It has been six months since we received our long-term Crosstrek tester, and although we’re enjoying our time in Subaru’s smallest crossover, it’s time to complain. Sorry, little Subaru, but the honeymoon is over.
At Motor Trend, we have a large fleet of short- and long-term testers to review, and because automakers like to send us higher-trim vehicles to test, it’s rare we get one that doesn’t have a push-start ignition. A proximity key—a feature that allows you to simply touch or push a button on the door handle to lock and unlock the door—almost always accompanies a push-start ignition. Sadly, our mid-level Premium trim Crosstrek is equipped with neither a push-start nor a proximity key, and these aren’t available unless you opt for the top Limited trim. This is unfortunate considering the Premium trim’s price (the 2019 model carries an MSRP of $24,870 with an automatic transmission).
Now, this might sound like nitpicking but trust me: Once you get used to the convenience of just touching a door handle to get in and pushing a button to start a car, you’ll never want to go back. Gone are the days of searching for your key fob while you hold items in your hands, or hunting for the ignition and scratching the area around it from failed attempts.
Another feature I miss that the Crosstrek should have at this price point are door locks that automatically unlock when the vehicle is put into park and automatically lock again when the vehicle is put into drive or reverse. I don’t see this as only a convenience feature that makes life a little easier but also as a safety feature because it secures your doors as you take off.
And Subaru, please give the Crosstrek linear acceleration. A common complaint about many Subarus is their neck-snapping initial throttle response. We complained about this in our First Test review on the Outback 3.6R. Touch the throttle pedal just a little too aggressively, and the Crosstrek surges forward quickly, surprising passengers with an uncomfortable jerk. During daily driving with passengers, this is always in the back of my head and forces me to apply the throttle carefully so that I don’t annoy my occupants.
Read more about our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek:
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