Subaru Rolls Out 2023 Crosstrek, Largely Stays the Course

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – or at least that’s the tack Subaru of America seems to be taking with their popular Crosstrek. Forging ahead for the 2023 model year, the little tall wagon crossover sees a microscopic bump in price and the addition of different paint options. There’s also a new trim level for those of you who play ridiculously detailed games of Car Bingo.

That new trim is called – wait for it – the Special Edition. How inventive. That’s the model shown in the hero image at the top of this post, donning a new Desert Khaki shade of paint and some unique exterior details such as wheels in a dark grey finish plus door handles, badges, and a front grille bar dipped in a pot of inky black paint. You may want to lie down after digesting that big news. We know it’s a lot to take in all at once.

Also staying the course? Crosstrek’s powertrain options, which start with a 2.0-liter four-banger good for 152 horsepower which can be hooked to a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission in Base and Premium trims. The SE gets this engine as well, albeit with only the CVT. Sport and Limited trims get a larger 2.5L mill with 182 ponies and, yep, a CVT. Keeping one eye on Johnny Polar Bear is a hybrid option that pairs a 2.0L four-cylinder engine with two electric motors which permit the car to travel approximately 17 miles solely on electricity. Its battery capacity, for all you stats nerds (*raises hand*), is 8.8kWh. And we can’t talk about Subaru without mentioning all-wheel drive.

There isn’t much change inside the Crosstrek, either. The so-called Special Edition does earn snazzy black and red cloth upholstery with zooty stitching, plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel and assorted trim pieces finished in a low luster black. Hey, at least it sounds better than the puzzlingly popular piano black trim which attracts dust and fingerprints like magnets to a refrigerator door.

Starting price for the Crosstrek is $23,645, just a few simoleons north of last year’s car, while the Crosstrek Hybrid stickers at $36,845 and may qualify for financial largesse from daddy government, depending on where you live.

[Image: Subaru]

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Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • Joevwgti Joevwgti on Jun 13, 2022

    My 2014(2015 model) Subaru Forester XT, my first Subaru and awd, is about to turn 8yrs old in July. I've never kept any car this long, nor have I enjoyed any car as much, nor has any turbo vehicle been this cheap to run. The interior is dead boring, but can be operated by feel. Due to the glass area I can see everything, it has a massive glass moon-roof, I can put a full-size bike in the back, and it'll tow(never tried). It's quite fast, gets relatively good mileage(32mpg), and the awd system is amazing. You just point the nose, and go up or around anything you want to. Given that, however, this will be my last Subaru. Seems their electric offerings are huge, and they don't put turbos in anything non-huge(my car is already too big). The crosstrek would benefit from a 1.5L turbo(like in Japan), the same 2.5L turbo you see in others, or just any. It's nice to have options, and I'm glad people are enjoying their experience.

  • Swester Swester on Jun 13, 2022

    Frankly, I've heard nothing but positive things about the Crosstek and it's hard to beat that level of capability for basically $25k. It's the sort of car I wouldn't mind even paying MSRP, it's that reasonable of a value.

  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
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