Topic: Long-Term Wrap-Up: 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Touring

[blotter]

so any takers on how confident they would be towing 1500lbs with the Crosstrek?

[Fobroader]

so any takers on how confident they would be towing 1500lbs with the Crosstrek?

1500Lbs on a CVT LOL  Im not that brave

[Sir Osis of Liver]

so any takers on how confident they would be towing 1500lbs with the Crosstrek?

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

so any takers on how confident they would be towing 1500lbs with the Crosstrek?

1500Lbs on a CVT LOL  Im not that brave

How about 5000lbs with the CVT in the Pathfinder. 

[Fobroader]

so any takers on how confident they would be towing 1500lbs with the Crosstrek?

1500Lbs on a CVT LOL  Im not that brave

How about 5000lbs with the CVT in the Pathfinder.

Only on a lease, if it was mine, hell no.

[Mike]

so any takers on how confident they would be towing 1500lbs with the Crosstrek?

1500 lbs is nothing. 5 200 lbs passengers are almost that weight.  I used to tow 1000 lbs all over Ontario first with my 1996 Camaro and then with my Colbat. No issues ever.

[Northernridge]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

[2JDM]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

Nissan Juke/Mitsubishi RVR/Honda Urban SUV Concept in the future?

[Northernridge]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

Nissan Juke/Mitsubishi RVR/Honda Urban SUV Concept in the future?

Clever model then...few head-to-head competitors and an obvious value proposition at the same time. I bet other car co's watch it closely.

[dirtyjeffer]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

Nissan Juke/Mitsubishi RVR/Honda Urban SUV Concept in the future?

not the Juke...it's tiny inside...i still liked it though.

the RVR and other small wagons are good competitors...the Hyundai Elantra Touring is no longer made, which is a shame because it was a solid value in the $20k bracket, so that is one less competitor for it...if i were in the market, i'd consider one.

[bridgecity]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

Nissan Juke/Mitsubishi RVR/Honda Urban SUV Concept in the future?

not the Juke...it's tiny inside...i still liked it though.

the RVR and other small wagons are good competitors...the Hyundai Elantra Touring is no longer made, which is a shame because it was a solid value in the $20k bracket, so that is one less competitor for it...if i were in the market, i'd consider one.

Tuscon and Sportage would be included as competitors, no?

[Noto]

It's not fiber glass. We did the molds for the C6, and the process is called RIM molding. Much different.

...is it now known as "Blackberry" molding for the C7?

All well and good. But in the 99% of the time when you don't need AWD, you're stuck driving a Subaru. Seems a high price to pay.

Watch yourself, else I'll get a Crosstrek to tow your RWD/FWD cars into a forest and laugh as you try to get out.

[jyarkony]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

Nissan Juke/Mitsubishi RVR/Honda Urban SUV Concept in the future?

not the Juke...it's tiny inside...i still liked it though.

the RVR and other small wagons are good competitors...the Hyundai Elantra Touring is no longer made, which is a shame because it was a solid value in the $20k bracket, so that is one less competitor for it...if i were in the market, i'd consider one.

Tuscon and Sportage would be included as competitors, no?

It's really tough to nail down, because rather than segments, there seems to be a scale, and each car is progressively bigger, from Juke to Trax to XV to RVR to Tucson, Sportage and Tiguan, and while the Soul is FWD only, it too seems a bit like a mini-crossover.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

We looked at a few FWD compact cars, the Trax, the CrossTrek and a few traditional CUVs.

It really is just a jacked up Imprezza, so it kind of blurs the compact car and CUV segments.

[Noto]

It really is just a jacked up Imprezza, so it kind of blurs the compact car and CUV segments.

I don't think it blurs the CUV segment at all - I would argue that making a segment by size alone is a flawed indicium of competition.  There's no ONE CUV segment - there's small vs big; compact vs mid-size; economy vs premium vs luxury; sporty vs vanilla; quirky vs mainstream; and I'm sure we can figure out a few others...

