Car Review: 2018 Subaru Crosstrek

So maybe it wasn’t made for the Autobahn, but it sure is the perfect city car!

Last Wednesday, I arrived home to find a bright and shiny new 2018 Subaru Crosstrek sitting in my driveway to test out for a week. Boy, was I impressed! Firstly, the car is beautifully styled, with flowing, curvaceous lines that are all the rage these days. Beyond that, the color was a cross between French blue and baby blue, making it look really special and something that will forever stand out in a crowd. Although the car is a four-door sport-back (meaning almost a station wagon, but not quite), you would never know it from the driving position. And to be honest, the compact yet roomy size of the car is awesome given the crowded driving conditions that we here in Denver are begrudgingly getting used to. Especially for those of us either considering or having a family!

Upon entering the flowingly designed cabin, I first noticed the abundance of real leather (and perforated in the well contoured and heated seats I might add), and with soft upholstery everywhere else your body might touch. The leather was of exactly the same grade of a 4 series BMW I had the pleasure of using several weeks ago.

Driving the car was a pleasant experience. It easily took me a week to come to find out that the car had only 150 horsepower with a CVT transmission. It never once felt strained or underpowered, even during spirited driving. From an excellent sitting position (helped by the heavily bolstered infinitely selectable eight-way power seat), the eight-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system was a delight, with good road manners delivering a smooth, confident driving feeling. Acceleration through all four wheels was brisk, although this car was not built for the track! Driving it in the snow was an absolute delight!

Can I tell you about the up-to-the-minute tech? In addition to multiple-status adjustable display touch screens, it has almost every possible sensor and driving assist feature you can imagine. I’m talking about lane departure warnings to blind spot monitors and even proximity sensors. The leather-wrapped steering wheel felt confident in my hands, and even though the car has only 150 horsepower funneled through all four wheels, it never felt underpowered or clumsy to drive around town.

Priced just under 30K, I now know why this Subaru is the one of the best-selling cars in Colorado!