We have a history of love for the standard Subaru Crosstrek here at . In fact, it has won our Subcompact SUV Challenge twice over the years. In its plug-in hybrid form, it still puts up a good fight, albeit with a significantly higher price tag. While the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid may have a more limited appeal than its gas-powered counterpart, that hasn’t stopped it from sitting comfortably high on this week’s list of top reviews — though still in second place behind the 2020 Kia Telluride SUV.
Related: More Expert Car Reviews
reviewer Aaron Bragman notes that the Crosstrek Hybrid is a lot heavier than the standard model, which is most evident when changing directions. However, all that extra weight hasn’t taken any of the pep from its step.
“Driving the Crosstrek Hybrid is a serene experience — at least while electricity powers the car,” Bragman writes. “EVs are usually wonderfully silent and the Crosstrek is no exception: Smooth, calm acceleration is the name of the game, and as long as you don’t push too hard on the pedal, you’ll be rewarded with silent sailing.”
But if you don’t need the calm and quiet, you could floor it to see how well the electric motors work in the Crosstrek’s favor. “Spoiler alert: It makes it quicker,” Bragman writes. “Subaru says the electric motors change the vehicle’s torque profile such that it subtracts a full second off its zero-to-60-mph sprint.”
For more on the Crosstrek Hybrid, check out the full review via the link below.
In videos this week, our First Drive of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade is still on top. Sitting at No. 2 is our drag-strip test of the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which jumped up two places from last week. Third is the off-road challenge, which pitted the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison and the 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon against each other. No. 4 is our latest video, a review of the 2019 Kia Optima. And last but not least is our 2019 Compact SUV Challenge.
Heading out to car shop this weekend or just want to stay up on what’s good? Here are the top five reviews and videos of the week:
Top 5 Reviews
1. 2020 Kia Telluride Review: The New Big SUV Benchmark
2. 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Review: More Efficient, Less Useful
3. 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review: All Around Greatness
4. 2019 Mazda CX-5 Review: Posh and Poised, But Tech Needs Tuning
5. 2019 Lincoln Nautilus Review: Faces of Lavishness and Disenchantment
Top 5 Videos
1. 2020 Hyundai Palisade: First Drive
2. 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye: Drag-Strip Tested
3. 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison Vs. 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon: Off-Road Challenge
4. 2019 Kia Optima: Review
5. 2019 Compact SUV Challenge
