2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Review: Features and Controls
What’s New:
- The Subaru XV Crosstrek's feature set largely matches that offered by the Impreza.
Simplicity continues to reign inside the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek when it comes to the vehicle's control surfaces and available features. One won't find many luxuries available on the XV Crosstrek's order sheet, but the affordably-priced base model comes with niceties such as heated seats, a nod to the overwhelmingly northern buyer base enjoyed by Subaru vehicles. Our Canadian-spec model included a very nice full-color LCD screen mounted on the top of the dash that displayed power flow, extended fuel mileage information, and a host of additional vehicle information. U.S. buyers receive a single-line LCD readout in its place, an unusual difference for what is otherwise an identical product.
We didn't have much cause to use the power moonroof due to the sub-zero temperatures associated with January in Montreal, but the automatic climate control system did its best to keep us warm and toasty against the chilling winds and long nights. One area of disappointment was the Bluetooth system - we simply could not figure out how to link our mobile phones via the extremely basic stereo system and its difficult-to-read text display. In fact, the stereo was the biggest letdown with the XV Crosstrek from a usability standpoint, as its almost retro feature set had us wondering if it could exclusively play music from the 90s.