Whether all manufacturers offer a vehicle that is sized identically to its competition does not determine whether or not they compete.  Point is - not every manufacturer offers a car to directly compete with other manufacturers.  Sometimes they do - but just because the ATS copied the dimensions of the last gen 3-series doesn't mean all competing vehicles must do the same.  The Santa Fe Sport is huge in comparison to the CX-5 or the CRV, but they'll still be cross-shopped.  I think it's time the 'segments' are ignored or standardized - and the latter won't happen.  As such, when a buyer outlines his/her/their preferences, there are vehicles that will meet their criteria. 

For example, my brother wants a 7 seater that can handle 2 child seats and adult passengers in the rear (and accessibility without too much strain).  There are plenty of 7 seater SUVs, but he will cross-shop the Minivans and the Nissan Pathfinder (and the Pathfinder only because of its tilting seat that allows access to the rear with a child seat installed).

Many CUVs are just jacked up versions of lower offerings.  The XV is based on the Impreza - very much so - but I wouldn't call it merely a jacked-up version.  Subaru probably should have given it more distinct styling to differentiate it more away from such claims of similarity.  Although the XV demands a price premium (~$2k- ish?), it's not the same as an Impreza - it has more ground clearance, more fitting brakes, different suspension tuning, specific body cladding, and some other uniqueness.

Audi is taking an A3, jacking it up, and calling it the Q3 - isn't this the same idea as the XV?  So should the XV and the Q3 be cross-shopped?  They're both small CUVs based on a smaller wagon, but whether or not a consumer would cross-shop them is based on the flexibility of finances and what he/she/they value.

I think it's great that manufacturers can economically gain greater market entry without having to design brand new vehicles from the ground up - this way, we all win a bit.  SirO, and enjoy your purchase!!  Great choice!

[safristi]

When they "JACK THEM UP" do we as consumers "GET JACKED ON PRICES?........there is a thesis! hypothesis! for you smarty pants still in short pants and in UNI Campussess ..say HIGH to Teresa. .

 Yes I do agree on your point about cross shopping..the Santa fe Rav4,Mazda CX5,Mitsu RVR,CVR Honda Tiguan...............quite substantial differences in ROOM, EXTRAS and FINANCING..and most importantly driving experience................

[dirtyjeffer]

Question: After reading the recent threads about small CUVc (CRV, CX5, RAV4) I'm wondering where the Crosstrek fits in? It seems a little more car-wagon-like and slightly smaller than this group. Has Subie carved a slightly new niche?

Nissan Juke/Mitsubishi RVR/Honda Urban SUV Concept in the future?

not the Juke...it's tiny inside...i still liked it though.

the RVR and other small wagons are good competitors...the Hyundai Elantra Touring is no longer made, which is a shame because it was a solid value in the $20k bracket, so that is one less competitor for it...if i were in the market, i'd consider one.

Tuscon and Sportage would be included as competitors, no?

Tuscon and Sportage, sure (albeit likely smaller than the XV as well)...as cool as the Juke is, it's just too tiny...and not in a "it's small, but doesn't seem small" kind of way...it's small...i still had fun in it, and still like it...i see it as   fun single person car, or for a couple of empty nesters who don't need a larger vehicle.

[Northernridge]

I arrived early for a meeting yesterday that was near the local Subaru store so I stopped in to look around for a few minutes. There was an Impreza and Crosstrek side-by-side in the showroom so I checked them out. Both impressed me, Subie has improved its interior design savvy lately, I really like the dash configuration and the steering wheel. The interior struck me as intelligent and understated in a good way...also seemed like decent quality materials for the price. I was hard pressed to tell the difference between the two on the inside...are these interiors identical? I could have used another inch or two of legroom and that was my only complaint.

I liked the taller floor on the Crosstrek for ease of entry and would pay the difference for this alone. Both vehicles impressed me – can't see how you could like/dislike one but not the other since they are so similar. Not having driven them the combo of practicality, stout AWD and purposefulness wins me over anyway. Neither will win a beauty contest but they're not ugly either...more like that quirky Subaru design charm. I would hate to see them get any chunkier.

The Crosstrek was a Sport model and priced just shy of 30k...seemed fair value...not cheap but fair.

I asked about the 2014 Forester and it's arriving in Winnipeg in about 6 weeks I was told.