2024 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0L vs 2.5L vs Wilderness Comparison & 0-60!

The Subaru Crosstrek offers two powertrains and one version with extensive off-road enhancements, today, I’ll drive all three to help decide which one is the best for you and myself! Hopefully this can also give some insight into how it stacks up against the Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, VW Taos, and countless others.
Thank you, Royal on the Eastside service department, for letting me test drive three loaner vehicles for today's video!
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00:00 Pricing / Background
01:14 2.0L Drive (premium)
03:43 Handling / Comfort
04:46 2.5L Drive (sport)
06:34 Features / Interior
08:33 Wilderness Drive
12:53 Final Thoughts

[@brinsonmcbride]

My ‘23 Impreza is great at many things. Going fast with the 2.0L is not one of them.

[@nickscapellato8248]

My S/O has a 2019 Impreza hatch. It’s endearingly slow. Somehow it feels faster when you stomp on it at highway speeds than from a stop!

[@anthonyng3014]

@@nickscapellato8248That's the CVT at work. I have a 2024 Outback XT and from a stop it accelerates FASTER when I roll on the throttle than when I floor it. No seriously, it's that weird. I almost want to put some sort of pedal limiter so when it's floored it's actually inputting 95% throttle or such. You can check out the 5-60 times for the Subarus with CVTs and you'll see their 5-60 times are much more in line with competitors while their 0-60 times usually lag behind.

[@danielfair4675]

They're not built for speed, and that's fine with 99% of the folks that buy them to do what they need.

[@zachsummers3321]

Agreed has enough power for a car that size. Amazing in the snow goes through 1.5 to 2 foot drifts no problem.

[@nolanflanagan3090]

@@zachsummers3321 the impreza? or the crosstrek?

[@jared9984]

As someone who's watched a lot of crosstrek reviews on KZbin, this was one of the best. Great job!

[@markballesteros2948]

I concur. Despite the negatives, I still got the Sport.

[@markvicferrer]

A comparison between these three versions is much appreciated.

[@josetomasoyarzun895]

Build quality is amazing in this cars, it’s such a great all rounder

[@thatissomeBS]

That's just Subaru at this point. They check so many boxes, including value. Any knock on basically any of their cars is basically just nitpicking.

[@ajbcohen]

Well done. Thanks for covering details and comparing the models side by side. And congrats on the excellent editing and choreography. And variety of video clips with multiple perspectives/angles/distances. This is very professional. I test drove the 2.0 l and 2.5 l and came to the same conclusions. Surprised they were so similar.

[@kenhoward3512]

A very useful, detailed review/comparison of these three Crosstrek trims.

[@brianrobertsii4620]

I wish the gigantic screens in the center weren't a thing. Otherwise it looks like a great family crossover.

[@michaelrizzo6150]

I totally agree, pretty darn ugly.

[@activepuck2225]

I have a Limited arriving soon from Japan in Sun Blaze (hopefully within a couple weeks!) and I’m pretty excited. In Canada it’s pretty interesting because other than accessories there aren’t additional options per trim level for Subaru’s sold here (ie, technology packages), just choice of paint. So Limited here has HK audio system, etc. I really don’t mind but it’s also frustrating because you can’t get a Forester Wilderness with the upgraded audio package. 🫤 Having said all that, thank you for being a reasonable car reviewer. By that I mean you understand real world usage and consumer needs.

[@normaninsandiego7061]

Excellent video. Thanks for the review of the Crosstrek, and I think I will get the base model.

[@Realistick]

You're welcome, thanks for watching and supporting!

[@matthewjohnson1211]

My wife has it…as long as where you live isn’t super hilly or mountainous -it’s fine.

[@scottanthony3426]

I noticed the same loss of steering feel and turn in with the Forester Wilderness vs the other Forester's. They did the same thing with the final drive ratio, and it didn't feel like on the road, any gain in acceleration was worth the huge penalty in MPG. In the Outback Wilderness, the 2.4 Turbo is used, and it is substantially quicker than the XT in 0-60. Good topic you chose for review. Nice to see the back-to-back on the different configurations of the Crosstrek. 3500 lbs towing capacity is impressive in the Wilderness version.

