2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV

The Crosstrek Hybrid is a special offering and is kept away from the standard gas-powered Crosstreks. The hybrid has a 2.0L naturally aspirated Boxer-4 and an electric motor powering it for an extra jolt of power and fuel efficiency. It also has the best that the Crosstrek has to offer in terms of features and technology like heated front seating, dual-zone climate control, and leather upholstery giving the hybrid variant a more premium feel. The hybrid also has specific styling that makes it stand out from the regular trims and gives it a more tech-rich feeling around it. The bigger wheels are also a great addition to the lineup along with an available Eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and an optional integrated navigation system. 

The hybrid trim brings little more than the limited trim of the Crosstrek already comes with in terms of features but it does have a unique interior trim and brings a heated steering wheel to spice things up along with a PHEV configuration. The various driver assist aids and the extended tech features are definitely a plus as Subaru has been struggling to get a foothold in the new era of SUVs and Crossovers for quite some time now. We would have liked a wider variety of color options for the exterior but Subaru has decided to play it safe with classy albeit very common colors. The Crosstrek Hybrid also comes with an optional package that adds:- 

Optional package 

• Power tilt/sliding moonroof
• STARLINK 8.0-inch Multimedia Navigation
• Harman Kardon premium audio system
• Heated Steering Wheel

We recommend 

As there is only a single trim available, we would recommend the optional package to go along with your Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Along with that we also enjoyed the Magnetite Gray Metallic exterior paint scheme which goes well with the navy leather with blue stitching that the Crosstrek Hybrid comes with. We would also recommend the Sport Grille, Rear Bumper Cover, and Auto-Dimming Mirror with Compass and HomeLink to take the SUV the further mile to make it the ultimate daily driver with an incredibly safe and tech-heavy design without affecting its performance and off-roading capabilities. 

Release date 

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV is available right now to purchase through the official Subaru website. 

With a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine paired with an electric motor, the Subaru Crosstrek hybrid gets a slight edge over its conventional gas-powered counterpart. The AWD drivetrain also comes in handy when going off-roading and provides much-needed stability to the SUV. We should consider that the engine is pretty dated and pairing it with a CVT transmission leaves us desiring a better engine and transmission. Nonetheless, this combination is capable of pushing 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque and gives the Crosstrek Hybrid a decent acceleration, going from 0 to 60 in just 8.0 seconds. It has a top speed of 124 mph which is better than most other SUVs in this price segment rocking similar features as the Crosstrek Hybrid. 

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has the quickest acceleration and the highest horsepower output but lags behind the Crosstrek hybrid in terms of top speed. The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid comes in second with decent acceleration and the highest top speed among the competitors. The Ford Escape Hybrid may have better acceleration than the CR-V Hybrid but lags way behind everybody in terms of top speed. Finally, the Honda CR-V Hybrid has the slowest acceleration among the SUVs but has a decent top speed which gives it a slight advantage over the Ford Escape Hybrid. 

2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV Ride and handling 

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid handles more like a standard sedan than a heavy-set SUV due to the AWD drivetrain. That being set, driving the Crosstrek Hybrid isn’t a pleasurable experience. The tall stature of the SUV coupled with the hard tires makes it unstable across corners and hesitant to go over the speed limit in most cases. The driving experience remains underwhelming and unintuitive, but it's easier to get ahold of as everything feels standard and nothing feels out of place. The acceleration isn’t the best but driving the Crosstrek Hybrid makes that fact painfully obvious as the SUV really does not enjoy going quick. However, we must admit the ride is smooth and bumps don’t bother the SUV and interior noise is practically non-existent when driving it. 

2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV Braking performance 

Despite a curb weight of 3,717 lbs which is on the heavier side, the braking performance of the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is second to none due to the optimizations that have come to it. It has 11.6-inch brake rotors in the front and 11.2-inch brake rotors in the rear which aren’t the biggest but have considerable power as the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid has an insane stopping distance of 118 ft when pushing the brakes at 60 and coming down to 0. The slow acceleration works in its favor as the SUV feels smooth when braking and has a gradual and predictable response when pushing the brake pedals. 

