A recap: My wife Diana wants to replace her eight-year-old Subaru Impreza with a new vehicle, something with all the latest safety devices; the cameras, sensors, buzzers, and warnings her hatchback lacks. The issue, other than the fact she is just shy of five feet tall, are a couple of disabilities — Di cannot hear out of her right ear, nor does she have sight in her right eye. This makes for a more complicated buying process. Although Di doesn’t want anything with a footprint much larger than her car, she would like something that rides a little higher, which has us looking at subcompact crossovers. After checking out the new Toyota Corolla Cross (which has the requisite safety features but is somewhat bigger than what’s she’s used to), and the Kia Seltos (which drives better but lacks the front and rear sensors she desires), we are now taking Subaru’s best-selling Crosstrek out for a spin.
Di doesn’t have to say a word; I can see it in her body language — she is (relatively speaking) comfortable driving the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. As well she should, the crossover is essentially a slightly higher riding version of her car, which I’ve been telling her for years. “You’re right,” she finally says, “it’s essentially a jacked-up Impreza.” (Cue me smacking my forehead with the palm of my hand.) And she’s driving without a cushion under her butt, something she couldn’t/wouldn’t do in either the Corolla Cross or Seltos. She has just one beef, the need to stand on tiptoes to reach the grip to close the rear hatch.
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
We’re in the Limited ($34,795), the topline model that comes standard with Subaru’s advanced driver assist system, called EyeSight, an active safety system that the company describes as “like a second pair of eyes watching out for you, warning and even aiding your ability to avoid potential danger.” EyeSight uses two cameras to monitor activity in the road ahead, providing different types of preventative assistance — adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management, lane departure and, with last year’s overall redesign, lane centring assist, a function integrated into the adaptive cruise control system that recognize lane markings and the preceding vehicle to stay centred.
This is all good stuff, great to have, especially on longer, tiring, highway trips. But Diana’s biggest issue is pulling into parking spots, her depth perception and peripheral vision compromised, which is why she almost always backs into a spot. Forward sensors would be helpful — the Limited has rear automatic braking — but the Crosstrek doesn’t offer them. If this is the crossover Di eventually chooses — and her overall comfort level is higher in the Crosstrek than in either the Seltos or Corolla Cross — aftermarket sensors will have to be considered.
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited Photo by Brian Harper
However, the Outdoor trim level, with its more rugged vibe, comes with a standard front-view camera. While the camera’s primary function is to enhance visibility over rough terrain, warning of potential obstacles, Subaru also touts its ability to see approaching vehicles or pedestrians at intersections with poor visibility. A phone call is made to source one.
In the meantime, it’s time to address the biggest improvement to the second-generation Crosstrek’s 2021 revisions — the addition of a second, more powerful engine to the lineup, albeit it’s only the Outdoor and Limited trims that benefit. The 2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder is the same engine as offered in the Outback and Legacy sedan, the 2.5L and puts out 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, a welcomed 30 more ponies and 31 pound-feet than the base 2.0L boxer. This move addresses the primary criticism of the Crosstrek from Day One, namely a lack of needed urge when the 2.0L was called on to deliver meaningful acceleration, especially when dealing with more extreme changes of elevation. A run through the rolling hills of Dufferin County assures the soundness of this addition.
Diana Harper testing the Subaru Crosstrek Photo by Brian Harper
That’s the positive news. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Outdoor trim level and its front-view camera proves to be a bust. Yes, the front-view camera provides a narrow yet panoramic view in front of the car, but not the front corners, which causes her anxiety when fronting into a parking spot. Di is bummed, she really likes the Crosstrek, especially the way it handled, its easy of entry and exit, and its overall spaciousness considering its compact size. Her most telling comment: “If the Crosstrek had the same camera features as the Corolla Cross, I’d stop looking.”
It doesn’t, though, and the Toyota appears to be the leading candidate. However, there’s the cute and youthful Hyundai Kona that has yet to be checked out. With a mixture of hope and resignation, she awaits its arrival.
Keyword: SUV Review: 2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited