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The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek is ready to make its retailer launch in the U.S., and Consumer Reports (by subscription) says it has five things it didn’t like about the new model. So they rented a 2024 Crosstrek Premium trim level from Subaru for a few weeks to test, and here are the results.
What Consumer Reports did like about the all-new remodeled 2024 Crosstrek.
CR says they like the ride comfort, cargo space, off-road ability, front seat comfort and access, engine and transmission, and standard safety tech with automatic emergency braking. In addition, all 2024 Crosstrek trims now come with the automaker’s EyeSight driver-assist safety technology.
CR says, “Our testers tried it out on long highway slogs, took it on trips to the garden center, and even did a little off-roading, and it sure seems like Subaru didn’t mess with the formula that led to the Crosstrek’s success. It’s hard to match the Crosstrek’s practicality for the price.”
Consumer Reports didn’t like these five things about the all-new, remodeled 2024 Crosstrek.
Climate controls: “The Crosstrek we drove now was equipped with an 11.6-inch tablet-like user interface, similar to the one in the Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Ascent. That means it loses most of its physical climate buttons and knobs in favor of touchscreen controls. Subaru made some positive refinements, on the Crosstrek, the driver and passenger climate controls are now in a single screen, unlike on other Subaru models, and there are big physical controls for the seat heaters, but there’s still some user unfriendliness.”
“For instance, you must hunt through menus to put the climate control on “Auto,” which should be easier to find. The climate screen covers up the audio and navigation screens and obscures the “Home” button that would bring you back to the main touchscreen menu, so you must find and press a little red “X” to go back. That’s hard to do while driving. We have yet to try a base Crosstrek with the smaller screen.”
Fit and finish: “We like that the Crosstrek is designed to be a utilitarian vehicle, but certain fit and finish elements felt plain cheap. For example, the large swath of black plastic surrounding the gear selector was so easy to scratch that the car we rented from Subaru arrived with a few blemishes even though it only had a few hundred miles. We expect an interior designed for the utility to hold up to everyday use a little better. Similarly, the Premium trim now gets a plastic steering wheel as standard equipment, even though a leather-wrapped wheel was standard on the less-expensive Premium model in 2023.”
Blind Spot Warning cost: “Not only does Subaru not offer BSW on the entry-level Crosstrek Base, but buyers of the more expensive Premium and Sport trims will still have to pay an additional $2,245 or $1,920, respectively, to get an option package that bundles BSW along with luxury goodies. This contrasts other affordable subcompact SUVs with standard BSW, including the Hyundai Kona and Jeep Renegade.”
Infotainment issues: “It often took upwards of 30 seconds for the Crosstrek’s wireless Apple CarPlay to engage, which can be annoying if you’re trying to enter a destination into Maps and get on your way. We’re also confused about why Subaru limited customizable widgets can be shown at the top of the infotainment screen. This would be a great place to display fuel economy, but instead, it’s limited to less-useful specs like coolant and oil temperature, average speed, and a weather app that had difficulty downloading the latest information.”
Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA) Warning Light: “It’s great that Subaru lets drivers choose whether an audible tone should accompany LKA warnings. But if you set LKA to turn off the audible warning, an icon lights up in the gauge cluster behind the steering wheel, warning LKA is turned off entirely even though the feature is active. We think this is misleading and confusing for drivers.”
Our take:
For the price, the next-generation 2024 Subaru Crosstrek is the best subcompact for active customers who need a small SUV to commute during the week and get away from the city on the weekend. The Crosstrek is specifically designed for the customer using the small SUV to get further off the grid. The 2024 Crosstrek has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, X-Mode for all-weather performance, and dual-function X-Mode for all-terrain ability.
What is the price of the 2024 Crosstrek?
For 2024, the Crosstrek will be available in Base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trim levels and has a starting price of $26,290 (the same MSRP as the 2023 Base model equipped with the Lineartronic CVT automatic transmission).
The 2024 Crosstrek Premium has a starting price of $27,440, Sport ($30,290), and Limited ($32,190). Pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($1,225). The Premium trim price increased by +$70, the Sport +$1,070, and Limited +$1,470.
There is an all-new 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness trim level for the most adventurous customers. The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness will be the most expensive Crosstrek trim level. The all-new Crosstrek Wilderness costs $33,290, including dealer destination and delivery fees. Check out the 2024 Crosstrek model guide in the links below.
When will the new Crosstrek be available for U.S. customers?
The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Base and Premium trims will be available this spring for U.S. customers. The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport and Limited trim levels will come later this summer. In addition, the outdoor-themed 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness trim will be available in North America this fall.
You Might Also Like: 5 Things To Know About The New Subaru Crosstrek Before You Buy
Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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