Inside EVs looks at the Crosstrek Hybrid

As would be expected from a site named “Inside EVs,” they usually review purely electric vehicles. Sometimes they go out on a limb and review a plug-in hybrid. A non-plug-in hybrid is a total stretch for them, but they reviewed the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid anyway. This Ewing Subaru of Plano blog post summarizes the article, starting with its headline, which, after mentioning the model, says: “I Get Why Everyone Buys These Things.” He was referring not to the hybrid models, which are still pretty new, but to Crosstreks in general, which are quite popular in Upstate New York, where the author lives.

The gist of the article is that while the Crosstrek Hybrid is not the fastest, most fuel-efficient, or most technologically advanced vehicle on the market, the whole system works quite well, which is exactly what many vehicle buyers want.

Starting at the heart of the matter, the Crosstrek Hybrid begins with the conventional Crosstrek’s 2.5-liter flat-four, alters the valve timing to reduce horsepower to 162, then adds an electric motor fed by a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery that brings horsepower back up to 194 and delivers 199 lb-ft of torque. The power is managed by an e-CVT before being sent to Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. Both city and highway mpg are rated at 36, so the combined figure is as well. With a 16.6-gallon gas tank, that works out to almost 600 miles of range between fill-ups, which would be more miles than most people driving cross-country like to put in a day.

While other hybrids offer higher MPG, the author notes that “…the Crosstrek Hybrid promises things those cars can’t do: all-wheel-drive hyper-competence, mini-SUV capability, and proven, all-weather toughness.” He adds for emphasis, “Like any variant of the Crosstrek, it’s just a do-everything sort of car.”

There were a few complaints about the acceleration being just so-so, which is probably not surprising for someone used to driving EVs. On the other hand, he is impressed by the seamless hybrid delivery. At moderate speeds in town, the model will occasionally run on the electric motor alone, indicated by a light on the dashboard. Battery replenishment comes from brake regeneration and siphoning power from the engine, and there is a Battery Charge Mode that prioritizes battery recharging. Overall, though, it just drives like a car that happens to get better mileage. The hybrid is relatively invisible. On the utility side, the 54.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats down is impressive, even beating the author’s Kia EV6 in that stat, which is a notably larger vehicle.

The center touchscreen doesn’t get the Outback’s updated unit, and the author found the Crosstrek’s 12.3-inch screen less responsive than state-of-the-art. No such complaints about the EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, which he found to include adaptive cruise control and lane centering, both working well, even in heavy traffic.

The non-electrified Crosstrek starts at $26,995, which makes it a lot of car for the money by today’s standards. The hybrid version starts at $34,995. How long would the gas savings make up for that $8,000? It could be a while, but you will certainly be stopping for gas less often, so if time is money, that is worth factoring in as well. As the author points out, the Crosstrek Hybrid is “something that’s easy to operate, tough, dependable enough to last more than a decade, and that they don’t have to think about all that much.”

He wouldn’t be the first to discover that Subarus simply get the job done safely and reliably without calling attention to themselves. If that sounds like the vehicle for you, visit Ewing Subaru of Plano and pick out a Crosstrek hybrid from our vast inventory to test-drive.