Let’s find out if its ‘lifestyle’ ambitions are more than skin deep
ALASTAIR CLEMENTS
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT
To see if this capable new crossover can be more than just a niche product
Judging by the action-packed promotional videos I’ve seen, Subaru’s ‘lifestyle’ aspirations for this car amount to rather sexier outdoor pursuits – usually involving skis, sails or ropes – than a weekend’s fishing in the Home Counties. However, that was what my best friend Alex wanted to do for his 50th birthday, and it was in the depths of the countryside with the potential for the odd green lane, so the Crosstrek seemed the obvious choice of transport.
It was fortunate that there were only two of us, because once we had stowed a weekend’s food, a couple of disposable barbecues, sufficient liquid refreshment, wellies and ancillary fishing gear in the boot, there wasn’t any room left for our clothes (or Alex’s eight rods), so we had to load up the rear seat too.
In this class of car, a luggage bay of just 315 litres feels pretty meagre – presumably not aided by the substantial rear subframe and the differential for the four-wheel drive system beneath. It’s shallow, too, because there isn’t even the option to lower the boot floor that you will find in most of the Crosstrek’s more conventional rivals, as that’s the space where the mild-hybrid gubbins and the extra battery live.
On the plus side, it’s refreshing to find a proper, solidly made retractable luggage-bay cover in this category, where the default setting appears to be a nastily flimsy and bulky solid panel suspended by fiddly strings, which you have to either find somewhere for in the car or leave behind in the house when you anticipate having a decent-sized load to carry.
The journey itself was very pleasant. On a longer run, the Subaru’s normally aspirated flat-four engine is more frugal – I’ve seen up to 38mpg, in contrast to as little as 29mpg when the car is restricted to commuting duties – and the Crosstrek’s Impreza-based platform feels supple and agile (if a little soft) on a typical British B-road. Drive around the rather laborious nature of the CVT and the nicely weighted, accurate steering adds to a fairly rewarding experience, although it’s never quite what I would call fun. I’ve said it before, but a bit more power would definitely help here, along with a manual gearbox…
We didn’t encounter any proper green lanes in the end, but the raised ride height and excellent traction do give conf
