More (miles) From Fewer (gallons): The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

I think I've made it clear that there's not a lot I'd change about the Subaru Crosstrek.

The good news is that Subaru doesn't ask me before going ahead, because I might have completely overlooked putting a hybrid powertrain in one.

Subaru did a Crosstrek Hybrid before, but there wasn't one for 2024 or 2025. That's because Subaru was preparing to give us this: A next-generation series-parallel that is light years better than what it replaced.

The old Crosstrek Hybrid was a Plug-In Hybrid, with a meager 148 horsepower and 17 miles of pure electric range. Although I liked it at the time, it was, by today's standards, slow and expensive. The world has moved on in six years.

The new Crosstrek Hybrid loses the plug. Horsepower is up to 194, which is 12 more than the gasoline-powered Crosstrek, and just enough to offset the added battery and component weight---0-60 runs are equal to the '26 internal combustion version at 7.9 seconds.

But the improvement in fuel economy is remarkable. The gasoline-powered Crosstrek has an EPA fuel economy estimate of 26 mpg city/33 highway/29 combined.

The numbers for the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid? 36 city/36 highway/36 combined. And it lives up to those numbers. I put 300 miles on the Crosstrek Hybrid before the fuel gauge read 1/4 full. And on that roadtrip to the Mendocino-Fort Bragg area, I found the Crosstrek to be a surprisingly smooth and quiet highway cruiser, with refinement well beyond what I'd expect in this size and price class.

I never left the pavement, but with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, and Subaru's X-MODE dual-mode system with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes plus hill descent control, there was very little I wouldn't have been able to conquer.

There's 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, and 54.7 cubic feet with those seats folded.

Rear seat passengers get a decent 36.5 inches of legroom.

The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid comes in two trim levels---Sport Hybrid and Limited Hybrid. I drove the Limited Hybrid. Base pice is $33,995 ($35,415 with destination). Standard equipment includes two-stage heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, a windshield wiper de-icer, a comprehensive suite of active safety features, EyeSight driver assist technology, leather-wrapped shift handle, leather-wrapped steering wheel with yellow stitching, a retractable cargo cover, dual-zone automatic climate control with air filtration and voice control, ten-way power driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support, moonroof, navigation, keyless entry, a sound-insulating windshield, sport cloth upholstery with yellow stitching and accents, an 11.6-inch touchscreen system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM with 360L and a wireless phone charger.

I have exactly one criticism of the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. The design of the wireless charger is smooth and flat. Once you place a cellphone on it, there is nothing holding it in place. I set my phone on it, verified that it was charging, and then began driving. But when I took curves, the phone moved enough to be off-center and thus not charging---which I discovered two hours later when I had 30% charge.

Our test vehicle had no extra-cost options, so the as-tested price was the base price ($33,995) plus destination ($1,420)---$35,415.

That's a very reasonable price (roughly $15,000 less than the average new car price today) for a vehicle with this blend of go-anywhere capability, fuel economy, room and refinement.