrek did win an IIHS Top Safety Pick — but under the 2023 criteria, which predate the test it fails: it is Good in driver- and passenger-side small overlap front and in the original moderate overlap front, yet only Marginal in the updated moderate overlap (rear-occupant protection) and Acceptable in the updated side test. When IIHS tightened the criteria for 2024 the Crosstrek dropped off the list entirely while the Ascent, Impreza, Outback and Solterra kept awards, so the award and the underlying result point in opposite directions. A Marginal in a core crashworthiness test holds this to the bottom of the middle band despite the plaque.

The latest-generation EyeSight — pre-collision braking and throttle management, adaptive cruise with lane centering, lane departure and sway warning, plus a rear vision camera — is standard on every 2024 trim including the $24,995 Base, which is broader standard content than most subcompact rivals give at any price. It stays out of the top band because Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is standard only from Limited up, is a $2,245 / $1,920 option package on the volume Premium and the Sport, and cannot be ordered on the Base at all — and because Automatic Emergency Steering, new for this generation, requires that blind-spot hardware and so is unavailable to any buyer who skips the package.

The standard wide-angle stereo-camera EyeSight earns Good in the IIHS pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation, avoiding the crossing-child collision at both 12 and 25 mph in daylight and the crossing-adult collision at 12 and 25 mph at night on either beam. It sits just below the 2025 car's mark because IIHS has no vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 result published for the 2024 Crosstrek, and because the hardest night case — a parallel adult at 37 mph on low beams — yields only a 5 mph speed reduction.

Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are radar-based, alert-only systems with no steering or braking intervention of their own, and they are standard only on Limited and Wilderness — the volume Premium needs the $2,245 package, the Sport a $1,920 one, and the Base cannot be equipped. Reverse Automatic Braking, the one active element, is a Limited-and-up item. That is squarely the middle band: available on most trims, alert-only.

Lane departure and sway warning plus adaptive cruise with lane centering are standard on every trim, and the redesigned car's wider-angle EyeSight cameras hold a lane on the highway with less of the ping-ponging that afflicts cheaper systems. It reads as one of the better mainstream implementations rather than a class-leading one — the assist nudges rather than steers confidently through sweepers.

Full-speed-range adaptive cruise with stop-and-go and integrated lane centering is standard on every trim including the $24,995 Base, which is unusual at this price, and it resumes cleanly in traffic. It falls short of the top band because there is no hands-off or automated lane-change layer above it and because the 152-hp 2.0-liter with a CVT in the volume Premium recovers speed on grades slowly enough that the system opens gaps.

No 2024 Crosstrek trim offers hands-free highway driving; EyeSight is hands-on lane centering only, and Subaru's driver-monitoring camera (not fitted to the Crosstrek in 2024 in any case) is a distraction alert rather than an enabler of hands-off operation.

IIHS rates the 2024 Crosstrek's headlights Good, and steering-responsive LED projectors with high-beam assist are standard from the $24,995 Base upward rather than reserved for upper trims — so the volume Premium buyer gets exactly the Good-rated lighting IIHS tested. The redesign was specifically credited by IIHS with improving headlights over the outgoing car.

A tall greenhouse, slim A-pillars with forward quarter windows, a low beltline and near-upright rear glass give the Crosstrek genuinely good natural sightlines — a real advantage over the wedge-profile subcompact crossovers it competes with, and one the 2024 redesign preserved. Camera compensation is thinner than the top band asks: a rear vision camera is standard, but no front-view or 360-degree monitor is offered on the volume trim.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good and Cars.com's Car Seat Check gave the 2024 Crosstrek straight A's: two sets of lower anchors under removable fabric covers, a borrowable extra anchor for the center position, three clearly marked top tethers, and enough rear legroom for a rear-facing convertible. Held just off the very top only because three car seats will not fit across.

The third-generation Crosstrek is a strictly five-passenger two-row subcompact SUV in every 2024 trim, which sits near the floor of the 4–8 seat SUV band.

Subaru publishes 39.8 in front headroom for every 2024 trim without the moonroof, dropping to 38.7 in when the optional glass roof is fitted. Comfortably mid-pack in the SUV band and a genuine strength for a vehicle this small.

42.9 in of front legroom on the 105.1-in wheelbase puts the Crosstrek roughly two-thirds up the SUV band — Consumer Reports found the cabin roomy and easy to get in and out of despite the compact footprint.