As stated previously, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid does have the highest curb weight among its competitors but it also has the quickest braking action despite the comparatively smaller brake rotors. The Honda CR-V Hybrid comes second with the smallest curb weight and the biggest brake rotors. The Ford Escape Hybrid comes right after the CR-V Hybrid with a slightly higher stopping distance despite its brake rotors being the smallest among the SUVs. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid may have the second lowest curb weight and proportionately sized brake rotors, but it also has the slowest braking action. 

The Subaru Crosstrek hybrid may have an underpowered engine but that doesn’t make its drivetrain less fuel-thirsty, its not the best when it comes to fuel efficiency and even with the inclusion of an eclectic motor needs more refinement to beat its competitors. It provides a combined fuel economy of upwards of 31 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the road for a combined fuel economy of 35 mpg which is average for its class. The smaller 13.2-gallon fuel tank doesn’t do the SUV any favors either, as it provides it a driving range of 409.2 miles in the city and 528 miles on the highway for a combined driving range of 462 miles on average which isn’t the best. It's electric motor is more efficient and provides an MPGe estimate of 90 MPGe which is not easily found among the SUVs in its class.

The Ford Escape Hybrid takes the lead when it comes to fuel efficiency as it has the best MPG estimates and the second largest fuel tank which also gives it the best driving range in the city. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid may not be as fuel efficient as the Escape Hybrid but makes up for that with a larger fuel tank which gives it the biggest combined and highway driving range. The Honda CR-V Hybrid has the third most fuel-efficient drivetrain and fuel tank giving it a slightly lower driving range than the previous two. The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid comes dead last on the fuel efficiency front and has a lot to catch up on. 

The interiors of the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid are one of its strongest suits as the Hybrid features a unique interior trim of navy leather with blue stitching which looks premium and boosts the interior accents of the SUV. The leather upholstery, heated front bucket seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and ambient interior lighting assist the interiors to look more premium, comfortable, and homely while being modern. The dashboard looks incredibly beautiful with a dash of blue going across it and the air vents on each side of the infotainment system give the SUV a modern and rugged aesthetic. We must admit cargo capacity isn’t the best on the Crosstrek Hybrid but its other aspects more than make up for that inadequacy. 

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid has the best front row legroom which is a great addition, however, it comes at the detriment of the rear row seating and the cargo capacity which is the lowest among its competition. The Ford Escape Hybrid has the most spacious interiors and an average cargo capacity. The Honda CR-V Hybrid is not so far behind with the second most spacious cabin and cargo capacity. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, on the other hand, may not have the best interior space but has the most spacious cargo capacity which gives it an edge over its peers.

Some of the standout interior features of the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid are:- 

• Leather upholstery
• Heated front bucket seats
• Dual-zone automatic climate control 
• Smart Device Remote Engine Start
• Vibrant ambient interior lighting
• Heated steering wheel
• Optional sunroof 

2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV infotainment system 

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV comes with the SUBARU STARLINK 8.0-inch Multimedia Plus, the latest and greatest that Subaru had to offer. The infotainment system has an intuitive UI and easy-to-use nature along with a pleasant refresh rate and sharp graphics. It also brings connectivity like news, navigation, music, podcasts, and more through available cloud-based STARLINK apps and the SiriusXM suite. Other standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless Bluetooth connectivity, and hands-free smartphone connectivity, which makes the infotainment unit irresistible. Along with that Subaru has also included an 8-speaker audio system and an option to upgrade to a premium eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

Some of the standout features of the infotainment system inside the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid are:- 

• 8.0" multi-touch gesture high-resolution display screen
• Navigation system
• STARLINK cloud applications
• Subaru STARLINK Smartphone Integration
• Hands-free smartphone access 
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Subaru has gone for a more traditional approach with the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid’s exterior design and it looks just as classy as the interior. The front fascia is full of chrome accents all across and the front grille is the same, it is flanked by two beautifully integrated LED headlights which make the SUV a more upbeat and cheerful front. The sides are marked by similar hints of chrome and sleek exterior accents along with a sloping roofline that makes it eye-catching and attractive. The back features an attractive and curvy look with accentuated LED tail lights. It also has a high ground clearance which gives it an edge over its competitors. 

