People are hating on Doug for reviewing “boring cars” but these are the cars people can tangibly afford and are most available. I think it’s fun to review a Ford GT, but I’ll never own one.
@@gschweiger Doug makes really weird bad takes for economy cars. Like how we called the current Civic "small" even though it is actually EPA-midsized and bigger than past Accords.
@StrideRite-w1b I'm talking about the manufacturers to which Doug compared Subaru. He didn't mention the Tucson so there's no need to mention the Kona. There are many more subcompact SUVs that weren't mentioned.
Doug is the type of guy to mention the mountains imprinted in the cup holders, but not the increased gear ratio that only the Wilderness version of the Crosstrek has.
The "decreased" gear ratio isn't important. The cvt will limit effective torque at the wheels when not moving. You will have the same torque from the wheel with the 4.11 or 4.44 diffs until you break a wheel free. The only thing the 4.44 diff does is give you a marketing point, make larger tires work a little better (you cannot correct for it in the ecu,) lower your mpg, and bring the severe driving speed down to 45mph for cvt service. Speaking of breaking a wheel free. The way the ats AWD works. Modern Subaru might be the only car that less grip is better. You won't drive the rear without front slip and the cvt won't let you have full torque on the converter while stopped. You really want to put it in xmode 2 and keep a wheel spinning free off road or on steep hills. But then you dig ruts and damage the trail.
@@zanzabar4ky7 The upgrades such as the increased gearing ratio in the wilderness need to be present despite not being much of an improvement it helps including the lift as well.
I'm gonna buy one and add roof pod, kayak rack, and 5 bike rear rack, then cover it stickers to inform other motorists of my hobbies and interests in extreme outdoor pursuits.
@@MikeyDAngelo Why I am not getting a newer Subaru. The infotainment has to be the worst in the industry right now. There are few physical buttons which I get is normal these days but in addition to that it’s slow and laggy as hell. Like if you are going to take buttons away you could at least make the screen experience useable.
@@dillonh321 yeah I actually ended up buying a low mileage used limited for essentially the same price as a new 24 bc I had the newer infotainment in a rental outback and despised it and did not want it in my car
I have this car, 12,000 miles on it, and it's an incredible off-road vehicle for entry folks. I took it throughout Utah and the San Rafael Swell and the rugged roads to Tuweep. Drop the tire pressure to 26 psi and you have commuter comfort while bombing down forest roads, and it outperforms long bed pickups in tight washes. It's life changing.
I actually really like all the plastic cladding. It makes the car look more textured and rugged in a good way in my opinion. I wish more car brands did that.
@@randellmainer I honestly had to stop the video because of how often he said Wilderness, it is not as funny as he seems to think and just detracts from the review... absolute annoyance.
the bronze accents on the front and rear bumper are recovery point covers! and you open the cover using the physical key hidden inside the key fob to get to the recovery points pretty clever -a subaru salesman
Fun Fact. Years ago Doug was in an auto accident with a crosstrek. It slammed into him. Ever since then hes had a "theres a crosstrek" tick. He just randomly says is, but he edits it out of his videos for obvious reasons. It's a sad story but it's cool when he gets to actually be himself in these videos and not have to edit it out.
My brother got one too, 4 and 6 year old boys and they go camping ALL the time. They love that car. I'm glad they are popular, crossover "suv's" are too common, this is more of a lifted wagon, and i'm a wagon fan.
Compete at what? It’s significantly more off-road competent than either the RAV4 or CRV. Check out the driving reviews of “Driving Spots TV” they do significant off road testing of crossover SUVs.
Maybe this is just because you're a SoCal guy, but my first thought on seeing all that plastic cladding is that it's right where I would want an easily-replaceable and relatively cheap body part which protects the quarters and rockers from corrosive winter road treatments. Yes, you can have a pristine car in San Diego for a hundred years if you treat it right, but the stuff they put on the roads in the north these days essentially dissolves the average vehicle in less than ten years.
Bought a Forester Wilderness last spring. My god, I had no idea how many Subarus there were in the Cincinnati area. Outbacks, Foresters and Crosstreks are insanely popular here... And I'd never noticed until I started driving one too.
I think they are now getting extremely popular everywhere. Been seeing a lot around Texas and the south in general. Key reason I think: Affordable, safe, reliable. Key being affordable though. You can get any Subaru cheaper than MSRP easy, and at a lower interest rate brand new (last year models are like 2% new). Compared to Toyotas and Hondas....they are just very expensive now and you don't get a lot for the money in comparison.
Same here. I was a Toyota fans until I drove my first new Outback and now, seeing a lot of Subaru cars not only on highway but in the parking where I work too. 😊
I've seen them in the south a ton. They're affordable, functional, safe, reliable and easier to negotiate. Overall, people just see them as as a alternative to Toyota and Honda while not having to deal with paying MSRP+ or some of those terrible dealers.
"There's a Crosstrek... there's a Crosstrek... there's a Crosstrek." 😂 I am in Oregon and these cars are everywhere. I didn't really notice them either until I bought a Crosstrek Wilderness this last Spring. Doug did a pretty reasonable review despite mocking the Wilderness moniker. The cladding will turn some people off, but I find the gold accents more annoying than the cladding. Just enough to do anything about them. This model definitely should have come with a front trail camera and rear air vents. Hopefully Subaru will correct this in future models.
I just traded in a Crosstrek Premium. I have traders’ remorse. That is an excellent car. I would definitely buy another and would highly recommend them.
Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Having sad that, I'd rather watch these video's of ordinary cars as opposed to supercar reviews that I don't even bother watching. If Doug ever tries to get into a supercar and films it...then I'll be watching!
There's lots of people with real money buying these things. As Doug said, they are great daily drivers which aren't crazy expensive exotics, etc that make an owner nervous to drive on a daily basis.
yep. I bought a new E class with the TTV8 12 years ago and drove it 10 years. Kind of got fed up with the lumbering thing which has to be kept pristine and eats thousands every couple years keeping the air suspension intact. Test drove a Crosstrek last year, ordered one on the spot. I just like the small nimbleness and it gets down rough roads to trailheads with ease, plus it has a strangely smooth soft ride quality to it. The stereo, OTOH, is absolutely terrible compared to the Benz - will be changing that. I can afford any mass production car made, I choose the Crosstrek.
