FEATURES | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
At about $22,500, the XV Premium will be a couple grand more than the equivalent Impreza and a bit less than the Forester 2.5 Premium.
Car and Driver
The larger Forester starts at about $1400 less than the $21,995 MSRP of the XV
Winding Road
hands-free calling is standard along with iPod and USB ports
Automobile Magazine
a comparably equipped Impreza coming in at about $2,700 less than it and a Forester about $2,000 more
AutoWeek
With a starting price of just $21,995, the 2013 Subaru Crosstrek Premium makes a very strong value proposition. Keyless entry, air conditioning, power accessories, cruise control, and a removable rear cargo tray are all included even in this base model, as of course are all-wheel drive, and all the bolstered, strengthened underpinnings that go into the Crosstrek. And even the Premium includes a removable rear cargo tray that can very easily be hosed off, and a roof rack that can hold up to 150 pounds.
The base audio system in the Premium comes with Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming, as well as a USB port and iPod connectivity, but its limited-character display makes scrolling through media-player contents a crapshoot.
Leather upholstery, leather shift-knob and steering-wheel trim, automatic climate control, and a fold-down rear-seat armrest with cupholders are all extras that you get with the Limited. They also get a step-up display audio system with 4.3-inch screen, rear camera and HD Radio.
On either the Premium or Limited you can option up to a navigation system with 6.1-inch screen, voice control, text-messaging capability, satellite radio, and XM NavTraffic. This system, which we were already not so fond of because of its small buttons, odd interface, and aftermarket feel, includes an SD slot prominently on the face, although it's not for media use. It will interface with various media formats through USB however.
Conclusion
A low price and strong feature set make the 2013 Crosstrek well within reach of the active types it's pitched to -- although its audio and connectivity features could be better.
