2023 Subaru Crosstrek Sport: Almost a Wilderness Model

[@RKmndo]

The Crosstrek is a remarkable little car. It has enough rearseat space for decent legroom and for child seats. We can pack 4 in it comfortably for a roadtrip. Everyone gets a carry-on suitcase and a small backpack. It can all fit in the trunk. A small cooler fits between rear passengers and doubles as an armrest. Extra capacity is easy to attain through utilizing the roofrails and/or a rear receiver hitch. I have a 1st-gen Crosstrek, and even without X-Mode or Dual X-Mode, this little AWD car with open diffs and anti-swaybars can make it up an off-camber climb with a wheel or two in the air...if you drive it right. That's better than many stock 4WDs with open diffs. I can also get well over 40MPG with stock tires by upgrading the air intake/filter and by using the cruise near the speed limit. I think this is pretty good for a 3200lb AWD non-hybrid car. Some parts of the car are a bit vulnerable for difficult offroading, but armor, winchmounts, and traction diffs are available.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Thanks for sharing! We’ve been impressed with the brand. We definitely tested that off-camber, wheel-in-the-air stuff when we had the Outback Wilderness last year.

[@Bloodofthedragon]

Just got my black 2023 Crosstrek Sport with the upgrade package on Monday and I love it. I look for every excuse to drive it. It’s such a fun little car! It will be perfect for when my husband and I start a family and it’s great for us now, we always go on road trips. 💚✌🏼

[@GTGarageTalk]

Awesome! Enjoy!!!

[@BusterKitten]

my grandson bought a 23 Crosstrek Sport a month ago. He loves it, plenty of room for the baby car seat for the great granddaughter in the second row.

[@GTGarageTalk]

❤️

[@doogmar19]

Having owned a manual car for the last 30+ years, I recently bought a Sport, and I have to say the CVT doesn't really bother me. Only time it drones is when I'm smashing the gas to go uphill or getting up to speed on the freeway. I am really happy with the Xtrek, and am looking forward to the snow this season to see how the CVT handles in thick snow.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Enjoy!!!

[@aaronreed9863]

I have a 14 impreza sport with CVT. It's really not bad. I like it does not simulate fake shift points but if i want better throttle response, put it in manual and the paddle shifters "downshift" pretty quickly. I would like another 50 HP though.

[@dandelionsbeauty]

I crave a manual

[@dandelionsbeauty]

@@aaronreed9863 oh yeah 😎 oddly enough the very inexpensive Hyundai Accent was giving me like 50mpg...as much as a Priuus (manual of course)

[@lacloidi2003]

@@dandelionsbeauty enjoy with your Hyundai 😂

[@In-obscurity-n7j]

For the money, this is a smart choice. Helped my daughter get one a 2022 couple of months ago. She manages a winery and is often up and down a mountain on gravel and dirt roads. It's perfect for her needs. I especially like the lower center of gravity I believe helps reduce the rollover risk.

[@GTGarageTalk]

And Subaru is all about safety! Glad y’all are happy with your Crosstrek!

[@rogerhook8002]

I own that very model and really like it. The material on the seats is very durable. I found that out when I climbed into the front seat with screwdriver in my back pocket, sharp end against the seat, and fortunately it neither penetrated nor scratched the seat. I was, indeed, fortunate.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing!!! Enjoy your ride

[@chrislazer3349]

I love my 2023 Crosstrek just got one and I’m obsessed 😊

[@GTGarageTalk]

Love it! Enjoy!

[@cwallen18]

With the amount of time reviewers spend on the CVT " rubber band effect", maybe they could spend 30 seconds on the S/I driving modes. Click the S button on the steering wheel when you need to accelerate quickly, and you will feel a substantial difference.

[@GTGarageTalk]

👍🏼

[@aztronomy7457]

I spent over a month looking for the right car. By the end I was exhausted and figured I’d never find the car for me for the price I was looking for (under 30 grand). I wanted a leather wrapped steering wheel, “leather” seats, a sporty feel, all the new driver aids, good gas mileage, over 8” of ground clearance, a cargo space big enough to sleep in, AWD, and a nice interior. The RAV4 was too expensive for what it was. The CRV was also out of my price range. The Mazda cx50 is nice but MPG was meh and it was a new car, and not made in Japan. The cx 30 was tiny. I was about to give up until I found this. WOW! Thank god I didn’t give up. This car literally fits all my needs. What an amazing machine’

[@GTGarageTalk]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you’re a satisfied shopper

[@aztronomy7457]

@@GTGarageTalk oh I am! I was about to buy a Tacoma until I got cold feet. Just didn’t feel right. Then I found this. Felt 100% the right thing to do. No regrets. I have a $350 monthly payment so it’s perfect!

[@GTGarageTalk]

Nice!

[@vehiclenanny]

Another great review! I was never really a fan of CVTs (especially after experiencing the 2003 Saturn ION and VUE!), but I do like it in my 2022 Outback. It's ideal for how I drive and use my vehicle, and think it is one of the best CVTs on the market. Plus, the 33 mpg I get on the highway is respectable, too!

[@GTGarageTalk]

That outback is a great model. We didn’t mind the CVT in that one.

[@djmir4]

I have this model/color without the upgrade package. Been loving it so far!

[@GTGarageTalk]

Nice!!!