I own numerous vehicles and this once was part of the "collection". You just can't argue with a 30k new car that you can throw into the woods/cottage without a single worry or care. This will unstuck itself out of mud or snow better than all the heavier SUVs.
I work for a Subaru dealer as a technician and doing the PDI (pre delivery inspection) on wilderness models (all on Crosstreks Outbacks and Foresters) are pretty quick and easy to do on them. I would definitely choose any of those for off reading over a Jeep or a Land Rover
Would've bought a CT back in '21, but no ventilated seats, no heated steering wheel, and it felt like one of the 5 hamsters powering it had passed into the afterlife. Seriously, this thing accelerates like a rock going uphill. Great mpg and room, but at a cost.
The low power is a big drawback for me. We're planning more trips going through the cascades and rockies. That sub 200hp range really sucks at 4000 feet going up a mountain in anything bigger than a motorcycle.
@sigbauer9782 nothing seriously for a few years. Basically anything between a rav4 to cayenne depending on deals and features. Could be new, cpo, or used.
because of money, brother. manufacturers work with pennies when it comes to parts prices. I promise they would put together the best materials inside and they would make them last 1 milion miles if they could sell 5 million cars per year, but the reality is that they don’t, so they have to pay attention to every cent spent on manufacturing the car.
Up here in the PNW, every 3rd car is a Crosstrek or a Outback. I"m almost not even kidding. We had one of each (until the 13 year old outback got totalled).
Doug describes this crosstrek the way I describe my 2023 outback. Good to drive, not setting the car wold on fire. I have to add that I love the real dials on the dash and the way the infotainment screen is nicely integrated into the dash.
I can't believe Doug missed mentioning two of the Wilderness version's huge benefits compared to the regular Crosstrek: the lower CVT gearing and the lower differential gearing. Subaru finally realized how hobbled the Crosstrek is when climbing steep trails at low speeds, especially at high altitudes. Since Subaru misguidedly refuses to give their current vehicles a proper 2-speed transfer case, the slightly lower transmission and axle gears are greatly appreciated. Now if only Subaru would give the Wilderness a proper set of Torsen differentials front and rear, which would work wonders in conjunction with the X-Mode traction control.
And the CrossTrek is an insane value compared to what you'd have to spend to get the same from a different manufacturer. I have the limited and no way could I get all the safety tech for near the same price outside of Subie.
@@courtneyregan4005 Limited crosstrek is a sweet car. In my eyes, base Crosstrek at 25k is probably the best value in the car industry. At around 25k, you get a lot of features and safety tech, standard AWD, and it can do basically everything if you need only one car.
Finally I see my car on this channel. 😆😆😆. I bought a Crosstrek Wilderness a few months ago and so far I love it, it’s also in Geyser Blue just like this one, the only difference is that mine doesn’t have a sunroof. I took it on a camping trip to Mammoth in July and I drove it on some dirt roads. When you’re driving it on city streets it feels kind of like walking down the street in hiking boots, but when you drive it on dirt roads and other rough terrain it performs beautifully. It may be a little weird compared to other Crosstrek trim levels like the Sport or Premium with all of those heavy duty plastic body components. But I like that better than the two-tone paint jobs from the old Outbacks & Foresters from the 90’s and early 2000’s, it gives it a more aggressive look. And let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be a Subaru if it wasn’t a little weird and quirky. Because they’ve always been a brand that thinks outside the box, which is what makes Subaru unique compared to their competitors.
The info system is totally the reason I didn't buy one and I love my older Crosstrek. You can see Doug being deliberate and slow with his touches and I feel he is being a bit to pandering to the car without mentioning it. The screen is so slow and laggy it's hard to do anything with it. He is really trying to be deliberate when changing settings sitting still, try that while driving. Its so bad and gets worse as you do multiple things at once or accidentally so you try to back track quickly and it slows down even more. I feel its important to point out that while it's easy to change the temp via the buttons it's much harder to change the vents via the screen. Its several button slow button presses to do that and they aren't easy buttons to hit either so you backtrack a lot, getting things slower. Just buy the Forester instead.
The plastics are ugly. However, they’re definitely more practical. My old Subaru has dents around the wheel well that would not be an issue with the plastic cladding.
The review I’ve been waiting for. This is my second crosstrek. I got it in green with the wilderness package and it’s rather impressive. Subaru kinda went crazy with this model. I’ve taken it from Pittsburgh to Boston and not one single problem… trust me I’ve tried breaking it (respectfully).
I wouldn’t do it long distance but for short trips intermittently, it’s probably ok. There’s a few upgrades like the shorter final drive ratio and CVT coolers that help it tow more.
As a European its totally normal to tow with Station Wagons and Hatchbacks.... 3500lbs is nothing Crazy, we tow 4500lbs Cars around with an Audi A4 Allroad.
Lack of standard transmission option on the Crosstrek and Outback is a tragedy. I have a 2017 Crosstrek with standard transmission, and absolutely love it - and have no desire to “upgrade” to a newer model as long as the new ones don’t have a stick.
@@danielshawn83705 agree! I have a manual 2007 outback 2.5 that I love. It’s a shame they got rid of the manual, surely it wouldn’t have costed them that much with all the interchanging of parts they already do
My mom has a 2022 crosstrek. And I’m not convinced much has changed with these newer models. One of the absolute worst cars I’ve ever driven. I just did a 4500 mile road trip in it and there’s WAY too many safety features to turn off every time you start the car, anti collision, lane assist, auto start/stop. The gas pedal, in part due to the CVT transmission, must be pressed almost halfway down before you get any response from it. Then it takes off and revs to 4k.
I work at a Subaru dealership. The CrossTrek sells itself. We've sold almost every single one, and sold the showroom wilderness models also with the Thule package.
@@jakevanderveen9213 one of the best selling vehicles on the lot by far. They drive rather nice as well if you're carrying the family, and the safety standards that comes with the Subaru heritage is worth it. I might even buy one myself 🤣
@@jimrustle643 I'd buy one myself but I'm a little too big for it so I'm mainly looking at the Forester which hopefully gets a Wilderness for the 2025 model soon.
It seems like your customers like buying cars designed by Homer Simpson. Not to be outdone by the top-notch infotainment screen. Just as an FYI, the new Raspberry Pi has a much better OLED display and I mention this to calm Subaru fans who prioritize cost. Anything over $30K should be fair game for criticism.
