This just redesigned 2018 Subaru Crosstrek arrived on our long-term lot with just 25-miles on the odometer. In the month since, we’ve added 1,700 more, and mileage is off to a good start, averaging 33.5 miles-per-gallon.
We do expect that to drop as we continue to rack up miles. But before we do that, let’s get to know the Crosstrek a little more.
All new for ’18, our 2.0-liter 4-cylinder long-termer is outfitted in Limited trim; which means a back-up camera, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED steering responsive headlights, and automatic climate control are all standard; not to mention a CVT and of course, X-Mode all-wheel-drive.
To that we’ve added a moonroof, EyeSight Driver-Assist System, Reverse Automatic Braking, High Beam Assist, Navigation for the 8.0-inch Starlink touchscreen, and a 432-watt Harmon-Kardon Sound System. If nothing else, we’ll be rockin’ out for the next 11-months.
Date: June 2018
The warm weather has finally settled in here at MotorWeek HQ, and another 11-hundred miles have passed by in the redesigned 2018 Subaru Crosstrek.
It sure is Subaru solid, and standard all-wheel-drive provides great contact with any and all roads. The back-up camera has a higher vantage point than before, for a better view of what’s happening behind you, with a crystal clear image on the Starlink multi-media screen.
Engineers added 4-more horses to the now 152-horsepower 2.0-liter flat 4 matched with an updated CVT. It’s adequate with decent acceleration, but there’s no adrenaline rush. As we’ve mentioned before, they could improve noise control too.
So far we’re averaging 29.2 MPG of regular, right on the mark with the government’s numbers. And it is clear sailing for the summer roads ahead in our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek.
Date: August 2018 Mileage: 6,500
The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek seems to be the right vehicle for any season. 65-hundred miles have passed by in this rugged raised hatchback.
Now, we drove the 2017 model for a year, and we are noticing the differences. This ’18 is more refined, the ride is tauter, and overall has a more solid feel. The 152-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder works with an updated CVT. They’re a capable team… but we’d like more thrill from the throttle.
Our long term fuel economy average is 32-point-4 miles-per-gallon of regular. While all-wheel drive is not as critical during summer months, the Crosstrek’s usefulness… has us forecasting a long and enjoyable road ahead.
Date: September 2018 Mileage: 8,500
The Subaru Crosstrek is a stalwart in the MotorWeek fleet. So far we’ve driven the 2018 model 8500-miles after spending a year with the 2017 edition. This raised hatchback continues to have the right amount of utility and ruggedness for all roads and weather conditions.
Subaru’s all-wheel drive system is readily up to the challenge everywhere we’ve gone so far.
The 152-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder is paired with an updated CVT. They work well together, and while there’s decent low end torque… we’d like even more throttle response. Compared to our ’17, this ’18 Crosstrek drives more refined, solid, and secure.
Fuel economy is now 30-point-3-miles-per-gallon on regular… which is slightly better than the government’s Combined rating. Now, as the summer slips away, we’ll see how the Crosstrek handles our Autumn adventures.
Date: November 2018 Mileage: 12,000
We passed the summer season quickly in our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. And after 7-months total, we’ve put 12-thousand-miles on the odometer.
When we took delivery of this 2018 Crosstrek, we had just spent a year in the previous generation, but even if we hadn't the changes would still be obvious. The ride is much more refined thanks to the new global platform and technology, both for safety and convenience is top notch in this segment. We could still use some more horsepower, but to be fair, we say that a lot.
However, most buyers will find the 152-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with CVT powertrain more than adequate. Plus, we’re bettering the government’s combine rating at 30-point-1-miles-per-gallon on regular.
This raised hatchback has the right amount of room, utility and ruggedness. We’ll see how it handles the more frigid months that loom ahead.
Date: February 2019 Mileage: 16,000 Miles
Our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek is designed to thrive in winter. But, so far, it hasn’t had much taste of snow and ice… as our Mid-Atlantic winter has been mostly devoid of the white stuff. But the cold has been a constant.
Regardless of temps, and the growing number of potholes, the refinement of the new global platformreally shined. The 152-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with CVT is still up to every task we throw at it."The Crosstrek has been a steady workhorse in the MotorWeek long term test fleet. Our staff loves agood hatchback and this is certainly a good hatchback. Plenty of space, enough ground clearance toconfidently tackle bumpy gravel roads and a comfortable, upscale inrerior."
