I have been driving for many years, mostly of family-oriented vehicles. I haven't driven that many in total, so I'll just list them all here.
Dodge Grand Caravan
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Camry
Cadillac SRX
I have driven some other cars, such as Mazda 3 and Honda Civic, but I don't include those because I drove them for only a short distance (less than 5km).
So with these cars in mind, I present to you my Crosstrek driving experience.
I did a lot of research on the Crosstrek prior to contacting the dealership to arrange the test drive. Overall it was a good car but there were a few recurring complaints about it.
- Engine lacks power,
- Transmission noise is annoying,
- Road/wind noise is overpowering,
- Oil consumption by the engine.
I think a lot of these reviews were influenced by previous year Crosstreks, which had poorer noise insulation. The 2016 Crosstrek is supposed to have remedied this by adding more insulation around the car.
I can address the first three points. Obviously I wouldn't be able to test oil consumption on a test drive, but reports are that Subaru has fixed this since last year or before.
Engine power
People that complained that the engine lacks power were probably coming from gigantic North American gas guzzlers or some sports car. The Grand Caravan that I drove had a pretty big engine that was adequate for the minivan. I think the feel of the engine power in the Grand Caravan is similar to that of the Crosstrek. The Corolla is definitely much weaker but I still have no problems driving it on the highway and, although sometimes it struggles to accelerate from third gear, it could drive just fine with a little planning ahead.
On the short test drive I had, there were no indications that it was lacking power. The engine and transmission responded well to my inputs. One thing I agree with is that it is a little punchy - it was quick to respond to my foot on the gas from idle. This was similar to the response I had with the Camry and Mazda. The was a short adjustment period to get used to the gas on these two, especially with the braking.
Braking power
Crosstrek braking is adequate. Again I think it compares to the minivan. The Corolla has very weak brakes and the Camry/Mazda have very touchy brakes. I have no worries stopping in the Corolla however, so the Crosstrek doesn't worry me either.
Ride
I found the ride to be good. The suspension was stiffer than most cars but did not cause the ride to be rough. I had the chance to drive over a railroad crossing to feel its stiffness. As reported by many drivers, the turns were well controlled. I took one turn faster than normal and did not feel the body roll any more than a small car would. Overall the car drives more like a small car rather than a truck.
Noises
People complaining about road and wind noise must have been driving luxury cars. The Crosstrek comes from the factory with light truck tires. I'm no expert on tires, but my understanding is that these tend to be more noisy. In comparison, the Corolla was a bit noisier as it's also an older car. Sometimes I do have trouble with talking over the noise or hearing the radio, but I would attribute that to the car's age rather than the build. I didn't have this problem in the Crosstrek. It is still new, however, so I might expect the noise level to increase with age like the Corolla.
Steering
The steering was very comfortable and smooth. The only car I have driven so far that has weak steering is the Corolla. All the other cars are comparable.
The steering wheel design is different from the other cars I remember driving so far. It has a 3-point connection to the column at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock while the other cars have 3, 4, 8, and 9. I thought I might have trouble getting used to it but driving normally I didn't not run into that connection point at the bottom. I can't comment on the convenience controls. I would like more time to learn them so I didn't fumble with them during the test drive and be distracted from the important things.
Other controls
All of the controls were well within reach. The only areas that might be bothersome are the parking brake and heated seat controls. Both of them are on the left side of the center console. They might be covered by a winter jacket while seated. However, this is very minor as I wouldn't normally need to access either control while driving. I didn't try the infotainment system either as there was nothing there that would make me hate the car.
Overall
I enjoyed the ride. I'm not looking for anything with too many features or extras. Power is nice but I can live without the turbo. I could still be looking to upgrade in a few years but for now the Crosstrek is plenty enough for my purposes. The standard roof rails will hopefully allow me to take home some IKEA purchases that I couldn't before with the Corolla.
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