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2013 XV crosstrek

47K views 104 replies 48 participants last post by  rover4x4 
#1 ·
I'm not sure if this is the right subforum for this kind of post, but have you guys heard about the new model called a xv crosstrek? it's based off the impreza platform but is a compact crossover vehicle. It's supposed to debut at the new york auto show. I think it looks like it's going to be a pretty neat car. I'm excited to read more about it. What do you guys think?
 
#44 ·
Hey Guys a little more details included in this months Drive Magazine from Subaru.

The XV has an optional Trailer hitch rated at 200lbs tongue weight and 1500lbs max towing capacity pretty standard capacity weights for the smaller CUV type cars. Can't tell if its a 2inch or 1 1/4 inch receiver though.
 
#46 ·
1st week in an XV

Picked up my new black XV Crosstrek Monday night. All and all after a week of driving the car I can say I am pleased with my choice. Coming from a 2010 Dodge Ram with a hemi putting out over 400 hp I was a bit concerned at the reports that the Subie was underpowered. While it's not a race car by any means I have not had an occasion were the XV was not able to do what I asked of it. I live in an area that is hilly (the Berkshires of Massachusetts) and the XV has performed remarkably well considering it's small engine. Passing at 65 going up a mountain, no problem. All the while giving me a average of 31 MPG on the first tank of gas with a combination of rural two lane and city driving. Handles well, looks great and for right now it's about the only one on the road in this area which is kinda cool! By this time in the Ram I'd have put about $80 worth of gas in for the week with the Subie I'm still on the tank the dealer filled with about 3/8 (or 170 miles) to go! The only disappointment I have with the car is the not so great speakers, but that's an easy fix.
Count me as another happy Subaru owner.
 
#51 ·
Picked up my new black XV Crosstrek Monday night. All and all after a week of driving the car I can say I am pleased with my choice. Coming from a 2010 Dodge Ram with a hemi putting out over 400 hp I was a bit concerned at the reports that the Subie was underpowered. While it's not a race car by any means I have not had an occasion were the XV was not able to do what I asked of it. I live in an area that is hilly (the Berkshires of Massachusetts) and the XV has performed remarkably well considering it's small engine. Passing at 65 going up a mountain, no problem. All the while giving me a average of 31 MPG on the first tank of gas with a combination of rural two lane and city driving. Handles well, looks great and for right now it's about the only one on the road in this area which is kinda cool! By this time in the Ram I'd have put about $80 worth of gas in for the week with the Subie I'm still on the tank the dealer filled with about 3/8 (or 170 miles) to go! The only disappointment I have with the car is the not so great speakers, but that's an easy fix.
Count me as another happy Subaru owner.
No pictures included with this post. What's wrong here?
 
#48 ·
Where in the Midwest? There's several in Chicagoland.
 
#52 ·
I guess when the bar is lowered it seems ok. With only 148 hp and one hundred lbs heavier than the Impreza I can not imagine this vehicle will be anything but a real dog in the mountains with a couple of folks on board with the AC going. I know I have a 12 Impreza, plus city only driving has me no where close to 27 mpg, even broken in. The 14 Forester seems to be a better choice IMO.
 
#54 ·
Couple of things CVT has a HUGE! impact on mountain performance heck even towing performance - I've racked up 40K on our CVT with the 2.5 and my last subaru was the 2.5 with the 5spd MT. The CVT has made a HUGE difference in the power/performance factor.

Also this new FB engine generates power in a very different way than the old engine. It has far more power at lower RPM's tied to a CVT I actually would put money on it that the new car is WAY WAY FAR superior to the old one in that regard. I know my OB is WAY WAY superior to my old one regarding what your thinking.

As for mileage the new FB engine is a massive ground up redesign and the CVT is also a big impact on mileage its self. Again even with the Outback running the older less efficient engine the mileage difference between the old car and the new one is quite large.

