Mar 13, 20204 min read

2021 CROSSTREK GETTING MORE VROOOMAGE

Sequoia National Park — Princess Poppy in the Snow // © 2018 Supersonic Subawoo

Google News alerted my phone one day that the new Subaru Crosstrek will pack more power, and while I grudgingly swiped away the overwhelming sweep of monotone Covid-19 and economy stories, I went, “OoOooOoh,” and subconsciously tapped on the Crosstrek article as if nothing else in the world mattered. Because Subaru!

Low and behold, Car and Driver was reporting (via Automotive News) that Subaru’s CEO confirmed a 2021 Crosstrek engine upgrade to the 2.5-Liter engine from its current 2.0-Liter. I currently, and proudly, own a 2018 Sunshine Orange Crosstrek that I named Princess Poppy, which I had custom-ordered from the manufacturer and waited over two months to receive - and, man, is it slow… Despite the sloth feature, though, I think it is otherwise one of the most brilliantly designed, versatile and tall-people-friendly CUVs in its class. (I just wish it could tow a race car!) Even now, I often find myself saying that if this thing had a baseline of at least 250bhp and slightly larger brakes (and could tow a race car!), it would be the perfect commuter car. I mean, the. perfect. car. Given its vehicle class and price, it is bursting with gratifying features, and the interior quality and suspension ride is enough to sometimes forget that you're not actually driving an entry-level luxury vehicle.

The first paragraph of the Car and Driver article got me riled up. Are they finally adding a turbo, meow? Is it going to exert at least 200 ponies worth of work? Is it going to outrun a stock BRZ?! (That's gonna be a slow drag race, LOL. ...sorry.) I was already feeling upbeat about a more responsive engine in an already awesome car that presently weighs less than the Forester or the STi. Additionally, the Subaru off-road community has been making enough noise to clearly grab Subaru’s attention, so I was naturally expecting this engine upgrade to provide enough oomph for the Crosstrek to finally become the ultimate crossover. Unfortunately, however, I kept reading only to digest the disappointment of a mere 30-horsepower increase.

While the slight upgrade might boost some driving enthusiasm, it doesn’t help the fact that other crossover and SUV brands - most notably, Mazda - are ahead in widely amping up power and efficiency in affordable packages. Mazda's CX-5, for example, is already equipped with a 2.5L engine that averages the same 30mpg with 187hp (which is still considered "lackluster"), but at least offers the option for a 250hp/320tq Skyactiv-X® version with nearly the same fuel efficiency. (It still can’t tow a race car!) It seems Subaru is still choosing to take baby steps, and their vehicles are lagging behind for the sake of safety and emissions (particularly on inclines). While it’s not a terrible thing, considering roads are increasingly more crowded and most of the competition doesn’t have the dexterity of Subaru’s superior AWD systems, it still doesn’t address the increased safety risk of lacking the power to keep up with the growing number of vehicles traveling at ever higher speeds. The point is, as a distinguished enthusiast brand, too much focus on safety could eventually defeat its own purpose, and you can’t just slam on the brakes every time, you know…

According to an insurance report late last year, the Crosstrek (all MYs) leads the automotive pack by accounting for over a quarter of all at-fault accidents in the United States for the past seven years. It is the most crashed vehicle in the country! Fortunately, at least, they have the most people walking away from accidents, too. Certainly there are countless variables for this data, but as I’ve mentioned in a previous write-up, the Crosstrek relies heavily on momentum in high-speed circumstances, potentially increasing the risk for errors - perhaps even rage. Throw an impatient, inattentive, and/or low-skilled driver into the mix, and you’ll find yourself fretting behind the wheel of Murphy’s Law.

Now, the Crosstrek obviously isn’t a sports car, and it isn’t designed for hard driving or high-speed fun, although it has its moments. If anything, I would say it's built to relax and enjoy your everyday-drive, with just enough features to get the job done, and just enough touches to tickle your sports-car fancy. You can drive it anywhere off-road that its ample clearance allows for, and still carve some canyon twisties if you're in for a rush. Use it to drive your friends around, move stuff, explore, camp in it, pack it to the brim and still have room, and average 450+ miles per tank all while riding on the best-in-class suspension, and in the comfort of Subaru safety standards that have placed the Crosstrek as one of IIHS’s top safety picks since its inception in 2012. Not to mention, it’s still fun to drive around town. I wrote in my one-year anniversary post that the “dead-zone,” as I call it, is between 40 and 65 miles per hour on the ODO, where acceleration hits a wall. Up to and beyond that, it starts to pick up again, and it can actually be a lot of fun to drive using the paddle shifters. Start accelerating in that bland RPM range on an open road or on-ramp, though, and you’ll really start to miss your STi.

I’m glad Subaru is taking a step forward with a power increase for the next model, no matter how incremental, because it means they’re listening. Every little step forward means progress, and we all know that environmental laws, however beneficial to the earth, put a huge dent in fun-factors and costs, so sacrifices are inevitable. (Let's just hope they don't sacrifice all the fun for the sake of having the safest cars.) What I hope for, though, is that Subaru will eventually build a Crosstrek, or other novelty-type crossover (perhaps like the Viziv concept) of similar size and curb weight, with true off-road capabilities, a 6-speed manual with all the same options available as the automatic (except Eyesight), and a turbocharged, 2.5L flat four that pushes at least 300hp to the wheels.

…and the ability to tow a race car. :D