Faults:

Nothing major. The seatbelts don't retract all the time. I now have a major dent/scratch in the door well from slamming the door on the un-retracted seatbelt.

The main touchscreen display console doesn't always work efficiently and has a mind of its own.

It sometimes makes weird clunk/clicking sounds when I reverse and turn the steering wheel.

The powertrain is completely gutless.

General Comments:

I bought this car based on online reviews, which was a mistake. For a car I paid over $45,000 CAD for I am very disappointed.

First off, even though I bought the Limited edition model with the 2.5 litre engine, it is the most gutless car I have owned in my 40 years of driving. I live close to a busy street and when I have to turn left I've had quite a few close calls where I wasn't sure I could accelerate fast enough to make it. Sometimes I drop it down into manual mode and use the paddle shifters just to make sure I have a smidgen of acceleration. When I put my foot to the floor, the engine revs up to over 5000 rpm and a second or two later it slowly accelerates - absolutely pathetic.

On top of the crappy performance it really sucks on gas consumption. Last week I took a long highway trip, then did some in town driving. When I filled up I calculated that I achieved 23 mpg - way below Subaru's listed mileage. My 2008 Mazda 3 had way better acceleration and gas consumption.

I find the interior finish rather cheap. Also, the main electronic console display is very glitchy. It's very slow to respond in the winter. I have no idea how the cold would make it sluggish. Also, sometimes the console just doesn't turn on. I have to restart the car to get it to display. It's also possessed at times. I have the climate control set at a certain level and fan distribution. When I start the car the next time, it randomly just changes all the settings. This is a real pain as I have to go through multiple display panels to reset it to what I want.

I will be trading this SUV in soon as the console is a major repair and controls so many things on this car. I know all the online reviews are glowing, but this car has some serious deficiencies. The only positive thing is it's good in the snow.

Faults:

This manual transmission Crosstrek has been trouble free for over 80,000 miles. Stay on top of maintenance and Subaru's will provide reliable transportation.

General Comments:

The 2.0 liter engine does not provide much in the way of performance, the car is quite slow. Gas mileage is about 28 around town and 30+ on the highway, so it's not an economy champ either. Ride quality is very good. Fit and finish is excellent. Interior room is very good and storage is great for a car this size. All Subaru's (except the BRZ) are all wheel drive which is nice in climates with snow.

After 80,000 miles the car does not burn or leak oil, suspension components and brakes have been trouble free. Subaru's maintenance schedule requires service more frequently than other brands and that service may be more expensive; but the payoff is excellent reliability.