Test Drive: 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Touring

By Kevin Harrison

There are plenty of Car of the Year (COTY) awards these days. Everything from Truck of the year, to European car of the year to Esquire’s car of the year even to World car of the year. Presumably, most of these COTY awards are geared towards the places in the title. For instance the Ford F-150 is doubtedly among the best for pick-ups but it will likely never win a European COTY award. It’s just too big for the narrow streets of Europe. The assumption is that the European COTY would go to a vehicle that’s best suited for the roads and climate of Europe.
To that end, the 2013 Honda Accord was recently named Canadian car of the year. I like the Accord. In fact, I love the Accord. I like it so much that I bought one for my very first car in its Acura CL guise. And the new version, although I have yet to actually experience one behind the wheel, is exactly what it should be: attractive, refined, classy, good value with premium feel and a performance kick.

But I’m not sure I agree with it being the Canadian car of the year.

Hold your horses, Honda fanboys. Before you start freaking out and start labeling me as a hater or as a modern day Hitler, I’d like to redirect you to all the nice things I just said about the Accord in the 2nd paragraph. So you can go right ahead and delete those nasty comments and emails.

What I’m trying to say is that, in my mind, the Accord may not represent what a Canadian car of the year should. Again emphasis on the word may, and a second reminder that I love the Accord.

But in order to be named Canadian COTY, there should be certain things that a car does and does well. So, with that being said I’m going to offer my pick for what I think the Canadian COTY should be: The Subaru XV Crosstrek.

Here’s why.

First things first, it just plain looks ‘Canadian’ doesn’t it? It looks like it’s ready to handle just about anything. Appearance-wise, at first glance, it looks like a normal Impreza with a lot more body cladding, fancier wheels and of course the obvious lift in ride-height. Higher trim level models will add on some cosmetics such as a spoiler, integrated turn signal indicators in the mirrors and HID headlights. Overall the look is rugged, masculine and almost rather blunt, while the regular Impreza, by comparison, looks a little more delicate. I admit some angles can have it look a tad awkward but overall it’s quite agreeable, especially in my tester’s black paint scheme (most press vehicles don’t come in black at the foolish request from most auto journalists. Kudos to Subaru for matching the right colour to this car despite that).

Inside, the Crosstrek Touring takes a very Canadian no nonsense approach: it has everything you need, nothing you don’t. Why would you want leather, soft touch materials, a modern centre stack layout and an interior that doesn’t feel drab? Those are just unnecessary perks, eh? In all seriousness, the interior likely isn’t up to snuff compared to some other manufacturers, but this could be excused due to the rugged nature of the Crosstrek. Besides, the materials appear to be high quality and despite looking like it came straight out of 1995, the centre stack layout is logical.

Interior rooms is decent as headroom is good as is shoulder room. Rear legroom is adequate, that is to say it’s good if you’re sitting behind someone less than 6 feet tall. I’m exactly at six feet (okay okay 5″11 and a half – so sue me) and my seating position is about where rear passengers started feeling the pinch a bit, but still good for shorter trips. Rear cargo room is generous, especially with the rear seats down, which fold close to flat. I don’t own a medium or large sized dog, but luckily a friend does and Daisy seemed to be okay with the amount of room allotted to her back there.

Now, let’s talk about that ride height adjustment. A lot of North Americans have the ‘bigger is better’ mentality which is why manufacturers do so well in selling pick-ups and SUV’s here. The problem is, while we love our big trucks, us Canadians still want to be frugal. We want the ability to go off-road and handle the sometimes insane amounts of snow, but we also don’t want to break the bank doing it. It’s a challenge and while most manufacturers are coming up with interesting and innovative solutions, Subaru has come up with a simpler idea: If you use a vehicle that’s less tall than an SUV and is therefore lighter) then give it an efficient transmission. Not only does this cut down on cost, it makes it less complicated and thus, less likely for anything to go wrong.

So basically what we’re left with is an all-road, all-weather capable vehicle that does decently well on gas. I was fortunate enough to test out the Crosstrek’s capabilities in the snow and am pleased to report that it handled 25 plus centimeters like a champ. It felt surefooted, composed and loved playing in the stuff (unlike this author). It’s been a while since I’ve felt so confident driving in the snow (and yes, I’ve driven plenty of SUV’s in the snow before). I even tried to get the Crosstrek out of sorts in an empty parking lot, but all it would do is comply. I have a feeling that the only way to get this thing stuck is to actually flip it onto its roof like an upside down turtle. It really is that good.

What’s perhaps even more impressive is, despite the added ride height, the Crosstrek still feels capable and tossable in the corners. The suspension is stiff enough to take a corner without braking all while feeling adequately comfortable for every day driving, although you will still definitely feel the potholes.

And let’s talk fuel consumption. While it’s no Prius, it does fairly well for its off-road capabilities. If you opt for my tester’s CVT transmission, you’ll get a rating of 9.4 L/100 kms city and 7.1 highway. And while I’m not fan of CVT’s (or automatic transmissions in general), that’s pretty damned good, and on top of that, the CVT is not nearly has buzzy as some in the industry, making it tolerable. But the bottom line is, it’s tough to find a true all-wheel drive vehicle that is still good on gas. The XV Crosstrek is probably your best bet if you want both.

And that’s really what Canadians want. We want something that’s small and maneuverable enough for scooting around town. We want something that can climb a mountain and get out through 40 cms of snow. We want something that is good on gas in order to save money and be respectful to our great land. We want something that’s rugged and can handle all the people and cargo we throw at it. We want something that stands out a bit, without being too flashy. And we don’t want to break the bank while doing it. So far as I can tell, the Crosstrek checks all of these boxes and then some. And this is why it is my argument and ultimately Car Driven’s pick for Canadian Car of the Year.

Price As Tested: $24,495

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