We looked at both, ended up with an Outback 2.5 Premium. We went that route because it had the features we wanted, and had the massive cargo space. We use it as a daily driver and will be using it for camping starting this month.

 

I wanted an Outback for years, but when I saw the Crosstrek AND when it got the 2.5i engine I decided to take a look at it and the Forester. I loved the size of the Crosstrek, but it did not have enough room for both of us and the dog for vacations, so it was a local car only. Considered the Forester Limited, but my wife hated the seats for being too hard. So I was happily back to my starting point, the 2021 Outback, whjich she also liked. With the seats down two could sleep (CLOSE) but not with luggage. The OB and the Forester are about the same cargo voluime, but I wanted lower and longer rather then higher. I picked the Premium for what it did not have, yet had exactly what I did want, more than any other reason.

I am a wagon fan ever since back in the VW Squareback days. The only other wagons that really stood out to me over the years were the Acura TSX, the Dodge Magnum with Hemi or AWD, and the departed Mercedes Benz C320 4Matic. Missed my chances on all of those as they were during my truck and hot coupe days.

 

Bought an XV.

Great car. Hated it.

 

Bought an XV.

Great car. Hated it.

I’m the opposite of Brucy. We wanted to dump our ‘16 RAV...made the mistake of buying it in a rush...hated it. We looked at both the OB and the crosstrek. Bought the crosstek. We love the car. Does it have all the comforts of our OB limited...nope. Because it’s newer it has some things our OB doesn’t. What I do miss is the 8 way adjustable drivers seat with lumbar support and front passenger seat. If they would put that in the crosstrek it would be great.

what’s important is to get the car that best suits you...what you like...what you can afford.

Once they switched Crosstrek to the new global platform, the handling and ride quality was majorly improved, I liked it. If I didn't need the cargo space, I'd definitely consider one, but only with the 2.5.

the 2.0 has plenty of power for the car. The power to weight ratio is fine. John Cadogan says it best in his review of the car.

Pay attention around the 3:18 mark. Totally true. Everyone these days thinks that if a car doesn’t paste back into the seat when you mash the accerator to the floor, it’s under powered. Not true. The 2.0 has plenty of power to merge, pass, etc.

 

A Crosstrek Sport with the upgraded larger 2.5 engine will be more nimble and sporty than a base Outback, and be perfect for city driving. If you want a manual transmission the Crosstrek 2.0 can come with that. But if you're thinking about living in your vehicle in an emergency an Outback or base Ascent would give you much more room for stuff as well as sleeping without needing to put cargo on top of your car.

If fuel economy is a consideration even the Base Ascent has the 2.4 turbo that's thirsty in city driving.

So the sweet spot would be a base Outback with the 2.5 - decent fuel economy, less gadgets to go wrong, the same quality chassis and drivetrain, and much more space than a Crosstrek.

 

I drove a Forester, Crosstrek, and finally the Outback. The first two felt too small and the engines sounded that way also. The Outback felt just right. I car camp in mine all the time and it's just perfect for that.

 

I like the looks of the Crosstrek and I'm sure it would be fun to drive but it would just be too small for what I want. The cargo space in my Outback has been adequate but just barely. Anything smaller wouldn't work for me. Plus, the last time I bought a smaller vehicle I found myself beating on it after less than a year just because it was small and easy to throw around. That's all fine but not so much for a daily driver that I need to last.

 

Drove a rental Crosstrek, 2.0 with the CVT. I wasn't even in the Rockies (still at 5500ft elevation) and it felt severely underpowered just climbing hills. Not sure if that's due to the engine or the CVT. It made a lot of noise but didn't do much. That may have improved with the 2.5 model. They do look pretty cool.

 

Had an 2018 Crosstrek 6mt for a few years. Fun to drive with the manual but also a struggle in Colorado (6,000elev) when it came to mountain passes (10,000-12,000) and especially when it was loaded for trips. My wife and I did a week+ road trip in it and it was stuffed to the gills no room for a dog or kid (had neither at the time) and you definitly felt the power struggle often. We jumped to a 2020 outback xt and couldn't be happier in terms of both power and space. Similar road trip this past fall and had plenty of room with a dog taking up driver backseat and also accounting for 1/2 the back deck in gear (crate, food, etc) ... power struggle at elevation are not an issue when loaded down either

 

In a sense Subaru only makes one car, it just comes in different sizes, slightly different shapes, and different price ranges.

Each variation has its plus and minus points. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to figure out which variation has the most plus points for you, at its particular price.

This is where, Carl Abrams used to say, a competent salesperson could really help you figure out which model would meet your needs best.

For me, the Impreza based cars don't have the hiway quiet and comfort I want, nor the cargo volume. YMMV.

BTW it could help you decide if you take note of what cars in other brands you would be willing to cross-shop.

 

i considered a crosstrek at first before going with an older outback. glad i did as the room in the back is far greater!

why not consider an older outback at the same price point as a newer crosstrek?