38.0 in of second-row headroom sits exactly mid-band for an SUV, and unusually is not reduced by the optional moonroof. Consumer Reports still flags it as the rear seat's weak point for taller adults.

36.5 in of second-row legroom is a little above the middle of the 30–42 in SUV band and is enough that Cars.com's car-seat testers called the back seat's legroom ample; it is short of what compact SUVs a size up provide.

The 2024 Crosstrek is a two-row, five-seat subcompact SUV — no third row is offered in any trim or package, so this item scores in the bottom band by definition rather than by any shortcoming of the seating that is fitted.

19.9 cu ft behind the second row falls below the 25 cu ft floor of the SUV cargo band — the Crosstrek is graded against SUVs of every size, and its subcompact hatch area is the single largest space penalty in this category. Consumer Reports rated the cargo area the lowest-scoring aspect of the car.

54.7 cu ft with the 60/40 bench folded lands just under the 55 cu ft floor of the SUV band. The seats fold genuinely flat and the shape is usable, but the absolute volume is subcompact.

Everyday provisions are complete but unremarkable: dual console cup holders, a bottle holder in each door, an illuminated glove box, a folding rear armrest with cup holders and a standard rear cargo tray with four tie-downs and two grocery hooks. Nothing is innovative — the wireless charger is only a dealer accessory on the volume Premium, there is no underfloor bin, no household outlet and no retractable cargo cover below the Sport trim.

Subaru redesigned the front seats for this generation and Consumer Reports found they hold up over long drives, with a comfortable rear bench and well-placed armrests. Held to the middle band because on the volume 2024 Premium the 10-way power driver's seat with lumbar is optional rather than standard (6-way manual is standard), rear headroom is tight for taller adults, and reviewers criticize soft cushioning with little lateral support.

Ride is the standout of the redesigned chassis: Consumer Reports scored ride 5/5 and called it almost luxury-car-like, with a suspension that absorbs recessed manholes and broken pavement without the body float that afflicts tall subcompacts. That ride is a large part of why CR ranked it first of ten subcompact SUVs for 2024.

The weakest comfort trait, and worse on the 2024 volume Premium than on the 2.5-liter trims because the 152-hp 2.0L must be revved to keep up: Consumer Reports calls it 'unpleasantly boomy when pushed' and says the CVT amplifies the noise on highway merges, while Edmunds reports ever-present wind noise above 65 mph. Extra sound deadening for this generation improved matters without fixing them.

Dual-zone automatic climate control being standard on every trim including Base is genuinely generous, but almost everything else costs money on the volume Premium: heated front seats/wiper de-icer/heated mirrors come only in the $2,245 All-Weather option package, remote engine start with climate control is a 2024 Limited exclusive, and there is no heated steering wheel, no ventilated seats and no rear climate control anywhere in the lineup.

2024 is the launch year of the third-generation (GU) Crosstrek and it opened below $25,000 before destination — one of the cheapest new vehicles in the US with standard symmetrical AWD, and well under the subcompact-SUV band midpoint even delivered.

Premium is the volume Crosstrek trim and a $1,150 walk over Base buys the 11.6-inch STARLINK Multimedia Plus screen, Keyless Access with push-button start, LED fog lights and premium cloth. In 2024 it still carried the 152-hp 2.0L — the 2.5L did not become standard on Premium until 2025 — so the price advantage over the 2025 car comes with less engine.

Boxer/AWD servicing runs modestly above the Toyota/Honda class benchmark but below luxury rivals. The published projections disagree by more than 3x for this model year, so this is a blend weighted toward the two clustered low estimates while respecting Edmunds' notably higher 2024 figure — not either endpoint.

The Crosstrek is the strongest retainer in the subcompact-SUV class — standard AWD, tight supply and durable demand — and three independent estimates for this model year cluster at 64–66%. KBB's MSRP-based figure is the pessimistic outlier and is not allowed to set the value on its own.

Industry-baseline coverage sitting at the floor of the normalization band — no advantage over the segment and two years behind Hyundai/Kia's 5 yr / 60,000 mi basic term.

Baseline powertrain term at the bottom of the band — half the 10 yr / 100,000 mi coverage Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi extend to original owners.

Subaru of America includes no complimentary scheduled maintenance for 2024 — a standing gap against Toyota's 2-year ToyotaCare on the Corolla Cross — so the owner pays from the first oil change. What is included is roadside assistance tied to the warranty term plus STARLINK connected-service trials, which is basic-roadside territory rather than a genuine perks package; any free-maintenance offer is a dealer promotion, not a factory program.

