2024 Subaru Crosstrek Makes Its Case for Dominating Small CUVs

• Subaru designers didn’t change much on the outside of the new Crosstrek, so casual observers will struggle to find the new tweaks setting it apart from the ’23 model.

• Base and Premium models get the 152-hp 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder boxer, while Sport and Limited Crosstreks get the 182-hp 2.5-liter boxer.

• On the inside, Subaru tried to give young consumers what they really want: better connectivity and an available larger, brighter touchscreen with more standard features embedded.

When Kelley Blue Book reported a few months ago that the average price of a new car in America had cracked the $49,000 threshold, the pessimists among us thought this average was driven by luxury cars and well-equipped SUVs and full-size pickups and that, damn, there’s nothing good out there for under $30k.

But there’s hope for budget-minded shoppers after all, in the form of the all-new, third-generation 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, a compact all-wheel-drive crossover that is so popular that it remained the runaway leader in its segment last year, even as production of the previous model was winding down in anticipation of the new Crosstrek.

“We own the segment,” declares Garrick Goh, Subaru North America’s planning manager for the Crosstrek, during the recent test drive through the dusty desert near Palm Springs, California.

With good reason, the Subaru design team did not mess with success, so casual observers will struggle to find the new tweaks that set it apart from the ’23 model. On the outside, the hexagonal grille is larger now and has no framing, making it look more rugged.

The new headlamps are stretched taut, and the wheel-well cladding now has a flat top in place of the rounded cladding on the old model (similar to any modern Jeep). The visual effect adds heft to the new Crosstrek. The rear is definitely more stylized, with U-shaped taillamps that are less bulky and wrap around the body color on the liftgate.

The front fenders are made of aluminum, while the rest of the body is steel and there’s more high-strength steel, with hopes of a top score for side-impact crash testing conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The New Crosstrek will be sold in four trim levels: Base and Premium with standard 17-inch alloy “gear tooth” wheels, along with Sport and Limited variants with upgraded 18-inch alloys.

Subaru has neatly packaged the powertrain offerings. Base and Premium models get the 152-hp 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder boxer (with 145 lb-ft of torque), while Sport and Limited Crosstreks get the 182-hp 2.5-liter boxer (with 178 lb-ft).

While carrying over from the previous Crosstrek with the same horsepower ratings, both engines have been significantly updated with 20% less vibration, partially due to new and improved engine mounts that pay off at high rpm, as observed during our extensive test drives.

In addition, long-time Subaru drivers who have come to accept a certain raw raspiness from the brand’s horizontally opposed engines will find that noise significantly muted, making for pleasant highway cruising and even during wide-open jaunts in the passing lane. At least this was the case with the 2.5-liter Premium version we drove.

Go ahead, shed a tear for the departure of the six-speed manual transmission, which won’t be offered in the new Crosstrek. But honestly, we didn’t miss it with the Lineartronic CVT, which also has been tweaked to run smoother and quieter. Premium, Sport, and Limited versions come with steering-wheel paddles allowing the driver to cycle through eight pre-set phantom gears.