Consumer Reports released its top ten recommended cars for the year. We’ve already covered one of them with the evergreen Toyota Camry as its top pick for midsize sedans.
Now, we move on to a more popular category, subcompact crossovers. The organization’s pick in that segment doesn’t wear a Toyota or a Honda badge. Instead, it’s a Subaru.
The Japanese automaker has been receiving more accolades from Consumer Reports recently. Not only was it rated the top brand of 2024 in terms of long-term owner satisfaction, several of its models have the ‘Recommended’ seal of approval.
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With that, the organization has chosen the Subaru Crosstrek as its top subcompact crossover. It beats out firm favorites in its class such as the Honda HR-V (that has a different version in the North America) and Toyota Corolla Cross.
“The Subaru Crosstrek is designed for both urban touring and wilderness adventure. It offers an excellent ride, good fuel economy, standard all-wheel drive, and a high ground clearance that makes it able to handle rougher roads. It’s easy to get into and out of. Both the front and rear seats are comfortable and supportive, and the physical and touchscreen controls are mostly user-friendly,” said Consumer Reports.
Aside from its practicality and versatility, the organization also lauded EyeSight, Subaru’s advanced driver assist system. Of course, there’s also good predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction has been rated highly. As such, the Crosstrek is a highly recommended model in the small crossover class.
Mind you, the Crosstrek in the US is a little different. While both North American and Southeast Asian versions get the same safety tech, their paths deviate under the hood. Yes, the familiar 2.0-liter with 152hp is available there, too, but Americans (and Canadians) have an option to go for the peppier 2.5-liter that makes 182hp.
The 2.5-liter isn’t likely to land in the Philippines any time soon. However, we could expect the hybrid to be offered here someday. It’s already available in Japan and Europe, and it’s coming soon to North America. Is Southeast Asia set to get it next? Given that there are no hybrid Subaru models in the region, it’s more a need these days.