[@briAction]

Analog gauges are a premium feature 👍

[@wackit6756]

Tyler, thank you SO much for doing a side by side on these 2 engines, a video I have been waiting for. I know at full throttle both CVT's sound terrible but at 3/4 throttle do they at least emulate a shift? Honda's CVT's seem to do this very well. ✌️

[@Realistick]

Thanks for watching! They emulate a gear shift here and there when you don't completely plant it, but it's nowhere near as natural as Honda's E-CVT in their hybrids or Subaru's "SPT" in the WRX. I can't remember how the HR-V's transmission performed in that regard but I'm just happy the Subie is smooth now!

[@kingkiril]

2.5l Subaru crosstrek sport is a perfect car

[@digitaldoc100]

No such thing as a perfect car, they are all compromised. Your short comings include the CVT, the uncomfortable front seats, the lack of physical buttons, and the overall lack of power.

[@lennygarrison6836]

⁠@@digitaldoc100I’ve watched somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 reviews of the new Crosstrek, and none of them mentioned uncomfortable front seats. And there’s a few physical buttons, although less than ideal. And the CVT doesn’t offer amazing performance. But it’s still pretty smooth and adequate for what it’s intended for.

[@digitaldoc100]

​@@lennygarrison6836 I have sat in multiple Crosstreks, including a limited with leather seats. I find that they lack bolstering and padding, and are generally less comfortable than other models. However, obviously not everyone will fit the same.

[@lennygarrison6836]

@@digitaldoc100 valid point.

[@anthonyng3014]

I'd disagree. It's more expensive than the 2.0, lower fuel economy, heavier, and all for what? 0.2s off the line? If I had to pick a Crosstrek, I'd go for the 2.0. Now if they had the 2.4T in the mix, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. But they better not price it upwards of 40k USD.

[@mariovazquez3874]

If you want the 2.5L and live in an area with snow, you should get the Wilderness. Its Geolander A/T are snow rated and descent enough. The Sport has 18in all season that looked more like Summer tires. The Sport, plus a new set of 18in all terrain, or 17in all terrain with rims, or winter tires with rims will take you from close to over the Wlderness MSRP.

[@vypir313]

A friend of mine that works as a mechanic at a local suby dealer recommended the 2.5L over the 2.0L because they are more reliable. Using that as a starting requirement for our new vehicle, we ended up going with a 2024 Forester over any of the 2024 Crosstrek models with the 2.5L or 2024 Outbacks because the wife and I both wanted the Horizon Blue Pearl color and that was only available in the Crosstrek Base and Premium, which are only 2.0L, but it was available in all the Forester trims. We are so happy with our decision. :) Thanks for the side by side comparison of the crosstrek models.

[@whoawoahh]

On the contrary, I’ve heard that the FB20 is more reliable than the FB25 due to oil consumption issues down the road

[@mrgarrison3516]

​@@whoawoahh I also heard they're both the same engine block, except the 2.5 is bored out more for the increased diameter pistons, which then makes the head gaskets narrower & more susceptible to fail ....long term of course. I don't know the reasoning behind why that mechanic said that 🤷

[@RKmndo]

The biggest benefit for the Crosstrek Wilderness, IMO, is the 3500lb towing capacity via the tranny cooler and the gruntier gearing. The gruntier Wilderness gearing allegedly sacrifices some MPG though. The other stuff? The 2.5L can be had with other trims. The aftermarket can provide suspension, armor, a rear diff-locker, and/or LSDs. The aftermarket can also provide high-clearance steel bumpers with winch-mount/receiver-hitch/tire-carrier.

[@0HOON0]

The 2.0l is built in Japan. 2.5l USA. Japanese Subarus have a history of being slightly more reliable than their Merican cousins.

[@Realistick]

The Indiana plant where they build the Crosstrek 2.5L is a great one, I wouldn't slander it!

[@jadewulf3625]

Thanks for completing the 0- 60 test on 3 models. Owning a CTW I was disappointed with the performance results. I thought the 4:11 gear ratio would have made a bigger difference. Possibly tires had an effect ? Proves this vehicle needs a turbo like the Outback. I thought the 700 pound roof rack capacity was applicable to all models not just the Wilderness ? Bottom line I think all models have a place and the largest disappointment is not having the manual,transmission.