 

 

The crosstrek was on my long list when I first started looking at vehicles I was interested in. It looks cool (especially lifted), the price was very nice and overall it checked almost all of the boxes. Unfortunately I couldn’t get past the size. I was upgrading from an 09 Lancer and I wanted to make a point of getting something more practical with plenty of cargo space. Sure the Crosstrek would be an upgrade, but not enough of one. I’m getting a puppy in a month that will grow to be an almost 200lbs dog when fully grown, so if I ever wanted to do a weekend adventure with my girlfriend and dog I knew that more space would be needed.

 

Having few Toyota Celicas over the years, along with Chevy Blazer S-10, my needs were met well for both sporty daily and a rig for camping, etc. However, Blazer is gone, and the latest Celica is approaching 200k, so my search was inclusive of the CrossTrek, OB, Forester, Mazda CX-3/5, and Toyota Tacoma p/u. After many moons, based various personal desires / criteria, that was narrowed down to OB... then the search for the 'perfect' OB variation, which for me was 3.6R. And then this past week I believe / hope I was on the lucky side finding '12 Limited 3.6 automatic w/ less than 10k miles... and day #4, I am yet very pleased. Note, I don't not trust the CVT's, just prefer auto over it, if my first pref of manual is not available. Anyhow, after watching many hours of videos & articles about what all can do with an OB, I was sold to pursue this direction... CX-5 was close 2nd. Again.. what is best Fit, Form, and Function... for you / your needs. For example, I've two sons, one is more outdoors orientated and loves his Subaru Legacy (his 2nd one), and looking possibly going towards OB now also,,, and the other son (who is less inclinded to go off-road) abs. loves his Mazda3.

LOL this is one of the videos that I smiled at that helped me go OB... along with the VERY excellent videos per Chase Christopher (honestly, this man is awesome):

 

Given the choices, I’d go Forester before I downgraded to an Impreza which include the crosstrek.

 

Had a 13 crosstrek it was tangerine and fully loaded. Loved it until it developed an issue where it wouldn’t stay aligned and was awful to drive in snow. (Winter driving is not unusual to me as I’ve live in MN my whole life) I think I had that for just over 2 yrs.

Dealer corrected the issue by making me a good deal on a 15 outback premium. Silver in color. Good car. The additional room was nice for the family of 4. I think I had that for almost 3 yrs when I got an amazing deal on my 17 touring. Which I absolutely love.

 

Long story short, my search for the perfect Outback has been a nightmare so far with sourcing, going from XT to 2.5i due to long term reliability concerns (current car is turbo and is showing mechnical troubles related to turbo/downpipe), etc.

I started my Subaru journey with the Crosstrek when I saw those lifted 'Treks then Covid hit and I wasn't sure about my employment status. 1+ year later, I'm back in the hunt and figured if worse comes to worse, I can live in the Outback. It's big enough to be a viable camper. I've seen a number of people living out of these short and long term.

At any rate, I'm having major cold feet. A close to fully decked out Crosstrek is close if not exceeds the base and mid trim Outback. I just wondered if anyone could justify a Crosstrek over an Outback with any sort of objectivity. Even the base model Outback is well equipped here in Canada. If you can dispense with the niceties of the upper trim, it is an awesome value proposition. View attachment 507697

Look at the size difference. So substantial.

3rd thread today (how long before I get banned?).

Cross Shopping a Subaru with a Subaru. Thats how Subaru likes it. The Outback is supremely comfortable and smother on harsh roads.

 

My wife has the MY17 XV and I the MY15 3.6 OB. Which car do we always use to go on holidays or anywhere for that matter. Well the OB or course. Way better to drive and not far behind fuel wise.

 

... we have both, i got the OB first (my choice really), when wifey decided to get hers. she test drove the CT and she decided on the spot to go with it, she came from bigger SUV's and sedans - fuel wise, using for short trips around the city, high ground clearance for winter hands down will go for the CT - this is a work horse. for longer drives, comfort, power and smoothness it will be the OB for me, i use it as my daily. hard to compare mileage since i have the 3.6, while the CT is a 2.0.

 

crosstrek is too small for my liking and the 2.0L is literally the definition of gutless.

both the outback and crosstrek have the same ground clearance...

 

I could go for a crosstrek as a 2nd vehicle to accompany my 2024 Touring XT if it was offered with the 2.4L Turbo and had the plushy interior (Napa leather, etc.) as the Touring XT. I consider both the 2.0L and the 2.5L N/A engines as being gutless. I'll never again own a N/A 4 banger. They're annoying.

 

If you want an Outback and have had bad lucky with turbos, get a '19 3.6R.

 

This.

My Mom and I both have Outbacks, hers is a 2011 3.6 and mine is a 2011 2.5 and my Dad has a 2014 Crosstrek....I would take my Mom's 3.6 everyday. All it needs is a 20mm rear sway bar like mine has and it'd be perfect.

 

I have a 2018 Outback 2.5 Limited and my wife a 2019 Crosstrek Limited Both are great. Outback has more space inside, especially for Cargo (double the usable cargo room easily) and is just a smoother, nicer car to drive. BUT, the Crosstrek is way more fun to drive - more tossable and just more fun. Outback has a few toys like power tailgate, heated rear seats and phone plug ins in the back, and dimming mirror as well for the extra $$.

