Our original First Drive of the all-new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek featured the base 2.0-liter BOXER 4-cylinder. And while that was by no means a bad experience, we did tease another powertrain… one with a little more muscle and made here in the States.

That would be the 2.5-liter BOXER 4-cylinder, under the hood of the Sport, Limited and upcoming Wilderness trims. And it was just a short flight up to Woodstock, New York, where Subaru let us throttle up this more powerful engine.

This 2.5-liter BOXER makes 182 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque– a healthy bump from the 2.0-liter’s 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. Either engine is paired to a Lineartronic CVT and a standard all-wheel drive system.

This 2.5-liter is stout and responsive, but not the only impressive upgrade to be found in these higher trims.

KYLE SCANLON: “So, one of the really big features for this vehicle is the fact that they’re X-Mode now has two different drive modes. There is a deep snow and mud setting, which we’re in now…which is the new setting. And the point of that is to give you extra wheel spin in these muddy, snowy conditions when you want that extra kind of traction underneath and you don’t just want it to find only grip so you can really get around.

Now, I’m struggling a little bit in these ruts, but it is an extremely, extremely impressive system.”

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport starts near $30,000 with delivery, followed by the Limited at $32,000. The Wilderness will start just over $33K. Whether you go 2.0- or 2.5-liter, Subaru’s offering a lot of bang for the buck.

And we’ll have more Quick Spins… soon!