2017 Subaru Crosstrek

2017 Subaru Crosstrek Overview

Is the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek a Good Used SUV?

Yes, the Subaru Crosstrek is a good SUV, and it’s a great choice if you have an active lifestyle. Its spacious cargo hold allows you to load more stuff behind the seats than most other subcompact SUVs. You can go farther in it as well; the Crosstrek has good fuel economy, despite its standard all-wheel-drive system. A rearview camera comes standard, and some models are equipped with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of advanced safety features. Lastly, the 2017 Crosstrek earned a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Why You Can Trust Us

Our goal is to make shopping for your next car as easy as possible. You'll find everything you need to know about the Subaru Crosstrek in our comprehensive review. It combines concrete data (like fuel economy estimates, horsepower specs, and cargo space dimensions) with 38 professional Subaru Crosstrek reviews.

The Best Cars team – a division of U.S. News & World Report – has been reviewing cars, trucks, and SUVs since 2007. With more than 75 years of combined automotive experience, our editors, writers, and analysts rank a wide variety of new and used cars and issue three annual awards: Best Cars for the Money, Best Cars for Families, and Best Vehicle Brands. To keep our recommendations unbiased, we decline expensive gifts from carmakers, and a third party handles our advertising.

How Much Is the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek?

Prices for a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek range from about $20,000 to $27,000, with $23,600 being the median price tag. These estimates are based on about 550 listings for the 2017 Crosstrek on our used car site. The price you pay depends on factors like the vehicle’s mileage, condition, trim level, and regional demand.

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How Much Does the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek Cost to Own?

Over five years, expect to pay around $23,000 to insure, fuel, repair, and maintain a 2017 Crosstrek. That’s slightly higher than estimates for rival subcompact SUVs.

Is It Better to Buy a Used or New Crosstrek?

You can likely find a better value with a new Crosstrek than with a used version. On average, expect to pay around $23,600 for a 2017 Crosstrek (based on our analysis of used car listings on our site). Compare that to the $21,795 starting MSRP of a 2018 Crosstrek. You can even step up to the midlevel 2.0i Premium trim, which has a starting price of $22,595, and you’ll still spend less than the average price of used Crosstrek. For tips on how to save even more, check out How to Negotiate the Price of a Car before you head to the Subaru dealer.

Not only is the 2018 Crosstrek less expensive than the 2017, but it’s also the better version of the two. Subaru fully redesigned the Crosstrek for 2018, and it updated the styling and addressed many of the Crosstrek’s chief complaints. For example, the optional automatic transmission feels much more refined in the new Crosstrek, though the SUV still feels a bit sluggish off the line. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and active torque vectoring (which increases stability while cornering) are among the standard features added for 2018.

Read about the new Subaru Crosstrek »

Another new subcompact SUV you may want to consider is the 2018 Hyundai Kona. This brand-new model is energetic and agile on the pavement, yet it’s still capable of handling gravel roads. The Kona’s above-average predicted reliability rating and superb warranty are also reassuring. Prices start at $19,500 with front-wheel drive, and $20,800 with all-wheel drive.

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Which Model Year of the Subaru Crosstrek Is Best? 

Ever since its launch as the XV Crosstrek in 2013, the Crosstrek has undergone a steady series of changes over the years, including adding and then discontinuing a Crosstrek Hybrid edition (which we review separately). Subaru also dropped the “XV” from the name for 2016, and the SUV’s list of standard and available features has been steadily growing. Despite these modifications, scores for the Crosstrek have remained relatively stable over the years. That means you can pick any model year and get a good vehicle. The 2017 model year is the last in this generation before the vehicle's 2018 redesign.

Compare the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Crosstrek »

How Reliable Is the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek?

J.D. Power gives the Crosstrek a predicted reliability rating of three out of five, which is average for a used vehicle.

Read more about Crosstrek reliability »

2017 Subaru Crosstrek Recalls

No recalls have been issued on the 2017 Crosstrek as of the time of this review.

See more information on Subaru Crosstrek safety recalls »

Which Used Subaru Crosstrek Model Is Right for Me?

The 2017 Crosstrek comes in four different trim levels: 2.0i. 2.0i Premium, 2.0i Premium Special Edition, and 2.0i Limited. All come with the same four-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive, the Starlink infotainment system, Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary audio inputs, and a rearview camera.

Of the four trims, the base Crosstrek 2.0i tenders the best value, and comes with a nice set of standard features. Be prepared to shift your own gears though, as this edition comes only with a five-speed manual transmission. For a little more dough, the Crosstrek 2.0i Premium strikes a nice middle ground between price and features. Added features include heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and some models come with the optional EyeSight suite of advanced safety features.

See 2017 Subaru Crosstrek trims and specs »

What Does Subaru's Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?