In short, if you don't need the cargo space, the Crosstrek is the choice. If you need the space or want something just a little "nicer", the Outback. Can't go wrong with either.

 

It may be worth considering your potential future needs and how long you plan to have the vehicle.

We decided to get an Outback because we recently had a kid and our 2008 Impreza was cramped with an infant car seat. I'm 6'4" and couldn't have the infant car seat behind me. My wife is slightly above average height and had reduced legroom when sitting in front of the infant car seat. This arrangement in the Impreza was manageable for us until our son started to grow out of the infant car seat and we bought a convertible car seat. Convertible car seats in the rear facing position take up a lot of room. Kids are supposed to be rear facing for as long as possible which could be 3-4 years (apparently). This made us seriously start looking at another vehicle. We found that Outbacks (I didn't research Crosstreks) hold their value very well and rather than buy an Outback that's a few years old we preferred to spend a bit more money and get a new vehicle with a full warranty. The Outback has enough rear passenger room for me to comfortably drive with the convertible car seat in the rear facing position behind me. That's actually how we did the test drive. It also has enough room to easily fit a Thule Chariot 2 in the trunk.

If you're on the fence about pulling the trigger on a new vehicle you could look to see if any 2020 Outbacks are still available. We ended up with a new 2020 because we could get 0.5% financing, which means the cost of borrowing over a 48 month term was only $~400. The cost of borrowing with regular finance rates adds up into the thousands of dollars. I spoke to some impartial Subabru dealers, who said that 0.5% financing might come back for 2021 models in the fall of 2021 once the 2022 models are available.

 

Being in Vermont, we need AWD vehicles. The next on priority list was ease of entry/exit. (ride height) for my wife.

The main reason my wife drives Outback is because of ease of entry/exit. (Pickup truck is too high, most other cars are too low)

If Crosstrek had been available at the time, we would have seriously considered one for the same reason.

I drive Impreza and prefer the 33+ MPG over my wifes 24MPG..... my wife thinks it is too low to the ground. She has trouble getting in/out cuz too low.

 

Once they switched Crosstrek to the new global platform, the handling and ride quality was majorly improved, I liked it. If I didn't need the cargo space, I'd definitely consider one, but only with the 2.5.

 

you can get a north american spec crosstrek with a 2.5 now. (not just the old pokey 2.0).
this 2.5 is new to the crosstek market. (and I know someone that traded a 2019 2.0 crosstrek for a 2021 2.5 crosstrek.)

plenty of forester vs. crosstrek vs. outback threads here to read and digest. (just search).

 

When i began looking at Subarus last fall, i immediately set eyes on a (fire engine) red Crosstrek. Sporty, lots of contrast between the black trim and red body.

Then i became intrigued by the Crosstrek plug-in hybrid. Unfortunately, besides the fact that it was virtually unavailable, its colors were limited to a palette of something like powder blue, white, off-white and gray. Blah.

My girlfriend separately had been toying with the idea of buying an Outback (fast forward: she's probably going to pull the trigger in a month or two), so while we were at one dealer for me to test-drive the Crosstrek, she took an Outback for a spin. I really liked its added luxury, and while riding along i stumbled onto the fact that the passenger seat goes back almost flat. Lots of extra little touches like that.

During my next visit to a dealer, i discovered to my dismay that the Crosstrek cargo area was no greater than my 2007 Mazda6 hatchback, and one of my goals was more cargo space. That was a deal breaker, so i bought a little more car than i expected with an Outback Ltd (but i'm happy with the decision).

Nonetheless, every time i see a red Crosstrek on the highway, deep inside i with i was wealthy and could buy one just to have as a second, sporty, fun car. it's just that look they have...

 

When i began looking at Subarus last fall, i immediately set eyes on a (fire engine) red Crosstrek. Sporty, lots of contrast between the black trim and red body.

Then i became intrigued by the Crosstrek plug-in hybrid. Unfortunately, besides the fact that it was virtually unavailable, its colors were limited to a palette of something like powder blue, white, off-white and gray. Blah.

My girlfriend separately had been toying with the idea of buying an Outback (fast forward: she's probably going to pull the trigger in a month or two), so while we were at one dealer for me to test-drive the Crosstrek, she took an Outback for a spin. I really liked its added luxury, and while riding along i stumbled onto the fact that the passenger seat goes back almost flat. Lots of extra little touches like that.

During my next visit to a dealer, i discovered to my dismay that the Crosstrek cargo area was no greater than my 2007 Mazda6 hatchback, and one of my goals was more cargo space. That was a deal breaker, so i bought a little more car than i expected with an Outback Ltd (but i'm happy with the decision).

Nonetheless, every time i see a red Crosstrek on the highway, deep inside i with i was wealthy and could buy one just to have as a second, sporty, fun car. it's just that look they have...

The auotmotive nirvana in the Subaru universe would be an STI hatch early mid-late 2000s? and an Outback.

Even when driving a sporty car, having some capacity to put stuff just resonates with me which is why most cars I've driven are hatchbacks or some derivation. I think sedans are quite ugly if I'm honest. The only Subaru non hatch is the original STI coupe that they raced in Rally. Those are special.