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid may not be the largest SUV but has a wide body and the highest ground clearance among its competitors. The Honda CR-V Hybrid comes first with the longest body and second highest ground clearance. The Ford Escape Hybrid comes right behind the CR-V Hybrid with a wider body and the longest wheelbase but has the lowest ground clearance among its peers. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is the tallest SUV among its competitors and has exteriors that are slightly smaller than the two SUVs that come before it.

Some of the standout exterior features of the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid are:- 

• 18-inch black machine-finish alloy wheels
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Available Sunroof
• Front Fog Lamps
• Chrome Side Windows Trim
• Lip Spoiler
• LED Tail lights 

Subaru has been known for its reliability and safety for decades and it does not disappoint with the 2023 Crosstrek Hybrid. The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid comes with a wide range of safety and driver assistance features to aid itself. The 2020 model got an impressive 5 out of 5 stars from the NHTSA and the 2022 model was chosen as the Top Safety Pick Plus by IIHS. With impressive accolades like that, we expect the 2023 iteration to deliver similar promises and results. It also comes with standard driver assist features like Adaptive cruise control, Lane-keeping system, Blind-spot monitoring, Rear cross-traffic alert, Rear automatic braking, Electronic Stability Control, EyeSight Pre-Collision Braking, Front and rear collision mitigation, Blind Spot Detection, and Driver Monitoring-Alert. These features give the SUV an edge over its competition with the latest and greatest in terms of safety technology.

Some of the standout safety features of the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid are:- 

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-keeping system
• Blind-spot detection
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Rear automatic braking
• Front and rear collision mitigation

2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV VS 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Toyota has captured the compact crossover and small SUV segment with competent and efficient cars that are widely used by millions, Subaru is more of an underdog in those terms. However, it does not beat the RAV4 Hybrid in many categories despite its higher top speed, quicker braking action, more spacious interior, and higher ground clearance. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, on the other hand, has a lead with its quicker acceleration, a higher horsepower output, a lighter body, a more fuel-efficient drivetrain, and a larger fuel tank which gives it a much better driving range, a higher cargo capacity, and a longer wheelbase. 

2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV VS 2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

Ford is another heavy hitter when it comes to SUVs and has been steadily increasing its arsenal when it comes to a sizable fleet of larger vehicles that can compete against other giants in the segment. The Ford Escape hybrid, however, beats the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with its higher horsepower output, lighter body, more fuel-efficient drivetrain, and larger fuel capacity which gives it a longer driving range, a more spacious interior, and greater cargo capacity, and a longer wheelbase. Whereas, the Crosstrek Hybrid has quicker acceleration, a higher top speed, a quicker braking action, and a higher ground clearance. 

2023 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid SUV VS 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid

Honda has been steadily gaining more and more clout when it comes to their SUVs with recent additions and improvements but the Honda CR-V Hybrid and the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid are pretty evenly matched all around. The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid has quicker acceleration, a higher top speed, a quicker braking action, a more spacious interior, a higher ground clearance, and a longer wheelbase. Whereas, the Honda CR-V Hybrid has a higher horsepower output, a lighter build, and better fuel efficiency with a fuel capacity that gives it a longer range, and a greater cargo capacity. All in all, both these SUVs focus on different aspects to grow on which makes them alternate sides of the same coin.

The Subaru Crosstrek hybrid is a flawed but interesting SUV, it was meant to be an attempt at rejuvenating the Crosstrek line with something fresh and more accessible for a growing crowd of environment-conscious folks. It has a beautiful exterior and interior, a premium feel, decent acceleration, and a high ground clearance which really makes it shine. However, it also has its downsides which are plenty, like the inefficient engine, smaller gas tank, uninspired handling, and a heavy frame that feels sluggish. For these reasons, we will not be recommending the 2023 iteration of the Subaru Crosstrek hybrid. It has a comparatively higher price tag and although it has various safety accolades and a vast suite of driver assist features, makes us question why it still remains underpowered. Subaru clearly cares for it and a slightly more powerful engine and more agile handling would make it incredibly competitive and an excellent choice for people looking for a Plug-In Hybrid Compact SUV in a segment filled with giants like Ford, Honda, Toyota, and Land Rover.