I can understand why people would feel the way you do having never driven the new Subarus with the new engines and CVT's but having lived with one for 40K now and having put 180,000 on the old subaru - I can tell you yes there is a pretty big difference in performance and mileage capability.
 
#53 ·
Man, these look awesome! Basically an updated Outback Sport, right?

Not a big fan of the orange (I'd love to see on in black...anyone have any pics?), and the jury is still out on the wheels. Also sad that, as usual, europe gets all the cooler features like diesel, start/stop, etc. But still, I've been thinking of getting something a little smaller than my 09 OB, but didn't want to go all the way down to the Impreza. This might be it...
 
#55 ·
This is the impreza by the way. The new impreza shares nearly identical seating space numbers the old Legacy, Outbacks had - however the trunk space and length of the new impreza is still a little short compared to the old Outback regarding trunk space.

So if the seating space is fine for you in the old 09 and earlier OB and you can live with a little less trunk room then this new Impreza is really not a bad idea to consider. I like it reminds me alot of my old legacy nice size and fun to drive etc.
 
#59 ·
2013 XV Manual - 3087lbs / 148HP = 20.86lbs per HP
2013 XV CVT - 3142lbs / 148HP = 21.23LBS per HP

The old 1999 ej222 Impreza Outback Sport = 2835lbs / 142HP = 19.96lbs/hp - so it has a better power to weight ratio than the XV's (that said its slow as heck too).

On the (+) side, I like the looks of the Impreza 5 door / XV - I've seen 3-4 XV's driving around my area & they look nice only problem is I could outrun them on a 125cc scooter...
 
#60 ·
125's are not slow off the line - the XV will pass you about the time you reach 50mph

My 650 scooter could out run a stock WRX till we hit 85-90mph too. But the WRX driver was always dry and warm vs me being wet and cold in the winter on the scooter.

If you want a fast XV - wait a year or two and subaru will offer it with a 2L DI turbo engine
 
#61 ·
susiemk, I was giggling at your assertion of dangerousness. They're no such thing, though I'm aware that many people now struggle to comprehend how to exist without a vehicle that has to haul around no more than 10 - 15 lbs/hp (...or without a cellular telephone, or a satellite radio and television, or a laptop computer, or... LOL!).
 
#65 ·
susiemk, I was giggling at your assertion of dangerousness. They're no such thing, though I'm aware that many people now struggle to comprehend how to exist without a vehicle that has to haul around no more than 10 - 15 lbs/hp (...or without a cellular telephone, or a satellite radio and television, or a laptop computer, or... LOL!).

I believe in power to weight ratios of 10lbs/hp or better - for safety's sake :)...

I tune a friend's car with a good power to weight ratio of 2250Lbs / 730WHP (876chp) = 2.57lbs/HP - its a very safe car...

HW merge = no problem as it can accelerate from 0-131MPH in 5.2x seconds - 1/8th mile distance; 0-161MPH in 8.41 seconds - 1/4 mile of distance.

Note: Said friend thinks 10lbs/hp cars are too slow to be safe.
 
#69 ·
Wow, I just test drove the Crosstrek and to say it's slow is an understatement! The salesman balked when I said the CVT seemed not to work at all like our 13 Outback. He pulled out his phone and timed me accelerating to 60, 17 seconds with the pedal to the floor all the way. When my wife and I were in the market for our Outback we felt the same about the 12"s CVT, it just seemed to race like a slipping clutch, 13's are much improved! I think I'll wait until the next gen. CVT. Also for a 24000 dollar car they really should paint the engine bay and underfloor instead of just primer. There's a lot to like even more to dislike! Anyone else who has test driven or owns feel the same way?

Matthew
 
#70 ·
i have a '12 impreza. for how expensive it is, i have limited, car should have power front seats. subaru doesn't put hood struts on or defrosted side mirrors, shame on you subaru, our '08 OBS had them.
 
#76 ·
Thanks, I am just trying to help him get to 10000 posts!