I bought a 2023 Crosstrek Limited, which has the same 2.5L 182hp engine & trans as this Wilderness. It is a genuinely fantastic car. One thing that I didn't know about until I bought one is just how nice the suspension tuning is. You'd think that for having as short of a wheelbase as the Crosstrek has, it would be a somewhat bouncy ride. The Crosstrek has unbelievably smooth and composed handling, and it rides like a vehicle with a much longer wheelbase. I've been in vehicles costing twice as much that don't ride anywhere near as nicely as the Crosstrek does. It's pretty surprising.
Wife has the base model, it's a perfectly fine utilitarian vehicle. And they are everywhere, even in Texas. Only things she complains about are lack of a power lift gate and it being a bit slow compared to her previous car (camry)
I hate the big touch screens. Give me buttons, please. Also, no electronic break, I prefer the manual emergency break. And the whole thing where you can't shift the car into neutral or park while the battery is dead is stupid.
DRINKING GAME: Take a shot each time Doug says WILDERNESS. Take a Shot each time he says " Copper" instead of Metallic Mustard". Which on the bumpers shows where the tow hooks are. Its not just pretty blocks. Also the Heated seats being physical switches are for cold climates where Remote Start allows for the heated seats to be ON when you remotely start the car, as the switch is left in the On position.
The heated seat thing doesn’t make perfect sense since my ‘13 Fusion would automatically turn on the heated seats when it was cold outside and used the remote start
I've actually been looking towards Subaru for my next SUV/wagon, but that infotainment screen is an absolute deal-breaker, and some of the styling is kinda meh. A little bit of lag when loading something complex like a map is one thing, but for virtually everything? Yeesh. It's one of those small things that is consistently annoying and gets worse over time.
I had an Impreza for 8 years and loved that car. The cvt was failing and it would have cost me more to fix all the issues than the car was worth. I would have bought a cross trek in a second if it didn’t have cvt. I’m disappointed almost every new Subaru has one.
@@mikelivertovsky559 your supposed to change the cvt fluid every 36k/ 3 years or something like that according to Subaru corporate, but Subaru of America says it’s a “lifetime fluid” which isn’t true! Will cause the cvt to fail sooner.
@@chester0608ye They need a hybrid powertrain badly!!! These 4 cyl boxers aren’t nearly as efficient as they should be for their displacement and power
@@nick_0 boxer engine takes too much footprint so it's hard to hybrid with it. All these years they only came up with the 2.4T engine, and nothing else.
Doug de Muro, you are a funny person! Apart from your sensible, down-to-earth reviews, one feels satisfied with the videos you upload. And for that reason, I'll visit again, and soon! Keep up the good work! Congrats! Cheers!👍
Loved the review! Here in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon there’s are TONS of Subarus everywhere, especially Outback’s. They give you a confidence that you can get through snow and a lot of sketchy backroads scenarios.
Not a word about how slow this infotainment screen is? That thing is terrible, just looking at it and imagine having to deal with it daily while driving.
It's a great car, and will do what 95% of what people need. The color... they need to offer on more than the Wilderness trim. It's beautiful. My issue for the Crosstrek is the engine. The lack of power is clear. My wife and I own a 2021 Subaru Legacy Touring XT and a 2021 Outback Limited. I had to get the Legacy with the turbo engine, because the 180 hp isn't enough. I couldn't even imagine driving the flat four with 150 horse power, even in a small car.
Just traded my Toyota GR86 for one today and to be totally honest, I've never been so excited for a new car. I've had 8 or something different cars from Miatas to Wranglers to MINIs and this may honestly be my favorite for someone who want's a great driving car but a kayak, mountain bike, and some cabin trips every now and then.
1980 my brother in law bought a Subaru PicK up (Brat),loved that vehicle,sounded great,nippy and quite good in the snow with the right tyres on and ii cannot ever remember him ever having any trouble with it. I think it's the flat 4 sound that does it same sound as the Alpha 145 and others.
I had a 2016 Impreza for 8 years and it was a fantastic and took everything i threw at it. My aunt just got a new Crosstrek sport and cross shoped it with the Rav4 (shes always been a Toyota person) she instantly fell in love with the Crosstrek, she had to actually order one though because all the ones they had on the lot were sold already lol
I drive a 2014 Crosstrek and it's pretty dope. No infotainment console - just a normal stereo. No eyesight or lane assist beeping at me. It came with seat heaters, and I added a block heater so it gets up to temp quickly on those cold mornings. 2" lift kit and Blizzaks and I can drive it almost anywhere. Not a huge fan of the CVT - would prefer a manual. If they gave it better approach and departure angles, and a real low range transfer case it would be perfect. But I also have an '86 CJ7 for that kind of driving. I live in the San Juan mountains of western Colorado and it seems like everyone has either a Crosstrek or a Forrester. Or a Jeep.
Just traded my Chevy Colorado ZR2 for one. Similar capability for many basic off-road tasks and poor roads, way more comfy for the daily commute, solid on gas, and oddly well equipped on the interior. Never thought id get out of my Tacoma, Colorado, GX460, 4Runner for a Subaru but here we are. This thing is so weird in the best ways.
Me too!!! Went from a Tacoma TRD Off Road I'd driven for 7 years to a Subaru Forester Wilderness. Much better vehicle to live with day to day with still just enough capability for the outdoors and family vacations. I loved my Tacoma, but I love this Forester just as much. It's like a swiss army knife type of vehicle.... Not excellent at anything, but pretty good at everything.
My first brand new car that I bought with my own money was a 1993 Subaru Impreza Wagon (for 12k). I put 100k miles on it and drove it across county twice. The Crosstrek reminds me of it. Really good car for young people just staring out.
What kind of people are getting annoyed with Start/Stop functions? You're stopped, it kills the engine. You let go of the brake it starts it back up. If you get annoyed by something that save fuel and have absolutely NO DOWNSIDE WHATSOEVER, you don't have real life problems...
I bought a Crosstrek Wilderness back in April. I didn't need it but I just thought it looked cool. Have to say that I love it. It's great in the "urban wilderness" of potholes and road construction. The tires and suspension are great. Also on Canadian market cars, we get a heated steering wheel.
I wish they could just get rid of the WRX sedan, make it a hatchback based on the Impreza, and then they literally only have to build that body style for Impreza, WRX, and Crosstrek. It would probably save them a ton of money and time building 3 models from one body, or out make WRX a trim of Impreza like it used to be.