[@Realistick]

Congrats on the Crosstrek! I was hoping the FD would make it more peppy too, I think the difference is subtle on the road but it seems to make more of an impact off road from what I've seen.

[@dirtycommtroop]

The market seriously lacks affordable vehicles with respectable offroad capability. There is a lot of value in this Crosstreks that i cant seem to find anywhere else. They should keep the price down otherwise id probably choose a bronco sport or jeep compass.

[@jish8681]

All they gotta do is make an xt version and it’s their best car

[@taelee347]

Literally just drop WRX drivetrain into it.

[@davidwayne9982]

THANKS-- wanted to see one of these comparisons.... (one point most don't mention-- they are the SAFEST too-- in all crash tests- SUBARU far outdoes all other vehicles so in an accident- you have FAR BETTER chance of walking away healthy from most all accidents.!! )

[@craigo2142]

Great little cars except that horrible drone during acceleration. Maybe a hybrid option might help.

[@zulpiz6665]

Does both of these subaru have better handling than Lexus UX?

[@MrEricmopar]

The 2024 Crosstrek has two major advantages over the Mazda CX-30. The first is obvious, the AWD system, the second is the redesigned seats... I've been test driving and sitting in new vehicles for months, and the Crosstrek, even the base model has hugely better seats. Most seats are much harder and have horrible bolsters on the seat cushions than the new redesigned Crosstrek seats.

[@toyota420xp]

I don't care about what the EPA number say I was just wondering what the real world MPG difference between the 2.5 and the 2.0 because maybe the 2.5 is as a fuel efficient

[@henryd1981]

I wish there were more ways to improve that 2.0L engine. I tried owning a 2021 Crosstrek with the 2L for 4 months, but I ended up having buyer's remorse. I bought the car based on all the praise out there for Subarus, but I just couldn't fall in love with it even though I tried. It's not a bad car at all. Luckily, new Crosstreks were still in very short supply at the time and used ones were going for crazy money. In the end, I was able to get the sticker price for the Crosstrek, and I got back into a car I liked. I'm sure it would have been a different story if I had gotten a Crosstrek wth the 2.5L, but price would have been an issue.

[@0HOON0]

What car did you end up buying?

[@henryd1981]

@@0HOON0 Buick Encore GX with the 1.3L Turbo

[@singlespeedcrossbike]

I purchased a new 2021 Crosstrek Premium and I felt the same about it. I sold it about the same time to Vroom for 3K more than I paid for it. Those were crazy times to sell a car. I will most likely be purchasing a Crosstrek Wilderness in the next several months. I want another Jeep in the worst way but I’m concerned about MPGs and hey the Wilderness will suffice to get me to the trail head. It’s a want and need thing.

[@clemonallison488]

Well I guess I’ll hang onto my 6 speed manual.

[@TheOneBadAssGamer]

I just bought a sport for 28k it has 6k miles

[@PardyN2]

Aww no, no pretend shift points? Not a huge deal but the cvt drone sounds awful

[@AB-jk7tw]

Love the Forester but without a more powerful engine, it is not a car we are considering.

[@matrixlee6392]

They really should give the option of 2.4L turbo charged engine to the Forester

[@0HOON0]

Even if Subaru could just bring their N/A 2.5 up to the power level of Toyota's, it would at least make the high elevation performance acceptable.

[@AB-jk7tw]

@@0HOON0 Agree - it is not the horsepower that is the limitation but rather the complete lack of torque. Even if the engine was like the Tiguan with only 185 horsepower BUT 220 feet of torque, it would be a game changing improvement!

[@sonny1597]

Before you buy a Subaru do yourself a favor and check to see what class action suites they have against them. I didn't and ended up getting rid of my 2021 Crosstrek Sport because of the two class action suites that were against Subaru at the time. Both impacted my 2021 enough that I had to get rid of it. Got rid of it at 23K miles .. 5 windshields and the 5th with a repair already and Eyesite nearly got me killed twice. All reported to Subaru and not a single response.