[@Cabuco2006]

I just hope Subaru keeps the manual Ebrake lever and doesn't go crazy with that electric garbage . Please subaru stay as simple as possible

[@GTGarageTalk]

What is that acronym again? Keep It Simple Stupid

[@tah6746]

I would be very interested in a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Model as well. Hoping that as Cresstrek Wilderness is available soon. Excellent Review.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Thanks. We were in Chicago for the reveal of the 2024 model, still no mention of a Wilderness model. 😔 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIrUhp55qsmKgMU

[@tah6746]

@@GTGarageTalk Thank you for the Update.

[@ChipSkylark696]

Just curious why you didn’t mention the SI drive when discussing the CVT? I think it helps a whole heck of a lot on the highway

[@GTGarageTalk]

Because I didn’t have it long enough to really get into all the details.

[@ChipSkylark696]

@@GTGarageTalkgotcha! Probably something you should mention considering people look at this video when making a potential purchase. You really ripped into the way it drives, I would have been hesitant to buy mine after watching. Thankfully I purchased prior and it drives great with SI drive. No rubber band feel at all

[@GTGarageTalk]

@@ChipSkylark696 Thank you for your input!

[@nicolec7290]

Subaru we the people want a TRUCK

[@GTGarageTalk]

😲

[@Amy_Mi6]

What do you mean when you say 'the auto start stop doesn't last long in the heat'? Are you saying after a short time it stops working because of the heat?

[@GTGarageTalk]

No. Because we have the AC going it only takes a few seconds for the vehicle to realize it needs the engine back on to run the compressor before it gets too hot in the cabin

[@gameprodigy940]

What’s up with halogen lights and the crosstreks?

[@GTGarageTalk]

Its a lower trim car on an older platform. About to get an update, shall possibly see new headlights in that for 2024

[@robertrousseaux1059]

Oh a 2.5 turbo would be awesome.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Agreed

[@frankweathersbee2553]

a work friend rides in my 21 sport with the 2.5l, he thinks it has a turbo because of the good acceleration.

[@nicolec7290]

I heard they lowered them. God I hope not. That means I have to buy an older one. If your going to keep putting the start stop mode on them. Hopefully you can just make it a switch you can leave it turned off

[@Jordymonn]

It is a switch on the left

[@nicolec7290]

@@Jordymonn O really. I have one. Every time you start the car you have to push the button. I say put a SWITCH you can leave off. This button is a temporary You have to hit it every time. On & off That way when you restart the car you don’t have to keep remembering to push the button. A switch to leave it off

[@GTGarageTalk]

It’s mandated to be a feature that has to be turned off each time in order to claim the fuel Economy benefits on the window sticker.

[@GTGarageTalk]

The aftermarket has options to permanently defeat it.

[@luminaire7085]

If it is like the 2019 Crosstrek then if you have back or hip problems then you won’t be able to do a long drive due to not having lumber support/adjustment. Seats ripped at 61,100 kms so just over 60K and Subaru didn’t want to fix them even if I had taken an additional 1 year warranty because it was not a mechanical problem. Since we travel a lot, we decided to acquire a 2023 Outback Touring which is due in December.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Sorry to hear. Hope the Outback works for you! We loved the Wilderness we had last year.

[@joashlex]

is there a forester 2023?

[@GTGarageTalk]

Not yet. Just a 2022

[@probablynotian]

Was told there was supposed to be a wilderness crosstrek for 2023, but they couldn't make it work with supply chain issues.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Wouldn’t surprise me. All manufacturers have dealt with it in their own ways

[@artilleryisbetter]

this is already essentially a wilderness impreza

[@GTGarageTalk]

@@artilleryisbetter essentially

[@chemuzio-ssir2015]

Yes. They will be releasing it with the redesign in late 2023

[@ropersix]

Si driving mode is a little more fun, as it revs the engine about 1000rpms higher, and helps a little on winding roads, on-ramps, etc. It's still a very boring CVT, but that mode does seem to help a little.

[@GTGarageTalk]

It helps a bit.

[@theamazinggoldfish8713]

I'n Canada you can get the 2.5L sport in "MANUAL ',....but not in the U.S.

[@GTGarageTalk]

interesting...

[@chemuzio-ssir2015]

Since the Crosstrek Sport came before the wilderness editions, aren’t they the ones borrowing from the Crosstrek Sport? lol

[@GTGarageTalk]

🤔 Touché

[@RangerRickTV]

The 2024 cross trek they decreased the damn ground clearance. Why Subaru? Whhhhhy?

[@GTGarageTalk]

We haven’t gotten US spec info yet.

[@artilleryisbetter]

Hybrid model!

[@RangerRickTV]

@@artilleryisbetter I’ll take your word for it, but it does not make any sense.

[@danielgcushman6817]

The Sport came first. 2021.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Correct. We had to wait until 2024 for the wilderness.

[@danielfair4675]

The gold color accents Subaru uses on the wilderness editions is flat ugly. Glad the Crosstrek has remained under the radar thus far. I've got a '21 Ct Limited in White Pearl, more than satisfied.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Nice! Enjoy!

[@billcudd7844]

You need to work on your reviews. Totally disagree with you on the 2.5 and CVT tranny. Do you even own a Crosstrek ?? If you don’t own one and drive it daily your not really qualified to be reviewing it. Crosstrek is an excellent vehicle. Plenty of power and never noticed “ rubber band “ feeling you claim about the CVT tranny. Find something else to review on you tube like food. You look like you enjoy eating.

[@GTGarageTalk]

Wow. Thanks for the comment. Helps more people see my reviews of MANY vehicles.

[@sgtpepper6379]

Dude your last name literally means barf