@@nelsonvanvickle8862 That is not true. Outback XT 0-60 is 5.9 seconds. WRX manual 5.5 seconds, 5.4 seconds in automatic. Not to mention the WRX handles much better than the Outback.
Love our children's 2023 Crosstrek Sport. Amazing car. Doug is correct. Not fast, not luxurious, but perfect for what it is. Among the cars for the parents and children in our family, this is the easiest and simplest car to drive. When I get rid of my 2019 Expedition, my next car will very likely be a Subaru. Super impressed.
I've towed 1800 pounds with a 1998 Subaru. Outback, so honestly, I think this car towing 3500 pounds would be weird. It has such a narrow wheelbase. The Outback at least had a bit more length and weight. But I am relatively impressed by what the car is. Bone stock it is a nice car
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People are hating on Doug for reviewing “boring cars” but these are the cars people can tangibly afford and are most available. I think it’s fun to review a Ford GT, but I’ll never own one.
Nobody is hating on him for that
I don't think too many people are doing that. Most of his audience prefer these reviews that's why he's doing them.
Literally no one is hating
Sending hate from Canada
I just want him to review a actual muscle car from the late 60s / early 70s, big fin American sedans and a duesenberg.
The CRV and RAV 4 have more room because Subaru's equivalent is the Forester. The Crosstrek competes with the HRV and Corolla Cross.
Yeah. That comparison was silly.
@@gschweiger Doug makes really weird bad takes for economy cars. Like how we called the current Civic "small" even though it is actually EPA-midsized and bigger than past Accords.
? Cuz he doesn't have either of them
@@stuntmonkey00 it’s small bro
@StrideRite-w1b I'm talking about the manufacturers to which Doug compared Subaru. He didn't mention the Tucson so there's no need to mention the Kona. There are many more subcompact SUVs that weren't mentioned.
Doug is the type of guy to mention the mountains imprinted in the cup holders, but not the increased gear ratio that only the Wilderness version of the Crosstrek has.
The "decreased" gear ratio isn't important. The cvt will limit effective torque at the wheels when not moving. You will have the same torque from the wheel with the 4.11 or 4.44 diffs until you break a wheel free. The only thing the 4.44 diff does is give you a marketing point, make larger tires work a little better (you cannot correct for it in the ecu,) lower your mpg, and bring the severe driving speed down to 45mph for cvt service.
Speaking of breaking a wheel free. The way the ats AWD works. Modern Subaru might be the only car that less grip is better. You won't drive the rear without front slip and the cvt won't let you have full torque on the converter while stopped. You really want to put it in xmode 2 and keep a wheel spinning free off road or on steep hills. But then you dig ruts and damage the trail.
@@zanzabar4ky7 The upgrades such as the increased gearing ratio in the wilderness need to be present despite not being much of an improvement it helps including the lift as well.
Get a Tacoma.
I'd rather own a Bronco Sport lol
@@aaron-fauthBronco Sport, CX-30 TURBO and CX-30 NA all have cheaper price than Crosstrek Wilderness.
Doug the type of guy that brings a knee pad before he proposes to his girlfriend.
Even better because he used to kneel on literal gravel back in 2019-2020
@@jc_so_riyl I remember those days lol i was impressed
@@jc_so_riyl Maybe he needs the knee pad because he kneeled on gravel in 2019-2020?
And now he upgraded as his office seat with rollers...
That gave me a good laugh 😂
I have the base Crosstrek and I can confirm.... It does have the trunk cup holder. This was the feature that fully sold it for me....
Like if u ever gonna need a drink in ur trunk while U ARE driving 😂
I'm gonna buy one and add roof pod, kayak rack, and 5 bike rear rack, then cover it stickers to inform other motorists of my hobbies and interests in extreme outdoor pursuits.
Couldn't be more accurate for most Subaru owners haha.
me and my Outback feel attacked right now
Ah, you must live in Colorado! 🤣
You need a PNW compass sticker on the back window.
@@JamesWard-d1h
Don’t forget the Coexist sticker.
the lag on that screen, good lord
Omg. It's so bad. I drives me insane.
@@MikeyDAngelo
Why I am not getting a newer Subaru. The infotainment has to be the worst in the industry right now. There are few physical buttons which I get is normal these days but in addition to that it’s slow and laggy as hell. Like if you are going to take buttons away you could at least make the screen experience useable.
@@dillonh321 yeah I actually ended up buying a low mileage used limited for essentially the same price as a new 24 bc I had the newer infotainment in a rental outback and despised it and did not want it in my car
@@dillonh321 If you update it online, Its a lot less laggy, Its still however, takes about 30 secs to boot up, which is too long.
@@MikeyDAngelo I got a loaner outback from the dealer and it was miserable. I was glad to be back in my older outback.
I have this car, 12,000 miles on it, and it's an incredible off-road vehicle for entry folks. I took it throughout Utah and the San Rafael Swell and the rugged roads to Tuweep. Drop the tire pressure to 26 psi and you have commuter comfort while bombing down forest roads, and it outperforms long bed pickups in tight washes. It's life changing.
Doug "There's a Crosstrek" DeMuro
He should've done the review in the Pacific Northwest. Every other word would be interrupted with, "There's a Crosstrek."
Fr 😂
I'm happy it's not a drinking game.
I actually really like all the plastic cladding. It makes the car look more textured and rugged in a good way in my opinion. I wish more car brands did that.
The blue they use with the copper and the dark grey accents is a great colour contrast too
It looks like an early 2000’s gym shoe
Lol great description 😂
Exactly my thoughts when I first saw it.
Its gonna be a really cool and weird youngtimer in 25 years
😅😅😅😅😅😅 it does
The infortainment is the same era
I like that Subaru actually gave this legitimate off-road chops rather than just making this an appearance package.
Alcyone SVX S4 alone has slightly more complete package than Crosstrek Wilderness.
The only thing they're missing is a low range transfer case.
Take a shot every time Doug says “There’s a Crosstrek” during the driving section.
@@testdump4696 take a shot every time he says "Wilderness" 🤣
I want to know how many times he would have said it if he had driven around for an hour 😂
@@randellmainer I honestly had to stop the video because of how often he said Wilderness, it is not as funny as he seems to think and just detracts from the review... absolute annoyance.
the bronze accents on the front and rear bumper are recovery point covers! and you open the cover using the physical key hidden inside the key fob to get to the recovery points
pretty clever
-a subaru salesman
I guarantee that the designer of this car was looking at a Payless Hiking boot for inspiration.
