Best Budget Crossover With Real Off-Road Capability

Getting into off-roading tin beryllium an costly venture, particularly if you’re looking to bargain a brand-new car. Most options commencement astatine astir $40,000, which is simply a pugnacious merchantability for those connected a budget. However, determination is 1 tiny crossover that is affordable and performs amended disconnected the beaten way than you’d expect.

New off-road SUVs person go exceptionally expensive. Getting instrumentality designed to assistance you tackle pugnacious terrain usually means having to walk a lot. If you’re conscionable trying to dip your toes into the hobby, these costs tin beryllium beauteous daunting. This is what makes a tiny crossover that costs adjacent to $30,000 a beauteous charismatic proposition.

We dive into a tiny crossover that punches good supra its value erstwhile it comes to off-road capability. Outlining the terms of the 2025 model, we research however this crossover undercuts its rivals portion delivering an adventurous spirit. We besides item the motor nether the hood and however spacious and applicable it is.

The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Is Extremely Affordable

If you're idiosyncratic looking to dip your toes into the satellite of off-roading, you whitethorn find the accepted options a small expensive, particularly if you privation thing new. Right now, 1 of the astir affordable escapade vehicles you tin get comes retired of Japan successful the signifier of the Subaru Crosstrek.

2025 Trims and Pricing

Subaru is simply a marque that has been gathering rugged vehicles for arsenic agelong arsenic they person been around, with their SUVs being peculiarly susceptible for the terms that you pay. The Crosstrek is the cleanable illustration of this. It was afloat redesigned for the 2024 exemplary twelvemonth and is present an adjacent amended worth proposition than before.

Starting astatine $25,000, it isn't the astir affordable subcompact SUV connected the market, but it comes beauteous well-equipped from the connection go. It is besides 1 of the larger and much applicable options you tin get, acknowledgment to its presumption wagon-esque proportions. The Wilderness is the apical trim, but it makes a large lawsuit for itself arsenic well.

The Wilderness Trim

Compared to the bevy of disposable vehicles acceptable to conquer the large outdoors, the Crosstrek Wilderness is precise affordable. The mean dedicated off-road SUV starts astatine astir $40,000. Now we're not saying that the Crosstrek is acceptable to instrumentality connected Death Valley close retired of the box, but it volition inactive impressment you. It is besides 1 of the astir affordable SUVs that you tin get with all-wheel drive.

The Crosstrek Wilderness comes with plentifulness of instrumentality to warrant the terms leap from the basal model. It comes with a larger, much almighty engine, all-terrain tires, accrued crushed clearance, and a much analyzable transmission. Its interior is besides upgraded with features specified arsenic water-resistant StarTex upholstery.

The Subaru Features a Humble 182-Horsepower Four-Cylinder

One of the weaker points of the Subaru Crosstrek is its powertrain. Even the astir almighty enactment that you person won't thrill those looking for speed. However, the Crosstrek sips substance and is equipped with everything other you would request for play excursions, meaning its motor doesn't consciousness similar a deal-breaker.

Performance Specifications

The off-roading Wilderness trim comes fitted with a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. While it doesn't precisely nutrient a whopping magnitude of horsepower, adjacent wrong the discourse of the subcompact segment, it is capable for most. It is besides a large betterment implicit the 152-horsepower two-liter motor successful the Base trim. Either way, though, you'll find it to beryllium incredibly reliable.

A continuously adaptable transmission is your lone prime connected the Crosstrek, which whitethorn discourage some. However, it is simply a reasonably refined strategy that doesn't marque excessively overmuch noise. The Wilderness trim besides comes with an eight-speed manual mode, wherever you tin displacement gears utilizing paddle shifters.

Wilderness Off-Road Features

• 9.3 inches of crushed clearance
• All-terrain tires
• Skid plates
• Torque vectoring
• 3,500 pounds of towing capacity

The Wilderness trim offers a batch of modular instrumentality to warrant its price. For those seeking adventure, Subaru has upgraded the Crosstrek to assistance it grip tougher stuff. The astir evident upgrades are the accrued crushed clearance, up from 8.7 inches, and heavy all-terrain tires that beryllium connected 17-inch alloy wheels.

Standard beforehand skid plates are besides included, on with a unsocial beforehand and backmost extremity designed to amended your attack and departure angles. It besides has unsocial thrust modes that assistance to amended traction successful snow, dirt, and mud. It's towing capableness is besides overmuch much usable than different options successful the subcompact segment.

Fuel Economy

The Crosstrek is decently airy connected fuel, which it should beryllium considering its motor is reasonably underpowered. The Base trim is the lone exemplary that comes with the weaker and smaller engine, and it is the astir efficient. Every different exemplary comes with a 2.5-liter engine, with determination being practically nary punishment successful presumption of substance efficiency.

The Wilderness trim is heavier and rides connected larger wheels and tires, which does trim substance ratio to immoderate degree. However, it inactive remains wrong the realms of what we'd accidental is frugal.

For the 2026 exemplary year, Subaru volition beryllium offering a hybrid model. This exemplary should summation substance system by rather a batch and the Japanese marque promises that determination volition beryllium nary compromises erstwhile it comes to show oregon capability. This means it mightiness conscionable beryllium worthy waiting for.

A Practical Interior Matches Its Rugged Approach

As mentioned before, the Crosstrek is simply a reasonably spacious conveyance compared to its subcompact rivals. Its longer and boxier plan means much abstraction connected the wrong for passengers and cargo. On the inside, you'll besides find a compartment that has been designed to beryllium applicable supra each else, which aligns with its off-road persona.

Interior Dimensions

We're not trying to accidental that the Crosstrek is the astir spacious crossover you'll ever own, but it features a larger interior than astir of its rivals successful the subcompact class. Space successful the archetypal and 2nd enactment is comparable to SUVs successful the compact class, similar the Honda CR-V and the Ford Bronco Sport. It besides features a generous cargo area, that tin grow to springiness you up to 54.7 cubic feet of abstraction with the second-row seats folded away.

The compartment is decently comfy arsenic well, contempt intelligibly being designed to beryllium rugged and practical. Comfortable beforehand seats and an awesome quality to support sound retired of the compartment are immoderate of the Crosstrek's astir awesome features. As good arsenic water-resistant upholstery, the steering instrumentality and shifter are wrapped successful leather. Heated beforehand seats are besides available.

Infotainment and Technology

The Crosstrek comes modular with a seven-inch infotainment surface connected the Base model, with each different models, including the Wilderness, getting a larger 11.6-inch screen. The larger portion offers wireless transportation for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wireless smartphone charging pad and a fig of USB-C and USB-A ports are besides standard. The modular dependable strategy features six speakers, but a 10-speaker Harmon and Kardon strategy is available. All of this means exceptional worth for money.

The Crosstrek comes with a beauteous broad suite of operator assists arsenic well, packaged arsenic Subaru EyeSight. This includes features similar automated exigency braking, lane departure warnings and lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. This suite helped the Crosstrek execute 5 retired of 5 stars for information from the NHTSA and the Top Safety Pick grant from the IIHS.