Subaru offers a certified pre-owned program for vehicles five years old or less and with fewer than 80,000 miles. Eligibility is determined by the vehicle’s initial sale date. For its certified pre-owned vehicles, Subaru extends the original new-car powertrain warranty to seven years from the original sale date or 100,000 miles. Subaru provides no additional coverage for CPO vehicles, so buyers receive the remainder of the original three-year/36,000-mile new-car warranty. However, buyers can purchase additional coverage. Every CPO Subaru must pass a 152-point inspection. Additional benefits like owner loyalty discounts, a one-year Starlink Safety Plus trial subscription, towing, and roadside assistance may be available, so read the Subaru warranty page carefully.

Subaru’s CPO program isn’t particularly robust, according to our analysis. Among affordable automakers, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, and many others have better programs.

See the best CPO programs »

Read more about the Subaru certified pre-owned program »

How Safe Is the Crosstrek?

The 2017 Crosstrek passed every Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test with flying colors, and it earned the organization’s Top Safety Pick designation. It secured five out of five stars for its overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, though it earned only four stars in two of the three subcategories (frontal crash and rollover).

A rearview camera is standard on every 2017 Crosstrek, and some models come with blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. Subaru also offered its EyeSight package for uplevel trims, which bundled together adaptive cruise control, forward collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, and steering-responsive fog lights.

See Crosstrek safety scores »

2017 Subaru Crosstrek Versus the Competition

Which Is Better: 2017 Subaru Crosstrek or 2017 Mazda CX-3?

As one of the top scoring models in our subcompact SUV rankings, the 2017 Mazda CX-3 is hard to beat. This is an appealing choice if you find the Crosstrek’s performance to be too dull for your liking. Hallmarks of the fun-to-drive CX-3 include an energetic engine, athletic handling, and superb fuel economy. However, stick to the Crosstrek if you need ample rear-seat and cargo space.

Which Is Better: 2017 Subaru Crosstrek or 2017 Honda HR-V?

The Honda HR-V and Subaru Crosstrek are two of the most spacious options in the subcompact SUV class. The Crosstrek has a slight edge over the HR-V when it comes to safety, though. In addition, the Crosstrek has more available safety features, such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and automatic emergency braking (none of which was offered on the 2017 HR-V).

Compare the Crosstrek, CX-3, and HR-V »

2017 Crosstrek Performance

How Does the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek Drive?

Dull performance is one of the chief drawbacks to the 2017 Crosstrek. Reviewers routinely called its four-cylinder engine underpowered. On top of that, the available CVT (a type of automatic transmission) can be noisy during accelerating. The Crosstrek’s handling is much more polished, with confident steering and brakes.

Does the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek Get Good Gas Mileage?

The Crosstrek gets good gas mileage for its class, which is especially notable given every model comes with all-wheel drive. The base powertrain (which includes a manual transmission) returns 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Both ratings increase by 3 mpg when the Crosstrek is equipped with the CVT.

2017 Subaru Crosstrek Towing Capacity

A properly equipped Crosstrek can tow up to 1,500 pounds.

Read more about Crosstrek performance »

2017 Crosstrek Interior

How Many People Does the 2017 Crosstrek Seat?

The Crosstrek is a 2-row SUV that seats five people. It comes standard with cloth seats, and some uplevel models feature upgrades like leather upholstery and heated front seats. Power adjustable seats were not available on any edition. Even with the manual adjustments, the front seats are spacious and reasonably comfortable. Accommodations are passable in the back seat, though its rear-seat legroom isn’t as generous as some rivals.

How Many Car Seats Fit in the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek?

The Crosstrek comes with three tether anchors in the back seat, which are not hard to find or use. A set of lower anchors is located on each outboard seat, and the middle seat can also borrow a lower anchor from each adjacent seat (so long as they aren’t already in use). It takes a little digging to uncover the lower anchors in the seat cushions, but these are otherwise easy to use in models built after January 2017 (lower anchors in Crosstreks built before then are a little harder to move around). The LATCH system found in Crosstreks built after January 2017 earned the second-highest rating of Acceptable from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Models built before February 2017 have a Marginal rating, the second-lowest score possible.  

2017 Subaru Crosstrek Features

The Crosstrek’s infotainment system is straightforward and user-friendly, with easy-to-reach knobs and controls adding to its convenience. A 6.2-inch touch screen, USB port, smartphone integration, and Bluetooth connectivity are standard. We recommend looking for a Crosstrek with the upgraded Starlink system, which comes with extra speakers, a larger touch screen, satellite radio, and text messaging capability.

See 2017 Subaru Crosstrek specs »

Read more about Crosstrek interior »

2017 Subaru Crosstrek Dimensions

Subaru Crosstrek Cargo Space

The Crosstrek’s 22.3-cubic-foot cargo area is one of the largest among subcompact SUVs. Lay the split-folding rear seats down for up to 51.9 cubic feet of cargo space. You’ll also get a flat load floor that can accommodate a couple of bicycles or several moving boxes.

Subaru Crosstrek Length and Weight

The 2017 Crosstrek measures 14.6 feet from end to end. Its curb weight ranges from 3,109 to 3,208 pounds.

Where Was the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek Built?

Subaru built the Crosstrek in Japan.