Comment of the month.
Hahaha Hahaha Hahaha Hahaha Hahaha
hehehe hehehe hehehe hehehe hehehe
...or a baby chick, one that had valiantly fought its way partially out of the shell - and then died.
All of Subarus designers are on something
Fun Fact. Years ago Doug was in an auto accident with a crosstrek. It slammed into him.
Ever since then hes had a "theres a crosstrek" tick.
He just randomly says is, but he edits it out of his videos for obvious reasons.
It's a sad story but it's cool when he gets to actually be himself in these videos and not have to edit it out.
I'm legit laughing out loud. "There's a Crosstrek." It's true. After we got ours in late '15 we started spotting them all over. MANY more now!
With all these plastic looks like its about to give Pontiac Aztec a run for its money
These days every crossover is trying to give the Aztec a run for its money.
@@beanapprentice1687 yet when aztec came out it was way ahead of its time but people called it ugly
I was about to comment that. A lot of Crossovers looking like the Aztec nowadays, I guess it was ahead of its time.
Rename it the PlasTrek.
@@DIABLOEDITZ because it was, and still is
My Aunt bought a new Crosstrek last year. I got to drive it and it’s a really nice little car.
My brother got one too, 4 and 6 year old boys and they go camping ALL the time. They love that car.
I'm glad they are popular, crossover "suv's" are too common, this is more of a lifted wagon, and i'm a wagon fan.
This does not compete with the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV. This would be a competitor to the Corolla Cross or HR-V
Compete at what? It’s significantly more off-road competent than either the RAV4 or CRV. Check out the driving reviews of “Driving Spots TV” they do significant off road testing of crossover SUVs.
Also, there is an amazing amount of third party off-road aftermarket parts available for the Crosstrek, not so for the RAV4 or CRV.
You're on crack
I would say the plastic is likely to make it cheaper to replace those plastic parts rather than expensive metal body panels.
That's exactly it, also less likely to scratch!
Maybe this is just because you're a SoCal guy, but my first thought on seeing all that plastic cladding is that it's right where I would want an easily-replaceable and relatively cheap body part which protects the quarters and rockers from corrosive winter road treatments. Yes, you can have a pristine car in San Diego for a hundred years if you treat it right, but the stuff they put on the roads in the north these days essentially dissolves the average vehicle in less than ten years.
Cladding makes rust worse. Traps salt.
Plastic cladding does not seal off the metal underneath from those 'corrosive treatments' though. It ends up trapping behind.
Bought a Forester Wilderness last spring. My god, I had no idea how many Subarus there were in the Cincinnati area. Outbacks, Foresters and Crosstreks are insanely popular here... And I'd never noticed until I started driving one too.
I think they are now getting extremely popular everywhere. Been seeing a lot around Texas and the south in general. Key reason I think: Affordable, safe, reliable. Key being affordable though. You can get any Subaru cheaper than MSRP easy, and at a lower interest rate brand new (last year models are like 2% new). Compared to Toyotas and Hondas....they are just very expensive now and you don't get a lot for the money in comparison.
Same here. I was a Toyota fans until I drove my first new Outback and now, seeing a lot of Subaru cars not only on highway but in the parking where I work too. 😊
I've seen them in the south a ton. They're affordable, functional, safe, reliable and easier to negotiate. Overall, people just see them as as a alternative to Toyota and Honda while not having to deal with paying MSRP+ or some of those terrible dealers.
Legend has it doug is still pointing out crossteks to this day.
Hey, they finally got rid of the key and now has the push button ignition. Progress.
"There's a Crosstrek... there's a Crosstrek... there's a Crosstrek." 😂
I am in Oregon and these cars are everywhere. I didn't really notice them either until I bought a Crosstrek Wilderness this last Spring.
Doug did a pretty reasonable review despite mocking the Wilderness moniker. The cladding will turn some people off, but I find the gold accents more annoying than the cladding. Just enough to do anything about them.
This model definitely should have come with a front trail camera and rear air vents. Hopefully Subaru will correct this in future models.
I just traded in a Crosstrek Premium. I have traders’ remorse. That is an excellent car. I would definitely buy another and would highly recommend them.
for which car did you trade your crossrek in?
@@videos44 I got a Wrangler, 2 door, manual. Always wanted one so I took my chance. If I could have I would have kept the Crosstrek too.
I love the normal car reviews
Same. I usually tune out when he's reviewing a car that costs more than my house.
Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Having sad that, I'd rather watch these video's of ordinary cars as opposed to supercar reviews that I don't even bother watching. If Doug ever tries to get into a supercar and films it...then I'll be watching!
There's lots of people with real money buying these things. As Doug said, they are great daily drivers which aren't crazy expensive exotics, etc that make an owner nervous to drive on a daily basis.
yep. I bought a new E class with the TTV8 12 years ago and drove it 10 years. Kind of got fed up with the lumbering thing which has to be kept pristine and eats thousands every couple years keeping the air suspension intact. Test drove a Crosstrek last year, ordered one on the spot. I just like the small nimbleness and it gets down rough roads to trailheads with ease, plus it has a strangely smooth soft ride quality to it. The stereo, OTOH, is absolutely terrible compared to the Benz - will be changing that. I can afford any mass production car made, I choose the Crosstrek.
If you can get one before they get sold
I own numerous vehicles and this once was part of the "collection". You just can't argue with a 30k new car that you can throw into the woods/cottage without a single worry or care. This will unstuck itself out of mud or snow better than all the heavier SUVs.
one of the nice things about Subaru is it's not pretentious but you can never assume the person owning it doesn't have money ;)
I work for a Subaru dealer as a technician and doing the PDI (pre delivery inspection) on wilderness models (all on Crosstreks Outbacks and Foresters) are pretty quick and easy to do on them. I would definitely choose any of those for off reading over a Jeep or a Land Rover
the infotainment screen looks like one of those cheap tablets they keep behind the desk at CVS during the holidays
Looks like my first smartphone that ran Android KitKat!
Doug, we love you Doug
yes
Would've bought a CT back in '21, but no ventilated seats, no heated steering wheel, and it felt like one of the 5 hamsters powering it had passed into the afterlife. Seriously, this thing accelerates like a rock going uphill. Great mpg and room, but at a cost.