$27,440 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (65% retained, or about $17,836) leaves about $9,604 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,404 in total.

Three sources put the 2024 Crosstrek above average — Consumer Reports rates it 4/5 predicted reliability with 4/5 owner satisfaction, J.D. Power scores it 85/100 ("Great"), and RepairPal ranks the nameplate 1st of 26 compact SUVs. Held below the top band because 2024 is the launch year of the all-new GU generation, so those predictions lean on the carried-over mechanical family rather than field data for this body and electrical architecture.

Subaru took the outright No. 1 spot in Consumer Reports' 2024 Annual Auto Reliability Survey — its first ever — displacing Lexus and Toyota. J.D. Power's 2024 VDS is more measured at 181 PP100 against a 190 industry average: better than typical but well behind Toyota's 147 and outside the mass-market leaders. Strong overall, with one of the two major studies short of top-tier.

Two NHTSA campaigns landed on the 2024 launch year and both carry a loss-of-drive-power consequence rather than being cosmetic: an instrument-panel harness that can chafe on the steering beam bracket and short, and front driveshaft outer races that can crack and break. Neither is systemic — both were corrected in production and the generation has drawn no recalls in the model years since — but two power-loss campaigns in the first year is more activity than a mature carry-over year would show.

The volume 2024 Premium runs the 2.0-liter FB20D boxer with the Lineartronic CVT — a combination in service since the 2017 Impreza with a broad high-mileage record and no launch-year red flags. It sits mid-band rather than high because the direct-injected FB family carries documented oil-consumption, cam-carrier and valve-cover seepage themes, and CVT shudder/valve-body wear remains the most-cited Subaru driveline concern, with no manual alternative offered in this generation.

The redesigned cabin is built for outdoor durability rather than richness: padding where elbows and hands land — door armrests, center console lid, dash top — and hard, well-textured plastic almost everywhere else. Appropriate for a high-$20k subcompact but a step behind the Mazda CX-30 and HR-V on perceived material quality for the money.

The volume 2.0-liter Premium is still built in Japan at Gunma, and reviewers of the launch cars found assembly consistent with no pattern of rattles or misalignment — "materials, workmanship and build quality are excellent, even in this lower-spec trim." Solid rather than benchmark, with a modest launch-year reservation since 2024 is also the first year of Crosstrek assembly at SIA Lafayette for the 2.5-liter trims.

Roughly 630 US retailers is a materially thinner footprint than Toyota's or Chevrolet's and skews to the Northeast, Pacific Northwest and Colorado at the expense of the Sun Belt and Plains. Service satisfaction offsets much of that: Subaru placed second among mass-market SUV/minivan brands in the 2024 CSI study, one year before taking the top mass-market spot outright.

Running costs measure below the compact-SUV average, unscheduled shop visits are rare, and the Crosstrek's outdoor-accessory aftermarket is among the largest in the segment. Held short of the top band because boxer-specific jobs (spark plugs, cam carrier and valve cover seals) carry more labor than a transverse inline-four and CVT service is dealer-oriented.

2024 is the first model year the portrait 11.6-inch STARLINK Multimedia Plus screen was offered on Crosstrek, and it is standard from the volume Premium trim up; only the entry Base keeps the older dual 7.0-inch stack. 11.6 in is a little above the middle of the 7–15.5 in SUV band.

Layout logic is a strength — Consumer Reports calls the controls largely user-friendly, praises the retained physical volume and tuning knobs and notes climate functions stay visible on screen without menu-diving. Held mid-band because Subaru's STARLINK software is repeatedly described as sluggish, most climate tasks moved to the touchscreen, and the tall portrait layout wastes space on icons.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto with full-screen display come with the 11.6-inch system, which is standard from the volume Premium up — four of the five 2024 trims. Short of the top band only because the Base trim is still wired-only through its dual 7.0-inch screens.

The volume Premium has no embedded navigation at all — the TomTom-powered STARLINK Navigation system appears only inside the Limited's $2,445 option package, so most 2024 buyers rely entirely on phone projection. Voice control is basic command-and-control rather than natural language, though SiriusXM Travel Link is standard with the 11.6-inch head unit.

The volume Premium gets six speakers — adequate rather than good, and a step above the Base trim's four. The Harman Kardon 10-speaker/432-watt-equivalent upgrade exists but is locked to the two Limited option packages, so no 2024 buyer below the $30,895 trim can get premium audio at any price.