I really wish the Crosstrek was just a little better in a few regards, I really like the looks and the gas mileage, I just could not overcome the absolute lack of acceleration and paint issues.

We love our 13 Outback, even with the CVT and a few other minor issues!
 
#77 ·
I'm starting to look at these also. Our Pathfinder's transmission died last weekend and we're out looking for a new car. We've been looking at the 2013 OB Limited but a Crosstrek seems to have almost all the same features but in a smaller package. And I'm not crazy about the new SUV look of the OB either. Kinda like the station wagon.

http://www.subaru.com/tools/compare-vehicles.html?model=XV%20Crosstrek&year=2013&trim=2.0i%20Premium

Sounds like acceleration is an issue - I guess that's the tradeoff for the extra MsPG. If they put a 2.5 in there, it would get nearly the same MPG as an Outback - I'm guessin.

Crosstrek Pros:
*Price
*MPG
*Styling
*Handling

Crosstrek Cons:
*Interior space
*Acceleration
*Towing capacity (1500lbs)
*First year model
 
#78 ·
Whats underneath the XV?

I would like to know if the construction of the XV is any beefier than a regular Impreza. If its just a jacked up hatchback without a stronger chassis or suspension, then I would be afraid to take it off road for much more than dirt roads. Anyone know about this?
 
#79 ·
The body of the impreza is and always has been probably the strongest model subaru built in recent years. Due to its Rally back ground. Prior to that the Legacy even up till the mid 2000's were still sporting features that kept it stiff and strong like a pass through vs flip down rear seats etc.

I wouldn't be worried about the impreza body strength with the current engine options the body is far stronger and capable than the 148hp engine and running gear they are putting in it.
 
#80 ·
In one of the many reviews I read/watched yesterday, someone mentioned that the chassis - in fact here: "The many changes made to the Impreza, such as a reinforced chassis and tougher brakes, create a very different type of car." They mention the upgrades and ask the question - is it worth the extry cuppla thousand? answer: yass.
 
#83 ·
What to buy if the Camry worked fine for you the Legacy is exceptionally capable FAR FAR FAR!!!!!!!! Superior to the Camry in every way regarding foul weather AWD capability. We ran our 2001 legacy for 180,000 miles in some of the worst road and off road conditions anyone with a normal life will ever see. Never got stuck once and the Legacy is far superior in the handling department than the Camry - XV and Outback. We sold the 2001 with zero issues and bought a new Outback due to kids and a dog. No dog I would sell the OB in a heart beat and get another legacy. I bought my mother a 2010 Legacy when they first came out. Fantastic car she loves it and I rarely if ever get a chance to drive it..

The Tiguan is based on the old Jetta platform I would highly advise against it not to mention it is tiny very tight seating compared to what your accustomed too with the Camry. Thats not even addressing the lousy reliability issues VW has.
 
#85 ·
My dad just traded his '12MY Impreza 5-door 11,xxx miles for a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0i Premium w/Moonroof.

First dealer 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0i Premium selling pricing at MSRP $24,700 with trade-in value of $17,000. Options Auto Dimming Mirror w/Compass, All Weather Floor Mats, Matte Black Splash Guards, Rear Bumper Cover, Rear Seat Back Protector, Popular Package #1.

Second dealer 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0i Premium w/Moonroof MSRP $26,156 selling price $25,150 with trade-in $18,000. Options Moonroof Package Power Moonroof, Auto Dimming Mirror w/Compass, Upgraded Speakers, Matte Black Splash Guards, Rear Bumper Cover, Ice Silver Metallic Roof Spoiler, Aero Cross Bar Set.

My dad went with dealer number two to say the least. Dealer swapped out the homelink mirror in his Impreza into the XV. Also, they let him keep the all weather mats and filled up the gas for him. Black book trade-in value average condition $17500, clean condition $18,500.

All-in-all I believe he did good!
 
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