[@Realistick]

5!? That was the most common problem with that generation (I talk about in my videos on the old car) but that is absurd, sorry. My parent’s 21 was thankfully free of any issues. Sometimes the surface that the windshield is mounting too isn’t good and causes that problem too! Which can also throw off the calibration of eyesight. I do a full reliability report on a full review of the car in the future and I’ll see if any of that has affected new models!

[@anotheran]

The 2.0L sounded like in agony during that launch. The 2.5L isn’t as bad. The 0-60 difference between the two is so little. Other than bragging, it doesn’t bring much.

[@Realistick]

😂Just during the launch?

[@anotheran]

@@Realisticklol so true. These things are bargain mobiles. Whoever buys one should get as low of a trim as possible.

[@danielfair4675]

His 0-60 numbers are hilarious. A digital timer got me a 9.0 on the 2.0 base & a 7.8 on a Limited. Both 2021's .... and it doesn't register till you actually push the pedal.

[@anotheran]

@@danielfair4675 is that timer getting the 0-60 off gps or obdii ? The cars speedo is calculated from rotation speed and stock tire size and not accurate. For example, bmw usually reads 2mph higher. He uses dragy which is fairly accurate for 0-60 as verified by many reviewers comparing to other timers like vbox

[@taelee347]

I have one of those 2.0L Crosstrek as a loaner while my 2006 STi is in for service and it is killing me with boredom… and the indicated mpg is only 27.5 because I have to rev it up to get anywhere. It is very surprising that 2.5L with 30 extra horses is making almost no difference here…

[@user-to1tp7wy8h]

2.0 underpower

[@davidwayne9982]

Nah- can't go that CVT crap... just can't... I hate feeling like I"m going to get run over trying to get on the freeway... I'm going with CX-50 Mazda and have a supercharger put on it.. :)

[@coryhamelehle6439]

It would be fun to see a comparison between generations as well. Like the 2011 Impreza 2.5 vs the 2012 Impreza 2.0. I am biased since I own the 2011 Impreza and am curious, but this idea can be applied to other generations of other vehicles as well.

[@Realistick]

I might try that when a new gen drops again, perhaps the forester?

[@YankeeMav]

issue (preventing purchase) with the C'trek is total lack of ventilated seat availability (06:36). Otherwise compelling. Except when my mid-millennial eyes tell my cranium im seeing a Pontiac vibe or Toyota matrix. which is cool for memberberries but not so much for $30k+.

[@uniformsixfour]

I have a clean '06 vibe next to my Crosstrek in the garage... They are almost identical in profile. I'm obviously a vibe fan so that was a positive. This channel helped sell me on the Crosstrek and I could not be happier (thank you, btw). Put snow tires on this thing and you will pray for snow. Edit: I have the limited trim and the pleather seats are ventilated. A drawback for me as I cringe at the thought of potential spills leaking into the cushions.

[@HomebrewSubaru]

For such an in depth edit, you could have verified that the 2.5 is not a 2.0 at 4:50 Getting tired of these poster boys

[@Realistick]

The more in-depth I make these and the more graphics I add, the bigger chance I’ll make a typo. Nonetheless, nice catch, I’ll try to be the one that finds it next time🥸

[@richardb.5691]

It's that stupid CVT - they should have used a 6 speed auto instead.

[@fp5495]

I miss when Subaru wasn't building cars mostly for families and 70 year old ladies who think themselves as quirky people. In the US, car companies are too hyper-focused on theoretical family unit type drivers, as though that's all that need cars here. The US is all full up with crossover and CUV offerings. We're officially the most boring car market on the planet now.

[@tomrakusan1179]

BRZ, WRX - right?

[@CalgaryGuy71]

The Crosstrek is the perfect sized vehicle, it's playful looking and can take you anywhere. I really tried to like it but I test drove the 2.5L and it still felt way too sluggish. I would feel frustration all the time if I had to drive with that lack of power in situations where you need the "Get up and go".

[@Realistick]

Off the line, not much guts for sure! But most competitors aren’t better when it comes to passing power unless we’re talking about the turbo CX-30. Out of curiosity, which car did you buy?

