I'm with you there. One of the main reasons the Crosstrek caught my eye is because of it's size. Living in LA, driving around a boat of a car can be frustrating -- parallel parking, weaving in and out of the massive amounts of traffic, parking in low garages, etc. I drive a 2003 OBS now and I love the size of it.

 

Don't own one, but yes.

The Subaru Outback is a mid-size, and from my experience driving an Outback for a little more than a year, I would much appreciate a compact vehicle better due to better urban maneuvering.

Though my old Outback wasn't a full-size car by any means, sometimes I did find its size somewhat bulky. After driving a Forester, I realized I needed a compact vehicle, not a mid-size vehicle.


Also, shorter wheelbase and shorter overhangs = better off-road capability

 

Hi had a Nissan X Terra before the Crosstrek. I really like the Crosstrek for parking, gas consumption, finish, interior etc. What I really miss is being higher up so that I can see over most cars.

 

I bought mine to replace a 1996 Outback and it's about the same size....I also liked it for the price and mpg rating as I'll be using it as a daily driver here in New England.

 

That goes to show how much bigger the Outback has become over the years. You should post up in Newbie Intros with done pics of your ride! It's always good to see other Crosstreks as there seem to not be many in North America yet.

 

Yes, yes, yes! Last year I traded in my 04 Forester since it needed a fair bit of mechanical work. I test drove both the OB, and the new Foz. Wasn't in love with either one. I really liked the new Impreza, but I wanted some clearance for trailheads. Ended up buying the OB, but never really enjoyed driving it. I avoided anywhere with tight parking. And, always had my friends drive us into downtown Seattle. So, when I saw the XV in a brochure this summer, I knew I'd be trading in the OB, and taking the financial hit. Ordered the XV at the beginning of October, and just picked it up last week. So far, I'm loving it. The size is perfect. It's a little tight for my dog in the boot, but figure for longer hauls, I'll just flip down the seats.

 

Yes, yes, yes! Last year I traded in my 04 Forester since it needed a fair bit of mechanical work. I test drove both the OB, and the new Foz. Wasn't in love with either one. I really liked the new Impreza, but I wanted some clearance for trailheads. Ended up buying the OB, but never really enjoyed driving it. I avoided anywhere with tight parking. And, always had my friends drive us into downtown Seattle. So, when I saw the XV in a brochure this summer, I knew I'd be trading in the OB, and taking the financial hit. Ordered the XV at the beginning of October, and just picked it up last week. So far, I'm loving it. The size is perfect. It's a little tight for my dog in the boot, but figure for longer hauls, I'll just flip down the seats.

Awesome! I had my dog in mine today for the first time. I put the seats down to avoid space/dirt issues with him and it worked out great. What color/options did you end up going with on your Crosstrek? You should post in Newbie Intros and let us know!

 

Awesome! I had my dog in mine today for the first time. I put the seats down to avoid space/dirt issues with him and it worked out great. What color/options did you end up going with on your Crosstrek? You should post in Newbie Intros and let us know!

I got a Limited Desert Khaki CVT with door molding/guards, back bumper protector, upgraded mats. After seeing some photos, I'm going to add the sports mesh grill and the hood protector. Then I'm done!

 

I really want the sport mesh grille and wonder how easy it is to install yourself.

 

Yes! My garage in my 1936 house is shallower than in my former 1939 house. My 2000 Xterra fits but doesn't leave much room for storage.

In addition to old houses the newer townhomes built in Seattle have small garages, in length and width. My friend bought a Tiguan when her A3 was too long for her new garage.

My Crosstrek is essentially the same width as my Xterra and 3 inches shorter in length. Very useful for my work parking garage in downtown and will come in handy for tight underground garages in Whistler.

Also, as bagsers mentioned, the length is good for parallel parking in the city.

I do have to agree with Got One, I do miss riding up higher. When you're short like me it's a great equalizer as well as it provides added safety when checking for traffic around city corners where folks parked all the way up to the corner, and not leaving 30 ft like the signs say.

 

I went with a Crosstrek because I have some mobility issues walking and the high ground clearance lets me get in and out the vehicle easier. I also liked the mpg ratings on the CVT and will be using the car mainly as a daily driver.

 

I don't have mine yet (soon!), but I went with a Crosstrek after looking (unsuccessfully) for a Baja. Read up on Subarus while researching the Baja and decided if I couldn't get the Baja, I still wanted a Subie. Pulled up their website to see which would fit my style best... Was leaning toward an Impreza hatchback (never been much of an SUV kind of guy), but was drawn to the XV thanks to the gas mileage, size, and ground clearance (in that order).

Now just to wait for it to come in... hopefully no more than two weeks until it's here.

 

I don't have mine yet (soon!), but I went with a Crosstrek after looking (unsuccessfully) for a Baja. Read up on Subarus while researching the Baja and decided if I couldn't get the Baja, I still wanted a Subie. Pulled up their website to see which would fit my style best... Was leaning toward an Impreza hatchback (never been much of an SUV kind of guy), but was drawn to the XV thanks to the gas mileage, size, and ground clearance (in that order).

Now just to wait for it to come in... hopefully no more than two weeks until it's here.

I bet you're excited. Please post up some pictures along with the options/trim you got once it arrives!

 

I bet you're excited. Please post up some pictures along with the options/trim you got once it arrives!

Will do. I'm getting horribly impatient currently. I've ordered stuff for it that's in or will be soon, but it has to sit lonely until the car gets here. Sad.

As an aside, does this verification code to post disappear with x number of posts or anything?

 

Yeah, you should be good now that you have 5 posts. We were having spam issues for a while and had to implement something :-\.

 

I really want the sport mesh grille and wonder how easy it is to install yourself.

I ordered the Mesh Grill and Spoiler last weekend. I can do a write of of the install if interested.

 

I drove a 2001 F150 and a 1995 Impala SS before i got the Crosstrek, and absolutely 100% i was looking at it because of how compact it was, yet comfortable on the inside. I'm still not use to how easy it is to park and back up. Not to mention gas mileage...

 

Yep, I've always been a small-car girl. I love that this one is higher for easy in and out, AND it takes up a couple inches less in garage space than my 2007 Civic. The jury is out on gas mileage. I got 35+ doing my around-town, regular driving in the Civic. I'm still on my first tank of gas in my 7-day old Crosstrek, so it will be awhile before I can measure what I am getting. I tend to drive conservatively, so I'm hoping to get into the upper end of the possible MPG.

I Love, Love, Love my Crosstrek. :-*

 

Yep, I've always been a small-car girl. I love that this one is higher for easy in and out, AND it takes up a couple inches less in garage space than my 2007 Civic. The jury is out on gas mileage. I got 35+ doing my around-town, regular driving in the Civic. I'm still on my first tank of gas in my 7-day old Crosstrek, so it will be awhile before I can measure what I am getting. I tend to drive conservatively, so I'm hoping to get into the upper end of the possible MPG.

I Love, Love, Love my Crosstrek. :-*

Glad to know you're loving it. After the break-in time (~1,000 miles) is when you technically should start seeing the best MPG.