2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium on 2040-cars

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2020 Ford Escape hybrids vs other crossover fuel sippers: How they compare on paper

Along with a new generation of Escape, Ford also reintroduced the world to the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid. And if that weren't enough, Ford is adding a plug-in hybrid version. This is a sign of the times: people are more crossover crazy than ever, but are also seeking ways to use less fuel, whether it's for environmental or purely money-motivated reasons. The Ford hybrids aren't the only fuel-efficient compact crossovers on the market. They will be going head-to-head with conventional hybrids including the 2019 Kia Niro, 2019 Nissan Rogue Hybrid and 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. There are other plug-in hybrids including the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek PHEV, 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the plug-in version of the 2019 Kia Niro. There are even a couple diesels in the form of the 2019 Chevy Equinox and 2019 GMC Terrain. So we've rounded up the details on all these crossovers to see who leads and lags in criteria such as power, fuel efficiency, space and price. Check out all their details below. 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid View 68 Photos How do their engines and fuel economy compare? Conventional Hybrids and Diesels Let's face it, if you're buying one of these crossovers, one of the things that matters most to you is just how frugal with fuel they are. We'll start off with the conventional hybrids and diesels, and the clear victor is the Kia Niro, which in base FE trim, manages to hit 50 mpg combined. This is thanks to it sharing its powertrain with the Hyundai Ioniq, the Hyundai equivalent of the Toyota Prius. Buyers should take note that only the FE returns such high fuel economy. The LX and EX drop to 49 mpg, and the S Touring and Touring get 43. Even then, the least efficient Niro is the most efficient of the normal hybrids and diesels. It is nearly the least powerful, though, with 139 horsepower. Just behind it is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. It delivers 40 mpg combined, and it has an ace up its sleeve: it comes standard with all-wheel drive. Every other vehicle in this powertrain group has front drive standard, and the Niro isn't available with all-wheel drive at all. If that weren't enough, the RAV4 Hybrid also boasts the most power at 219 horses. While we can't say anything about Escape Hybrid fuel economy, we do know that it will make 198 horsepower, which is close to the class-leading RAV4. The least powerful of these is the Equinox and Terrain, and they return the worst fuel economy at 32 mpg.

Sportier Subaru Forester gets 175-hp turbo four, suspension tweaks in Japan

Subaru has finally put a turbocharged flat-four under the hood of the fifth-generation Forester. Called Sport, the model is exclusively available in its home country of Japan — for the time being, at least. Power for the Sport model comes from a 1.8-liter flat-four that's turbocharged and direct-injected to deliver 175 horsepower from 5,200 to 5,600 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 3,600 rpm. Also found in the Levorg station wagon, it's no match for the last-generation XT engine, whose horsepower and torque outputs checked in at 250 and 258, respectively. Compared to the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter the Forester is currently offered with, however, it offers about the same amount of horsepower and 44 additional pound-feet of torque. It should make Subaru's hot-selling crossover markedly peppier in a variety of driving conditions. It sounds like the days of the stick-shifted Forester are gone for good, because even the Sport-badged member of the range is only available with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It does benefit from a handful of suspension tweaks that come together to deliver sportier handling, according to Subaru. Symmetrical all-wheel drive comes standard. Gold wheels, a hood scoop, and an oversized spoiler? Not here. Sport models stand out from the other variants with a black grille and darker wheels, among other subtle styling revisions. Inside, Subaru added a blend of suede and leather upholstery, plus a camera-based driver monitoring system that recognizes the person sitting behind the wheel and adjusts a variety of parameters (like the position of the seat and the mirrors) accordingly. On sale now in Japan, the Subaru Forester Sport carries a base price of 2,990,000 yen, a sum which converts to approximately $28,500. It might also be available in other global markets, like Australia, but it's too early to tell if we'll see it in American showrooms. Subaru told us it can't discuss future products, which isn't a confirmation or a denial. It's worth pointing out that, even if the Forester Sport ends up not being sold here, the 1.8-liter turbo four that powers it could find its way to our shores under the hood of another model. Use your imagination in the comments below. And stay tuned.  

2015 Subaru Legacy

Subaru has a problem on its six-starred hands, but you wouldn't know it at first glance. Sales are up; in fact, the Japanese automaker has recorded 28-straight months of increased sales in the United States, leading to the best first-quarter Subaru has ever recorded, and 2014 will almost assuredly be the seventh straight year it has posted improvements. So, what's wrong? The answer is simple, though clearly complicated to resolve. Sedans - specifically, midsize examples - have proven a tough nut for Subaru to crack.
The vast majority of those impressive sales statistics have come from just a few models, namely the Forester, Outback and XV Crosstrek. The Impreza continues to sell at a respectable pace, but it's telling that the XV, after just three years on the market, is already Subaru's third-best-selling nameplate, outpacing the aforementioned Impreza (on which it's based), its high-performance WRX sibling and the Legacy, which is now entering its sixth generation, having been first introduced way back in 1989. It's that last model we're examining today.
Despite the fact that the Legacy plays in a hotly contested market segment that includes such stalwart sales champions as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima, Subaru's competitor registers as a barely visible blip on the radars of new-car buyers. Graphically illustrated another way, Toyota sells 17 Camry sedans for every new Legacy that Subaru moves.