The low power is a big drawback for me. We're planning more trips going through the cascades and rockies. That sub 200hp range really sucks at 4000 feet going up a mountain in anything bigger than a motorcycle.
@@williamparker7823 what vehicles are you looking at?
@sigbauer9782 nothing seriously for a few years. Basically anything between a rav4 to cayenne depending on deals and features. Could be new, cpo, or used.
Doug is the type of guy to go to a open house and talk about all the quirks and features of the dishwasher to the real estate agent
10:43 such a laggy screen display. Why dont these car manufacturers put a better processor into their screens.
Processors are very expensive right now. And the crosstrek is one of their cheaper models
To save literally $5 per car.
because of money, brother. manufacturers work with pennies when it comes to parts prices. I promise they would put together the best materials inside and they would make them last 1 milion miles if they could sell 5 million cars per year, but the reality is that they don’t, so they have to pay attention to every cent spent on manufacturing the car.
I have one for a daily and honestly I love it, never had a Subaru before but like Doug said for what it is, it’s awesome
Up here in the PNW, every 3rd car is a Crosstrek or a Outback.
I"m almost not even kidding. We had one of each (until the 13 year old outback got totalled).
Where is PNW?
@@Mav86asian Pacific Northwest
Doug describes this crosstrek the way I describe my 2023 outback. Good to drive, not setting the car wold on fire. I have to add that I love the real dials on the dash and the way the infotainment screen is nicely integrated into the dash.
I can't believe Doug missed mentioning two of the Wilderness version's huge benefits compared to the regular Crosstrek: the lower CVT gearing and the lower differential gearing. Subaru finally realized how hobbled the Crosstrek is when climbing steep trails at low speeds, especially at high altitudes. Since Subaru misguidedly refuses to give their current vehicles a proper 2-speed transfer case, the slightly lower transmission and axle gears are greatly appreciated. Now if only Subaru would give the Wilderness a proper set of Torsen differentials front and rear, which would work wonders in conjunction with the X-Mode traction control.
Not only is the center screen frutiger aero, it also has the lag of windows vista to boot!
😂
Ohh I remember that software!! Looks more like Windows Media Center tho 😂😂
I work on Subaru's for a living and they're damn good cars. A lot better than most brands in many ways.
And the CrossTrek is an insane value compared to what you'd have to spend to get the same from a different manufacturer. I have the limited and no way could I get all the safety tech for near the same price outside of Subie.
@@courtneyregan4005 too bad its so ugly and looks like a wagon.
I like their look. Practical. Drive well and feel good my daughter is in one
@@trixchamber21 It... it is a wagon?
@@courtneyregan4005 Limited crosstrek is a sweet car. In my eyes, base Crosstrek at 25k is probably the best value in the car industry. At around 25k, you get a lot of features and safety tech, standard AWD, and it can do basically everything if you need only one car.
Doug the type of guy to make an angry voice every time he says "WILDERNESS".
That’s his RUGGED voice.
That's him holding it in for bathroom breaks...
Really annoying habit of his
@@bikes7777 I think it is cool. Classic Doug humor.
@@RedMangabey it's funny, once. After hearing it 500 times in 200 videos it's super annoying.
Finally I see my car on this channel. 😆😆😆.
I bought a Crosstrek Wilderness a few months ago and so far I love it, it’s also in Geyser Blue just like this one, the only difference is that mine doesn’t have a sunroof. I took it on a camping trip to Mammoth in July and I drove it on some dirt roads. When you’re driving it on city streets it feels kind of like walking down the street in hiking boots, but when you drive it on dirt roads and other rough terrain it performs beautifully. It may be a little weird compared to other Crosstrek trim levels like the Sport or Premium with all of those heavy duty plastic body components. But I like that better than the two-tone paint jobs from the old Outbacks & Foresters from the 90’s and early 2000’s, it gives it a more aggressive look. And let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be a Subaru if it wasn’t a little weird and quirky. Because they’ve always been a brand that thinks outside the box, which is what makes Subaru unique compared to their competitors.
The info system is totally the reason I didn't buy one and I love my older Crosstrek. You can see Doug being deliberate and slow with his touches and I feel he is being a bit to pandering to the car without mentioning it. The screen is so slow and laggy it's hard to do anything with it. He is really trying to be deliberate when changing settings sitting still, try that while driving. Its so bad and gets worse as you do multiple things at once or accidentally so you try to back track quickly and it slows down even more. I feel its important to point out that while it's easy to change the temp via the buttons it's much harder to change the vents via the screen. Its several button slow button presses to do that and they aren't easy buttons to hit either so you backtrack a lot, getting things slower.
Just buy the Forester instead.
The plastics are ugly. However, they’re definitely more practical. My old Subaru has dents around the wheel well that would not be an issue with the plastic cladding.
The door cladding also prevents dents, just like an old Saturn or a Citroen Cactus.
It’s gonna age like potato salad in the sun.
@@NomenClature-o8sI dunno, my 2014 outback with plastic cladding still looks nice and black after 10 years
@@NomenClature-o8s maybe if you live somewhere with intense sunlight year round. It's gonna be fine for most.
@@NomenClature-o8s There's over 200 main stream plastics with different levels of durability
The review I’ve been waiting for. This is my second crosstrek. I got it in green with the wilderness package and it’s rather impressive. Subaru kinda went crazy with this model. I’ve taken it from Pittsburgh to Boston and not one single problem… trust me I’ve tried breaking it (respectfully).
Go off roading in it. Go do doughnuts
Dont do ur oil changes
Towing 3500lbs with that car would be insane.
I wouldn’t do it long distance but for short trips intermittently, it’s probably ok. There’s a few upgrades like the shorter final drive ratio and CVT coolers that help it tow more.
As a European its totally normal to tow with Station Wagons and Hatchbacks.... 3500lbs is nothing Crazy, we tow 4500lbs Cars around with an Audi A4 Allroad.
Cvt will probably blow up
@@calebwany8422 The wilderness gets CVT coolers to help with that.
@@KNRS927 I wonder why they don't develop a 7/8 speed tranny for those "wilderness" models and the subaru ascent
Just bought a regular Crosstrek. Love it. Getting 27 mpg in the city. By the way ours has cup holders in the cargo area.