Our overall fuel economy average is 29-point-6 miles-per-gallon on regular… which is right in line withthe government’s combined rating.
Hopefully we’ll see the Crosstrek’s all-wheel drive in action during the snowy months to come.
Date: April 2019 Mileage: 19,000 Miles
One year and around 19-thousand miles have passed in our Subaru Crosstrek. It’s just back from a road trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And all that seat time made it obvious how much more solid and refined this redesigned model is thanks in part to the new global platform.
"The Crosstrek is proving to be a pretty decent road trip car. There's enough space to pack larger gear in the back, the wide opening hatch makes it easy to access and it doesn't drink a lot of gas. Some road and wind noise creeps in, but that's only highlighted by the fact that no one in the car wants to talk to me."
The 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and CVT are more than adequate. And no complaints when we fill up. We’re averaging 29.2 miles-per-gallon on regular… right in line with the government’s numbers… all while being a versatile member of our long term fleet.
Date: May 2019 Mileage: 19,748 Miles
It’s time to say good-bye to the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. We spent a year in this rugged-ute after testing the previous generation for the prior twelve months, so we’ve really gotten a feel for how versatile this raised hatchback can be… whether tooling around town doing chores… or taking long road trips. The new global platform stepped up the refinement, while Subaru’s symetrical all-wheel drive never let us down.
The 152-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and CVT powertrain were well matched all along the way. 19,748-miles was our final tally, with an average 29.6 miles-per-gallon… just a hair better than the EPA’s combined calculations. So the Subaru Crosstrek proved to be up to the task of whatever we asked…. no matter how the forecast turned out.
Our long-term fleet just got a whole lot more exciting thanks to this 2023 Volkswagen Jetta GLI.
This sportiest of Jettas now comes in fully-loaded Autobahn trim only, which means for about the price of an entry-level crossover, you get a legit sports sedan with sunroof, 18-inch wheels, leather seats, and 10-inch Digital Cockpit display.
Not to mention abundant power from a 228-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-4 and ultimate engagement with a 6-speed manual transmission.
No all-wheel-drive, but the GLI does have VW’s XDS Differential System, which uses selective braking to largely negate understeer and boost handling above and beyond the front-drive Jetta’s already notable abilities.
Put in the context of the absurd power some sport sedans are putting out these days, the GLI’s 228 horsepower rating sounds rather tame, but I can assure you it’s anything but. Although more precisely, it’s the torque that excites here. It comes in very early on with just a hint of turbo lag; although to be honest, for me that just kind of adds to the whole sporty experience, especially when you’re swiftly working the clutch and shifter.
With us for just a month, we’ve already racked up 3,500-miles, averaging a great 31.2 miles-per-gallon. And we’re looking forward and to an end of winter weather so we can get our spring fling on in earnest.
Date: March 2023Mileage: 4,500
This 2023 Volkswagen Jetta GLI has been significantly upgraded over the ‘21 GLI that we had in our fleet a while back, but sliding behind the wheel has been just like getting reacquainted with an old friend.
Just like in the last GLI we had, we’re rowing our own gears and loving every second of it and that’s not necessarily a given these days with how good automatic transmissions have gotten. But this setup is well-suited for daily driving. The shifter precisely glides into its gates and the light clutch pedal keeps our left legs from getting tired in stop and go traffic. But just to keep from getting too fatigued, we tend to stick to the back roads in this thing.
Mostly commuting duty these last few weeks, means only about 1,000-miles added to our total, which now sits at 4,500-miles in just 2-months’ time. With 228-horsepower on tap, and that tight 6-speed manual transmission to manage it; the GLI is fun from the moment you hit the start button, with a great 30.8 miles-per-gallon average along for the ride.
There’s a raspy exhaust note too, which sounds great running through the gears, but can get tiresome when steady cruising for extended periods of time.
Date: April 2023Mileage: 6,000
We like driving here at MotorWeek. That explains how we’ve been able to accumulate 6,000-miles in this 2023 Volkswagen Jetta GLI in a bit less than 3-months.
It’s a true joy managing all of its 228-horsepower with the smooth and steady 6-speed manual transmission. And we even managed to improve our MPGs this go-around, bumping our average up to 31.9 miles-per-gallon.