There is no full-digital cluster anywhere in the 2024 lineup. Every trim uses analog speedometer and tachometer dials; the volume Premium adds a high-grade 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display between them, and the Base makes do with a smaller color LCD. That is a partial-digital arrangement at best.

The 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system that the volume Premium carries supports over-the-air updates, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability is standard from Premium up, so the head unit and maps can refresh without a dealer visit. Nothing beyond infotainment is updatable over the air — there is no whole-vehicle OTA that adds powertrain, chassis or driver-assist features.

MySubaru Connected Services is standard from the volume Premium up and covers remote lock/unlock, automatic collision notification, SOS, roadside assistance, vehicle health reports and concierge. The notable 2024 gap is that remote engine start with climate control is restricted to the Limited trim — a Premium buyer cannot pre-condition the car from the app — and there is no digital/phone key.

The volume Premium covers both rows — illuminated USB-A and USB-C in the front console plus USB-A and USB-C charging ports in the rear console — which is a real improvement over the Base trim's single USB-A. Held mid-band because wireless charging is only a dealer-installed accessory on Premium (standard from Sport up) and there is no household AC outlet anywhere in the lineup.

Keyless Access with Push-Button Start is standard on the volume Premium and every trim above it (the Base still uses a plain keyless-entry fob with a twist key), which Consumer Reports specifically cited as a reason to step up to Premium. There is no power liftgate, no hands-free gate, no phone-as-key and — in 2024 — no remote start below the Limited trim.

A rear-vision camera is standard on all trims and that is essentially the whole story: no surround-view or front-view monitor is offered on any 2024 Crosstrek, no front or rear parking sensors appear in the equipment tables, and Reverse Automatic Braking is confined to the Limited and Wilderness. The car's genuinely good outward visibility offsets some of this in practice but is not a parking aid.

No head-up display is offered on the 2024 Crosstrek in any trim, option package or dealer accessory — the only projected information is the 4.2-inch LCD in the gauge cluster.

Car-seat logistics are a genuine strength: Cars.com gave the 2024 Crosstrek straight A's in its Car Seat Check and IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good+, its highest tier, helped by lower anchors under removable covers, an extra middle lower anchor and three clearly marked tethers. The low step-in height and 36.5 in of rear legroom make daily loading easy. It is not a segment benchmark only because three seats will not fit across and the 19.9 cu ft cargo hold is tight for a stroller plus a week's gear.

The crash and driver-assist credentials families care about are largely standard on the trims they buy: 5-star NHTSA overall and the latest EyeSight suite — AEB with pedestrian/bicyclist/motorcycle detection, adaptive cruise with lane centering, lane keep and departure warning, automatic high beams — on every trim including Base. Two things hold it out of the top band: blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert are only optional on the volume Premium (inside a $2,245 package) and standard from Limited up, and the 2024 car is an IIHS Top Safety Pick rather than a '+', with a Marginal result in the updated moderate overlap front test.

Four people travel well on the strength of the ride and the rear bench's leg support and armrests, and the Premium adds USB-A plus USB-C in the rear console. Middle band because the second row is short on amenities — no rear vents or rear climate control, no sunshades, no entertainment — rear headroom is tight for taller adults, and 19.9 cu ft with everyone aboard forces a roof box for a family of four's luggage.

This is the mission the Crosstrek is built for: the CVT is smooth in stop-and-go, the 2.0L's eager tip-in makes it feel brisk off the line, outward visibility is airy, entry and exit are easy, and adaptive cruise with lane centering is standard on every trim to take the edge off traffic. Kept out of the top band by the 152-hp engine's strained, boomy response when a gap has to be taken and by Consumer Reports scoring acceleration 3/5.

The 2.0L Premium returns 27/34/29 MPG on the EPA cycle, and Consumer Reports measured 29 mpg overall in its own testing — which CR calls the best of any non-hybrid all-wheel-drive SUV. It runs on regular unleaded, the boxer/CVT drivetrain uses cheap consumables, and the EPA puts annual fuel cost near $2,100. Short of the top band only because a hybrid or PHEV commuter still undercuts it substantially, and no electrified Crosstrek was buyable in 2024.

A 176.4-in-long, 70.9-in-wide body with a 35.4-ft curb-to-curb turning circle, upright glasshouse and elevated seating makes this one of the easiest vehicles in the catalog to place in a city. The only deduction is aids rather than dimensions: a rear camera is the sole parking assist — no parking sensors, no surround view, no automated parking on any trim.

