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Subaru announces 2019 Crosstrek pricing

For the 2019 model year, the Subaru Crosstrek doesn't get a big refresh, but it does have a couple changes coming down the pipeline. One of those changes is in the pricing. For 2019, the MSRP is up by $100. That means the base price for the Crosstrek 2.0i equipped with the six-speed manual transmission — the most bare-bones version — is $22,870, which includes the $975 in destination fees. So what's new for 2019? For one, Subaru's EyeSight driver assist technology — which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, pre-collision braking and lane departure and sway warning — is available on the CVT-equipped base model. It's an $845 option, totaling $28,745. The Crosstrek Premium, which begins at $23,870, now comes with the 6.5-inch multimedia as standard. The Crosstrek Limited, at $28,170 has EyeSight, automatic braking and high beam assist as standard equipment. The Subaru Crosstrek, regardless of trim level, is all-wheel-drive, and powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder providing 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. That is mated either to a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. The CVT in Premium and Limited trims also offers a seven-speed manual mode with paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel. CVT models also come with X-Mode and Hill Descent Control for loose or slick roads or off-road driving. The Subaru Crosstrek offers fuel economy figures of 23 miles per gallon city/29 highway/25 combined for manual-equipped models. The CVT-equipped version offers 27/33/29 mpg. If that's not good enough for you, you won't have to wait long for something better. Subaru has announced that the 2019 Crosstrek will be its first model to receive a plug-in hybrid powertrain, available by the end of this year. We don't know what the pricing will be on that, yet, though. Related Video:

Subaru uses a mime and a toy car to explain why it loves the boxer engine

I will freely admit to struggling with why Subaru continues to stubbornly employ a boxer engine design while so few other automakers do the same. After all, with twice the number of cylinder heads and cams as a traditional inline four-cylinder engine, a boxer four is more complex, more expensive to manufacture and more cumbersome to service with few tangible benefits. Until recently, the company's engines struggled to meet the fuel economy numbers of its competitors while offering no real boon in horsepower or torque. Subaru seems to recognize I'm not the only one scratching my head.
In order to help us non-believers understand what's what, the company has employed a pair of mimes, a toy car and a few clay engines to demonstrate the folly of every other automaker on the planet. Subaru says the boxer offers up a lower center of gravity than either an inline four-cylinder engine or a V6, which I will gladly concede. The company also says the design offers up smoother operation.
I'll offer just two counterpoints here. First, an engine with a low center of gravity is excellent, but when vehicles like the Forester, XV Crosstrek and Outback boast more ground clearance than most mainstream SUVs, that argument flies out the window. Second, anyone who's spent any amount of time behind the wheel of a vehicle equipped with an inline four and then proceeded to move into one propelled by a boxer can tell you the latter has all of the idling manners of a small tractor. Check out the video below to see for yourself.

2015 Subaru Outback wading into NY show fray

The current-generation Subaru Outback was never going to win any beauty contests with its blend of rugged SUV looks and station wagon design. Still, it's found lots of fans - even five years after its launch, the Outback was Subaru's second-highest selling model in 2013. With the reveal of the next-generation 2015 Legacy at the Chicago Auto Show, it should be no surprise that Car and Driver says Subaru will reveal the next Outback at the New York Auto Show in April.
If previous generations are any indication, the next Outback will likely borrow liberally from the new Legacy, including its platform and engines. In addition to its five-door, station wagon design, the Outback will almost assuredly feature added body cladding and a higher ride height than the Legacy. Subaru's big push with the new Legacy will be to improve interior quality and comfort with liquid-filled engine mounts, an acoustic glass windshield, increased sound deadening, new infotainment systems and new safety tech. All of these will probably appear in the Outback as well.
After its rumored New York reveal, the 2015 Outback is expected to go on sale around the same time as the new Legacy in the summer of 2014.