The fuel economy we’re seeing in this GLI is due in-part, of course, to the engine, but I would argue it’s also because of things that have nothing to do with how much gasoline we’re using. Things like the suspension and seat comfort. My point being, is that this car is such a great cruiser that we’re taking it on longer highway trips, which is boosting our fuel economy despite our less eco-minded back road escapades. Regardless, it’s a real “have your cake and eat it too” scenario.
While not overly flashy, the interior of this latest Jetta is well laid out, controls are logically placed, and the infotainment system is easy to use. All things that help you focus on driving, which is something we plan on doing as much as possible with our remaining time with the GLI.
We’re just getting into the holiday season, but we’ve already unwrapped our first present, this 2022 Kia EV6. It’s the personal prize of one of our associates, who is allowing us to share in a year-long ownership experience.
While not Kia’s first EV, it is their first one based on a dedicated EV platform, and easily their best looking.
Wind trim means 19-inch wheels, gloss black trim, vegan-friendly artificial leather seats, and a host of safety and active driving features. An optional tech package adds surround view monitor and remote parking assist.
With dual-motor all-wheel-drive, output is 320-horsepower with 274-miles of range.
The two-motor setup knocks off a few miles of range, but the extra power it returns more than makes up for it. Switching the drive mode to “sport” sharpens the throttle and adds a little extra oomph when accelerating, but there is no adaptive suspension, so the handling characteristics remain the same regardless of drive mode. Fortunately, it handles just fine as-is.
We’re just getting to know this little crossover; but so far, ride is solid, with no squeaks or rattles; and the interior is both lovely to look at and highly functional.
Date: February 2023Mileage: 4,000
We’ve spent much of the new year cruising in our 2022 Kia EV6, now resting with another 4,000 miles on the odometer after two months of use.
As expected, the 320 horsepower dual-motor all-wheel drive system is more than ample for daily use, but what’s more noteworthy is how it’s delivered.
The thing that gets people excited about EVs is the instant torque under hard acceleration, but the fact is on a daily basis that doesn’t matter a whole lot. Living with this EV6 we’re impressed by how smooth it accelerates, whether it’s from a stop or while rolling.
And then deceleration is equally as impressive. We really like being able to control how much regenerative braking we’re getting with the steering wheel paddles, and then when we do lift off the accelerator there’s no jarring grabbiness. It’s a well-tuned system.
Not only does it ease some of the pain of city gridlock, it makes longer hauls more bearable too. Same can be said for the seats, especially the reclining rears.
Speaking of longer trips, we can attest to the 274 miles of range. We’ve found the battery estimates to be pretty dead-on, only shrinking with the occasional bout in Sport mode.
Now, the EV6 isn’t flawless. The aero door handles look cool, but can be awkward to use since they don’t automatically pop out like they do on the GT Line trim. On the flipside, We turned off our auto-opening rear hatch since it kept popping up when we didn’t want it to. And the auto park feature is finicky to activate. Still, these small quirks haven’t deterred us from spending more time behind the wheel.
Date: March 2023Mileage: 6,100
It’s been a minute since we gave you an update on our long term 2022 Kia EV6; but believe me, we’ve been racking up the miles.
In fact, our digital odometer now rests at a solid 6,100 miles, reflecting the 2,000-or-so additional miles of pavement we’ve seen in the last two months. We’re happy to report no changes in our total range, still enjoying the full extent of 274 miles on a 100-percent charge.
It may not be as rowdy as the souped-up GT, but our Wind e-All-Wheel-Drive is still good for a few thrills. It switches between rear- and all-wheel drive depending on our needs, be it to save a little juice or kick performance up a notch.
One of our drivers wondered if it could use some stickier tires. Not that the stock rubber is awful by any means, but they figured a grippier compound would elevate the EV6 even more. That’s something you can change if you really want to– but more importantly, the things you can’t easily change about the EV6 are not only solid, but downright impressive.
For 20 years, automakers have been blurring the line between cars and SUVs. And now with this EV6 I’m not sure there’s much line left to blur. And honestly, that’s ok because now more than ever we really do get the best of both worlds. This EV6 can cruise with a family of four just as well as it can carve up a back road. And that’s really a side-effect of the all-electric platform which creates a low center of gravity and limited intrusion into the cabin.
Beyond that, our EV6 continues to swoon us with its handsome body and paint job. Though, over time we’ve become a little annoyed by the charging door light that shines outwards instead of on the port itself, which would make low-light plug-ins a little easier. But this is a small complaint; one we certainly aren’t getting worked up over, especially with the soothing sounds of nature playing from the stereo.