The volume Premium is rated for 1,500 lbs of towing, has 19.9 cu ft of enclosed cargo and 152 hp with which to move a load — that is bike-trailer and small-utility-trailer territory, not work. Only the late-arriving Wilderness, with its CVT cooler and 3,500-lb rating, does anything a tradesperson would call useful, and no Crosstrek has an open bed or a meaningful payload allowance.

The FB-series boxer, Lineartronic CVT and Symmetrical AWD hardware are long-proven and Subaru's reliability record is strong, and the standard wheel-arch and rocker cladding shrugs off the gravel and door dings a work life brings. But this is a light unibody crossover with no fleet history, cloth or leather seating rather than washable surfaces on the volume trims, and a driveline never validated for sustained heavy loads.

Provisions are outdoorsy rather than work-grade: four cargo tie-down hooks, two grocery hooks, a standard rubber cargo tray, and raised ladder-type roof rails on Premium and above rated at 165 lbs dynamic / 700 lbs static, plus a large genuine-accessory catalog of crossbars, hitches and carriers. There is no onboard AC power, no bed, no washable floor on the volume trim and no commercial upfit ecosystem.

The mile-eating case rests on the ride, which Consumer Reports rated 5/5 and called almost luxury-car-like, on front seats that hold up over long drives, on roughly 480 miles of combined range from the 16.6-gallon tank, and on adaptive cruise with lane centering standard on every trim. What keeps it out of the upper band is noise: the 2.0L is boomy under load and wind noise is intrusive above 65 mph, which is exactly the condition a road trip lives in.

This is the Crosstrek's best use case and one of the strongest showings in the subcompact class: Symmetrical full-time AWD and X-MODE with Hill Descent Control are standard on every 2024 trim, ground clearance is 8.7 in (9.3 in on the new-for-2024 Wilderness), roof rails from Premium up carry gear, and the rear seats fold flat for camping. Consumer Reports singles it out as one of the few small SUVs that genuinely goes off the beaten path. Held below 90 because there is no low range, no locker, and the volume Premium still gets only single-function X-MODE.

Flexibility is better than raw volume: the 60/40 rear seatbacks fold flat to 54.7 cu ft, the cargo floor is square with four tie-downs and a standard rubber tray, roof rails on Premium and up take 165 lbs on the move, and a genuine-accessory hitch opens up bike and cargo carriers. But 19.9 cu ft behind the second row means bulky gear either displaces a passenger or goes on the roof.

The redesigned platform handles well in normal driving — quick steering, minimal body roll, tenacious tire grip and a well-tuned stability system that carried it through Consumer Reports' avoidance maneuver at 56.5 mph, a strong figure for a tall subcompact on all-season tires. Kept mid-band because CR is explicit that it is composed rather than sporty, and the 8.7 in of ground clearance sets a ceiling on cornering limits.

Subaru fits a quick-ratio rack-and-dual-pinion electric setup and reviewers consistently note the quickness and accuracy off-center, which makes the car feel more alert than its mission suggests. It is nonetheless a light, low-effort tune with little road texture fed back — precise enough, but numb.

Braking is one of the car's clearest strengths — Consumer Reports scored it 5/5 and listed short stopping distances among its highs, with roughly 125 ft from 60 mph in panic braking. Ventilated 12.4-in front and solid 11.2-in rear discs with four-channel ABS and EBD are standard on every trim, and the pedal is firm and consistent rather than the soft, long-travel feel common in the class.

The naturally aspirated boxer is smooth and immediate at light throttle with no turbo lag, and the updated Lineartronic CVT steps cleanly through its eight simulated ratios rather than pinning revs. But the 152-hp 2.0L in the 2024 volume Premium needs 10.1 s to reach 60 mph, so any real demand — merging, a grade, a full car — puts the calibration under strain that the 2.5-liter trims simply do not experience.

The recurring criticism of the 2024 Crosstrek, and it lands hardest on the 2.0L volume trim: Consumer Reports lists a strained-sounding engine among the car's lows and says the CVT amplifies the raucous noise exactly when the driver needs acceleration. Vibration through the controls is well isolated, so the deduction is noise character rather than harshness.

35.44 ft curb-to-curb is near the tight end of the 34–42 ft SUV band and a real everyday asset — U-turns and multi-storey ramps take one movement rather than three.