[@CalgaryGuy71]

Haha. Something completely different…Bronco with the 2.7 twin turbo.

[@CalgaryGuy71]

And I do like the Mazda cx30 as a better option.

[@patrick7228]

10 second 0-60 almost seems dangerous. My goodness I feel bad for a young driver learning to merge on the highway for the first time.

[@Realistick]

It’s not that slow. Having owned a much slower vehicle, it’s only dangerous if you’re reckless when pulling out or merging!

[@labradachig1976]

Not at all. I know a young driver learning to merge in a 20-year old Elantra, getting 0-60 in about 12 seconds. The only dangerous thing is inconsiderate drivers these days.

[@danielfair4675]

That's funny, I used a Passport GT-2 G-timer on 2021's, both the 2.0 & 2.5 Crosstreks. 0-60 @ 9.0 with a base & 7.8 with the 2.5 Limited

[@Chubbydippin]

You often times hear the response to people who prefer Subarus with manual transmissions, "Well if more people bought them, then Subaru would've kept that option available." Only pairing a manual option with their weakest engine available had a lot to do with declining manual sales. The Crosstrek gets so many things right except for only offering one transmission option. Love the CTW but I have no interest in a CVT. We also hear, "Subaru prefers making vehicles with CVTS because it's cheaper for them to manufacture." Yet for the consumer, 8-10k to replace a CVT, because they are rarely "fixable", it's somehow all of a sudden NOT A CHEAP TRANSMISSION. How is a CVT cheap to put in a vehicle during the build out, but outrageously expensive for consumers to replace? Just fishy and doesn't add up.

[@danielfair4675]

Because it's a Valve Body issue. Change your CVT fluid every 40k miles and it'll outlast the ownership.

[@Kai240i]

Your crosstrek sport is so slow, mine did 7.6 sec with dragy verified.

[@Realistick]

That’s what i got with the previous gen, I don’t know why it did that here but the wilderness also had the same stutter at low speeds so it could be a software change. I’ll get one from Subaru’s press fleet and see if that changes anything.

[@taelee347]

I think I know what you mean. Didn’t C&D also get 7.5 would previous gen crosstrek sport?

[@anthonyng3014]

Wow, so no matter how much money you throw at Subaru they can't even make a Crosstrek that goes below 8.5s... I don't know of any other manufacturer that has all these different engine and transmission combos yet making less than 10% difference at the end of the day between the base model and the top trim. What's even the point of all the different combinations when they make negligible difference in real-world performance?

[@Realistick]

They usually make a bigger difference but the transmission tuning held it back until 25-30 mph so the real world passing power is definitely improved

[@anthonyng3014]

@@RealistickThanks for the clarification. So if I understand you correctly, the 2.5 accelerates markedly faster from 25mph onwards but is slower from 0-25mph. Regardless of the reasons behind this, I guess it makes the 2.5 better on the highway and the 2.0 better for stop light drag races (which it will never win anyway) ;)

[@danielfair4675]

​​that's funny, I used a Passport GT-2 G-timer on both engine versions in 2021 trim. Base was 9.0 ... 0-60 and a Limited got me 7.8 .... same day, same weather done less than an hour apart.

[@khalee95]

At the end of the day, it's a 4 cylinder boxer and not a V6. I own the 24 Crosstrek Premium. The moment I sat down at the dealership, I spoke my mind and told them exactly what I thought about Subaru's weak engine, but I was there to buy a Subaru. Which is why I own it right now. If not I would have walked across the street to the Toyota dealership.

[@ZZZZ-mkv]

Wilderness editions look like a parody of regular Subarus. I could not imagine driving a Wilderness version of any Subaru and not feeling embarrassed the entire time.

[@HarryKuloh]

They look just fine. They look better.

[@js9522]

I prefer the Wilderness aesthetic vs the standard models. I don't want to look like every other car on the road. Not your cup of tea? Cool. But there are others that really dig the deviation. Plus, all that extra cladding is functional. They are all easily replaceable if damaged on the trail and the front bumper is made up of 3 pieces, so you can replace the damaged piece rather than the entire bumper.