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EDIT:
Disclaimer: as I have said a million times, I am coming from an Outback Sport that was built in 2002, so my impression of everything is in contrast to that. However I will say I have driven a lot of different cars, old and new, so I believe I have a good feel for them.
Ok, I took some more pics today, though they aren't anything any of us haven't seen before, I still want to share:
It hasn't even been 24 hours but you all will be happy to know I still like the car a whole lot
.
Interior:
- I am a big fan of black interiors, but with Crystal Black Silica exterior my only option was the taupe. I have to say that the brightness of it in contrast to the black paint job is really appealing and growing on me -- I am happy with it.
- The steering wheel controls are great (I am not used to having that luxury). They are responsive and do everything I need them to do.
- The dash controls are, as a lot of reviews have said, very basic, but I don't care. They do what I want them to do and that's all that really matters. Dual climate control and a nicer radio readout would definitely be appreciated, but to me not a necessity.
- The interior has a lot more room than my old Outback Sport. We had three 6ft+ men in there with no problem.
- One of our users said he had an issue with the placement of the windshield wipers. I hit a little rain last night and got to use them and I have to say they don't seem to bother me, at least on low speed. I get what he was saying about where they are placed, though.
- I have the basic, stock sound system and it is fine for my needs. I may look into doing an aftermarket upgrade at some point, but anything is better than what I had.
- The bluetooth connectivity works great with my Droid Razr. I am able to stream music as well as place and answer calls. The car and phone automatically pair every time I get in the car (after initial setup) without any issues.
- The heated seats work great, the A/C blows cold and the heat blows hot.
Exterior:
- The car simply looks great. I love the wheels, the body cladding, the stance...everything. Not much to say here except that I am very happy with it.
Transmission/Power:
- The 148hp, 145ft/lb engine is doing fine keeping up with me. I am getting used to how to drive the CVT but so far I am really liking it. There does seem to be a little lag from a dead stop every once in a while, especially right when switching from reverse into drive, however, it is hardly noticeable.
- The paddle shifters are neat and all, but I don't see them coming into play that often. I feel you can get the same results for accelerating/passing once you learn to drive the CVT and let it do its thing.
- I am in VERY flat southeastern North Carolina on a job so there aren't any mountains, or really any hills for that matter, to test the Crosstrek on. However, I feel like with the responsiveness and power I am feeling from the engine that the Crosstrek will do just fine tackling the steep inclines.
Drive:
- The Crosstrek's seats are very comfortable, however, there is a lack of lumbar support which would be nice to have.
- Around town the Crosstrek is a very smooth ride and remains quiet. On the highway the noise does pick up quite a bit but it doesn't bother me that much -- I'll just have to turn the music up louder!
There are some good drive-on beaches here that I plan on taking the Crosstrek out onto within the next week or so to see how it does in deep, rutted sand.
The first week in January I will be done with my job in NC and will be hitting the road back to Los Angeles, about a 2,800 mile drive. I will be doing a full report on the Crosstrek's road trip capabilities at that point.
That's everything I have to say for now, but please feel free to ask specific questions and I will do my best to give you an answer to them.
[hr]
Disclaimer: as I have said a million times, I am coming from an Outback Sport that was built in 2002, so my impression of everything is in contrast to that. However I will say I have driven a lot of different cars, old and new, so I believe I have a good feel for them.
Ok, I took some more pics today, though they aren't anything any of us haven't seen before, I still want to share:







It hasn't even been 24 hours but you all will be happy to know I still like the car a whole lot
Interior:
- I am a big fan of black interiors, but with Crystal Black Silica exterior my only option was the taupe. I have to say that the brightness of it in contrast to the black paint job is really appealing and growing on me -- I am happy with it.
- The steering wheel controls are great (I am not used to having that luxury). They are responsive and do everything I need them to do.
- The dash controls are, as a lot of reviews have said, very basic, but I don't care. They do what I want them to do and that's all that really matters. Dual climate control and a nicer radio readout would definitely be appreciated, but to me not a necessity.
- The interior has a lot more room than my old Outback Sport. We had three 6ft+ men in there with no problem.
- One of our users said he had an issue with the placement of the windshield wipers. I hit a little rain last night and got to use them and I have to say they don't seem to bother me, at least on low speed. I get what he was saying about where they are placed, though.
- I have the basic, stock sound system and it is fine for my needs. I may look into doing an aftermarket upgrade at some point, but anything is better than what I had.
- The bluetooth connectivity works great with my Droid Razr. I am able to stream music as well as place and answer calls. The car and phone automatically pair every time I get in the car (after initial setup) without any issues.
- The heated seats work great, the A/C blows cold and the heat blows hot.
Exterior:
- The car simply looks great. I love the wheels, the body cladding, the stance...everything. Not much to say here except that I am very happy with it.
Transmission/Power:
- The 148hp, 145ft/lb engine is doing fine keeping up with me. I am getting used to how to drive the CVT but so far I am really liking it. There does seem to be a little lag from a dead stop every once in a while, especially right when switching from reverse into drive, however, it is hardly noticeable.
- The paddle shifters are neat and all, but I don't see them coming into play that often. I feel you can get the same results for accelerating/passing once you learn to drive the CVT and let it do its thing.
- I am in VERY flat southeastern North Carolina on a job so there aren't any mountains, or really any hills for that matter, to test the Crosstrek on. However, I feel like with the responsiveness and power I am feeling from the engine that the Crosstrek will do just fine tackling the steep inclines.
Drive:
- The Crosstrek's seats are very comfortable, however, there is a lack of lumbar support which would be nice to have.
- Around town the Crosstrek is a very smooth ride and remains quiet. On the highway the noise does pick up quite a bit but it doesn't bother me that much -- I'll just have to turn the music up louder!
There are some good drive-on beaches here that I plan on taking the Crosstrek out onto within the next week or so to see how it does in deep, rutted sand.
The first week in January I will be done with my job in NC and will be hitting the road back to Los Angeles, about a 2,800 mile drive. I will be doing a full report on the Crosstrek's road trip capabilities at that point.
That's everything I have to say for now, but please feel free to ask specific questions and I will do my best to give you an answer to them.
[hr]
I just arrived home from the dealership with my brand new Crystal Black Silica Crosstrek. It is too dark now to get any good pictures, so this phone shot will have to suffice until tomorrow.
I got a pretty basic package, CVT with moonroof and all weather mats. I will probably add on the roof rack crossbars and maybe a mesh grille for looks within the next few weeks.
Initial thoughts: I love it. I'll post a lot more tomorrow. ;D
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