An elevated hip point, generous glass and a low step-in give the driver an unusually clear view out, and Consumer Reports praises the retained physical volume and tuning knobs plus mirror and window switches angled toward the driver. Held just below the top band because the 10-way power seat with lumbar is optional on the volume Premium — a 6-way manual is standard — and most climate functions live on the touchscreen.

There is real character in the way the Crosstrek carries speed on a rough back road and in where it will take you, and the paddle shifters are a welcome touch in this class. But with 152 hp, a 10.1-second 0–60 and a CVT that gets loud when asked for anything, the 2024 volume trim is competent and likeable rather than genuinely entertaining — CR is explicit that it is not sporty.

Every 2024 Crosstrek includes Symmetrical AWD, X-MODE, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, steering-responsive LED headlights and the latest EyeSight suite at a $26,290 delivered base price — hardware that costs $1,400–$1,500 extra on an HR-V, Corolla Cross or Seltos and the strongest value argument in the segment. The volume Premium adds the 11.6-inch STARLINK Multimedia Plus screen, Keyless Access with push-button start, paddle shifters and LED fog lights as standard. Held below the 80+ band because the comfort and safety content buyers actually shop for — heated seats, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, power driver's seat — all sit inside a $2,245 package, and in 2024 the Premium still had only single-function X-MODE and the 152-hp 2.0L.

The money buys capability rather than gadgetry and the market validates it — Consumer Reports made the Crosstrek a 2024 Top Pick and the highest-scoring subcompact SUV, and KBB gave it the 2024 Best Resale Value Award in class, so a large share of the delivered price comes back at trade-in. It falls short of standout status because performance per dollar is genuinely weak in this model year specifically: the $27,440 volume Premium carries the 152-hp 2.0L and needs about ten seconds to 60 mph, and Seltos and Corolla Cross buyers who do not need the AWD hardware get more screen, comfort and warranty content for the money.

Five well-spaced trims cover $24,995 to $31,995 before destination — Base, Premium, Sport, Limited and, new for 2024, the off-road Wilderness — across two engines, a broader ladder than most subcompact crossovers offer and one that includes a genuine rugged variant rivals lack. The gaps are configuration rather than price: one body style, Lineartronic CVT only with the manual discontinued for this generation, no hybrid or PHEV in the 2024 US lineup, and the Wilderness did not reach retailers until fall 2023, partway into the model year.

The first full sales year of this generation was the Crosstrek's best ever: 181,811 US units in calendar 2024, up about 14 percent, the year it passed the Outback to become Subaru's single best-selling model. That is a segment leader on a steeply rising trajectory — the top of the band — and it is unusual enough that no other brand is led in volume by a subcompact SUV.

Subaru carries one of the strongest owner-loyalty and brand-affinity records among mainstream makes — standard AWD, an outdoor identity and a long safety reputation — and the Crosstrek is the nameplate most associated with it. It sits at the bottom of the aspirational band rather than higher because the halo is affection and trust rather than prestige: the badge does not command the price premium a luxury or performance marque does.

Scored on buyer benefit, this is the Crosstrek's weakest value dimension. Subaru runs among the lowest incentive spends of any automaker, customer cash and dealer cash are effectively never offered on this model, and a redesigned car in its first full year with record demand transacted at or very near MSRP. What buyers did get was subvented finance and lease support — around 3.9% APR for 72 months and advertised leases near $299/36 months, workable only because the residuals are so high — which lifts it off the floor but leaves it below segment average.

2024 is the first US model year of the third-generation Crosstrek on Subaru's current Global Platform, with a fully inner-frame-construction body, revised suspension and the newest dual-camera EyeSight — the maximum freshness a buyer can have, with redesign risk essentially zero for years. It also introduced an entirely new variant, the Wilderness. Just short of the ceiling only because the drivetrain hardware carries over as naturally aspirated boxers with a CVT while rivals were electrifying.

The redesign was received well and decorated broadly: Consumer Reports Top Pick and highest-scoring subcompact SUV, KBB Best Resale Value in class, IIHS Top Safety Pick, NHTSA five stars overall, and mainstream expert scores clearly above the 2025 car's. It stays in the upper-middle band rather than 80+ because the praise is for well-roundedness rather than victory: reviewers consistently dock the 2.0L volume car for acceleration and CVT drone, the IIHS award is Top Safety Pick and not Top Safety Pick+ (Acceptable in the updated side test, Marginal in the updated moderate overlap front), and it is not a regular comparison-test winner.