Lack of standard transmission option on the Crosstrek and Outback is a tragedy. I have a 2017 Crosstrek with standard transmission, and absolutely love it - and have no desire to “upgrade” to a newer model as long as the new ones don’t have a stick.
@@danielshawn83705 agree! I have a manual 2007 outback 2.5 that I love. It’s a shame they got rid of the manual, surely it wouldn’t have costed them that much with all the interchanging of parts they already do
co-worker loves his manual 2017 Forrester. refuses to buy a new Subaru with the crap CVT.
My mom has a 2022 crosstrek. And I’m not convinced much has changed with these newer models. One of the absolute worst cars I’ve ever driven. I just did a 4500 mile road trip in it and there’s WAY too many safety features to turn off every time you start the car, anti collision, lane assist, auto start/stop.
The gas pedal, in part due to the CVT transmission, must be pressed almost halfway down before you get any response from it. Then it takes off and revs to 4k.
I work at a Subaru dealership. The CrossTrek sells itself. We've sold almost every single one, and sold the showroom wilderness models also with the Thule package.
Because people are stupid.
Same here, brother, feels like these things just fly off the shelf with how often we gotta replace the Crosstrek Wilderness on the showroom floor.
@@jakevanderveen9213 one of the best selling vehicles on the lot by far. They drive rather nice as well if you're carrying the family, and the safety standards that comes with the Subaru heritage is worth it. I might even buy one myself 🤣
@@jimrustle643 I'd buy one myself but I'm a little too big for it so I'm mainly looking at the Forester which hopefully gets a Wilderness for the 2025 model soon.
It seems like your customers like buying cars designed by Homer Simpson. Not to be outdone by the top-notch infotainment screen. Just as an FYI, the new Raspberry Pi has a much better OLED display and I mention this to calm Subaru fans who prioritize cost. Anything over $30K should be fair game for criticism.
I bought a 2023 Crosstrek Limited, which has the same 2.5L 182hp engine & trans as this Wilderness. It is a genuinely fantastic car. One thing that I didn't know about until I bought one is just how nice the suspension tuning is. You'd think that for having as short of a wheelbase as the Crosstrek has, it would be a somewhat bouncy ride. The Crosstrek has unbelievably smooth and composed handling, and it rides like a vehicle with a much longer wheelbase. I've been in vehicles costing twice as much that don't ride anywhere near as nicely as the Crosstrek does. It's pretty surprising.
Buy the Wilderness in dark grey or black to smooth out all the plastic. But it'll be hot in summer.
No the plastic sticking out makes it look badass. Its not a pavement princess
Just bought a 2015 Crosstrek 150k miles. 1 owner, their 8th subaru, drives like a new car.
Now do the new 2025 Forester because that thing is slick as a mug
Wife has the base model, it's a perfectly fine utilitarian vehicle. And they are everywhere, even in Texas. Only things she complains about are lack of a power lift gate and it being a bit slow compared to her previous car (camry)
A vertical infotainment screen, designed for the kind of people who take vertical landscape photos. They know their customer well.
I hate the big touch screens. Give me buttons, please. Also, no electronic break, I prefer the manual emergency break. And the whole thing where you can't shift the car into neutral or park while the battery is dead is stupid.
DRINKING GAME: Take a shot each time Doug says WILDERNESS.
Take a Shot each time he says " Copper" instead of Metallic Mustard". Which on the bumpers shows where the tow hooks are. Its not just pretty blocks.
Also the Heated seats being physical switches are for cold climates where Remote Start allows for the heated seats to be ON when you remotely start the car, as the switch is left in the On position.
The heated seat thing doesn’t make perfect sense since my ‘13 Fusion would automatically turn on the heated seats when it was cold outside and used the remote start
@@richards8872 Ya, I know there are a few out there like that. But it is just one advantage to having the physical switch.
I wish they had a front camera on the Wilderness Treks 😁
180hp. that sounds like a lot. unfortunately it's not the 90s. a stock 2.0 diesel golf makes 200hp with heaps of twkrs
I prefer affordable car reviews instead of exotic cars. This is the majority of where car owners are.
"a good usable car with no BS" is basically why we like Subarus ;)
I've actually been looking towards Subaru for my next SUV/wagon, but that infotainment screen is an absolute deal-breaker, and some of the styling is kinda meh. A little bit of lag when loading something complex like a map is one thing, but for virtually everything? Yeesh. It's one of those small things that is consistently annoying and gets worse over time.
I had an Impreza for 8 years and loved that car. The cvt was failing and it would have cost me more to fix all the issues than the car was worth. I would have bought a cross trek in a second if it didn’t have cvt. I’m disappointed almost every new Subaru has one.
@@mikelivertovsky559 your supposed to change the cvt fluid every 36k/ 3 years or something like that according to Subaru corporate, but Subaru of America says it’s a “lifetime fluid” which isn’t true! Will cause the cvt to fail sooner.
And yet, more CVTs year after year. only available now on the sporty cars.
Gave my son my 2018 crosstrek 6MT for his first car……30664km on it……a year later it has 54k….. he takes care of it.
feel like subaru engine engineers have been chilled for 20 years
@@chester0608ye They need a hybrid powertrain badly!!! These 4 cyl boxers aren’t nearly as efficient as they should be for their displacement and power
@@nick_0 boxer engine takes too much footprint so it's hard to hybrid with it. All these years they only came up with the 2.4T engine, and nothing else.
@@nick_0crosstrek/XV and foresters come with hybrid in some markets
@@nick_0I agree. Hybrid eCVT would only make this car better. Like, a lot better.
It really is a shame that it doesn't have "hot hatch" power and no manual. It's still cool nonetheless.
Doug de Muro, you are a funny person! Apart from your sensible, down-to-earth reviews, one feels satisfied with the videos you upload. And for that reason, I'll visit again, and soon! Keep up the good work! Congrats! Cheers!👍
Was at a Subaru dealership recently and was checking these out. The all black ones look good, helps with all of the plastic.
I like the plastic to contrast because it looks badass
3:40 Somebody already tested that skidplate.
At least all that plastic isn't camo, Doug.
Loved the review! Here in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon there’s are TONS of Subarus everywhere, especially Outback’s. They give you a confidence that you can get through snow and a lot of sketchy backroads scenarios.
Not a word about how slow this infotainment screen is? That thing is terrible, just looking at it and imagine having to deal with it daily while driving.
I despise the CVT so much.
