2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek U.S. Spec

In 1995, Subaru became one of the first manufacturers to jump into the emerging crossover SUV market when it introduced the Forester, which was essentially an Impreza with a new, taller body. Fast-forward to 2012, and Subaru has once again called upon the Impreza to be the bones for an-all new compact crossover, this one called the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The interior of the Crosstrek is nearly identical to that of Impreza, save a few minor differences: the instrument cluster, a plastic cargo tray, and privacy glass. This similarity is hardly surprising -- it's both easy and cost effective to use as much as you can from what you have on hand. You sit in, not on, the firm yet comfortable seats, which have just enough bolstering keep you in place. For such a relatively small vehicle, the Crosstrek has a surprising amount of room inside. I could easily sit behind myself with plenty of headroom. Being 6'2", that's not something I can say about every vehicle. 

We got to sample both transmissions our drive, which consisted of both on- and off-road driving, and found that the five-speed made the Crosstrek much more enjoyable to drive. Being able to row your own makes a big difference in how lively it feels. Since it is neither a hardcore SUV nor a completely on-road vehicle, Subaru had to balance on-road feel with off-road capabilities, a job it accomplished very well. On the highway, the Crosstrek had a smooth feel, and when we hit broken road, the suspension absorbed the bumps nicely -- not too firm, not too soft. We couldn't get a feel for more spirited driving feel, specifically how the Crosstrek felt going through a corner hard, partly because the two-lane roads of Oahu often are clogged with slow-moving vehicles. 

We're guessing it will be similar to the behavior of other Subarus, exhibiting a little bit of body roll with the AWD system pulling you nicely through the corner. According to Subaru, its customers are active individuals who are four times more likely to hike and 3.5 times more likely to bike compared to your average customer. The target buyer is what Subaru calls a "youthful explorer," someone who seeks particular attributes in their vehicle. They want something that can handle all-around adventure, has flexible capabilities, is equipped for fun, and, of course, is safe. Subaru feels it has hit the nail on the head with the XV Crosstrek, and we agree. It's not a sports car by any means, but it is a sporty, capable, and fun CUV that will definitely fill a void in Subaru's lineup.

Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door CUV 2.0L/148-hp/145-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 147/112-135/102 kW-hrs/100 miles 

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2013 Subaru BRZ Premium

There was little question that a Subaru BRZ would be a part of our Four Seasons fleet. Few cars are as hotly anticipated because the fruit of the Subaru/Toyota joint venture that created the BRZ and therefore the Scion FR-S. lightweight weight, crisp handling, affordability, and rear-wheel drive are the endearing characteristics of those twins.

If you need to get out the door for $25,000, you will be heading to a Scion dealership and looking forward to a printed map. The Subaru BRZ Premium, on the opposite hand, comes with HID headlamps, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation, however its base worth is $26,265. need keyless ignition, heated leather seats, a trunk spoiler, and automatic climate control? That'll be another $2000 for the BRZ restricted. Since the BRZ is meant to be a pure sports automotive, we tend to opted for a Premium equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. An automatic transmission will be had for $1100; no different stand-alone choices are on the market on either the Scion or the Subaru.

Our solely serious grievance once driving the BRZ on a track in Japan and over difficult roads within the south of France was the modest level of grip from the stock 215/45WR-17 Michelin Primacy HP tires. As soon as we tend to took delivery of our 2013 BRZ, we tend to known as Tire Rack, the official tire and wheel provider of Automobile Magazine, and ordered a group of 225/45R-17 BFGoodrich g-Force R1-S tires and seventeen x seven.5 Sparco Assetto Gara wheels. Since the BRZ will accommodate a whole set of wheels and tires within its cabin, we'll be ready to run R-compound tires on the track and extend the lifetime of our street tires by solely using them on the road.

The cheap base worth makes the BRZ an ideal candidate for tasteful modifications. We're already eyeing a coil-over suspension system and brake upgrade to enhance the track tire package and commonplace limited-slip differential. make sure to follow the BRZ's upgrades on automobilemag.com to visualize what quantity performance we are able to gain by fiddling with the brakes, tires, and suspension. We'll be logging countless track miles with this automotive and measuring changes in performance with every upgrade.

Of course, we'll still use the BRZ for vacations, grocery runs, and daily commuting, as we tend to do with all Four Seasons vehicles. We've already established a lottery system to sign out the automotive once Michigan's initial snowfall, as a result of we tend to expect the BRZ to be a riot this winter once we tend to match applicable seasonal rubber. For now, let's head to the track.

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