"Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!" (patrickgruden)
01/09/2015 at 09:38 • Filed to: None
5
15|
"Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!" (patrickgruden)
01/09/2015 at 09:38 • Filed to: None | 5
| 15 |
I figure 21 months of ownership is sufficient time to form an opinion, so I feel it's my duty to give a long term evaluation of the Subaru XV Crosstrek.
I purchased my Tangerine Orange Pearl XV Crosstrek in April of 2013. In that time, I have put 27,000 miles on the vehicle. My impressions and thoughts of the vehicle is as follows.
When I first started driving the vehicle, I got many stares. I think at the time there weren't too many Orange XV's on the road, and as such it would catch people's attention. The car seemed to actually be visible to other drivers on the road. It was rather refreshing to be driving something that didn't look like everything else on the road.
Driving dynamics are probably what sold me on the vehicle. The vehicle sits high enough off the ground for increased visibility over passenger cars, but not so high that you have the shortcomings and handling tradeoffs of a large SUV or Truck. The CVT has actually been my biggest surprise. This one really doesn't drone on like most CVTs of the past. Couple this with the paddle shifters and the car can be quite fun to drive.
The engine in this vehicle isn't the most powerful on the market, but it serves the vehicle well enough. After about 1500 miles, the engine seemed to have loosened up a good deal, and gas mileage increased as well as a slight (perceived) power increase. This vehicle isn't a stoplight racer, but it also wasn't meant to be. There is adequate power from this engine. And with proper use of the paddle shifters, you can be confident that you will have the ability to complete any merge or passing maneuver successfully.
Gas mileage I have found to be pretty respectful in the XV. I average 29.6 MPG in mixed driving, which I think is pretty decent for a CUV. This is actually better mileage than the Mazda3 (2.5) that I had previously.
The passenger space in this vehicle has been adequate for my purposes. I have transported myself and two passengers before, and even the back seat passenger was sufficiently comfortable, even with both the driver and passenger seat all the way back, and a six footer in the second row. The cargo area is sufficient for most weekly grocery trips. With the second row folded down, I can fit a 29er mountain bike in the rear cargo area.
The best feature (not surprisingly) of this vehicle is how it deals with inclement weather. The XV tracks confidently and surely through anything I have put it through. On dirt trails it has never once left me stranded for traction. In heavy downpours with large road puddles the vehicle has not hydroplaned. In 10 inches of snow with winter tires, the XV just drives through as if it were a dry road. This could be the perfect vehicle for when the road conditions are less than ideal.
There has been only one unscheduled stop to dealer, which was covered under warranty. The CEL and VDC lights came on, which in turn reduced power to the engine. There was a faulty Cam Position Sensor that there was a TSB on, so the dealership knew the problem, as well as the appropriate course of action to remedy the situation.
While this vehicle might sound perfect, there are a couple of things that could use some improving. The factory speakers in this vehicle are awful. They are very thin, paper cone speakers with almost no magnet to them. Even average listeners would want to upgrade to something better. Doing so will make the OEM head unit sound much better.
There is also a lack of sound deadening in the vehicle, and there is a good amount of road noise coming from the doors and the trunk floor. Adding additional sound deadening in these areas will make the vehicle sound much more solid when closing the doors, as well as cut down some of the drone from highway travel. My final quip with the XV is that the paint is very thin. This seems to be a recurring theme with many vehicles these days. In 27,000 miles, there are quite a few rock chips, even with a hood deflector.
Given the good and the bad, I would recommend this vehicle to almost anyone in the market for a small CUV. It excels when the traction is at a premium, and is livable enough for everyday life. In a scale of 1-10, I would rate this vehicle an 8.
Credit to Autotrader for photo.
Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:44 |
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Orange is such a great colour. Especially this. This thing looks great.
CalzoneGolem
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:46 |
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I'm guessing you aren't burning oil then?
Kate's Dirty Sister
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:49 |
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I almost bought one 18 months ago. I liked it a lot.
Just as you, to my surprise, I preferred the CVT a lot more. The manual they put in that thing is the most vile manual transmission ever known by mankind, it's terrible. It was ok with the CVT, though. You can feel that the car has been engineered for the CVT. As previously said in another post, the clutch feels like stepping in dog's poop while the shifter feels like stirring a mayonnaise with a dildo. No bueno. The CVT is also a lot better at managing the lack of low-end torque.
Otherwise, I really liked the car. However, in a strange twist of fate, I ended up with a Focus ST.
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Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
> CalzoneGolem
01/09/2015 at 09:50 |
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Nope, no oil issues whatsoever. I've read that this was happening to some Impreza (and a few XV) owners, but I usually check once a week and I'm always at the level I should be.
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CalzoneGolem
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:52 |
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My boss has an Blue 2013 XV and he says he'll burn a quart between oil changes.
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Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
> Kate's Dirty Sister
01/09/2015 at 09:53 |
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I haven't quite heard that colorful explanation of the shifter. One I soon won't forget either.
In a perfect world I would probably have a manual, but seeing as how I commute in sometimes stop and go traffic and my wife has no desire to learn how to drive a manual, I made the choice I did.
It was really between this and the Juke, but I couldn't justify the less space and need for premium gas from the Nissan. That, and the Nissan CVT is awful.
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Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
> CalzoneGolem
01/09/2015 at 09:55 |
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Well that certainly sucks. Let me guess, the dealer says this is normal?
lameofdog
> CalzoneGolem
01/09/2015 at 09:55 |
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Why would it be burning oil?
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CalzoneGolem
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:57 |
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It's within acceptable limits.
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Kate's Dirty Sister
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:58 |
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You are not missing out. I never had an automatic car in my almost 20 years of driving, but if I was to go with the Crosstrek, it was to pick the CVT.
haveacarortwoorthree
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 09:58 |
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Thanks, and very timely as I am thinking of getting one of these as my DD, to be handed down to my 14 year old in a few years. Very helpful!
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CalzoneGolem
> lameofdog
01/09/2015 at 09:58 |
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Shitty piston rings.
http://www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-su…
Justin Hughes
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 10:21 |
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An XV was the course opening car at Black River Stages last year. I never saw it run (I was in a Jeep Compass behind the bikes and ahead of the cars) but it seemed to hold up to the hard driving just fine from what I could see.
If it's the same manual shifter as the a Impreza, argh. I'm with Kate's Dirty Sister on that one. There were no 2014 WRXs available at the time I bought my BRZ, and the 2015s weren't out yet, but after sitting in a '14 WRX at an auto show I couldn't believe how bad the shifter was. That alone might've pushed me into the BRZ if a WRX had been available, and I've been lusting after WRXs since they first came to the US. I sure hope they improved the shifter in the new one. I haven't driven one yet.
Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/09/2015 at 11:33 |
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My sister is looking at these since she now lives in Cincinnati and figured it would be better in the winter than a fiesta. I'll have to show her this review
Ike B
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
01/13/2015 at 13:59 |
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Seems about right. I drove my aunt's through the mountains near Yosemite for a couple hours and it was a good car all around. The CVT definitely needs "downshifting" with fair aggression to deal with downhill grades, and at one point it scared me with lack of passing power in a crossing-the-dotted-yellow-line situation, but it was new to me too.
It didn't care about snow or ice at all.
Maybe she had an upgraded stereo but it had great cabin acoustics with the bass. It may have had low headroom on the speakers but they filled out the range way better than my older cars. It's amazing how far stereos have come. Hell, even my 1998 Volvo V70 had a good enough stock system where I didn't bother upgrading it, and this is coming from a guy who used to put full systems in everything I own.