This. I still can't believe they won't offer a 6speed stick on the Impreza or Crosstrek anymore. commies.
It's a great car, and will do what 95% of what people need. The color... they need to offer on more than the Wilderness trim. It's beautiful. My issue for the Crosstrek is the engine. The lack of power is clear. My wife and I own a 2021 Subaru Legacy Touring XT and a 2021 Outback Limited. I had to get the Legacy with the turbo engine, because the 180 hp isn't enough. I couldn't even imagine driving the flat four with 150 horse power, even in a small car.
Have had this car for 6 months. Amazing.
is the screen as laggy as the one in the video?
@@ahmedmashhour1912 yeah sometimes it is. Not a fan of that.
I think they look pretty cool.
Lame that they did this after getting rid of the manual. It's less off roading capable than a regular manual crosstrek
Just traded my Toyota GR86 for one today and to be totally honest, I've never been so excited for a new car. I've had 8 or something different cars from Miatas to Wranglers to MINIs and this may honestly be my favorite for someone who want's a great driving car but a kayak, mountain bike, and some cabin trips every now and then.
I like the plastic cladding. Makes it easy to replace without having to worry about painting the car.
Ageeed on the plastic. Bumpers are made to get bumped, what's the point of that if you need to repaint them?
Wait until it sunfades and turns different shades of grey.
@@NomenClature-o8s that's a bummer but there's products for that
@@NomenClature-o8sit’s a different plastic than what us late 90’s mid 2000 owners have 😂
@@NomenClature-o8s glass fiber mixed plastic doesn't do that
1980 my brother in law bought a Subaru PicK up (Brat),loved that vehicle,sounded great,nippy and quite good in the snow with the right tyres on and ii cannot ever remember him ever having any trouble with it.
I think it's the flat 4 sound that does it same sound as the Alpha 145 and others.
Alfa. Not Alpha.
@@johnhopkins4920 Lol,sorry,yes i always get them mixed up 🙏
@@billybunter6659 No worries! 😉
Doug the type of guy who takes his car tires sunbathing in Death Valley.
I had a 2016 Impreza for 8 years and it was a fantastic and took everything i threw at it. My aunt just got a new Crosstrek sport and cross shoped it with the Rav4 (shes always been a Toyota person) she instantly fell in love with the Crosstrek, she had to actually order one though because all the ones they had on the lot were sold already lol
that infotainment system looks HORRIBLY slow and laggy
I drive a 2014 Crosstrek and it's pretty dope. No infotainment console - just a normal stereo. No eyesight or lane assist beeping at me. It came with seat heaters, and I added a block heater so it gets up to temp quickly on those cold mornings. 2" lift kit and Blizzaks and I can drive it almost anywhere.
Not a huge fan of the CVT - would prefer a manual. If they gave it better approach and departure angles, and a real low range transfer case it would be perfect. But I also have an '86 CJ7 for that kind of driving.
I live in the San Juan mountains of western Colorado and it seems like everyone has either a Crosstrek or a Forrester. Or a Jeep.
Just traded my Chevy Colorado ZR2 for one. Similar capability for many basic off-road tasks and poor roads, way more comfy for the daily commute, solid on gas, and oddly well equipped on the interior. Never thought id get out of my Tacoma, Colorado, GX460, 4Runner for a Subaru but here we are. This thing is so weird in the best ways.
Me too!!! Went from a Tacoma TRD Off Road I'd driven for 7 years to a Subaru Forester Wilderness. Much better vehicle to live with day to day with still just enough capability for the outdoors and family vacations. I loved my Tacoma, but I love this Forester just as much. It's like a swiss army knife type of vehicle.... Not excellent at anything, but pretty good at everything.
@@VanderJam That’s exactly it! It’s hard to explain but really there is nothing that truly competes with these cars. It’s the perfect Niche for me.
My first brand new car that I bought with my own money was a 1993 Subaru Impreza Wagon (for 12k). I put 100k miles on it and drove it across county twice. The Crosstrek reminds me of it. Really good car for young people just staring out.
Drinking game: take a shot everytime doug sees a crosstrek
Party is on
YES!! haha so good!
What kind of people are getting annoyed with Start/Stop functions?
You're stopped, it kills the engine. You let go of the brake it starts it back up.
If you get annoyed by something that save fuel and have absolutely NO DOWNSIDE WHATSOEVER, you don't have real life problems...
I bought a Crosstrek Wilderness back in April. I didn't need it but I just thought it looked cool. Have to say that I love it. It's great in the "urban wilderness" of potholes and road construction. The tires and suspension are great. Also on Canadian market cars, we get a heated steering wheel.
They are makingimpreza sedans solely to avoid making a wrx wagon. That’s insane.
I wish they could just get rid of the WRX sedan, make it a hatchback based on the Impreza, and then they literally only have to build that body style for Impreza, WRX, and Crosstrek. It would probably save them a ton of money and time building 3 models from one body, or out make WRX a trim of Impreza like it used to be.
It's funny with the 2008 model the wrx only came in hatchback, and they didn't sell very well. Now everyone wants a hatchback wrx.
They discontinued Impreza sedans. Now it’s just hatchbacks.
Lol the outback XT is about as close to being a WRX wagon as they come. They’re actually faster in a straight line than a 22’ and newer WRX
@@nelsonvanvickle8862
That is not true. Outback XT 0-60 is 5.9 seconds. WRX manual 5.5 seconds, 5.4 seconds in automatic.
Not to mention the WRX handles much better than the Outback.
Love our children's 2023 Crosstrek Sport. Amazing car. Doug is correct. Not fast, not luxurious, but perfect for what it is. Among the cars for the parents and children in our family, this is the easiest and simplest car to drive. When I get rid of my 2019 Expedition, my next car will very likely be a Subaru. Super impressed.
Doug is the type of guy to growl every third word to express that something is tough.
Reminds me of a hiking boot
Here in New Hampshire, Subarus are as common as 🍁 trees. Because of the great AWD and value. We love ‘em.
I've towed 1800 pounds with a 1998 Subaru. Outback, so honestly, I think this car towing 3500 pounds would be weird. It has such a narrow wheelbase. The Outback at least had a bit more length and weight. But I am relatively impressed by what the car is. Bone stock it is a nice car
This car looks like a Hi-Tech or Caterpillar shoe😂😂
This car is almost a year old but he kept calling it new ?